WILLIAMS, CA (MPG) – Plans for a regional fire training facility in Williams will move forward with $500,000 in state funding secured for the Williams Fire Protection Authority.
The funding will support construction of the authority’s planned Regional Fire Training Facility, a $1.5 million project designed to provide training and certification opportunities for firefighters and other first responders throughout Northern California.
The state included the appropriation in its budget with support from Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters.
“This funding brings us closer to completing a facility that will benefit firefighters, law enforcement personnel, and communities throughout the region,” Williams Fire Chief Jeffrey Gilbert said. “Continued support for this project will allow us to provide a high-quality training facility along the Interstate 5 corridor.”
Plans call for a five-story, 17-container fire training tower that will serve as a state-certified firefighter training and testing center.
The facility will provide space for live-burn training, rope rescue instruction, firefighter certification and testing and multi-agency exercises. Law enforcement agencies and other public safety organizations will also be able to use the facility for specialized training.
Williams Fire Protection Authority officials said the regional center could reduce travel time and training costs for departments that currently send personnel outside the area for certification and specialized instruction.
The facility is expected to serve agencies within a 60- to 100-mile radius of Williams, providing training opportunities closer to rural communities in the region.
Aguiar-Curry said the project could improve access to training as rural communities prepare for wildfires and other emergencies.
“We’ve seen firsthand how quickly a fire can move through our rural communities. We were reminded of that this summer with the Rumsey Fire,” Aguiar-Curry said. “I’m proud to help secure this investment that will bring first-rate training closer to home for our Northern California first responders.”
She said the facility would help first responders prepare for wildfires and other emergencies while serving neighboring communities.
Williams Fire Protection Authority provides fire protection, emergency response and public safety services to Williams and surrounding communities.