Harper College will be closed on Wednesday, February 12 in observance of Lincoln's Day.
The Emergency Services Training Center will prepare the next generation of first responders and address the evolving training needs of local fire departments. The training tower is designed to deliver hands-on, real-world training for both Harper students pursuing fire science degrees and career first responders seeking to enhance their skills with modern training props, live fire areas and simulation technology. Students, faculty and participants will use the adjacent classroom building to prepare for simulations and debrief afterward.
Harper College is also establishing the Fire Training Academy, which will provide structured training and certification for new and aspiring firefighters while offering ongoing professional development and advanced certification programs for career firefighters in the region.
Building Letter: The Emergency Services Training Center will be Building Q.
Location: On the northwest side of campus in what’s currently parking lot 11.
Training Tower: The 4-story, flexible facility will simulate a variety of situations that first responders encounter including:
Classroom Building: The adjacent single-story classroom building will provide students, faculty and other participants a place to prepare for simulations and debrief afterward.
Sustainability: While the training tower is an unoccupied structure that doesn’t qualify for LEED certification, sustainable features include concrete pavement for durability and to reduce heat island effect; stormwater runoff best practices including native and adaptive plantings, rain gardens and bioswales; and use of local materials with high recycled content. The classroom building will use reflective roof surfaces; energy efficient heating and cooling systems; low-flow plumbing fixtures; and LED lighting.
Funding: The Emergency Services Training Center is being financed through the college’s Operations and Maintenance Fund and a $1 million SAFE Tech Federal Grant, which will also help fund technology, equipment and training programs.
Programs: The center will enable new courses and enhancements to current public service programs, such as:
Students in the Law Enforcement and Justice Administration and Drone Technology programs will also use the space to enhance the student learning experience.
Theatrical smoke: Natural gas-fed burn props will produce flame and heat inside the building. Smoke will be simulated through smoke machines, much like you'd see on stage at a performance. This non-toxic, water-based theater smoke dissipates into the air upon exiting the building.
Aerial from the northwest
Aerial from the southwest
Classroom building and training tower
Project background: Firefighters must make split-second decisions in the middle of hectic, life-or-death situations. This skill is honed through practical simulation in a controlled training center, which often requires area first responders to drive 50 or more miles away to the nearest facility. Harper College’s Fire Science Technology program has long been recognized as one of the top academic programs for firefighters in Illinois. So, when the leaders of northwest suburban fire departments identified the need for a training facility closer to home, Harper’s campus was a natural fit. Harper leaders and area fire chiefs grew the idea of a campus facility that would provide hands-on, real-world training for both students and career first responders. A Fire Training Academy also will be established to provide structured training and certification for new and aspiring firefighters while offering ongoing professional development and advanced certification programs for career firefighters in the region.
Groundbreaking
Mobilization / Construction
Substantial completion
Center opens / Ready for training
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