Copyright 2006 San Antonio Express-News
All Rights Reserved
By CHUCK McCOLLOUGH
San Antonio Express-News (Texas)
Schertz Fire Chief Elroy Friesenhahn wants to build a $10 million emergency services training facility to serve suburbs in the region, but he is willing to start smaller — with $5 million in federal funds.
On April 13, the fire chief presented plans for a South Central Regional Training Facility to the Northeast Partnership for Economic Development, a coalition of Northeast Side suburbs.
With help from Schertz Fire Department training officer Lt. David Hughes, Friesenhahn laid out his vision for a seven-acre, $5 million facility that would train police, firefighters and EMS personnel from suburban cities in the Randolph Metrocom area as well as other agencies in Bexar, Comal and Guadalupe counties and beyond.
The $5.09 million facility would include:
--$1.52 million to put down concrete on the site.
--$1.14 million for a 12,000-square-foot training building.
--$850,000 for a training tower for firefighters and law enforcement.
-- $485,000 for equipment including computers and audiovisual equipment.
--$325,000 for land.
--$325,000 for a natatorium for water-rescue training and other things.
--$225,000 for a gun range.
--$185,000 for an equipment building.
--$28,000 for landscaping.
“We are looking at having a regionalized training facility because right now what we have is fragmented training,” Hughes said. “The facilities we have now are either too remote, too small or both.
“A couple of years ago we came up with a concept to bring everyone together — not just firefighters, but police and EMS — into one area and one training area where we can have our mutual-aid partners working and training together,” he said.
Friesenhahn said large paved areas at the training facility would include a driver-training site for police to do obstacle course training and for firefighters and EMS personnel to practice driving fire trucks and ambulances.
The training tower could be used by firefighters as a “burn building” where they practice fighting fires in a one-story, two-story or three-story structure. Police and SWAT officers could use the same configuration for different hostage/barricaded suspect scenarios, the fire chief said.
“We could double that dollar amount to $10 million and offer additional training by having things like a warehouse or a plane fuselage so firefighters or law enforcement can train in those surroundings,” Friesenhahn said.
He said he would like to see the facility in Schertz, but no specific location has been identified and a lot depends on the money available.
Friesenhahn and Hughes told the Northeast Partnership that Schertz sent the South Central Regional Training Facility concept proposal to U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, who represents the 28th Congressional District that includes part of San Antonio.
“Congressman Cuellar likes the regional concept and wants to move forward with it and said that would probably happen after the November elections,” Friesenhahn said.
Cuellar said proactive cities like Schertz have a better chance of getting federal funds.
” I am pleased to extend to my constituents every opportunity to explore funding opportunities through the federal appropriations process. While the process is extremely competitive and funding cannot be guaranteed, making a request is critical to begin garnering federal interest in qualified local projects,” the congressman said.
“My office has met with the city of Schertz, reviewed their appropriations requests, and included them in this year’s comprehensive appropriations list. We are now in a ‘wait and see’ period until the end of the year to learn if the city of Schertz will receive federal appropriations assistance,” Cuellar said.
The emergency services training facility also could be supported with state and local funds and could become self-sufficient by charging outside agencies a fee to train there, officials said.
Northeast Partnership Chairman Craig Martin said the center is needed.
“It would be a good idea to have the training center for a lot of reasons. And this is another example of the regional attitude out here and how the Metrocom cities are able to consolidate things and work together as one entity on certain elements like public safety that are important to all of us,” said Martin, who also is Converse mayor.
He said suburban cities sometimes have to “wait in line” to use existing police, fire and EMS training facilities, and having one in their area would eliminate that.