Residents express concern about CCC fire training center location

NORTH RIVER — Carteret Community College (CCC) officials met Aug. 3 with a group of Laurel Road residents who are concerned about a fire training center that the college is erecting the end of August on an approximate 6-acre tract CCC owns on the road.

The meeting was held in Parker Marine Enterprises in Beaufort.

An anonymous letter sent Aug. 2 to the News-Times from a group calling itself “North River/Laurel Road Residents,” stated the residents were not informed about the facility going up. The News-Times has written several stories about the college’s plans to erect the structure on the Laurel Road site.

“We all want fire training to take place and know it is important,” the letter states. “We believe this should be built in a more remote location and not directly where our homes are and the homes of our family members…”

No one with the group could be reached following the meeting.

The group sent a list of questions regarding the training center, which the News-Times forwarded to CCC President Dr. Tracy Mancini and Public Information Officer Logan Okun. The college responded to the questions Thursday afternoon, including the issue of notifying residents.

“The property is zoned PO (professional/office). The county has confirmed that it is properly zoned for the use indicated and that the site plan submitted to the college meets requirements,” the response states. “Since there was not a rezoning needed, there was no notification required.”

The structure is scheduled to be delivered and assembled on the CCC property at 241 Laurel Road beginning Aug. 28 and be completed by Aug. 31. The college plans to use the site for certain training for its Crystal Coast Fire Academy classes, which will start Sept. 5. The facility will also be utilized by area fire departments.

College officials said live fire courses can start after the manufacturer provides training on the facility for college instructors. Any live fire training after that time will be conducted with trained college instructors. The live fire training schedule will be confirmed within a few weeks of completion of assembly of the metal structure, which will have multiple floors, live Class “A” fires and a five-story platform.

CCC received a $900,000 state grant in 2022 to construct the facility. CCC has owned the property since Dec. 16, 1991.

The college said the site will be used for specific training, including confined space, high-angle rescue, shipboard firefighting, firefighter rescue, ventilation training, ladder training, engine company operations and more. Those classes will not incorporate live fire conditions but utilize a smoke generator, the college stated. Classes may be scheduled any day of the week depending on the course being offered.

Currently, there are two live fire events tentatively scheduled for the Fall 2023 Fire Academy, one on the evening of Nov. 9 and a second during the day Nov. 11.

“These types of training exercises provide students with realistic fire development scenarios and behaviors while teaching how small amounts of water can extinguish a fire if it is applied properly,” college officials stated. “This training enhances new and experienced firefighters’ ability to perform tasks more efficiently and safely.”

The college said any burning would be contained in the metal structure, which will have multiple floors, live Class “A” fires and a five-story platform.

Residents expressed concern about loud noises. The college responded, “There will be occasional noise from fire trucks running to supply water for simulated firefighting operations. Sirens should not be utilized during the training, but there may be an occasional siren or air horn sounded for a few seconds, used as training cues to alert students and/or crews within the facility.”

When asked about cleaning and runoff from the facility, the college said there were two burn rooms in the facility. The first room will be used to train firefighters on “ordinary material burning. This room will burn wheat straw, untreated pallets and plywood. No flammable liquids, other than LP gas for the LP burn room, will be used during any live fire training. Any partially burned material will be removed from the property and disposed of. During firefighting operations, minimal water is used to control the fire.”

The second burn room will be fueled by LP gas and utilize a smoke generator to create a nontoxic smoke for simulation.

“LP is clean burning fuel, and any runoff from that is clean,” the college stated.

The group asked if combustible items will be stored at the facility. The college responded that there will be one or two five-gallon gas cans to supply fuel for power saws and a small generator. A residential/commercial 1,000-gallon LP gas cylinder will be located within the fenced area to supply fuel to the LP gas burn room.

Contact Cheryl Burke at 252-726-7081, ext. 255; email [email protected]; or follow on Twitter @cherylccnt.

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