For the Hub City Times

MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield Fire and Rescue Department and Mid-State Technical College have signed a new 10-year collaborative agreement to expand local and regional training offerings in fire protection and emergency services.

The training will take place at 2615 South Vine Avenue at the current training site owned by the city of Marshfield. The site’s location will allow for training to occur closer to regional career and volunteer fire departments, increasing convenience and access for trainees in the central Wisconsin region and producing savings in travel costs and time commitment. The site will also allow training to occur while firefighters and their equipment remain near their jurisdictions.

“Mid-State’s involvement in the project stemmed from listening sessions, meetings and surveys conducted by the College to identify solutions to better serve its surrounding communities. That process identified a need for a decentralized training model for fire training across the region, allowing fire trainings closer to the agencies they serve. Mid-State’s role in bringing the project to fruition includes providing training on site and procuring needed equipment to support state-of-the-art fire learning experiences,” a Mid-State release stated.

The training center will be available to neighboring departments for training use.

“The Marshfield Fire and Rescue Department’s collaboration with Mid-State Technical College is a renewed commitment to working with the college on improving the necessary life-saving training abilities for our firefighters as well as offering more firefighting classes and opportunities to all area fire departments and sparking interest in the fire service in the Marshfield area,” Marshfield Fire and Rescue Department Fire Chief Scott M. Owen said.

Next steps in the agreement call for additional collaboration between the Marshfield Fire and Rescue Department and Mid-State Technical College’s School of Protective & Human Services to create training calendars and identify and acquire necessary equipment. Training at the new center will begin as early as summer 2021.