A Dream is Born

The Origin of the Permian Basin Regional Training Center (PBRTC)

By Barbara Doepping

...continued from the May 2008 Newsletter

The Foundation purchased 95 acres of land from the City of Carlsbad in the industrial park near the Cavern City Airport.  The Foundation established a new not-for-profit organization named the Permian Basin Regional Training Center (PBRTC).  The new organization initially leased space in the existing Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Training Center (AMITC) building located in the industrial park.  After lengthy negotiations with the City of Carlsbad and the US Economic Development Agency, the Carlsbad Department of Development sold the AMITC building to PBRTC.

The Foundation awarded contracts to Hermes Architects and Kimley-Horn to design the training center and to Greer Construction Company to build it.  Kidde Fire Trainers received a contract for the props and fire generation equipment.  Owner’s Representative for the Carlsbad Community Foundation was Paul Fegter, currently a consultant with The Interact Business Group.

The Permian Basin Regional Training Center held its grand opening April 14 – April 19, 2008.  The theme of the dedication was hope.  The highlight of the event was Thursday’s Open House when the family held a ribbon cutting and memorial dedication for the Bobby and Terry Smith Educational Center, in remembrance of family members who died in the fire.  Other events throughout the week were held for neighbors, regional business, area leadership, and regional responders. 

The new PBRTC offers fire training for structural fire, public fire prevention, law enforcement, confined space / trench rescue, aircraft fire / rescue, emergency vehicle operations, oil / gas industry, safety, emergency operations, and hazardous materials incidents.

State of the art training takes place in a cityscape with roadways, a two-story observation tower, a five-story hotel training tower, a two-story apartment / retail building, a one-story residence, eight types of outdoor fire training props, live-fire simulators for LPG emergencies, a railroad accident site, car extrication area, and a drafting pit.  Mobile fire training for volunteer departments includes a 30-ft mobile structural training unit, a portable fire extinguisher trainer, and an over-the-road tractor.  Government agencies and industrial companies also share the center’s use.

Additional plans include:
Nana’s Fire and Safety School, which will focus on fire prevention and safety programs for children.  The village will include a locomotive on 90 feet of track. 
An Indoor Shooting Range
An Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC)
The possible inclusion of the Border Patrol’s entire local training program

The Educational Center Building houses staff offices, classrooms and bays.  PBRTC has hosted meetings and training courses in the building since 2006.  Future expansion includes additional parking and more classrooms.

The vision of Martha Chapman and her family has become a reality.  They now have the assurance that the Permian Basin Regional Training Center will provide first responders the education, skills, and hands-on experience they will need to meet future catastrophes.  Mark J. Maciha, PBRTC executive director, summed it up succinctly: “As a result of the accident, the dream of a regional fire training center was born.”