Thanks to a levy lid lift approved by voters in 2024, South Whidbey Fire/EMS recently purchased a new training structure.

Made out of multiple shipping containers and reaching a height of 40 feet, the structure will allow firefighters to safely navigate a burning room, where they will identify and easily control hazards.

“We will have the opportunity to use this system for a joint fire training academy that we’re conducting starting in February with Oak Harbor,” Fire Chief Nick Walsh said.

The structure cost around $700,000 and wouldn’t have been possible without the public’s support of the levy, Walsh added. Prior to this, firefighters relied on acquired structures for training, but Walsh said controlled burns are difficult to do because they are “very time-consuming” and a lot must be done to ensure the safety of an unknown building.

The new training structure is equipped with two burn rooms, one for propane-fueled fires that is controlled with a computer system and another for wood fires, which must be ignited using a burn crib – a metal structure that holds wood.

In addition, firefighters can navigate a maze for search and rescue efforts and practice rope training with a rappel tower. The structure has temperature monitoring, a sprinkler system, a pitched roof for practicing ventilation, forced entry doors and garage prop doors.

Built by a company in Phoenix, Arizona, the training structure will help South Whidbey Fire/EMS meet state and national standards for firefighters. It is also the newest and most advanced structure of its kind on Whidbey, according to Walsh.

The new multi-level structure is located behind the Bayview fire station, at 5579 Bayview Road. The public is invited to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. on Feb. 19.