NORTH LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The North Las Vegas Fire Department has opened its first-ever training center, a facility nearly nine years in the making that officials say will help prepare both new recruits and veteran firefighters for emergencies.
Fire Chief Joseph Calhoun said the center represents an investment in the department's firefighters and gives them a dedicated environment to sharpen the skills they rely on in the field.
“To the men and women of the North Las Vegas Fire Department, this center belongs to you,” Calhoun said. “This facility is an investment in you. It ensures that you have the tools, the training and the environment to perform at the highest level.”
The facility includes about six acres of outdoor training space, including an area for live-fire training. It also has more than 5,000 square feet of classroom space and an ambulance simulator.
WATCH: North Las Vegas Fire Department opens first dedicated training center
A four-story burn tower is expected to be added next year.
Until now, North Las Vegas firefighters had to train elsewhere. Calhoun said having a dedicated facility will allow the department to train new recruits from the beginning of their careers while also providing continued training for experienced firefighters.
“This will give not only our brand-new, day-one recruits in our academy the ability to learn from scratch how to safely and effectively do their job, but will allow us to train our veteran firefighters to be able to continue to do their jobs properly,” Calhoun said.
He said that training becomes increasingly important as North Las Vegas continues to grow.
“As a fire chief, I lose a lot of sleep over making sure that my people go home every day, and this is the way to do that, by making sure they have the very best training,” Calhoun said.
The training center is designed to give firefighters opportunities to practice responding to situations they could encounter on emergency calls.
“Everything we have here is going to help us to better prepare for what we might see out in the streets,” Calhoun said.
The department's first group of recruits is scheduled to begin training at the facility Monday.
Calhoun told firefighters to approach the new center with the stakes of their work in mind.
“Each time that you enter this training center, always remember to train as if lives depend on it,” he said. “The lives of our community, your lives and the lives of your brother and sister firefighters.”
