CFD Looks To Match County Funding For New Training Tower

The City of Chattanooga is receiving $1.5 million from Hamilton County for construction of a new fire training tower at the Chattanooga Fire and Police Training Center on Amnicola Highway. It was approved by the city council on Tuesday night. This is the first phase in the planning and funding stages to tear down the current training tower- built in 1976- and build a brand new one. There’s been a long-standing need for the project as the six-story tower has far exceeded its lifespan. The Chattanooga Fire Department will be seeking capital funding in the budget for the next fiscal year to match the county’s contribution. With a total of $3 million from the city and county, the tower can be replaced with a modern structure. It is used by the CFD throughout the year for skill-based training in many different disciplines by both fire cadets and current firefighters. Live fire drills are conducted there, as well as ladder drills, aerial training, physical fitness and rope training for Urban Search and Rescue operations. The tower is also used by other departments from across the region, including all of the Hamilton County volunteer agencies. It is an extremely important regional training facility that prepares firefighters for the tough job they face as they serve and protect the community. Replacing and rebuilding the drill tower is an immediate need for Chattanooga and Hamilton County. We appreciate the county’s commitment to the project and thank Chattanooga city leaders for their support. Long-term plans are to revamp the entire training center with state-of-the-art classrooms and office space as the current building is too small for CFD and CPD training operations and staff.

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