Avon Firefighters to Partner with Farmington for Future Live Fire Training Facility

$500,000.

That's the amount of money the Avon Volunteer Fire Department is looking to raise to pay for its share of a future live fire training facility to be built in Farmington.

Farmington's Town Planning and Zoning Commission already approved a proposal to put the training center for firefighters on Round Hill Road behind the town's sewage treatment plant and near the police firing range. The total anticipated cost would be $1 million. 

Avon is looking to have a joint partnership with Farmington for the facility and would pay half that. Farmington firefighters are also fundraising for the training center. 

"I think it's a great thing for both towns to work together on to accomplish," said James DiPace, a member of the Avon Volunteer Fire Department Board of Directors and a former chief.

DiPace, also the town of Avon's fire marshal and emergency management director, is spearheading the fundraising campaign, along with James Speich, who has been a department member since 1982. Speich is also a former corporation president, and a previous captain and lieutenant for the Company 4 fire station, according to his candidate statement as a Republican incumbent running for re-election to the Board of Finance. 

"We're looking to get this for next [fiscal] year," DiPace said, meaning a target of July when the 2014-15 fiscal year begins. 

The towns would share the cost and maintenance of the facility.

Right now, Avon volunteer fire fighters have to travel to Windsor Locks to do live fire training. Finding a building to do that training in is hard to come by, DiPace said. 

"Live burn training is very, very important," DiPace said. "It's not something the firefighters get to do regularly. It needs to be done."

The new facility in Farmington will be designed to "take heat" and burn for live fire training and would also be used for other training like ladder work, search and rescue practice and pumping water. 

Avon and Farmington firefighters also work together on mutual aid calls and this will be an opportunity to strengthen that bond.

"We can in fact train together," DiPace said. 

The department is looking to raise most of the money through private donations, but DiPace said that there is the possibility that the department will seek capital improvement funding to make up the difference. 

The Avon Volunteer Fire Department has the support of Mark Zacchio, Town Council chairman and a Republican candidate running for re-election. 

"We've discussed a regional approach with the AVFD and they are taking the right steps, and I'm very supportive," Zacchio said. "Theres a very good relationship between the departments and our current mutual aid agreements have worked out really well, so I suspect this is a perfect partnership for training.

"This will provide them with a repetitive training tool that's an important ingredient to assuring the safety of every responder at a scene," he added. " It's also an important recruitment and retention tool, and volunteerism is at the core of our department's strength.  I'm looking forward to working with them as this moves forward and hope businesses and residents in Avon and Farmington help the volunteer fire fighters who protect us make this a reality."

The council previously did not commit to being involved in the project because it didn't have enough information, Zacchio said. 

"When it first came before us was a multi-town engagement and all the towns had dropped out," Zacchio said. "The Council and Town were unclear of what the partnership or funding needs would look like. In addition, some sort of inter-town agreement will also be necessary so we can size any ongoing operating costs for future years.  As the departments begin to raise funding, the town staff will collaborate on the agreement and logistics of the ownership and ongoing costs associated with the facility."

Zacchio attended a meeting between both Avon and Farmington departments, discussing logistics. DiPace said that the specifics of how the partnership will work with Farmington are still under discussion.  

"If the AVFD presents a capital funding need we will work with them on how to move forward," Zacchio said. "Clearly we have a partnership in this project."  

More information on the fundraising campaign will be provided when it becomes available.