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Tompkins County chiefs push for countywide live-fire training center, estimate $2 million
Summary
County fire chiefs told the Public Safety Committee they need a centrally located, county-run live-fire training center with class A burn capability; estimated construction cost is about $2,000,000 if the county provides site work. A County Chiefs Association meeting July 1 will try to reach consensus on location and scope.
Chief George Tamberelli, a longtime volunteer fire chief, urged the Tompkins County Public Safety Committee on June 24 to prioritize a county-run live-fire training center, saying volunteer departments currently lack a place for routine class A burn and realistic ladder, search-and-rope training.
A dedicated county facility would give local departments regular access to live-fire exercises, classroom space and room for EMT training, Tamberelli said. "There is no substitute for live fire training," he told the committee, noting area firefighters now must travel to Montour Falls or ask neighboring departments for access.
The proposal matters because most local fire companies are staffed by college students and volunteers who need regularly scheduled, nearby training. Without a county facility, departments either forgo live training or take crews out of service for long drives, reducing local coverage, Tamberelli said.
Tamberelli described an initial cost estimate of about $2,000,000 to build a functional training center if the county does the site work; if a contractor must perform extensive site preparation the price would rise. He identified a candidate site behind the airport, but said that location currently lacks gas, water and electric service and would require county commitment to site work or an RFP that includes those expenses.
Committee members raised funding and logistics questions. Shauna said she had discussed the project with Leah Webb, who "was actually really excited" and might pursue earmark or state funding. The chair, Rich, said the project had been proposed previously for ARPA money and that the county should explore multiple funding sources, including FEMA grant opportunities for training and equipment.
Members suggested next steps: identify potential sites, assemble a small planning group, develop a preliminary budget and seek recent cost data from counties that built training centers. Tamberelli said a small planning subcommittee of the County Chiefs Association exists but has not yet met; the County Chiefs Association moved its meeting to July 1 to prioritize the topic.
Supporters framed the facility as useful to multiple emergency services, including police and EMS. "It can be used for all of our emergency services community," one committee member said. The committee agreed to request a status update at the July meeting and to share cost examples from recently built facilities.
The committee did not take a formal vote on funding at the June 24 session; members instead directed staff and chiefs to pursue planning, site identification and funding discussions ahead of the July chiefs meeting.
