FRANKLIN—Franklin Fire and Rescue will soon have an upgraded training center, thanks to a $25,300 grant from the Virginia Department of Fire Programs.

Emergency Services Chief Vince Holt said the state adopted a new training curriculum that required additional hands-on skills and surveyed training centers to find any deficiencies that needed to be addressed under the new curriculum.

Franklin’s training center is located adjacent to the airport, he said.

“When they looked at ours, there were a couple of things that needed to be done out there,” Holt said.

The funds awarded to Franklin will go toward the installation of a 15-foot concrete “apron” around the training center’s burn building and the purchase of a forcible-entry training prop.

The concrete apron around the building will give trainees a stable surface as they learn to use ladders and other equipment and the forcible-entry prop is “basically a door they can use to force open without damaging,” Holt said.

“They are going to definitely add to the training programs that we do,” he said. “The key is to make it as realistic as possible.”

Holt said work could begin in mid-December.

“We’re very excited that we’re going to be able to make the improvements at our training ground but we’re also extremely excited that it’s not going to be us having to spend any local funds to make that happen,” he said.