Training

Fire/Rescue Drills

All Public Safety Officers and Volunteer Firefighters meet for monthly drills to practice fire fighting and rescue skills.  During 2012, the department conducted 13 fire and rescue drills.

Disaster Drill 

Each year, the employees of the City of Woodway, the Public Safety Department, and the Volunteer Fire Department participate in a mock disaster drill.  In the past, disaster drills have covered flooding to a multiple injury accident at the Midway Middle School.

The ultimate purpose of the Annual Disater Drill is to provide practice opportunities to strengthen and enhance the departments’ police, fire, ambulance, and communications skills and to prepare and ready each member’s ability to adapt to ever changing conditions, should an actual emergency situation arise.

Training Grounds

The Training Grounds allow all Public Safety personnel an excellent opportunity to learn, maintain and enhance their skills in police and fire techniques.

In 1997, land was purchased on the far west end of Woodway to be used as a training ground for officers, firefighters, and the special response team (SRT).  The project began in 1998 where a building, a fence, and several hydrants and burn areas were constructed.  A pistol range and obstacle course followed in 1999.  In 2001, a new smoke/search house was constructed to allow first hand training in search and rescue techniques.

Since 2001, a state of the art target shooting system was incorporated, black asphalt laid, and a flood lighting system installed for night training.  In 2003, the City asphalted the entire pistol range and erected an awning above the impact area.  In the smoke house, wall partitions were built to simulate rooms which created a more realistic environment for police and firefighters during training.

In 2006, the obstacle course was redone to include new 2 ft., 4 ft., and 6 ft. walls and  a new dirt surface.  Additional improvements were made to the interiour of the training smoke house and a large concrete slab was poured as a base for vehicle extrication training.  Also, several new steel targets were welded and a new large barricade was built for the range.  Cinder block borders were built for the range and rock ground cover was placed on each side of the shooting line.  A new weapon cleaning station was added and stocked for the range house.