Mangano Supports Volunteer Firefighters With Construction Of Critical Training Facilities At The Nassau County Fire Service Academy

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano was today joined by dozens of volunteer firefighters as he furthered his commitment to supporting first responders by breaking ground for the construction of new training facilities, known as Burn Buildings, at the Nassau County Fire Service Academy (NCFSA) in Bethpage. Half of thecurrent training facilities became unsafe and were closed several years ago after being used for nearly five decades totrain first responders on the safety measures needed when fighting structural fires.

County Executive Mangano stated, “The men and women of Nassau’s volunteer fire departments deliver critical services to every resident and it’s essential that we provide them with proper training facilities so they are prepared whenrisking their lives to help our neighbors in need of assistance. The new facilities will offer our first responders criticalhands-on training for both novice and experienced firefighters."

“I speak on behalf of every man and woman in Nassau’s volunteer fire departments when I thank County Executive Mangano for making this happen,” said Richard Gardner, Chairman of the Nassau County Fire Service Commission. “These buildings will be a tremendous asset to the community.”

“Firefighting is a dangerous calling, and there is no substitute for proper training in order to keep residents and firefighters safe,” added Robert Lincoln, Director of the Nassau County Vocational Education and Extension Board (VEEB). “This has been needed for many years and we appreciate County Executive Mangano’s work in getting these buildings built.”

Burn Buildings “C” and “D” will be razed and new buildings will be constructed in the coming weeks. Thenew Burn Buildings will be constructed of concrete masonry blocks with face brick on the exterior, and finished on the interior with a custom blend of refractory concrete mix, specifically designed to resist the high heat associated with live burn training. The layout and the shape of the two Buildings will simulate a “High Ranch” and “Cape” type dwellings. Some of the features included in the two buildings are:

• Interior smoke hatch: operable floor hatch that allows smoke into designated rooms for different training scenarios.
• Roof cutting stations: provides economically replicable roof panels for roof entry fire training.
• Temperature sensors will be installed throughout the buildings for monitoring during live burn training, and will provide a warning before the temperature exceeds the structural design limit.

Legislator Dennis Dunne, Chairman of the Public Safety Committee, stated, “County Executive Mangano and the Majority in the Legislature remain committed to ensuring our volunteer firefighters have all that they need to stay safe and protect our homes and businesses. The training provided at these new burn buildings will ensure help save lives.”

“Facilities at the Nassau County Fire Service Academy needed serious reconstruction to properly train our volunteer firefighters. County Executive Mangano and my colleagues in Legislature responded with the funding necessary to construct new burn buildings that will ultimately lead to better training for our first responders,” said Legislator Joe Belesi.

“Firefighters put their lives on the line to protect our neighbors and local businesses every day of the week. These new training facilities will ensure that our volunteers are prepared to protect families and seniors when fire strikes,” said Legislator Rose Walker.

Since taking office, County Executive Mangano has worked to secure funding for several VEEB training initiatives as well as for the purchase of equipment. The County Executive alsosupported first responders by constructing a new Fire Communications facility in the Public Safety Center and new Mask Confidence Building at the NCFSA. In 2010,County Executive Mangano also worked with United States Senator Chuck Schumer to secure a Federal SAFER grant to recruit and retain first responders by providing volunteers with free college tuition.