Fire training center development approved

SPRINGDALE — Firefighters will soon be able to train in live-fire situations at their discretion.

The Planning Commission unanimously approved Tuesday creating a training center.

“This brings a much needed element that we have not had in my entire (28 year) career,” said Assistant Fire Chief Kevin McDonald. “Our live-fire training has always been limited to what structures we could acquire. By having this facility we can do much more frequent training in live fire scenarios, which is imperative to the understanding and safety of our personnel.”

McDonald was present at the meeting in Fire Chief Mike Irwin’s stead. Irwin is attending the Congressional Fire Caucus in Washington, where fire service officials from across the nation meet with senators and representatives to discuss the ongoing need for federal aid for fire services, McDonald said.

Planning Commission Chairman Kevin Parsley asked McDonald if departments from neighboring cities could use the training center.

“Our intention is to use it in-house, but we will always be open to allowing neighboring departments to use it,” McDonald said.

The City Council approved Feb. 14 Irwin’s request to spend $138,305 to buy 4.82 acres in Springdale Industrial Park II at the very end of Turnbow Avenue from the Public Facilities Board to build the training center.

“We went out and looked at the property that either the Public Facilities Board owned or that the city owned,” Irwin said last month. “We figured that would be an easier solution to find some land instead of buying it from an individual.”

The chosen land was the right choice because it was sufficiently flat and centrally located, giving easier access to emergency calls, Irwin said.

Irwin said the center will be three stories tall and made of intermodel containers already bought. The containers were purchased in December from American Fire Training System for $306,000 and still have to be built before they are delivered, Irwin said.

“If everything moves forward we will have all the city requirements fulfilled by May (and) delivery in late April to early May,” McDonald said. “We hope to have the site operational by early to mid summer.”

The training center will enable firefighters to do a variety of training exercises for both firefighters and EMTs.

“In the past a lot of our training was on the job,” McDonald said.

The commission also approved a development request from South Coast Baking at 800 S. 40th St.

“We’re doing a 90,000-square-foot addition to their current facility,” said Jason Appel, project engineer with Engineering Services. “They’re expanding their process for making cookies.”

Appel, who presented the request to the commission, said he doesn’t know when the company is hoping to have the expansion completed.

South Coast representatives didn’t return a call for comment.