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Celebrating Safety

New West Valley training facility for fire and police unveiled

When a citizen is in trouble, it’s the everyday heroes wearing fire and police uniforms that come courageously to the rescue. To make sure these heroes are prepared for any emergency they might face, Glendale and neighboring West Valley cities joined forces recently to launch a new, much-needed regional training center. The facility, which is the first of its kind in the area, is scheduled to open in spring of 2007. It was celebrated at a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, April 18.

Officials from Avondale, Glendale, Surprise, Peoria and the Maricopa College District were on-hand for the ceremony and praised the facility and its valuable role in the West Valley.

What’s Inside

The 57-acre training grounds will include the latest technology, classrooms, a driving track, five-story fire training tower, special operations tools, railroad props and other amenities.

Currently, Valley fire departments operate on an automatic aid system, which means that cities can be called to respond to emergencies anywhere in the Valley. Training at the same site is just one of the many benefits this partnership brings to residents of the area.

As growth in the West Valley continues to explode, this multi-agency partnership will create a training center that will produce highly skilled public safety personnel for years to come.