FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Company
How long has Fire Facilities been in business?
Fire Facilities has been designing and manufacturing fire training structures for over 20 years. Fire Facilities produces the only pre-engineered steel training structure being manufactured in the United States. Fire Facilities is the only Fire Training Structure company that has every one of its structures still in training use.
Financing
Is FFI Leasing available on all Fire Facilities training structures?
Yes, leases are available for all Fire Facilities’ products from a single burn room to multi-story models.
Over how many years can payments be spread?
Leases are available for time periods of three (3) to ten (10) years. In special cases, 15 year terms may be available.
How frequently can payments be made?
Payments may be structured on a monthly, quarterly, semiannual, or annual basis.
Can the lease be paid off early?
Yes, special arrangements may be made to fit unexpected changes in needs.
How long does it take to make a decision on a lease application?
Decisions are usually made within five (5) business days.
After approval, how long does it take to get the purchase funded?
Funds are available for purchase usually within two days from receipt of the signed lease contract.
Who qualifies for a tax-exempt lease program?
A fire district with its own taxing authority qualifies for Fire Facilities’ tax-exempt leasing program.
Products
How are the buildings constructed?
Fire Facilities uses the red iron steel skeletal structure to support the loads. This provides the optimum in design flexibility. It also provides easier more cost effective additions. Fire Facilities has designed the exterior walls to meet the training demands for fire training along with providing realism. Fire Facilities designs the corners, sills, and rakes to have sculpted trims to provide safe transitions to train on.
Why should I purchase a metal building vs. concrete or a container?
The pre-engineered steel training structure provides highest quality, designed safety, realism, true usability with actual flexibility of design as part of the overall project cost for the facility and backed with warranties. Neither of the other two methods provides all of these assets with the product nor are they backed with warranties.
What is the cost differentiation between metal building/concrete/container?
A concrete structure installation typically costs 2/3 more than the pre-engineered steel structure to install. The container system is considered the disposable method and has a typically low installation cost. The maintenance cost requirements for concrete is substantially more than the minimal maintenance cost needs for a pre-engineered steel structure. The container system more closely aligns with the replacement cost consideration that would be higher cost. The cost for additions to a concrete facility would be limited in design and would require substantial labor costs. The pre-engineered steel structure provides a great deal of flexibility, with some labor for the addition. The container can be added to with more containers; however is limited to prior design loads, existing openings and the original configuration layout. If the addition can be performed it could require major field retrofitting labor cost.
How is the burn room lined?
Fire Facilities lines their burn rooms with the industries most durable and longest warranty. The WESTEC insulation system has been designed to provide durable working face, and the best insulation protection. This two part system helps prevent any maintenance down time. As part of the burn room Fire Facilities manufactures the doors and shutters because of the extreme conditions they will endure.
Can propane-fueled live fire training be added to burn buildings?
Yes, simulated fire systems can be added to Fire Facilities structures with no advance planning during the design phase of the structure. The simulated fire system is commonly added at a later time.
Can I add on to the tower later?
Yes, the flexibility of our design capabilities with our structures allows us to add virtually any direction needed to create the desired expansions.
Can I move it?
Yes, Fire Facilities structures can be moved and several have actually already been moved to new locations.
How long will the building last?
A typical steel structure architectural standard is 20 years, however due our structure’s heavy duty design; we have structures still in service over 20 years old. You could expect a useful life to be a minimum of 30 to upwards of 50 years.
How long will it take for materials to arrive when I order?
The typical manufacturing to delivery is ten to twelve weeks.
Can I get custom drawings and how much do they cost?
Yes, we offer complimentary custom drawing services to help our clients optimize the development of the project concept.
What warranties do you offer and how long are they?
We provide the industries longest warranties for all of our products and accessories. Our warranty information for our products is found at Warranties.
Where can I get grant funding?
We have some General grant information located Grants. We have other additional grant information available upon request.
How do I source your product?
Your product research has lead you to determine that Fire Facilities product is most suitable for your project. As such you have the right to select the product that will best meet your needs. A soul source justification can be written to warrant direct purchase. In most cases a competitive bid process is required. While preparing the bid specifications make sure you specify the elements and features that you require to satisfy your training needs, then during the selection process you can select the product that will provide the best results for your project. Fire Facilities can help you with each and all of these concerns about sourcing.
How can you help me with my bid documents?
Fire Facilities can assist with the determination and recommend one of several bid methods. We assist with the development of the different elements of the bid documents.
Where are the materials manufactured?
The materials are manufactured in Sun Prairie, WI.
Can you provide a turn-key building?
Yes, Fire Facilities offers several project contracting control types that will best suit your project control needs. We work with our clients to help determine what type will be best for them.
Do you design foundations for your structures?
Yes, foundation design is one of our many services we offer.