OCEAN COUNTY TRAINING CENTER

The Ocean County Training Center in Waretown opened its doors in September 1998 as the home of Ocean County's fire and first aid academies. Since that time countless numbers of community-spirited volunteers use the facility each and every day in order to learn new skills or hone those they have already been taught. From firefighters to emergency medical technicians, from law enforcement to Ocean County Vocational-Technical students, the Training Center, under the leadership of the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders provides a top-notch learning experience for all of the men and women who give so much back to this great County. When the facility first opened in 1998, it marked the culmination of years of planning and development overseen by an advisory committee that was dedicated to bringing about the finest facility possible - one that would provide firefighters and emergency medical technicians with the important tools they need to serve their communities. The members of the Fire and First Aid Training Center Advisory Committee spent countless hours making certain that when the doors finally opened to the center, it would be one all of Ocean County could truly be proud of. The facility, located off Route 9 on Volunteer Way, is more than bricks and mortar. From the instructors to the students to the staff, it's a result of all their efforts combined that makes it the success that it is today. The Training Center stands as a tribute to the thousands of volunteers whether students or instructors who have come together as the backbone of the facility - breathing life into it each time they walk through its doors. In time, the training center will be expanded to meet the growing needs of the emergency services professionals in Ocean County. The training center currently includes six individual buildings housed on 18 acres of property located at 200 Volunteer Way. Each building has individual and unique features that aid in the enhancement of the training of Ocean County's volunteers and personnel. Included at the training center site is an administration building, five classrooms, a break room and kitchen, an indoor dual overhead door training area, smoke house, burn building, natural gas fire simulator, extrication pad staging area, drill tower and control tower. The goal of the Ocean County Training Center has always been to offer exceptional training to volunteers. Courses are run throughout the year to train new volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians. Veteran volunteer firefighters and EMTS can also take advantage of courses that will teach them the latest advances and techniques in these areas.