New Facility at Camp Ripley Offers Fire Departments & First Responders Hazmat Training

A new training facility that covers five acres at Camp Ripley in Little Falls will offer firefighters and first responders the training they need to protect their communities.

The new $3.5 million state-of-the-art training facility was put together to help understand hazardous materials better.

One of the things that prompted this idea was the movement of a lot of railroad hazard materials. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety worked jointly with the Army National Guard as well as Camp Ripley to build the facility.

The 5-acre facility gives participants a hands-on experience with real-life situations that may arise, as well as simulations in a classroom environment like cable size exercises training. They also have simulation software that’s used in the field to give a good approximation of what they will experience in a real emergency situation.

Each session and exercise might be different depending on what type of department they are working with at the time. The hope from MN DPS is to put the public at ease and let them know they’re providing first responders with top-quality training.

Those involved with the facility want to make sure departments are prepared for those all incidents whenever they may happen. They want make sure they have the right techniques, the right understanding, and the safety they would need to watch out for the response in any type of accident.

Training sessions are open to any fire departments or first responders looking to use the facility. To do so, you will need to schedule a time through Camp Ripley.