STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — The Stevens Point Police and Fire Commission has signed a memo of understanding with Mid-State Technical College to begin the process of planning and developing a state-of-the-art firefighter training facility in the city.
“This is a major step in the training facilities for firefighters in Central Wisconsin,” said Fire Chief Robert Finn. “This will not only help the firefighters in Stevens Point and Mid-State Technical College but also fire departments in the area.”
Stevens Point Fire Department Training Officer Trevor Howard said when completed the training site will offer firefighters the required resources to practice for any situation they may encounter.
“Fire departments have become a catch-all for emergency calls. In addition to responding to structure fires, we are expected to respond to wildland fires, vehicle fires, medical calls, and car accidents for extraction,” said Howard.
He adds that firefighters also have to be skilled in all types of rescue like high angle or rope rescue, ice water rescue, confined-space rescue, and collapsed building rescue. “Each of these disciplines requires a unique set of skills that require tremendous amounts of training and specialized facilities, props, and structures.”
Tuesday’s memo was just the first of what could be many more. The state DCI has also signed a memo for the potential facility that would bring fire investigation training to the site. No other potential stakeholders were named.
Discussions about the facility began about three years ago and started small, with just a quarter of land involved. Now officials are envisioning up to four acres of training equipment and facilities at the site.
Finn says the facility could make Stevens Point a destination for firefighter training in Central Wisconsin and beyond. “When we’re not using it and Mid-State’s not using it, other departments will be able to come here and train. This will bring people from all over the state to the city of Stevens Point [to use] our hotels and restaurants and see our great city.”
He adds that the partnership with Mid-State will allow the College to become a destination for those who want to train for a career in firefighting. “They’ll get a quality education through Mid-State both bookwise and on the practical side.
“Let’s bring those who want to have a career in firefighting to the city of Stevens Point. Hopefully, that means they’ll want to come work for the city [also],” he added.
The signing of the memo was part of Tuesday’s Police and Fire Commission meeting. It calls for Mid-State to invest $25,000 annually from its capital budget for ten years to develop the facility in phases, up to $250,000. No specifics regarding the city’s investment, if any, were given.
The facility will be built at 3100 Whiting Avenue, also known as the city pits.
The Commission also announced that both candidates for the city’s Police Chief position will be interviewed on February 10th. Current Stevens Point Interim Assistant Chief Robert Kussow will be interviewed at 10 AM, then UW-Madison Assistant Chief Brent Plisch will go before the Commission at 1 PM.
Commission President Gary Wescott said the interview with the Commission will be just the first step for both candidates. There will also be interviews with community stakeholders and Mayor Mike Wiza.
There’s no hard timeline for a final decision. Either Kussow or Plisch will be taking over for former Chief Marty Skibba who resigned after an investigation revealed he’d been drinking alcohol while on the job.
