State-of-the-art firefighter training center in Polk County features largest burn tower in the nation

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Polk County Fire Rescue members can now train at their first-ever dedicated campus designed to simulate real-world emergencies. The state-of-the-art facility opened Tuesday in Winter Haven to support one of the busiest emergency organizations in Florida.

Winter Haven campus features

What we know:

The new 30,000-square-foot facility sits on 15 acres and features the largest burn tower in the country, nicknamed the "Beast of the East." It houses emergency medical service simulation labs for emergency medical technicians and paramedics, a fitness center and dedicated classrooms.

Crews will use the space for fire, medical and hazardous materials training. Previously, the department had to rely on outside entities for open training slots.

Department leadership perspective

What they're saying:

"We haven't had these opportunities until now to dig in, train hard, and train together," Captain Jon Hall said. "So, having a facility of our own is going to help tremendously."

Chief Shawn Smith noted the department has faced organizational trauma in recent years and needs a fresh identity. 

"We're going to transform this organization into a destination organization," Smith said.

Next campus phase

What's next:

The next phase of development involves adding more training props to the campus. These additions will focus specifically on hazardous materials and search-and-rescue operations.

Future station expansion

What we don't know:

Officials have not yet confirmed the exact timeline or budget for the next phase of the campus. It remains unclear when the specialized props will arrive.

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