Farmington Fire Department Kicks Off Fundraising for Live Fire Training Facility

It was a 15-year process and a lot of hard work to bring the Town of Farmington Fire Department’s live fire training facility to the point of town approval. Now the department is starting the second phase, which will also require a lot of hard work – raising the $1 million of funding for the project needed by July 2014.    

The department kicked off its fundraising campaign Monday night at the Town Council meeting, when Mary-Ellen Harper, Director of Fire and Rescue Services, accepted the first two donations surrounded by a crowd of supportive firefighters.    

The project, sometimes called a 'burn building,' would be a training facility where firefighters could practice dealing with an actual fire as well as with smoke, equipment and various techniques. Currently, because of time and scheduling constraints as well as finances, firefighters meet the once-a-year requirement to train with live fire by traveling to a live fire training facility in Windsor Locks.    

Land for the training facility, to be located on Round Hill Road by the police firing range, was purchased by the town in 2011, after firefighters proposed other sites in town that were defeated due to neighbors’ objection.    

The town has also committed $175,000 for infrastructure, such as the road and water lines.    

Farmington originally sought to have three other towns – Burlington, Avon and Plainville share joint ownership with in the facility and also share the costs but those towns have been unable to get financing approval.    

Still, Farmington firefighters are hopeful they can raise the full $1 million for the facility. They took the first step Monday, when two checks were presented at the Town Council meeting.    

The first check, for $2,500, came from the Farmington Community Chest, represented by President Jennifer Hogan.    

“We looked at this project for 6 to 8 months and recognized how important it is,” Hogan said Monday night. “Hopefully others will come together to make this project happen.”    

Tunxis Hose Fire Chief Richard Higley presented the second check, for $10,000 on behalf of his employer, Incitec Pivot Limited / Dyno Nobel.    

“They’ve offered this year for the first time an opportunity for communities to apply for funds for community projects,” Higley said. He applied on behalf of the training facility and was successful. “I got notification …that we were one of a handful awarded the full $10,000.”    

To assist with the campaign, make a donation, or learn more about the project, please contact: Fire Chief Richard Higley, 860.678.1018, richhigley@sbcglobal.net or Director of Fire & Rescue Services Mary-Ellen Harper, 860.675.2322, HarperM@Farmington-CT.org.