Oshkosh Fire Department (Fox 11 Online)
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) — The Oshkosh Fire Department is seeking funds in the city’s 2025 budget to renovate an old Army National Guard building and transform it into a training center.
There is already a training tower at the facility, but $7.7 million would see the building renovated with classrooms, new technology, and a workout space.
“It would help us with firefighting training, technical rescue training, vehicle extrication,” said Fire Chief Mike Stanley. “It would really address comprehensive training needs, both classroom and drill ground-wise that we need to maintain our competencies and industry standards.”
Throughout the department’s 168 year history, they have never had a training facility and have resorted to training in empty parking lots and old abandoned buildings. Stanley says having a training building would help with the departments recruitment and retention efforts.
“Comparatively to our neighbors to the north in Appleton and to the south in Fond du Lac; they have state-of-the-art training facilities,” said Stanley. “That’s what we’re competing against when we’re looking for talent.”
Stanley also says the facility can help them prepare for new issues the department will face in the future.
“As we look at vehicles that are going to be powered by lithium-ion batteries, or are self driving, we’re thinking of how we’re going to prepare for those emerging inevitabilities that are going to change the needs and the responses of our fire department,” said Stanley.
The city of Oshkosh is set to finalize its 2025 budget on Tuesday.
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