To better serve the police, fire, and EMS professionals and volunteers of southeast Alabama, the City of Dothan and the Wiregrass Foundation are collaborating on the development of a 25-acre combined public safety training site, the Dothan Regional Public Safety Training Center.

A 25,000-square-foot classroom and administration building will anchor the training site with a five-story computer-controlled burn drill tower, Class A burn building, 25-lane outdoor gun range, tire drafting area, tactical/simunitions house, live fire shoot house, 3.7-acre driving skills pad, tactical village, and a K-9 training and kennel facility. The training site also includes props for urban search and rescue, confined space, collapsed trench, vehicle extrication, and hazardous materials containment training. The site is master planned for future training environments that will include rail car, residential house, and additional tactical village buildings. Expected for completion in August, 2019, the regional center is believed to be the first of its kind in Alabama.

RDG Planning & Design teamed with Interact Business Group to complete the comprehensive business plan and master plan. This process assessed city-wide and regional training requirements and estimated capital costs, ongoing future operations, and maintenance funding. RDG is now continuing with design, and construction is planned to commence in late 2017.

Read more in the news about the public safety training site:

Partnership approved for $22 million public safety training center in Dothan

Wiregrass Foundation goes big with Public Safety Training Center

Regional Training Center: Q&A

Dothan making plans for $22 million public safety training center