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Posted: Feb 1, 2023

Mobile (AL) Plans New $13.5M Public Safety Training Complex for Firefighters, Police

Margaret Kates
al.com
(TNS)

The city of Mobile is looking to build a brand-new public safety training complex for firefighters and police officers, replacing the aging facilities it currently uses to train people who work in public safety.

“I foresee this opportunity for the city to build this facility, and what we can provide for the city as a whole,” said the city’s executive director of public safety Lawrence Battiste. “We do so much for the region, we are the ‘beacon on a hill’ for public safety in the region.”

On Tuesday, the Mobile City Council will vote on whether to approve a roughly $997,000 contract with Goodwyn Mills Cawood, an architecture firm, for the design of a “state-of-the-art joint training facility that combines resources from Mobile’s Police, Fire-Rescue and Emergency Services Departments,” according to the contract. The site is set to be roughly eight to 10 acres and the facility is supposed to be roughly 21,126 square feet. The cost of building the training site is supposed to be roughly $13.5 million.

Where the training facility will be has not been determined. It’s also not clear when the facility would be completed. Battiste said once the design is completed (12 weeks from when the contract is authorized), the search for a location will begin in earnest. According to the contract, construction on the facility must be completed within 15 months of breaking ground.

Battiste says that the facility is a more efficient way to train police officers and firefighters, who will share the facility equally. While each group has its own training, there are several elements that overlap, he says, and having the two combine forces will help streamline training.

“While police and fire have operated independently of each other, there are training elements of both that overlap,” Battiste said. “Creating a state-of-the-art training facility that combines the best of what the police and fire have to offer.”

Having up-to-date facilities and top-notch training is critically important, Battiste says, because the city of Mobile doesn’t just train its own officers: police officers and firefighters from around the region receive training in Mobile. Many smaller municipalities that don’t have the infrastructure to support police and fire academies send recruits to Mobile for training.

“It’s important that we have a facility that puts Mobile in the best light, not just for our city but for these adjacent communities,” Battiste said. “To be the best, you have to build the best.”

In addition, for the city of Mobile itself, having nice facilities is important for attracting talent to the police and fire departments, Battiste says. Mobile’s police department has struggled with retaining officers in the last two years. Last spring, the city of Mobile offered a pay incentive to police officers, after the city lost 111 officers in 12 months.

And as the city of Mobile hopes to grow, by annexing territory west of the city or by other means, having strong police and fire departments will be crucial to that goal, Battiste says.

Battiste says that the city hasn’t reached out to the community for input on the facility, as it was more focused on identifying its needs to update the infrastructure. But he says, in his experience, the public has generally been supportive of the city’s first responders and of allocating those departments the resources they need.

In recent years, new facilities for police have become a flashpoint, particularly with the rise of the “Defund the Police” movement in 2020. In Chicago, a new, $128 million police and fire training facility opened this week after years of pushback from activists, who wanted the city to spend the money on social services and housing to hel

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Posted: Feb 1, 2023

Construction Underway for Hendersonville (NC)’s New Fire Station

The Hendersonville (NC) Fire Department took one step closer to a new Fire Station 1 Monday as the Boyd Park site officially closed and construction ramped up, the city of Hendersonville said in a news release.  

The construction period moving from the outgrown Hendersonville Fire Station 1 and completion of the new 19,750-square-foot station requires flexibility from Hendersonville Fire Department staff and the collaboration of fantastic community partners. Construction fencing went up Monday as Station 1 demolition ramps up. The estimated completion of the new station is expected in the spring of 2024. 

“City council has prioritized public safety and made thoughtful decisions throughout this process to ensure efficient delivery of emergency services,” said City Manager John Connet. “Our fire department would not be able to provide uninterrupted service during this construction process without the collaboration and support of Henderson County’s Emergency Services Director Jimmy Brissie and the Henderson County Board of Commissioners.” 

In preparation of Station 1’s demolition, Hendersonville Fire’s administrative team, city and county managers, Emergency Services Director Brissie, and Valley Hill Fire & Rescue’s Fire Chief Tim Garren developed a plan to relocate and house crews strategically throughout Hendersonville to uphold HFD’s commitment to efficient response times to incidents occurring in the city.  

“Our department appreciates city council’s commitment to providing us with a primary station equipped to serve our growing community and department,” said Hendersonville Fire Chief D. James Miller. “Adapting to change certainly has its challenges, but the growing pains will all be worth it when we are celebrating Station 1 at a grand opening ceremony next year.”  

Hendersonville Fire Department operates three rotating shifts supervised by a Battalion Chief that provide 24-hour coverage with three engines and one ladder truck. In late 2022, HFD’s downtown ladder company, engine 9-3 and battalion 9 joined engine 9-2 at Hendersonville’s Fire Station 2 on Sugarloaf Road. One engine company has been operating out of Henderson County’s Emergency Services building on Asheville Highway and the final engine company has been operating a peak-hour truck out of Valley Hill Fire & Rescue’s Station on Willow Road. The fire department’s administrative staff are split between a temporary trailer at Station 2 and office space provided by Carolina Village during the construction process. 

“We are truly blessed to have so much support in this community that allows our department to continue our excellent response times and customer service while we are without our primary station,” said Hendersonville Fire Chief D. James Miller. “The hospitality and generosity of Henderson County Emergency Management, EMS, Rescue Squad, and Valley Hill Fire & Rescue are unmatched. The way our organizations work together doesn’t always happen in other parts of the country and state, and we are thankful for the relationships we have with our partners in Henderson County.” Chief Miller also expressed his appreciation to Executive Director Kevin Parries and Carolina Village for providing two administrative staff members office space until the new Station 1 is complete. 

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Posted: Feb 1, 2023

Dog warns pair of fire since alarms weren’t working in Suquamish home

Biscuit, a 4-year-old poodle and hound mix, is being credited with alerting a mom and son to a fire early Feb. 1. The smoke alarms closest to the fire had been removed, a North Kitsap Fire & Rescue news release says. Damage to the small home’s living room was held in check by firefighters quick response after a chimney fire spread to char adjacent walls and ceiling areas.
- PUB DATE: 2/1/2023 1:30:00 AM - SOURCE: Bainbridge Island Review - Metered Site
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Posted: Feb 1, 2023

VIDEO: Multiple cabins burn in Tennessee

PHOTOS: Multiple cabins burned overnight in the Upper Middle Creek area of Sevier County, the Sevier County Government and the City of Pigeon Forge stated in a joint press release early Tuesday. Sevier County officials say at around 12:39 a.m., Sevier County Central Dispatch received a call reporting a structure fire in the 2100 block of Windy Lane in the Upper Middle Creek area of Sevier County.
- PUB DATE: 2/1/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WATE-TV ABC 6 Knoxville
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Posted: Feb 1, 2023

Massachusetts EMTs, firefighters get K9 lifesaving training under Nero's Law

EMTs and firefighters are used to receiving the latest training when it comes to lifesaving care. But on Tuesday, they encountered a different kind of training and patients: High-tech K9 mannequins. Gillette Stadium’s Putnam Club became a classroom of sorts for Bay State EMTs, where their patients for the lifesaving training weren’t humans but man’s best friend.
- PUB DATE: 2/1/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WCVB-TV ABC 5 Boston
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