After years of planning, the Prescott Fire Department has broken ground on a new state-of-the-art training tower designed to prepare firefighters for the challenges of modern emergency response.
The five-story facility is being built using ISO shipping containers and will provide realistic, hands-on training in a wide range of fire service skills. Features will include live-fire training rooms, ventilation props, forcible entry and cutting stations, rappelling areas, an S-C-B-A maze, smoke simulation systems, standpipe operations, and both interior and exterior stair training environments.
Officials say the tower will not only benefit Prescott firefighters, but will also serve neighboring fire departments and public safety partners, enhancing regional training opportunities and cooperation across northern Arizona.
The project represents a significant step for a department that has served the Prescott community since 1885. The city’s previous training tower opened in 1979 and helped train generations of firefighters. Live-fire training ended in the structure in 2000 due to safety concerns, and the aging tower was demolished in 2023.
Department officials say the new facility has been a long-standing need and was made possible through the support and confidence of the community.