Upgraded firefighter training facility coming to Baldwin

Baldwin Assistant Fire Chief Shaun Benfield discusses upgrades to the city's fire training facility during the city council meeting on Oct. 11, 2021. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)

The City of Baldwin has given the green light for a new firefighter training facility in the city. In a unanimous vote at their Oct. 11 Baldwin City Council meeting, the council voted to bring upgrades to the city’s training grounds to create a high-quality training facility to prepare firefighters for high-stakes scenarios.

Baldwin Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Shaun Benfield went over the training facility with the council, which will include upgraded training equipment and activities. The facility will include training for ladder rescues, vehicle fires, confined space rescues, flammable liquids and more.

The new training facility will allow Baldwin firefighters the opportunity to train closer to home and will be available to other fire departments, too. The city will allow other municipalities and counties usage of the training facility.

The city once hosted weekend-long training for firefighters, Benfield says, and he hopes that updates to the training facilities will bring back some of the unity firefighters felt during those days.

“I am so pleased that this would provide an opportunity for training for other agencies surrounding us,” Councilwoman Alice Venter said. “I love that Baldwin will be the place they come to and will be known again for our training facilities.”

The closest training facility with the resources the Baldwin Fire Department’s training facility will offer is in Dawson County, about 50 miles away from Habersham County.

The council is excited to support their public safety departments’ growing needs, as well as share their departments’ hard work with their community.

“[We are] showing citizens and young people that these are honorable, noble, important professions in our community,” Councilwoman Stephanie Almagno said. “You are the first responders, you are the heroes, you run into things that I would run away from. If we can show Baldwin, and we could show young people […] that this is a viable employment route for them.”

The training facility upgrades will cost $23,000, which will be funded by fine revenue from the city’s speed zone outside Baldwin Elementary School.

A recording of the meeting is available here.