Training Centre (5/02)

By Diana Scheddin

The Province of Ontario is providing close to $3.3 million to help build a new emergency training centre on the existing grounds of the Ontario Fire College in Gravenhurst.

The project is being funded by the province in reaction to the events that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001. Money has been also provided to fund various other initiatives, for example the Ontario Provincial Police and Emergency Measures Ontario have both received funding for various initiatives.

“In total it was about $30 million that has been committed to increasing the provincial government’s ability to deal with terrorist type activities,” says Jim Coulson, project manager for the office of the fire marshal.

The centre is being "added on to accommodate inner agency training in relation to chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological responses. The expansion will also allow training between emergency services, for hazardous materials type incidents," Coulson says.

The expansion gives the college the opportunity to hold larger seminars, including seminars involving police, fire and ambulance groups. These groups will then be able to work at simulated incidents together.

The college’s current space is limited, explains Coulson. The larger auditorium that will be built will be a much-needed asset.

Construction of this project is currently being overseen by the Ontario Reality Corporation.

"We hope to go to public tender within the next two weeks," notes Coulson.

"We have yet to select an architectural firm, and go out to tender for the actual construction."

The new centre should be complete by 2005. Meanwhile, students of the college can look forward to some new courses that will be offered to address hazardous materials responses.

“Terrorist type activities can be like a hazardous materials incident, so we will be increasing our training in that area as well,” says Coulson.

Incident-management courses will also be provided to allow police, fire and ambulance crews to work together for greater co-ordination and co-operation.

A hazardous waste awareness program is already available to students via the Internet.

Later on the college plans to develop awareness programs for senior officers and chief officers.