Natasha Vaughn is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Columbia County officials have reopened its expanded and renovated firefighter training facility in Ghent. The facility will help train the county's 900 volunteer firefighters in a variety of skills on a number of different training apparatuses. The new facility replaced the former training space in Philmont near the Pine Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. “It serves multiple purposes,” Columbia County Fire Coordinator George Keeler said. “It’s a training facility for multiple emergency response agencies in the county. It also stores the equipment for our hazardous materials calls and the classrooms are also available for any of our county government agencies for use.” Classes at the facility restarted Aug. 4, and the number offered will increase from two to four a week in September. “It’s awesome,” Columbia County Deputy Fire Coordinator Peter Harvey said, referencing the new 10,000-square-foot facility. “I’ve been waiting 31 years for this.” There is also a two-story fire training tower that replaces the 27-year-old training tower in Philmont, Keeler said. The facility also recently received donated hoses, ladders, axes, rubber mats and a portable training pond for the training facility. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.