VGCC and local fire departments benefit from NC Forest Service equipment program
Thanks to assistance from the North Carolina Forest Service, Vance-Granville Community College now has a new tool to use as part of its training program for local fire departments.
On March 28, representatives of the N.C. Forest Service delivered a 1992 model Freightliner road tractor from Pennsylvania to the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. The delivery of the truck, formerly assigned to the U.S. Army, was part of the N.C. Forest Service’s Fire Department Assistance Program, which works with the U.S. Department of Defense to make surplus military equipment available to emergency service providers across the state.
“Normally, the equipment goes to organizations that help the Forest Service in our efforts to combat wildfires,” said Brian Haines, public information officer for NCFS. “However, because VGCC is in the unique role of assisting with the training of those departments, the college made a good candidate for the equipment. To my knowledge, the NCFS has only provided equipment to a college once before. We placed a 6,000-pound forklift at Western Piedmont Community College in 2011 for use at the fire training grounds.”
VGCC will use the truck primarily to pull a Kidde T-4000 modular fire trainer throughout the local area for training exercises at any of the almost 60 local fire departments in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties. In 2011, the college acquired the trainer, a mobile trailer-like simulator that allows instructors to provide certain types of live-fire training in a safe, controlled and environmentally sound manner.
Facilitating VGCC’s participation in the NCFS program was Brian Champion, the assistant county ranger for Franklin County and a member of the college’s Public Services Advisory Committee. “This would not have happened as quickly, if at all, without Brian’s leadership,” said Curtis Tyndall, VGCC’s coordinator of public services. “Brian has been on our advisory committee for the past two years, and he is an example of how the knowledge, expertise and resources of our community leaders and partners help us to provide high-quality services for our four-county area. We get many intangible benefits from our advisory committee members, but this is a tangible one!”
VGCC’s Public Services department provides training for both beginning and experienced firefighters in all areas of firefighting procedures and equipment, including training for firefighter certification at levels I and II. For more information, call Curtis Tyndall at (252) 738-3273.
Above: Representatives of the North Carolina Forest Service present the truck to VGCC officials at the college’s Main Campus. Pictured from left are Tyler Warren, assistant county ranger for Vance County; Brad Manring, county ranger for Vance County; Brian Champion, assistant county ranger for Franklin County; Randy Kearney, forest fire equipment operator for Franklin County; VGCC Vice President of Community and Economic Development Vanessa Jones, Director of Economic and Workforce Development Garland Elliott, Coordinator of Public Services Curtis Tyndall, and Coordinator of Emergency Medical Services Programs Randy Owen. (VGCC photo)
