Progress at the Fire Training Center continues to move forward. The civil and sitework—the groundwork, grading, and installation of underground utilities that prepare the site for construction—are now complete, providing a solid foundation for all new facilities.
Four pole barns have gone up: one will serve as a confined space, another is for enclosed storage, a third will be a training pavilion with restrooms and a closet for IT equipment, and the fourth is reserved for trailer storage.
The burn building is finished, aside from the second-story burn room, which is scheduled to be complete by early 2026. Even so, training activities have already started in the building. Several training courses have been held, including joint automatic-aid training with Foley and Orange Beach, along with various multi-company drills for our crews. This week marked a milestone with our first live burn, which focused on training our Live Fire Instructors to operate the control room, familiarize themselves with the burn set, and see how the building responds to heat. With this training complete, live burns can now be scheduled for each shift.
The contract for the four-story training tower has been awarded, with completion set for next spring. Installation will soon begin on the Trench Rescue training prop. The foundation is on track to be finished in November. Once cured, containers can be secured to the foundation, and trench rescue training will begin.