Coggins said in the next five to 10 years he envisions a complete training center for the fire department.
In the beginning phases, however, he sees a small facility at the public works department using shipping containers, which is the current trend in training.
(The next budget session will be held at 4 p.m. next Thursday, April 14, in the first floor conference room of city hall. A related budget story may be found at this link)
“It's not going to be like Charlotte, Wake County or Raleigh,” he said following the meeting.
The shipping containers can be configured to resemble buildings and are an effective training tool, he said. “Goldsboro already has it. They have 20 to 30 side-by-side.”
They can also be configured to have mazes, he said.
Deputy Chief Mike Clements, in a report Coggins presented to council, noted, “Departments are basically repurposing sea-land shipping containers and using them to construct training buildings that can be used to accomplish all of the tasks required of (Office of the State Fire Marshal), including live fire training.”
In the fire department's current budget, it has made arrangements for three members to attend a training session on design and construction. “Our future plan is to utilize the talents of several of our members to bring this facility to fruition by doing all of the fabrication and construction ourselves.”
The fire department will need, however, to purchase containers, prepare a site with a concrete slab and purchase materials to build the training props. “We have an opportunity to purchase shipping containers for $1,000 each from a company in Enfield as opposed to paying $2,300 each for the containers from a company in Norfolk,” the memo said.
Preliminary plans are to buy five containers to build the facility.
Meanwhile, Coggins proposed proposed a 5-percent across-the-board pay increase for the fire department and also presented to council a proposal for a 7-percent across-the-board pay increase.
The 5-percent increase would require $1,223,753.51 while the 7-percent would require $1,246,586.91.
“I welcome you to look at some of the things we do,” he said. “My job is to speak for my guys. Let's go big. It doesn't hurt to ask.”
Coggins said afterward, “I will be grateful for anything they give us.”
