COURTLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The Courtland Township Fire Department is building a shipping container training facility to deliver realistic fire scenarios at a fraction of the cost of a traditional multimillion-dollar structure.
Fire Chief Steve Mojzuk, who has pursued the idea since 1991, said the project is funded with $150,000 from the township and $50,000 from the department’s budget, WXMI reported.
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The facility uses six shipping containers, modeled after setups in Lansing and Saugatuck. To cut costs further, firefighters are volunteering to handle most of the construction themselves.
When finished, the facility will include four burn rooms and allow firefighters to simulate scenarios in a controlled setting.
“We built this so you’ll be able to get firsthand experience entering a heated building under controlled conditions,” Mojzuk said.
Mojzuk stressed the need for hands-on training, noting the department has handled only four structure fires in the township over the past three years.
“The younger firefighters will get a good feel for what a structure fire is; we’ve had only four in the last three years in our township, so we don’t get to practice it much here,” Mojzuk said.
Mojzuk plans to have the facility completed before he retires at the end of October.
