Hutchinson Community College and the city of Hutchinson are working together to make Hutchinson the site of a regional training center for firefighters.
Construction could begin as early as December on a new, 20,000-square-foot fire science building for HCC. The new building will be constructed next to the Hutchinson Fire Department’s command and training center at 3201 E. Fourth Ave.
There, students will be able to train alongside career firefighters, said Bob White, HCC fire science coordinator. Hutchinson Fire Chief Kim Forbes noted that having firefighter training for both the college and the city in one spot also will cut down on any duplicated efforts, thus saving taxpayers money.
“(Students) get a better opportunity to train with a larger fire department, and we’ll be looking at people who we might be interested in hiring, because we’ll be able to watch them over a period of time,” Forbes said.
“There are a lot of wins when you look at this.”
Leasing the city’s property for the new fire science building will cost the local college $1 per year for 99 years, according to Carter File, HCC vice president of finance.
The HCC Board of Trustees, in its meeting Nov. 14, accepted the lowest of four bids – $2.02 million from A&A Builders in Hutchinson – to construct the new fire science building, with money coming from the college’s capital outlay fund.
The new structure will replace the aging fire science building on HCC’s South Campus, located southwest of Yoder. The South Campus structure is a World War II-era government building the college purchased in April 1970 when it acquired 425 acres of land and buildings from the Air National Guard.
Once the new fire science building is constructed – it’s expected to be completed by September 2014 – the old building near Yoder likely will be razed, File said. Other programs will remain at the South Campus, however, including HCC’s production agriculture and livestock programs, an EMT and paramedic program, and OSHA and MSHA training, File said.
“It’s served us extremely well over the years, but it’s time for it to be replaced,” HCC President Ed Berger said of the fire science building on the South Campus. “Also, when you look at the synergy created by (HCC and the city) working together, I think we can make this a regional fire training center for this area.”
Gary Holler, vice president of Schaefer Johnson Cox Frey Architecture in Wichita, described the plans for the new fire science building, which will include five classrooms and seven offices for staff. One of the classrooms will include tiered seating. The building will have a corrugated metal panel exterior and will feature a multipurpose room with a large seating area for conferences, measuring 50 by 50 square feet.
There also will be a new search-and-rescue room, measuring 27 by 60 square feet, where firefighters in training can build walls to simulate going into a house or business during a fire. Water vapor could be pumped into the room, simulating smoke in a fire, Holler said.
White said there are about 115 full-time students currently enrolled in HCC’s fire science program, although 232 people took at least one class from the program this semester. Students in the program can obtain a two-year degree in applied science, or 64 credit hours, he said, but firefighters already on the job go to HCC for continuing education or to earn a degree.
Forbes said the Hutchinson Fire Department’s training center already has drawn programs from the University of Kansas and a national fire academy, so having additional classroom space and a “hands-on drill site” will enhance training for the region.
“If we have an engine or ladder company training, then (students) will be welcome to join in,” Forbes said. “They’ll be able to schedule ride-alongs with our companies, like a 24-hour shift, to gain hands-on experience.”
“It’s a great opportunity to partner and use both institutions’ resources effectively,” Carter said of the collaboration between HCC and the city.
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