New fire training tower in Tampa to boost firefighters' readiness

Construction has started on a new four-story building south of Ybor City in Tampa.

This one won’t feature apartments, though. There won’t be a retail component on the ground floor or a rooftop pool, gym, coworking space or pickleball courts, either. And no, there won’t be offices or conference rooms or an atrium with quiet spaces and a cafe.

The building currently under construction is an advance training structure being built on the grounds of the Tampa Fire and Police Training Complex at 116 S. 34th St.

The structure is called the Dräger Phase 5 Modified Multi Story System.

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What it is designed to do is give firefighters the experiences they may encounter in the real world in a controlled environment. The city says in a statement that it allows them to participate in rapid intervention training, urban search and rescue exercises, inspection and academy drills, as well as using specialized props for forcible entry, multi-story window rescues and more.

Among its features are a “15 modified shipping containers, including burn chambers, cold chambers, a tower, an elevator shaft for high-rise fire response training and confined space training areas,” the city says.

The system was created by Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, a company based Lübeck, Germany that manufactures medical and safety technology products.

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Work on the Tampa tower, which replaces a previous one, is expected to be complete by Sept. 11. Spokespersons for the fire department and the city did not immediately respond to questions about its cost.

The city is using the start of construction as a way to pitch for more funds as it goes through the budget process.

In the statement the city says that since the Tampa Fire Training Grounds opened in 1978 there have only been minimal upgrades made to the facility.

According to a schedule of revenue and expenses in Mayor Jane Castor's proposed fiscal year 2024 budget, the department’s “recommended expenses” for the next year are $165 million, up from $159.7 million last fiscal year. The money requested in the budget for the department, according to the statement, will go toward 30 new firefighters, five new ambulances and station improvements.

The mayor has proposed a $1.92 billion budget for 2024 which includes millage 1.0 millage increase.