Wilmington City Council approves new police and fire training facility

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Wilmington City Council voted and approved a multi-million dollar contract for a brand new police and fire training facility. The soon to be, 30,000 square foot facility is quite the step up for the Wilmington police and fire departments.

“We’re really in desperate need of it, this facility. It’s something that’s been a long time coming, said Linda Thompson, WPD spokeswoman.

Right now, the police department has to use space at other agencies because its own facility is so outdated, but the new, state of the art facility would accommodate the needs of police, firefighters and the community. The facility planned near Maides Park will allow officers to hold community classes so people can experience simulators and situations officers face on a daily basis.

“Any time we can bring the public into our training facility, show them what we’re doing, allow them to be a part of that, and then also be able to use the facilities we have, that only improves our relationship that we have with the community,” Thompson said.

The more than nine-million dollar project will include an indoor training facility and shooting range, classroom space, and firearm simulators.

“Well I believe that our officers can only be as good as the training they receive. And so, certainly having this state of the arts training facility will give us more time on the firing range and allow our officers to have a lot more training,” Thompson said.

Thompson says this facility will give law enforcement officers the specific tools to serve the community as well as possible.

The construction is expected to start within 60 days and be done a little more than a year from now.