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Maumelle outlines $3.1 million start for joint police and fire training facility
Summary
Maumelle officials said $3.1 million has been set aside for site preparation and initial construction of a joint police and fire training facility on a city-owned 10-acre site near Maumelle Middle School; plans prioritize a concrete driving pad and a burn tower, with an indoor shooting range and a classroom included in bond proposals.
Maumelle City officials described plans to begin a joint police and fire training complex with $3.1 million already set aside for initial work. The funds would pay for site preparation (clearing, utilities and fill), a concrete driving pad usable by both departments, and a burn tower for firefighter evolutions.
"We do not have a place that we can safely train," Fire Chief Bo Buford said, describing the current reliance on ad hoc or off-site locations that can put apparatus out of service and disrupt public coverage. Officials said the city is looking at a roughly 10-acre site the city already owns near Maumelle Middle School.
Dustin, the police patrol commander, described the driving pad as a space for realistic traffic-stop and tactical training without displacing businesses or disrupting schools. "We will be able to use that to train for traffic stop," Dustin said, adding that an on-site indoor range with ballistic containment and filtration would allow officers to train more frequently without 25–35-minute trips out of town.
Officials said an outdoor shooting range initially considered for the site was taken off the table because of its proximity to two schools and nearby recreational access; bond-funded plans instead include an indoor range, classroom space and storage for a reserve fire truck so departments could train using apparatus already staged at the site.
Mayor Caleb Norris and Chief Buford also discussed operational details: current classrooms fit roughly 15–20 people and are often full, but preliminary architectural work aims for a minimum 50-person classroom that could split into two rooms depending on budget and design. Staffing will use existing training officers; one existing training officer could be based at the site if the classroom is funded.
Officials emphasized that plans are preliminary and subject to engineering and soil testing; they encouraged residents to review FAQs on maumellebond.com and attend follow-up public meetings for detailed designs and cost estimates.
