Decorah Fire Department wants to build a countywide firefighter training facility

The Decorah Fire Department is asking Winneshiek County to lease two acres of county-owned land on Old Stage Road to the fire department for use as a firefighter training facility.

Decorah Fire Chief Mike Ashbacher says the facility would be open to all fire departments in Winneshiek County.  It would use shipping containers to construct training facilities to teach firefighters how to fight not only house fires, but business fires, grain bin rescues, culvert and ditch rescues and search and rescue operations.

Decorah Fire Department member Eric Sovern told county officials on Monday that property near the county highway shop on Old Stage Road would be perfect for the two-acre training facility, since the property is away from residential areas, but visible to the public so they will see the training take place.

Chief Ashbacher says the Decorah Fire Department plans to spend "a fair amount of money" on developing the training facility, with all the money coming from donations.

Winneshiek County supervisors liked the idea when it was presented to them on Monday, with supervisor Dean Thompson concluding, "Yes, let's keep talking."