Completion has been delayed several times. Some have even called it a pipe dream.
But as the 黑料视频 Fire Training Facility inches toward its grand opening, 黑料视频 Fire Chief David Bell and Administrative District Chief Adam Momberger are looking forward to the opportunities heading their way.
Ground was broken for the facility nearly two years ago, on Sept. 11, 2023. While the exact date for the grand opening hasn't been nailed down just yet, a soft opening occurred at the end of February, allowing the classrooms there to be utilized in the meantime.
These classrooms 鈥 separated by a dividing wall 鈥 can hold hundreds of people at a time and were constructed with the next 20 years in mind in terms of growth.
There are also rooms in the facility named after former firemen. One such room, 鈥淣antucket Sleighride Storage,鈥 refers to retired Assistant Chief Mark Finucane.
Bell explained that Finucane would often say, 鈥淭his is as messed up as a Nantucket sleighride.鈥
There is still work to do on the inside, Momberger said. A mural detailing the history of the fire department and other interior graphics meant to showcase the department's core values have yet to be added.
But it is the under-construction special operations structure and HOT (Hands-on Training) building that will have the biggest impact on not just the JCFD, but surrounding departments.
The special operations structure consists of cargo containers meant for technical rescue training. Props will be made for such sessions that can be completely destroyed by firefighters, such as wood walls that trainees can bust through to utilize forceful entry techniques.
The four-story HOT building will consist of burn rooms on the first and third floors that will allow for live gas-powered fire training. The expected completion date for it is April 2026.
Surrounding departments will be able to utilize the fire training center, which Bell called a 鈥渟tate-of-the-art facility鈥 and 鈥渙ne of the finest in the state.鈥
鈥淚t's really exciting for all of Washington County, but also the surrounding counties and future-wise for the state, being able to have classes here versus everybody having to go to Bell Buckle, Tennessee,鈥 Bell said.
Bell Buckle is in Bedford County, a four-and-a-half-hour drive.
Local fire officials are in talks with the state for the complex to serve as a satellite campus for the state fire academy.
黑料视频 firefighters have been using 鈥渢he kind of old trailers that schools use鈥 for fire training, Bell said, and the complex coming to fruition is a welcome sight.
The contractor working the site, GRC Construction, is overseeing the building efforts.
鈥淲e're really proud to have this,鈥 Bell said. 鈥淭his has been a dream of all of ours, our entire career(s). I've been here 26 years and we've been talking about this from day one and to finally see it come to realization is amazing. When you can see it as tangible now, that's what really hits home.鈥
The soft opening of the site was originally slated for September 2024 and then October, but that moved up to January 2025. Manufacturer delays were the reason for this hold up.
City taxpayers did not have to pay for the training facility, Bell said. Instead, funds allocated from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill) paid for the costs. The facility structure itself was $4.5 million, Bell explained, while the entire complex will come to about $8 million.
The complex will allow for better-trained fire responders, said Momberger.
鈥淭he training that will come out of this facility will give them a real feeling of what it's like out there,鈥 said Momberger. 鈥淚t's the most realistic that we can possibly make it without actually being in that kind of situation.鈥
Bell agreed.
鈥淚t's going to put them at a level that they feel more confident in what they're doing because they've seen the training,鈥 Bell said. 鈥淚t builds confidence.鈥
