18 August 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Area firefighters will have access to a new facility to train on how to handle major rescue operations.
The Heavy Urban Rescue Training Facility (or HURT facility) has been added to the Wichita Fire Department Regional Training Center located near 31st Street South and Oliver. The HURT facility is comprised of a railroad tanker car, a semi-truck tanker, a gas pipeline, and a command center.
The new facility will allow firefighters to train locally.
“We’ve gone from sending one of two guys a year to Pueblo, Colorado, or down to Anniston, Alabama, to now we can bring out an entire battalion,” said Wichita Fire Lt. John Hattrup. “Instead of buying 30 plane tickets, we can have 10-15 guys trained in four hours here locally, and not only Wichita can do that, but surrounding areas can do it as well.”
The Local Emergency Planning Committee worked on a grant for the facility for nearly two years. It approached businesses who agreed to donate to create the facility. BNSF Railroad donated the railroad tanker car and rail tracks for it to sit on, while Groendyke provided the semi-truck tanker.
The pipeline was provided by Phillips 66. Pearson Construction provided the concrete slabbing and did the grading to make the facility possible. Materials for the on-scene command center were provided by All Metal Recycling.
With the facility, firefighters will be able to train in real-world scenarios. They will be able to simulate rescuing victims of motor vehicle accidents and train for hazmat response to chemical leaks and spills.