Here is a special project making news around the parish.. .St. Charles Parish Volunteer Firefighters have always been committed to learning the latest in firefighting techniques. Now, with a long-awaited training facility in Luling, the parish's nine departments will be able to train in a lifelike suburban environment. The facility, now under construction, is located behind the firehouse on Paul Maillard Road in Luling. Streets are laid out to replicate a subdivision, and two containers serve as a replica roof, home attic and interior room for rescue training. The modules are built for constant change so firefighters are presented with a new challenge each training session. Firefighters can also learn the ins and outs of fire hydrant training, or they can learn how to draft water out of a pond constructed on the property. This is useful for the areas around the parish where the only water source nearby may be a pond or a canal. The vision for the near future is to construct a classroom with a fire rescue reference library, search and rescue building, vehicle extraction area and drill tower to practice technical rescues. These new training opportunities will not only help the firefighters themselves, but they are projected to lower the parish's fire rating, which in turn lowers insurance for homeowners. For additional information on the project, construction pictures, and project status, visit the Luling Volunteer Fire Department's website at http://lulingvfd.org. And to learn about more projects going on in St. Charles Parish log on to http://stcharlesparish-la.gov.