Tomorrow’s First Responders: Fire & Rescue Training

Featured photo: Fire fighters putting out fire in shipping container training building. Photo by Rich Keen.

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The following story was featured in Blue Ridge Community College’s 2024-25 annual report. This report and others are available online on the About Blue Ridge webpage.

When emergencies strike, preparation saves lives. At Blue Ridge’s Public Safety Training Facility in Henderson County, a new burn building is helping first responders and trainees prepare for anything. Constructed from 11 stacked shipping containers, the structure allows students to train in real world fire scenarios, including live fire exercises, low visibility conditions, search and rescue and ventilation operations.

“This is really the new way of the fire service for training facilities, because of the cost-effectiveness and versatility of shipping containers,” said Kameron Buchanan, adjunct fire instructor at Blue Ridge Community College.

Compared to traditional buildings, these structures are more adaptable, provide multiple training scenarios and save agencies and communities tens of thousands of dollars.

Haley Hrabar, a 2021 Fire Academy graduate and current firefighter and paramedic at Skyland Fire Department, described the new facility as “super realistic.”

“It gets very hot in there, and you can’t see a lot, which is more realistic than our previous training,” said Hrabar. “It makes a huge difference because you get used to a real-life situation where it’s hot, scary, dark and not a building you’ve practiced in before.”

By offering hands-on training in challenging conditions, Blue Ridge is equipping students with the skills, confidence and experience they need to serve their communities as first responders. As part of its Public Safety Training program—which includes fire and rescue, EMS and law enforcement training—this unique approach in Western North Carolina is preparing the next generation of firefighters and other emergency responders not only locally, but across the region.

Learn more about fire and rescue training at www.blueridge.edu/fire.