AURORA — A training facility for fire and rescue squads will change Aurora’s skyline in the coming months.

On Tuesday, Aurora Volunteer Fire Department received a $325,000 check from PotashCorp-Aurora to purchase a training tower that will create a realistic training environment for fire/rescue personnel.

“This shows that (PotashCorp is) really doing some good things through partnership with the community. We don’t get these types of things every day, so we’re very excited to have it,” said Aurora Mayor Clif Williams. “It’s just a win-win for the town and it benefits PCS and the surrounding communities.”

The steel-framed structure, that may be up to four stories tall, will give firefighters and rescue workers the chance to practice live burns, confined space training, rope rescue, forcible entries and more, working to streamline training, as well as provide an additional layer of safety by doing all that training in a controlled environment.

It’s a facility that Aurora Fire Chief Kevin Bonner plans to share widely.

“This is huge. We’ll be able to offer a lot more services to the area. … This is something I want everybody who can to be able to use it … any of the fire departments and rescue squads in the area,” Bonner said.

Bonner spoke of partnering with local community colleges in Beaufort and Pamlico counties, both of which offer firefighting/rescue training, as well as the firefighter program at Southside High School, in addition to the many squads in the immediate area. Aurora VFD’s closest neighbor, however, is the 72-member strong Emergency Response Team employed by PotashCorp-Aurora — the people who respond to any fire, hazmat, technical rescue or medical emergency at the phosphate mining company. Having access to the new training facility will be especially valuable to ERT personnel and allow all trainees to practice what they’ve learned in the classroom, according to Ted Wallace, PotashCorp’s Emergency Response and Security supervisor.

“It’s a hands-on training for every student,” Wallace said.

PotashCorp General Manager Mark Johnson said the practical experience to be gained through the training tower supports part of the company’s mission: safety.

“PotashCorp believes in putting a high priority on training,” Johnson said. “If we can provide responders with high quality training, they can respond to emergencies in a safer manner.”