Polk County Fire Rescue unveils new $16M world class training facility

Get a sneak peek at PCFR’s new training facility

Polk County fire rescue will soon being able to train in its new $16M world-class facility. FOX 13’s Carla Bayron reports.

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Polk County Fire Rescue will soon be able to use its brand new, world-class training facility. 

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The backstory:

The first-ever one-stop-shop training center is currently being built on Vaughn Road in Winter Haven. 

"This training center will offer us the opportunity to bring people from the street and teach them EMR, EMT, fire and paramedic skills, and we're going to be able to do that right here in-house," Chief Shawn Smith said.

The state-of-the-art, 29,000-square-foot facility costs $16 million. It will feature a driving pad, a five-story burn building, multiple props, including vehicle and propane fires, EMS simulation rooms and more.

"We'll be able to host classes for other departments in the area to improve as firefighters, EMTs and residents," Ramon Gonzalez, deputy chief of training, said. "Our residents are number one, and we want to make sure our employees provide the service that our residents and visitors deserve." 

Recruiting efforts:

Starting in March or April, all new recruits and current members will begin their training here, along with people looking to join the fire rescue profession.

Polk County Fire Rescue is currently recruiting what the fire chief is calling 'homegrown talent.' County commissioners awarded them positions in October, and they received more through the FEMA SAFER grant, so they're trying to fill about 160 positions. 

Right now, they're 870 strong, and are striving toward a better work-life balance.

"We went ahead and adjusted from a 56-hour work week to a 48-hour work week, which really gives them just as much time at work, but a lot more time at home," Smith said. "The ultimate goal is to lower that to a 42-hour work week." 

What's next:

Five more stations will be added throughout the county this year to help ensure service throughout the fast-growing county.

The facility is expected to open by the end of March or the beginning of April.