Groundbreaking Friday for Emergency Services Tower at Pioneer Technology Center

Mason Williams, PO HI Junior and Industrial Technology student, created a 3-D Printed model of the new Emergency Services Training Tower coming in 2019.

Join Pioneer Technology Center at 4 p.m. Friday, March  8, as they celebrate the ground breaking of the new Emergency Services Tower.

The ceremony will be on the northeast side of campus near the Cosmetology center.

The Pioneer Technology Center Board of Education approved the plan to build an Emergency Services Training Tower on its property in 2019. This new facility will serve fire departments and industry from the surrounding communities with much-needed training to save lives.

Pioneer Tech is committed to becoming the leader for Emergency Services training in North Central Oklahoma.  This project was made possible in part through funding assistance from the Ponca City Fire and Life Safety Council. Recommendations were also given by the Ponca City and Blackwell Fire Departments and from representatives from the local manufacturing industry.

The building’s design was chosen to meet the training needs of firefighters as well as industrial safety training needs for North Central Oklahoma.

“Over a year ago, conversations began with agencies and district partners. A need was identified for firefighters to instruct and certify locally rather than training out of district.  After discussions, it was decided a multi-functional training facility in the region would provide necessary resources for high-quality training simulations for emergency/fire services, law enforcement, and industrial safety,” said Traci Thorpe, Superintendent/CEO of PTC.

The joint venture had strong support from area agencies, including a number of volunteer fire departments.  Research into the need for a training facility revealed that there are 18 paid and volunteer fire service agencies within the Pioneer Technology Center district boundaries.   Employment projections for the PTC district area have indicated a 33 percent growth of jobs in the firefighter field by 2027. Within the same period, a possible 31 percent growth rate is expected for Emergency Medical Technician openings as well as a 29 percent increase in police and law enforcement officers.

“This anticipated increase in employment makes a training center essential to the North Central region for personnel, which has previously been difficult to obtain, and is typically only available in larger populated areas,” Thorpe said.

Local training availability will provide more accessibility and allow agencies to meet the expense of training additional staff and in a timely manner, which in turn will impact district partners with better-prepared service providers.

The multifunctional training facility allows for increased usage among industry and service agencies.  This includes times when law enforcement and fire service personnel must respond to a scene simultaneously. The new facility will allow them to train together.

Safety training is an additional aspect that PTC’s business and industry clients will benefit from to advance safety skills and preparation opportunities that can be customized to meet specific training needs.

Thorpe said that ultimately, that citizens of the district will benefit from the advanced training through improved education and hands-on opportunities.

For more information about Pioneer Tech’s new Emergency Services Training Facility call 580-718-4222 or visit pioneertech.edu.