Vestavia, Rocky Ridge fire departments obtain new training facility

After years of discussing the potential of having a joint training facility for the Vestavia Hills Fire Department and the Rocky Ridge Fire District, the Jefferson County Commission approved the plan in August.

The facility, located at 3790 Veona Daniels Road, just up the road from the Cahaba Pump Station, includes an existing building that has five levels underground, Vestavia Hills Fire Chief Marvin Green said. That “bunker” can serve as an underground drill tower, allowing firefighters to train for a variety of situations.

“It allows us to do all facets of what a fire department does,” said Justin Baker, chief of training for the Rocky Ridge Fire District.

The plan is to build an additional structure at the site to serve as a “live fire” building, allowing firefighters to train as if they were in an actual fire situation, as well as allowing for some ladder training, search and rescue training and forcible entry.

Because of the work needed to have that structure approved and to prepare the site, it might be a few years before that structure will be available, Rocky Ridge Fire Chief Jon Lord said. There will have to be dirt moved, engineering work done and some utilities moved.

Still, after talking about it for six or seven years, it’s nice to see this become a reality, the fire chiefs said.

“We’d be tickled if it took us 10 years,” Lord said.

The county had previously rejected the use of the property, but when new leadership came in, the two departments tried again and were successful this fall.

Neither department currently has its own facility in which to train, leading the departments to use acquired structures, which are temporary spaces rented to the department for a period of time, Baker said.

The deal with the county is an efficient one for the departments, with the license agreement between the county and the two departments costing just $1 per year for a 49-year agreement, Lord said.

The Rocky Ridge Fire District and Vestavia Hills Fire Department have had an automatic aid agreement for a year-and-a-half, helping each other on calls. The districts now share a Hazardous Materials and Special Operations Vehicle.

The metro Birmingham area is so intertwined, with lines constantly overlapping in Vestavia, Hoover, Jefferson County and other entities, the fire chiefs said. There is property that belongs to the Vestavia Hills Fire Department that sits directly across from the Rocky Ridge district lines, and vice versa, Green said.

Nothing put up at the site will be permanent, Green said, instead using mobile transit containers. Firefighters can immediately start training within the existing structure.

“It builds morale,” Baker said.

Lord said proper training can keep firefighters from being killed. It keeps them up to date on the latest techniques, Baker said. When departments acquire new equipment, the facility will give them a space to learn how to use it, Green said.

At some point, certification classes will be held at the site, Green said.