MERIDIAN -- The new Public Safety Training Center in Meridian is the first of its kind in the Treasure Valley.
It may have taken 10 years to build, but Meridian police officers and firefighters now have a place to call home when it comes time for training.
Meridian Chief of Police Jeff Lavey is excited about the new facility.
"It was either done at the police station or we had to go out and seek places to train," said Lavey.
"We didn't' have anything before so, it was just kinda as we went and out in the streets and getting together, so," said Kevin Fedrizzi, Division Chief of Training, Meridian Fire Department.
The facility comes equipped with classrooms, a defensive tactics mat room, a K-9 agility course and simulators that allow for both firefighters and police officers to create real-life situations.
"Each incident commander is evaluated and suggestions are given, corrections are made in the classroom before we ever get out into the real world. So it's a great, great tool that we have," Fedrizzi said.
The Public Safety Training Center is also home to the mobile post; something that was housed at Fire Station No. 4 off of Eagle Road.
"It was sometimes difficult to get to that. So now it's more centrally located," said Lavey.
Because the training facility is home to both the fire and police department, it allows them to not only work together, but train together.
"Perfect practice makes perfect performance, and that's what we're shooting for here," said Fedrizzi. "We're providing excellent training opportunities for our officers and for our firefighters and working together so we perform at the highest level out in the field."
Phase two of the training facility will include construction of a scenario village -- a mini town -- which allows local law enforcement to train in real life scenarios, such as car crash reconstruction or active shooter drills. The scenario village is being designed by students of the West Ada School District.
