Chattanooga, TN – The Chattanooga Fire Department, in partnership with the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management, celebrated the grand opening of a state-of-the-art fire training tower on March 26, 2025. The new facility, located off Amnicola Highway, marks a major step forward in ensuring that firefighters in Chattanooga and surrounding areas are fully equipped to handle the dangerous and unpredictable situations they face on the job.
“This project has been a long time coming, and our department deserves a modern, cutting-edge training facility that will raise the bar in relation to training our firefighters,” said Chattanooga Fire Chief Phil Hyman. “The end result is beyond fantastic, and we appreciate everyone that had a hand in this impactful initiative to take our training capabilities to the ultimate level.”
The $3 million project saw the demolition of the outdated, 50-year-old training tower behind the Police & Fire Training Center, with construction of the new tower beginning in June 2024 and completing in March 2025. The new tower offers a more realistic and effective training environment, designed to simulate conditions found in actual fire situations, including heat, smoke-filled rooms, and multi-floor rescues.
The 8,053-square-foot tower stands 60 feet tall, 30 feet wide, and 73 feet long, with six stories and multiple burn rooms. Its features cater to live fire training, search and rescue, high-rise fire operations, technical rescue, and a range of other critical firefighting scenarios. The tower was developed in collaboration with Fire Facilities, a Wisconsin-based company, which integrated feedback from Chattanooga Fire Department officials to create a structure that mirrors the real-world conditions firefighters regularly face.
“It’s always a pleasure working with a fire department that understands the importance of well-educated firefighters and the training necessary to develop the skills needed to be successful,” said John Schauf, Central Regional Manager for Fire Facilities Inc. “This new facility will serve the Chattanooga Fire Department and surrounding departments for many years.”
The tower features innovative burn rooms designed to simulate various emergency situations, including garage vehicle fires, industrial fires, and flammable liquid fires. Equipped with advanced technology such as wireless propane control systems and realistic smoke and sound effects, the facility offers an unparalleled training experience.
“The tower will give new and current firefighters world-class training environments to sharpen their skills,” said CFD Training Chief William Andrews. “This facility will also be available to fire departments across Hamilton County and the region to improve their training programs.”
The new tower will be in constant use for both ongoing firefighter training and community outreach programs, such as the Citizen’s Fire Academy, helping local residents understand the crucial work of their fire department.