North Platte council hears proposal for $179,000 modular live‑fire training facility

The North Platte City Council on April 21 heard a proposal to buy and install a six‑container modular live‑fire training prop near Fire Station 3 at an estimated contract price of $179,000, presenters said.

Chief Thompson told the council the idea dates back about 25 years and the city already owns roughly 15 acres near Station 3 that could host a certified training site. "This project that is before you, this proposed project, is 25 years in the making," he said, and described containerized, certified training units designed for live‑fire exercises.

Firefighter Tyler Montsinger, who has helped assemble project details, described the range of drills the prop would enable, from smoke‑filled search and rescue and vent‑enter‑search (VES) operations to rope and high‑angle rescue. "When we expose our crews to realistic conditions in training, we improve decision‑making, reduce risk, and ultimately save lives," Montsinger said, stressing the build would follow National Fire Protection Association standards.

Officials said the vendor quoted $179,000 for the prop (up from an earlier $158,000 estimate). Payment terms proposed are 50% due at signing and 50% on completion; North Platte Firefighters Local 831 has pledged $25,000 toward the initial payment. City staff said the vendor has extended the price lock and estimated component delivery in July, with on‑site assembly likely through the fall.

Chief Thompson and staff emphasized two practical motivations for the project: current training limits (the city’s burn trailer is aging and increasingly costly to maintain) and the potential to earn Insurance Service Organization (ISO) points. Thompson said North Platte is a Class‑1 city and does not yet have a certified three‑story fixed structure that would earn ISO credits that can affect insurance rates.

City staff and the Community Foundation — represented by former CEO Eric Seacrest — described fundraising options. Seacrest said the foundation could accept donations into a fund and indicated willingness to help manage gifts, but urged proactive neighborhood outreach and public safety communication when live‑fire sessions occur: he asked the city to "make sure that they've informed the neighborhood and the whole city when training...How is the neighborhood...kept safe?" City staff said exercises would be run on city property with set setbacks, weather checks and traffic/safety controls, and they discussed additional screening and a hydrant extension to reduce impacts.

On finances, staff said the city maintains sizable cash reserves (reported at about $15 million) and roughly $200,000 in contingency for the year; they described options including contingency or cash reserves for the initial payment if council chose to proceed, while relying on additional fundraising to reduce the city share. Staff also noted it may be feasible to cover the second payment in next year’s budget.

Council members asked about insurance, maintenance and environmental concerns. Staff said the units are designed for repeated live‑fire use, include interior steel plating and have a long record of use elsewhere; they acknowledged routine inspection and maintenance would be required. On drainage, staff said plans include a draft pond to capture runoff and options for lining or controlled drainage to avoid stagnant water.

Presenters emphasized regional benefit: the department intends to invite surrounding rural departments to train at the site, which officials said could both raise regional preparedness and generate some revenue over time. The police department representative said their expected use would be minimal because many of its simulations are conducted in‑house.

No formal vote or motion was taken during the work session. Staff noted the item is also listed on the council’s consent agenda and could be pulled for further consideration at the regular meeting.

Next steps described at the meeting: council consideration of whether to commit city funds to secure the vendor price and sign the contract (staff said the vendor extended the deadline by about a week), continued fundraising discussions with the Community Foundation and firefighters, and further site engineering and drainage work before construction. The work session adjourned and the regular council meeting began.