A tour of the Can Padro fire training facility

Can Padro, located in near Barcelona (click for Google satellite map), is a huge fire training facility that teaches firefighters how to combat a wide range of scenarios they are likely to meet. They also have a driving track, where dangerous goods drivers take their mandatory courses, and police recruits learn how to drive defensively (but fast!).

We are considering a two-day course for our guys, which would involve LPG fires, boil-overs, fires on multiple floors, and victim search & rescue, and so we went for a visit. One of the lead instructors was kind enough to give us a tour of the facility, which has one of the biggest ship fire simulators I have personally seen. There are bigger ones, I believe the US Navy runs a full-sized one, but this one was very scary. Below is one picture in the photo set I’ve posted on Flickr, click on it to go and watch the whole set.