Settlement funds received from Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) are being put to good use in Mendocino County. Money provided to local fire agencies by the County of Mendocino has been used to purchase and install training towers in Hopland, Manchester and Laytonville.

The towers, built and installed by Affordable Drill Towers out of Austin Texas, are 13ft by 18ft, 5 stories high with a top floor at 32ft. These towers provide several anchor points to allowing firefighters to practice high angle rescue. Additionally, the towers can be used to conduct ladder drills, fire hose usage through a 2 ½ inch standpipe that provides water to three levels of the structure, and training with fire suppression systems like fire sprinkler heads. Training with fire sprinkler heads and high angle rescue are particularly valuable, as there are limited opportunities to train without access to these types of specialty towers.

These facilities will be available regionally for various fire agencies throughout the County. Two additional large towers, also partially funded by the County of Mendocino’s PG&E fund allocation, should be installed within the next 8 to 9 months. The County Training Officers Association is developing best practices for use of the towers to ensure participants safety and maximize training opportunities.

When asked about the towers, Greg Smith, Assistant Fire Chief wanted to give special thanks to the team at Affordable Drill Towers and the County of Mendocino. He further stressed how important these towers will be for future training of local fire agencies during this period of high wildfire danger.

For further information, please contact the Executive Office at 707-463-4441 or ceo@mendocinocounty.org.

Darcie Antle

Chief Executive Officer

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