Elk Grove (Calif.) Consolidated Services District opened a new $3 million fire training center in May.

The two-acre facility includes a five-story burn tower, railroad and hazmat incident facilities, confined space rescue rooms and a swiftwater rescue pool.

The training center will be shared with other departments in the area.

The facility also includes several environmentally friendly attributes including a sophisticated underground water retention and recycling system.

“This training facility is unlike anything seen before in Sacramento,” explained Elk Grove Fire Chief Keith Grueneberg. “The props and equipment brought onto the site will challenge and educate our people to be better responders and will be made available to other organizations to do the same.”

Prior to the development of the facility, training for Elk Grove CSD fire personnel was limited to classroom sessions in the fire stations, makeshift drill sites around the community, and travel to the burn tower in Roseville once a year.

For more information, see www.egcsd.ca.gov/fire/fire.html