The Hawthorne Fire Department’s Training Center is located behind the Wagaraw ballfields adjacent to the recycling center.  Hawthorne’s five fire companies utilize this facility to train and sharpen their skills during drill sessions.  The smoke house is used for search and rescue, advancing hoselines, and many other aspects of firefighting.  The car fire simulator provides realistic training for firefighters as well.

The Training Center has been in use since 2000..  In 2001 it became a certified state agency for training by the NJ Division of  Fire Safety.  Shortly after the smoke house was put up, a car fire simulator fueled by propane was installed.

The smoke house is made up of three freight containers that were purchased from a freight yard in New Jersey.  Two were laid side by side and the third stacked on top.  After these containers were placed, Hawthorne’s firefighters went to work to modify the building for training. A flight of stairs was added for access to the second floor. Several rooms were created on both the first and second floor to simulate rooms in an actual house.  There is a living room and kitchen on the first floor and bedrooms on the second floor.  A portion of the second floor contains a prop for firefighters to simulate entrapment hazards from which they must remove themselves.  A peaked roof was also added so firefighters could drill with roof ladders.  Many countless hours were put in by members to improve this facility.

In 2008, the lot was further cleared to add room for expansion of our operations.  Additional improvements were made to the exterior of the smoke house as well.  Work is still ongoing at this time.