DRUMRIGHT — A grand opening ceremony was recently held for a new Emergency Services Training Center located at the Central Tech Drumright campus. The center is designed to give firefighters and other emergency responders a controlled environment to practice real-world scenarios.
While the effort and funding for the center was primarily spearheaded by the Olive Volunteer Fire Department it is intended to serve firefighters far beyond the district. Notably, the center is the first of its kind in Creek County, according to Olive Fire Chief Jason Dobson.
For firefighters, training does not stop when they leave the classroom. Knowing what to do when faced with a burning structure, a blocked entrance, or another emergency requires hands-on experience. Creek County now has a place where those skills can be practiced close to home.
“This three-story training center is uniquely designed using shipping containers that provide basic and advanced hands-on simulations to meet our current and future training needs,” Dobson said. “There is no substitute for actual handson training.”
The facility's first two floors include live-fire demonstration and attack rooms. Firefighters will be able to observe the progression of a controlled fire and then practice entering the structure and extinguishing it. The center also allows firefighters to train in roof operations, sprinkler activation, forcible entry, window searches, and other situations they may encounter while responding to calls.
Once a car-fire prop and dumpster-fire prop are completed, the facility will be certified through OSU Fire Service Training as an approved live-fire training facility, according to Dobson. That certification could make a significant difference for local firefighters because currently, the closest approved facility available for Olive firefighters' certification testing is at OSU Fire Service Training in Stillwater.
“It keeps our firefighters close,” said Dobson. Keeping firefighters close during training is more than a matter of convenience. Volunteer firefighters must balance training with jobs, families, and other responsibilities while also remaining available to respond to emergencies in their own communities. Having a training facility in Creek County means firefighters can spend less time traveling to training and more time learning while remaining close enough to their home jurisdictions to respond if they are needed.
The Creek County Fire District Association held its first annual Fire Training Weekend at the facility the same weekend of its official opening. CCFDA noted the weekend brought 126 emergency responders from across Oklahoma and one from Texas for 16 free classes and 74-hours of training.
“We got firefighters from all over Oklahoma coming and attending,” Dobson said. “We hope it gains speed, and we hope it's bigger next year.”
Dobson said the training weekend demonstrated how the facility can bring responders from different departments together to train. Training included both classroom and hands-on instruction with instructors and participating organizations including OSU Fire Service Training, Central Tech, AirEvac LifeTeam Seminole, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Oklahoma Insurance Department, Heartland Medical Direction, Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security, and Oklahoma Forestry Service.
One of the most important benefits is firefighter preparation for the moment when training has to become action. Dobson emphasized that emergency responders do not get to choose the circumstances under which they will be called upon to help someone during a speech he gave at the opening ceremony.
“It is irresponsible and unacceptable to show up on the worst day of someone’s life with little or no training,” Dobson said.
The center is designed to help firefighters experience those difficult situations in a controlled setting before they encounter them on an actual emergency call.
“When the radio tones drop, the lights come on, and the bay doors open — it’s time to perform,” Dobson said. “The experience gained at this new training center will ensure we’re ready.”
The center's value also extends beyond the individual firefighter since one of the factors used in a fire department's Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating is training. ISO ratings can impact insurance costs for residents. Dobson said the new facility will help Olive increase its training points while providing firefighters with more opportunities to maintain and improve their skills.
The center was funded in part through a 2024 INCOG Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) grant, along with 2022 Creek County Fire Sales Tax funds and Olive Volunteer Fire Department funds. The total project cost was approximately $110,000.