Chesapeake Utilities has broken ground on its second safety training facility in the country, namely Safety Town, in DeBary, Florida, US. 

Safety Town will cater to the company’s Florida-based subsidiaries Florida Public Utilities (FPU) and Florida City Gas.

This facility is intended to function as a training hub for employees involved in constructing, maintaining, and operating the company’s energy infrastructure, as well as first responders in the region.  

The design of the facility will be based on the company's previous and first Safety Town in Dover, Delaware, completed in November 2020. 

Chesapeake board chair, president and CEO Jeff Householder said: “Our Safety Town facility in Delaware has demonstrated its vital role in enhancing the safety of our employees and our communities and equipping our community partners to respond to emergencies.  

“The new facility in Florida will do the same, serving as an important resource for our company and the community.” 

The one-acre training centre, located adjacent to the FPU office, is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2024.  

Safety Town will feature technology-equipped training rooms, equipment, vehicle storage, and shed homes that simulate real-life scenarios.  

The training centre will cover infrastructure integrity inspections, main installation, repair and maintenance, and more. 

It will also include valve recognition, meter and regulating station installation and repairs, propane tank procedures, and underground utility line locating. 

Additionally, it will have emergency response coordination. 

Chesapeake has developed two mobile safety training units based in DeBary and West Palm Beach.  

These units are designed to deliver safety training directly to contractors and community first-responder teams at their locations.