Fort Smith Police, Fire departments propose $10.8 million training facility

FORT SMITH -- The Police and Fire departments have committed to pooling resources to build a multimillion dollar facility they say could serve a variety of functions.

The city Board of Directors was briefed on the 2022 general fund equipment replacement plan during its study session Tuesday. This included separate reports from the police and fire departments detailing general fund needs over the next 10 years, which included construction of an estimated $10.8 million public safety training facility and communications center both departments could use.

The facility, which is in the planning stage, would be about 45,000 square-foot building at the Fire Department's training facility at 5901 Commerce Road, according to Fire Chief Phil Christensen on Friday. The Fire and Police departments use this facility now for practical, hands-on training, with the latter having a firing range there.

The Police Department has been in the market for a new training facility for years, Police Chief Danny Baker said Friday. Officers now train at the Sebastian County Emergency Operations Center, which it shares with Sebastian County Emergency Management. The Police Department pays the county almost $30,000 per year for this privilege.

"I know, especially since we've started having our own police academies, it's been crowded out there for us," Baker said. "So there's been a long-term desire to find something more suitable for us and get us into an up-to-date, new facility that's specific to our needs, and now specific to the Fire Department's needs."

The facility could hold a second precinct for the Police Department too, according to Baker. This would establish a permanent police presence on the eastern side of the city, something people have been calling for with the increased development at Chaffee Crossing.

Baker said the facility would ideally hold a consolidated 911 call center as well. Sebastian County is in process of consolidating its 911 system.

Christensen wrote in a memo to directors the Fire Department does its classroom training at either Fire Station No. 1 in the downtown area or Fire Station No. 11 in Chaffee Crossing. However, both classrooms can only hold up to 25 people even without social distancing.

A training center classroom at the current training facility would allow the department to streamline the transition from academic to hands-on training, according to Christensen.

"With a large lecture style classroom, both Fire and Police could host regional, or even national training courses," Christensen wrote. "These type of courses are paid for by visiting departments, resulting in a small return on investment for each class held plus the addition of tax dollar revenue by each police officer or firefighter visiting Fort Smith."

Christensen wrote the facility would include a large lecture classroom, small breakout classrooms, offices for the Fire and Police departments' training divisions, public restroom facilities, toilet-shower-locker rooms for men and women and shared functional and support areas.

A local architect came up with the $10.8 million estimate for the facility based on training needs expressed by the Police and Fire departments' administration and training divisions, according to Christensen. Needs will likely have to be scaled down later in the process.

Baker said the departments would split the cost of the project, although outside money could be available.

The Police Department's 10-year plan shows the department spending $5 million on construction and infrastructure for the facility, which is broken up into $500,000 yearly installments between 2023 and 2032. The Fire Department allocated $4 million for the project in 2023, according to its plan. The Police Department will also devote $50,000 to a study next year.

City Administrator Carl Geffken said in a memo the Police Department's 10-year plan is paid at $1 million annually from the general fund.

The Fire Department's 10-year plan would see the department spending almost $3.5 million in 2022 if approved, which includes more than $1.05 million from the general fund, $1.5 million from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and $940,000 from sales tax revenue after paying firefighter salaries, benefits and operations needs, according to Geffken.

The Fire Department gets half the proceeds of a 1/4 city cent sales tax, with the Parks Department getting the other half. The tax began in 2012 and is due to sunset Sept. 30.

Directors reviewed the five-year capital improvement plans for the city's streets, bridges and associated drainage program and Parks and Recreation Department on Tuesday as well.

The meeting also covered the 10-year capital improvement plan for the Streets and Traffic Control Department, in addition to the department's plan to use excess money to pay for construction projects and vehicle and equipment purchases.

The board put all the plans on the agenda for its Dec. 2 meeting for further discussion and approval.