The Fire And First Aid Training Center

Upon arrival at the Ocean County Fire and EMS Training Center, your first sight is the Administration Building. This 2000 square foot building houses the offices of Brian Gabriel, Training Center Director: Stephen J. Brennan, EMS Coordinator, Dennis Allen, Fire Training Coordinator and the office personnel. There are nine classrooms, all of which are capable of holding up to 35 students. four of these classrooms are separated by a collapsible partition that, when opened will hold a maximum of 120 students. On the opposite end of the Administration Building you will find an indoor training area. This garage-like room has dual-overhead garage doors, which allow entrance for fire trucks, ambulances or any other type of apparatus that is needed for training. With a second-level mezzanine instructors and students are able to observe training done on ground level.

The classrooms promote the necessary learning environment needed in order for the volunteers to absorb the material given on each specific course. EMS and Fire Instructors have the ability to expand their course offerings to include stronger lectures and skills sessions.

The indoor training area is attached to the Administration Building. It has 25 foot overhead doors at both ends, and a second floor mezzanine for observation. It is used for hands on training, lecture and graduation ceremonies.

The area provides a versatile location to enhance hands-on skills. These skills include SCBA preparation, ropes and knots practice and salvage and overhaul skills as well as patient removal from vehicles, patient lifting and moving and rapid take down of patients during critical times. We are continually exploring new ways to use this area.

The center of the Ocean County Training Center's outdoor training area is the Control Tower. This is a two story 500 square foot building that houses the computer controls to work the Burn Building, as well as provides an observation deck which allows full visibility to observe and evaluate all activities occurring on the center ground. On the grounds level of the Control Tower, is an SCBA air bottle refill station. This area is used by firefighters throughout the County during training sessions. A fully stocked First Aid Room can be found with items needed for quick care including an Automatic Electronic Defibrillator, stretcher and first aid cabinet. It is an ideal location for rehabilitation of students during full-length hands- on training sessions.

This two-story, 750 square foot building’s main purpose is to simulate a smoke filled environment and train the volunteers the proper technique of building search and rescue. Although the smokehouse’s immediate purpose seems pretty straightforward, all volunteers or other organizations that require residence-type training can use it. For example, EMS scenarios can include lifting and moving patients, patient-treatment and triage scenarios. It has been used not only by our Volunteer Fire and EMS personnel but also Township and County SWAT/Tactical Rescue Teams to enhance their strategic maneuvers in the protection of society.

The Natural Gas Fire Simulator is a creation of New Jersey Natural Resources. It encompasses multiple examples of fire scenarios as related to natural gas. From a propane tank to regulator pit explosions, the Natural Gas Fire Simulator provides training for both New Jersey Natural Gas employees and Ocean County volunteer firefighters. This scenario-based station provides valuable training in the proper techniques of fire extinguishing, extinguisher handling, and scene safety.

This simulator is maintained and controlled by New Jersey Natural Gas employees who are already proficiently trained in the isolation of natural gas fires.

The Extrication Pad and Staging areas are located directly behind the Administration Building. These two areas have a multitude of uses including the proper placement of fire and EMS apparatus during incidents. They are also used for the Basic and advanced extrication of cars, trucks and buses. Each pad can be used for vehicle fires as well.

The staging area can be used to train volunteers to properly operate emergency vehicles, enhance the EMS personnel's ambulance driving orientation as well as facilitating Helicopter Landing Zone Scenarios.

These areas are also used for "Bicycle Rodeos" that train our children in bicycle and road safety. Community Medical Center and the Ocean Township Police Department have sponsored "Bicycle Rodeos" at the Training Center. Lastly, these areas can be used as landing zones for helicopter landing in the event injured persons in the area need to be transported to a critical care facility.

From ladder evolutions and rappelling to patient's removal, the Drill Tower is probably the most universal of all the outdoor training buildings. Including the open top floor, the Drill Tower is a four-story building. Both EMS and fire companies are encouraged to train there to advance their abilities in each of their areas.

The Drill Tower has added training scenario items built right into the structure including sprinkler systems, stand pipes, multiple staircases, ladder positions, high rise training, forcible entry techniques, garage doors, hooks for repelling and firefighter's self rescue training.