Fire Training Center

Fire Training Center

The Fire Training Center is located at 1301 Green Street in southwest Chillicothe.  Because of this training center, firefighters are able to participate in live burn situations, rope rescue, well rescue, forcible entry, search and rescue and ladder practice. The design features also allow different aspects of firefighting to be taught which include basement fires, fires on decks, and navigation up and down stairways, roof ventilation and many other skill sets. Wright said he is very proud of the facility and he even had a few people tell him it couldn't be done in the beginning stages. The training center is used by Chillicothe firefighters regularly; and the facility is not only a great asset to our firefighters, but our community as a whole. Because of the center, firefighters are better trained to protect Chillicothe and the center has also helped Chillicothe's local economy by bringing in out-of-town trainees. The training center is not only utilized by Chillicothe and area volunteer firefighters, but out-of-town emergency management agencies as well. According to Wright, many different training classes have been hosted at the training center for out-of-town and out-of-state firefighters as well. The ribbon cutting for the Chillicothe Fire Training Center was held in November. The facility is 4,300 square-foot, is five stories tall and has six training levels. The facility is shared with Grand River Technical School in an effort to enhance the current programs at the school and also bring in young recruits to help the fire department maintain adequate staffing. GRTS also provides instructors for training classes held at the facility. The training facility project cost around $423,000 and was largely paid for through the city's fire tax. Local foundations, however, pumped $150,000 into the project, and the city paid $10,000. 

In 2023 we completed a training center classroom to be utilized on site for the CFD employees and the Grand River Technical School Firefighter I & II certification program.