Pioneer Technology Center will host its grand opening and ribbon cutting for the Emergency Services (EMS) Training Center on Thursday, Sept. 19th at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. The new center will assist in serving fire departments and industry from the surrounding communities with much needed training to save lives.
It was over 15 years ago when the Ponca City Fire and Life Safety Council had a vision for a local training facility. Pioneer Tech became part of this vision a little over two years ago. The joint venture had strong support from area industry, agencies and volunteer fire departments.
In December of 2018, the Pioneer Tech Board of Education approved the plan to build the training center on the eastern side of PTC’s property. The building was designed specifically to meet the training needs of firefighters, law enforcement as well as industrial safety for North Central Oklahoma. The tower stands at 44 feet tall and can simulate fires in houses and apartments as well as training for search and rescue. The 18,425 square foot facility has two burn rooms, ten rappelling points, eight staircases, a confined space trainer and 26 movable partitions.
“The new EMS Training Center gives availability and accessibility for agencies to meet the expense of training staff in a timely manner, which in turn will impact district partners with better-prepared service providers,” said Traci Thorpe, Superintendent/CEO of Pioneer Tech.
With 18 paid and volunteer fire service agencies within the PTC district boundaries. Employment projections for the area indicate a 33% growth of jobs in the firefighter field by 2027. This also includes an increase of 31% for Emergency Medical Technicians and a 29% increase in police and law enforcement officers.
“The center is multifunctional and allows for increased usage among industry and service agencies. Especially those times when law enforcement and fire service personnel must respond to a scene simultaneously and the new facility will allow them to train together,” remarked Thorpe. She goes on to say, “Safety training is an additional aspect that PTC’s business and industry clients will benefit from to advance safety skills and preparation opportunities which can be customized to meet specific training needs.”
Pioneer Tech has already booked an international group from South Korea for training at the facility in partnership with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training. PTC students and staff will be offering tours of the facility during the grand opening and ribbon cutting for the training center on Thursday, Sept. 19th at 4 o’clock in the afternoon.