Police and fire training facility taking shape
Crews stack shipping containers during construction of a police and fire training facility in Midwest City. PHOTO BY ALYSSA DALLEY-SCHOFIELD
By Alyssa Dalley-Schofield
Midwest City Beacon
Construction of the new Midwest City police and fire training facility is expected to be completed later this summer.
Sitting on three acres of land, the new facility will include classroom space and a burn building for live fire exercises and tactical training. Fire Chief Bert Norton said it will provide unique training opportunities for police and firefighters.
“In this area this’ll be the first one of its kind that’s created for a multi-use purpose,” Norton said.
Firefighters and police officers work together when it comes to investigations and this new facility gives them an opportunity to learn and work together early on.
“The Midwest City police and fire investigate fires together,” said Midwest City’s Chief of Training Brian Brush. “The fire department investigates fires for where they start and if it’s fire related and the police department handles any criminal investigations with fires so this gives us a place for the first time that our investigators can work and train together using the fire investigations programs here.”
Construction crews work on the classrooms inside the new police and fire training facility. PHOTO BY ALYSSA DALLEY-SCHOFIELD
The training facility was originally going to be built at a former youth baseball complex near SE 15th St. and Post Rd. The project was relocated to land south of Midwest City Fire Station 6, 8750 SE 15th St.
Due to public concerns, the department decided to change locations.
“Ultimately, as challenging as it was to go through that process of it not being the original location, this current location is better for both the citizens and the fire department and the city police department, as well as being this close to the fleet services,” said Brush.
The burn building is expected to cost about $562,800. The bid for the classroom and site work was about $3.13 million, Norton said.
The chief and training chief expressed excitement over the completion of this new facility.
“This facility is absolutely world class,” Brush said. “It may not be the largest facility in the nation or in our state, but it certainly is one of the best.”
Brush said the new facility will allow the department to host training programs.
A new police and fire training facility is under construction near the Midwest City Public Works building on SE 15th St. The new facility is expected to be completed by late summer. PHOTO BY ALYSSA DALLEY-SCHOFIELD
Construction crews work on the new police and fire department training facility. PHOTO BY ALYSSA DALLEY-SCHOFIELD
