Bruce Power unveils new $25-million fire training facility

Using the Jaws of Life, Duncan Hawthorne, president and chief executive officer of Bruce Power, cut through the ceremonial chain to officially open the new fire training facility at the Bruce Nuclear site, Monday morning.

The $25-million, 23,000-square-foot facility took 18 months to build, and includes a mock-up of a turbine generator which allows firefighters to practise on realistic scenarios. Propane-fuelled props, producing fire and smoke, will simulate a variety of situations, and thermal cameras located throughout the building, will capture video footage and stream it back to a central control room.

"This is another important safety enhancement for our site and it will offer our Emergency and Protective Services (EPS) staff improved training opportunities so they're ready to respond," said Brian Hilbers, chief legal officer and vice-president of EPS. "We also look forward to advancing with local municipal fire departments potential co-training opportunities which we believe will help make our communities even safer as well."

Hawthorne said this facility allows firefighters to practice on real-life operational scenarios. "That's an important piece in all this. Bruce Power intends to be here for the long-term - through to 2064. This is a modern facility to train our emergency responders so they can deal with anything that comes their way."

He added that this training not only benefits the site, but the communities as welll because 40 per cent of the employees are volunteer firefighters. There are 110 firefighters on site.



Duncan Hawthorne talks to the local media about the importance of the new fire training facility at Bruce Power

Members of the press and a multitude of other officials gathered for the opening and to tour the new facility.

The main building, which can be used year-round, is 80-feet-by-227-feet, and 30 feet high, with a 50-foot-high tower for high-angle rescue training. There are also a number of outdoor fire simulators, including a car, forklift and a transformer.

The groups toured burn rooms used for training purposes where the smoke and fire are monitored from a control room (and remotely with wireless capability). The operators in the control room actually extinguish the blaze provided the responders are doing everything properly.

There was a demonstration of high-angle rescue, a tour of the control room with Ron Simmons and Gord Seehaver describing how it works and conducting a turbine generator fire simulation.



Turbine generator fire simulation at the new Bruce Power fire training facility

"A turbine generator fire is the number one risk in the plant, but not the only one," said Simmons. "This is a wonderful opportunity to deal with such a scenario."

He noted the Class B fuels were kept and responders are trained to put out those fires in order to maintain those skills.

The facility features a storage area, briefing/debriefing room, search-and rescue rooms, high-angle rescue locations, and a physical fitnesss area. All firefighters have to pass an annual fitness test, so this area offers them a place to train year-round.

Nancy Green outlined the environmental enhancements to the new facility. All the fire water is treated and tested before it is released. It goes through a two-stage treatment process, and if it doesn't pass the test, it is cycled through the process again. Once it passes the test, it is released into a swale, leading to a stream and into the lake.

The facility has five high-capacity pumper trucks that can pump 3,000 gallons of water per minute. It also has an Air Light Support Vehicle, a fuel truck, a Hazardous Materials truck, response truck, command vehicle, and security vehicles.

"We're very proud of this new facility," said John Collin, EPS chief.

Trainers at the facillity are to be trained by May, and begin fire scenarios in June.

The environmentally-friendly building replaces an older fire facility at the same location on the Bruce Power site, and meets or exceeds all regulatory standards.