By STEVE EIGHINGER
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
HANNIBAL, Mo. -- Hannibal Fire Chief Tim Carter did not even try to mask his enthusiasm.
"I'm excited about this," said Carter, pointing to the Hannibal Fire Department's new $330,000 fire trainer that arrived Tuesday.
The state-of-the-art trainer, which was built by Pro-Safe Fire Training Systems in Oakville, Ontario, will be the only simulator of its kind in Northeast Missouri.
Carter said there are only "three or four other fire trainers" in the state. The fire trainers are about the size of a semi-trailer.
The arrival of the fire trainer punctuated a five-year process that was aided by the cooperation of other departments in the 16-county Region B of the Missouri Division of Fire Safety. The region has 100 departments that cover 8,700 square miles and serve almost 184,000 residents.
A year's worth of designing the trainer was part of the process.
Carter said there are multiple reasons why the fire trainer will benefit not only Hannibal but also other communities.
"This is mobile, which means we can take the training to other departments. They don't have to come here," he said. "It is also much safer than trying to work with an old structure (building). That can cause all sorts of possible safety and environmental issues.
"This will provide live fire training to our entire region. This kind of training will enhance the daily operations, safety and efficiency of our firefighters. (The fire trainer) will also help us to operate with each other at large-scale incidents, knowing that all of us have gone through the same training and have the same certification."
Carter also hopes to partner with the University of Missouri Fire and Rescue Training Center in Columbia.
Almost $255,000 of the cost of the simulator was covered through an Assistance to Firefighters federal grant; $65,000 was covered by regional departments and donations. The Hannibal Fire Department's share was about $28,000.
A representative from the Canadian company that built the fire trainer will be in town Tuesday to help coordinate the initial phases of training.
-- seighinger@whig.com/221-3377
