(dramatic music) Firefighters race toward a burning aircraft.

Others plunge into churning water to pull survivors to safety.

It looks like a real disaster, but it's all training.

This is North Carolina's new emergency training center, built so rescuers can face any sort of natural disaster.

Because when Hurricane Helene hit, even veteran crews were pushed to their limits.

I think initially we didn't really have, at least locally, the expectation that it was gonna turn into the event that it was.

But with that being said, we plan for those worst case scenarios all the time.

Chief Patrick Marks of the Raleigh Fire Department oversees one of North Carolina's urban search and rescue teams.

When Helene hit, 14 members of his team deployed to Haywood County.

It was the longest mission his team has faced.

Typically our responses are seven to 10 days, is usually what we plan for.

So a 25 day response was new to us.

But because we had considered the worst case scenario previous, we were prepared to do those personnel rotations.

In the mountain towns of Waynesville and Maggie Valley, Raleigh firefighters worked alongside local crews going door to door, rescuing residents, and checking homes one by one.

I just remember thinking back to how resilient the communities were in that area.

We would come in pretty early on after the storm, and there would already be community members clearing roads and getting bridges back, and really taking care of their community.

And I found that to be really heartwarming to see.

But the terrain posed constant challenges.

Fast moving rivers, debris choked creeks, and roads that vanished overnight.

Reaching trapped families meant navigating floodwaters that shifted by the hour.

Never have I seen such a dramatic increase in flash flooding like we saw there.

The waters came and went, and what was really stunning was the way they just carved the environment after they left.

It was truly humbling to see.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include.

Pauline made clear that North Carolina's rescuers needed new tools and new training to prepare for disasters in rugged terrain.

That need is now shaping how North Carolina prepares for the next storm.

Today, that vision stands in Stanley County at the new North Carolina Emergency Training Center.

The $78 million facility is at the Stanley County Airport.

It gives first responders a place to train for disasters they can't safely simulate anywhere else.

A lot of our community colleges are responsible for doing the training.

The problem there is that they don't have the ability to fund this type of facility and don't have the logistics to put it on.

So as a state fire marshal, it's my responsibility to train all of our first responders.

And so I wanted to be sure we had a state-of-the-art facility to train because of what the man-made and natural disasters we're facing each and every year.

That includes a dedicated aircraft rescue and firefighting pad.

Here, firefighters can train for aviation emergencies in real flames and smoke.

(plane engine roaring) It also features one of the most advanced swift water rescue courses in the country.

(indistinct) The addition came after recent hurricanes when the state realized many departments had the boats, but not the training.

We actually have had real life instances where people have operating the boats, not properly trained, that have turned the boats over, have injured folks.

You know, they actually use that as a case study in training across this country.

So by doing that, you know, we're able to come in here and say, look, it's important for us to train.

After Hurricane Matthew and Florence, a lot of people went out and got grants on boats.

So they got the boats, but they weren't properly trained on how to operate them.

This facility will be key to have our people ready when disaster strikes.

Taylor says the lessons from Helene show exactly why this kind of training matters.

We've never seen this type of water movement on the landslides and coming off the hills.

So they said this facility will really enhance our response in the future.

Departments from across the state, from small rural fire stations to full urban search and rescue teams will all train here.

And for local departments that can't afford to travel out of state for specialized instruction, the center makes that training possible close to home.

Phase two is already in the works.

That'll include dorms and onsite housing so crews can stay overnight when they train.

It's a reminder, Taylor says, that recovery doesn't start after the storm.

It starts with training before the next one.

And that focus on preparation is something Chief Marks says never stops, no matter the weather.

We plan for those worst case scenarios when the sun is out and it's 70 degrees and there's a blue sky.

So that's when we're training.

That's when we're preparing.

So from that perspective, I always want more opportunities to prepare our personnel.

But with that being said, I do think we do a good job of leveraging all the resources that are available to us.

(helicopter whirring)