Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Campus topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sampson Community College outlines public safety training campus, asks city to weigh water tap and partnership support
Summary
Sampson Community College presented plans for a 42.39‑acre public safety campus with a live‑fire facility, drafting pond and ag/technical rescue area and asked the city to consider support for water tap installation (estimated $62,000) and operational coordination for high water use during training.
Sampson Community College told the Clinton City Council on April 1 that it plans to develop a public safety training campus at its 42.39‑acre annex in the industrial park to host firefighter, EMS and law‑enforcement training and to expand existing truck‑driving and heavy‑equipment programs.
The college representative said the project includes a live‑fire training facility, a drafting pond for water‑rescue practice, an agricultural and technical rescue area and a fire‑tower training structure intended to meet certification and ISO requirements. “This property out there allows us to give these folks that we’re training… the space that they adequately need,” the presenter said.
Jim Demay, dean of public safety programs, told council the campus would reduce the need for county fire departments to leave the area for required training. He said the college has already coordinated with local fire chiefs and the police chief on training needs and outlined a color‑coded site plan showing staging areas for different exercises.
College staff also described partnerships underpinning the plan. The presenter said Smithfield has provided engineers to design erosion control plans and donated equipment for ag‑rescue training; those services helped avoid an estimated $100,000 engineering expense. The college estimated about 224 graduates a year come from its truck‑driving program and said the annex currently serves programs that enroll roughly 3,000 members across the region.
On utilities, the college said connecting the site to city water — including installing two hydrants on the property — represents a critical near‑term cost. “For us to do both, for us to cover the tap and to cover the cost of the water line to be installed with two hydrants on our property, it’s about a $62,000 lift for us,” the presenter said, and asked the council to consider how the city might help with that expense or with operational arrangements given high water use for live‑fire training.
Mayor Starling and council members asked clarifying questions about access, training partnerships and DEQ/erosion‑control compliance; staff confirmed the college has submitted erosion‑control plans to DEQ and is working to meet environmental requirements. The college also said much of the necessary work will be phased and that partners such as the county and local fire departments have been consulted during design.
Councilmembers did not take formal action on the campus at the April 1 meeting but invited follow‑up conversations to clarify water‑tap logistics, any potential city financial assistance and the timeline for phased construction.
