The department operates out of the barn for the entire month of the fair, Blair said.
“It’s very important that they’re out here for the safety of all the people,” he said.
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It was torn down this week by inmates from Clark County Sheriff’s Department PRIDE Program.
The new barn will be built by CTC students, Blair said, allowing them to save about $30,000. The $18,000 for materials was paid for by Clark County commissioners and the students will provide the labor. Blair expects construction to begin next week.
“We didn’t have the money to go and get a contractor and build an entire barn, so this makes this project exceptionally affordable,” Blair said.
The fire barn project will probably take about six weeks, CTC Carpentry Instructor Ric Howard said. The barn will be tall enough to house two firetrucks with two doors on each side, Howard said.
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“We take on real projects like building houses, barns, garages … it’s the best learning experience,” Howard said.
The class will also build a large shelter house near the new lake site, he said. There’s currently a shortage for construction workers, Howard said.
“All the older ones are retiring and the younger ones aren’t coming back in, so it’s a national shortage,” he said.
There’s always going to be a need for carpenters, CTC senior Westley Wagner said. The class is at a job site every day, but it’s great to work on a project like the fire barn, he said.
“We get to come back later when we have our own kids or grandkids and be like, ‘Hey, look, I got to build this,’” Wagner said. “Or go to the fair every year and be like ‘Hey, I got to build that.’”
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