Camas Valley Volunteer Fire Department Training Facility

Building a Safer Future Through Enhanced Firefighter Training

If you’ve driven past our fire station lately, you may have noticed a new structure taking shape behind it. This is our state-of-the-art, NFPA-compliant training facility, designed to enhance firefighter skills, improve response times, and increase community safety.

Currently, our firefighters must travel long distances for hands-on training, which is costly and takes them away from their families and jobs. By building our own local training facility, we can:

• Provide state-required training at no extra cost to our department.
• Allow more frequent hands-on training without travel constraints.
• Improve firefighter safety and efficiency in real emergency situations.
• Help reduce the community's ISO fire insurance rating, which could lower costs for residents.
• Offer training opportunities for neighboring fire departments, strengthening regional emergency response.

This project is made possible thanks to generous donations, grants, and hundreds of volunteer hours from both our department and community members.

About the Training Facility

Our new multi-level training building is constructed from repurposed 20- and 40-foot steel shipping containers, creating a safe, durable, and realistic environment for firefighters to train in. Because the structure is made of steel, we can conduct live fire training in a controlled setting, preparing our team for real-life emergency scenarios.

Training Features:

• Live Fire Training – Simulating real fire conditions in a controlled, safe environment.
• Search & Rescue Drills – Firefighters practice navigating smoke-filled spaces.
• Ventilation Training – Cutting ventilation openings and using ventilation fans.
• Ladder & High-Angle Rescues – Training for multi-story and rope rescue operations.
• Forcible Entry Training – Practicing breaching locked doors and barriers.
• Confined Space Rescues – Maneuvering through tight areas under realistic conditions.

Why This Facility Matters

• NFPA Compliance: The facility meets National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, ensuring high-quality and safe training.
• Realistic Emergency Simulations: Firefighters will gain hands-on experience in fire suppression, search and rescue, and tactical operations.
• ISO Certification & Insurance Savings: This facility will help improve our ISO rating, potentially lowering homeowner and property insurance costs for residents.
• Cost Savings & Customization: Professionally built training structures like this can cost over $100,000, but we are constructing ours at a fraction of the cost thanks to donations and volunteer labor.

Community Support & Contributions

This project would not be possible without the generosity of our community partners. We extend our deepest gratitude to:

• Roseburg Forest Products – Donated four 40-foot shipping containers, along with steel stairs, railings, and catwalks essential for the facility's construction.
• The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians – Awarded $4,000 to help cover the cost of additional containers, transportation, and modifications.
• Scott and Darla Standley – Donated almost 400 yards of shale to build a stable road and training area around the facility.
• Kenny Wilson, John Osborn, James Beans IV, Clayton Casteel, Donnie Casteel, and Byron Peck – Volunteered their time and equipment to haul the shale, ensuring a solid training surface.
• Camas Valley Fire Volunteers – Have already dedicated over 250 hours cutting and welding steel, installing stairs and railings, and assembling the structure.

 Every donation and hour of labor invested in this facility strengthens our community’s emergency preparedness.

Training Scenarios in Action

Our new training facility allows firefighters to practice real-world emergency scenarios in a controlled and repeatable environment. This hands-on experience is critical for refining techniques, improving response times, and ensuring firefighter safety. Below are some of the key training exercises conducted at the facility:

Live Fire Simulations

• Controlled burns allow firefighters to practice fire suppression, hose handling, and thermal imaging in real fire conditions.
• Simulations help teams understand fire behavior, ventilation effects, and flashover warnings.

Search & Rescue Drills

• Firefighters navigate through smoke-filled spaces to locate and rescue simulated victims.
• Training includes primary and secondary searches, victim drags, and firefighter down scenarios.

Ventilation Training

• Hands-on experience with roof cutting, window ventilation, and positive pressure attack techniques.
• Reinforces how proper ventilation affects fire spread, visibility, and firefighter safety.

Ladder & High-Angle Rescues

• Firefighters practice ladder deployment, rooftop operations, and rappelling techniques.
• Simulations include rescuing victims from elevated structures.

Forcible Entry Training

• Crews learn to breach locked doors, barred windows, and reinforced barriers using specialized tools.
• Training improves speed and efficiency in gaining access to burning buildings or rescuing trapped individuals.

Confined Space Rescues

• Firefighters maneuver through tight, dark spaces to locate and extract victims.
• Helps responders prepare for incidents in crawl spaces, tunnels, or industrial environments.

Mayday & Self-Rescue Techniques

• Firefighters practice calling and responding to Mayday emergencies.
• Training includes self-extrication, wall breaching, and low-profile escapes to ensure firefighter survival in worst-case scenarios.

This facility provides a safe, repeatable environment where firefighters can perfect their skills, ensuring they are fully prepared when real emergencies occur.

Photo Gallery

Coming Soon! Check back for photos of construction progress, firefighter training sessions, and our dedicated volunteers in action.