After review from an engineer as well as the city’s building official, the Prescott Fire Department has demolished their 3-story burn tower. This is a significant milestone for the department and represents a significant portion of its history. The tower was built in 1978 and first went into service in 1979. In 2000, the tower was condemned for burning purposes due to repeated wear from heat, but it was still usable for daily drills. In 2023, the tower was condemned for all use due to structural instability, and on December 4, 2023, city crews tore the building down.
The building has been instrumental in teaching thousands of people fire behavior in conjunction with Yavapai College, ultimately starting a career in firefighting for those students. The building has also provided mandated continuing education to our city, county, and state firefighters, especially those working for the City of Prescott Fire Department.
On November 26, 2023, past and current members of the Prescott Fire Department gathered to celebrate the 45 years of the tower’s service to our city. Several retired department members who were here when the tower first went into use were present, sharing stories from the past, and joined us in saying goodbye. While demolishing the building brings sadness to everyone who began their firefighting journey there, we all know it has outlived its usefulness and are excited for a future building.
The department has been actively working with city leadership on an approach to replace the tower and renovate the training center. Currently, Prescott crews have to travel to the east side of Prescott Valley to use CAFMA’s tower, which reduces response coverage in the city. As part of its council-adopted strategic plan, the Prescott Fire Department remains committed to submitting annual funding requests, including pursuing grant opportunities. The department is currently waiting on the outcome of a grant through Congressional Directed Spending Funding.
1 thought on “Prescott Fire Department Demolishes 45-Year-Old Training Structure”
If the city of Prescott really cared about reducing taxes and providing the best service available in the field of fire suppression and emergency medical care, they would merge with CAFMA. The PFD believes that they are special because they were one of the first fire departments in the Territory/State of Arizona. Me thinks that the tail is wagging the dog a bit much..
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