Fairfax County will spend $500,000 to design the first part of a $17.1 million expansion to its fire and rescue academy.
The county is set to award a contract to Fairfax-based PSA Dewberry for design and construction administration services for the project, one of the largest expansions to be paid for through a bond referendum passed by voters in November.
The first phase includes a 15,000-square-foot “burn building” and repelling tower. The full project will involve a total 20,000-square-foot expansion with a multi-function training building.
It is the first expansion to the West Ox Road academy in 23 years, according to information provided by the county.
Since then, the department has grown by 69 percent to about 1,360 uniformed firefighters. About 120 recruits graduate from the academy each year, according to fire and rescue spokesman Dan Schmidt.
The burn building — which allows for indoor fire simulations — is especially important for an “all hazards” department like Fairfax that takes on a broad array of emergency response roles, according to Schmidt.
“It’s going to enable firefighters to train to the standard in which they need to train in order to better respond to emergencies within the county,” he said.
