CFA welcomes the announcement a site for a new training campus in Ballan has been secured, giving firefighters better access to practical training.
The $31 million Victorian Emergency Management Training Centre (VEMTC) – Central Highlands, aims to give emergency services a location to continue their vital training and education services.
CFA Acting Chief Officer Alen Slijepcevic said the new state-of-the-art facility would be a great asset to the region which would support training programs now and into the future.
“Ballan will now become home to the most modern regional training campus in the state, and one which will no doubt serve CFA members and the wider community for generations to come,” he said.
“The training campus will provide an ‘all hazards’ approach which gives our members the skills and practical experience to further enhance their role in protecting lives and property.”
The 35 hectare site will boast ‘live fire’ simulations with the construction of a pad, firefighting props, specialist training capabilities, breathing apparatus facilities, a change room, on-site parking and infrastructure to support day-to-day operations at the campus.
“The campus will include training scenarios that simulate the emergencies our members would typically face – which will improve our ability to keep Victorian’s safe,” Mr Slijepcevic said.
“The central location of this campus will also cut down the time members spend travelling to access specialist training.”
“It will also provide opportunities for shared use with other emergency management agencies.”
The environmentally safe training campus will have water treatment and management systems on-site and ongoing testing will be conducted.
Development of the campus is expected to take around three years.
“The new training campus will not only benefit CFA, it will also provide an economic boost to the broader Ballan area,” Mr Slijepcevic said.
“We look forward to seeing this project come to fruition. The modern facilities and infrastructure will allow our organisation to grow and adapt to future demands.”
Author: CFA Media