By Erica Solvig
The Cincinnati Enquirer

DEERFIELD TWP. - The Deerfield Township Fire Department is looking into putting in an outdoor training center that would give their firefighters, and possibly those from other fire departments, more hands-on experience.

The department already has on-site classroom training, but goes to other communities and the Ohio Fire Academy in Reynoldsburg for physical training. Deerfield's tentative plans include a search-and-rescue maze, ventilation and structural collapse simulator, and a 31/2-story tower.

"Nationally and locally, the frequency and severity of fires are both declining, which is good," said Fire Chief William Kramer. "But it also means we have to look into more creative ways into giving our people more realistic training because they need to maintain their skills.

"These facilities will give them realistic conditions to simulate firefighting scenarios that will be far more realistic than pure classroom exercises."

The fire department wants to put the $30,000 facility behind the fire headquarters and fire station on Snider Road, where they already have classroom training.

The project would be paid for by a $23,000 grant and $7,000 from the department.

While township trustees have been interested in the proposal, they have questioned the department's suggestion of putting it on the three-fourth-acre site.

"It's my understanding that a bigger space would be better," Trustee Barbara Wilkens Reed said at a recent township meeting. "I'm concerned how much apparatus and equipment we could put there."

Trustees have asked the fire department to sketch out how everything would fit. Before approving the project, they also wanted fire officials to make sure the proposal fits into the area's zoning and would not disturb the neighborhood.

Firefighters are leaning toward the Snider Road site because it already has the building space and parking. It also would be accessible to on-duty firefighters.

"We'll have to either scale back the magnitude of the project to make it fit or embark upon a much more expensive and grandiose scheme at another facility," Kramer said.

The outdoor apparatus could be in place by the end of the year if it is approved by the end of the summer, Kramer said.

E-mail esolvig@enquirer.com