Duncan Ford|Lincoln|Mazda at will host a “Lincoln Driven to Give” event on Saturday, October 10th from 9am–6pm to help raise money for completion of The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Training Center located on Merrimac Road. Duncan Ford|Lincoln|Mazda is located off 460 Business at 125 Jennelle Road in Blacksburg, Virginia.
“Our immediate goal is to build a fire simulator, what they call a ‘burn building,’ ” said Neal Turner, Emergency Services Coordinator for Montgomery County.
The county received a $480,000 grant from the Department of Fire Programs for construction of the burn building—which allows firefighters to train in realistic, but controlled, situations—but the funding isn’t sufficient to complete the building.
There are other needs as well—a flashover simulator that teaches firefighters to deal with one of the most dangerous conditions they’ll face on the job, for instance. The center also wants to convert an existing structure into training classrooms. Currently, ladder training and jaws-of-life training are conducted at the site. The training center supports five fire departments, six rescue squads, and more than 340 volunteer first responders in Montgomery County.
During “Driven to Give,” Lincoln Motor Company will donate $20 for each registered and verified test drive of a Lincoln vehicle. “We’re just asking people to come out and drive a car to help support our local first responders,” Turner said. Drivers who take a second test drive in a Lincoln Navigator will earn a bonus $20 donation to the fundraiser. Non-drivers are also welcome to come out and make a donation to the training center.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue will have ladder trucks and other fire trucks, as well as emergency equipment, on hand for demonstrations that will be given throughout the day. In addition, a child car seat check will be available from 10am–12pm so parents can make sure their children’s seats are properly secured. The community is encouraged to come out and see fire and rescue equipment up close and speak with volunteers.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue is predominantly an all-volunteer agency. Turner said it’s important to have training available locally to keep the volunteers response-ready and avoid having to send them across the state for training—which is expensive and makes them unavailable to respond to emergencies.
