Public Safety Training Facilities

Harper College’s fire science technology program and soon-to-be-established fire training academy needed a proximate training center for fire training, while nearby fire departments had to travel outside their jurisdictions to access training facilities with limited schedule availability. Harper College’s $9.3M emergency services training center solves both problems by providing a classroom building and 4-story, gas-fired training tower at the corner of campus. The 6,800 sf tower facilitates fire and rescue training in residential, apartment, and commercial scenarios.

The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy expanded its statewide training capabilities by adding this 18-acre campus in southeast Massachusetts. With a focus on live fire and technical rescue training, the phased facility serves the full range of firefighter training needs including classroom instruction, dormitory housing, and a comprehensive array of live fire and rescue training structures. Phase 1 is complete and included the Class A burn building, water reclamation system, and site infrastructure. The remaining program will be designed and constructed in future phases.

A collaboration between the Tulsa Fire Department and Tulsa Community College, this multi-phase public safety training center occupies 40 acres. The $15M Phase 1 included a homeland security building and a 6-story, 17,500 sf gas-fired training tower that simulates warehouse, retail, office, hotel, and other commercial occupancies. The full master plan includes an academic building, support buildings, various technical rescue props, EVOC, and additional burn buildings.

When built out, the City of Cape Coral will be home to more than 360,000 residents. With 400 miles of canals offering boaters access to the Gulf from their back yards and located on a hurricane-prone coastline, the fire department responds to numerous and unique fire and rescue challenges. The 11-acre fire training center supports training for fire, EMS, and technical rescue with a focus on water rescue. Phase 2 is now in planning to add water rescue training elements, an administration/classroom building, and a Class A burn building.

EL&M has collaborated with Chesterfield County Fire and EMS for over 20 years at this multi-phase police, fire, and EMS training center. Nearly built out, the facility includes a comprehensive range of fire, police, and EMS training infrastructure. EL&M has performed periodic structural evaluations of the three live fire training structures since 2009, with the burn buildings continuing to be in good condition.

When its original Class A burn building reached the end of its serviceable life, Berks County wanted a larger training structure to simulate downtown urban row houses and commercial/industrial occupancies for career firefighters and surrounding volunteer departments. Prioritizing maximum training opportunities, Berks County built a 17,000 sf Class A burn building complete with exterior obstacles including curb and gutter, sidewalks, power poles with simulated power lines, and a narrow grocer’s alley between the buildings. Now more than 20 years old, this training structure has experienced thousands of training fires and remains in good operating condition.

On a 14-acre site with significant topography that reflects the region, the master plan created a terraced site to leverage the natural grade, supporting training that requires steeper terrain such as the burn building with subgrade walkout basement, as well as plateaus for training better suited to flatter pads. The full buildout includes a comprehensive range of fire and rescue training facilities.