Higher Education

Designed to catch fire

Amarillo College First Responders Academy

The Amarillo College First Responders Academy brings under one roof training programs for law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, and criminal justice. The project – a renovation of a big box store – provides centralized CTE opportunities for Amarillo College and Amarillo Independent School District students.

Collaborating to launch first responder careers

The new training academy meets the needs of four different programs, with multiple certification and degree offerings. The new facility augments the training needs for staff and volunteers throughout the Panhandle and improves student recruitment and skill development.

Amarillo College First Responders Academy - 127

Previously, Fire, Police, and EMS/Paramedic classes were dispersed across different campuses in Amarillo. There was an initial plan to locate this new centralized training facility in East Campus and use the City of Amarillo’s fire and training equipment. Given that the City’s fire tower needed improvement, it soon became clear that it would be more efficient to locate the training facility more centrally, with a brand-new fire tower.

The new First Responders Academy is centrally located in Amarillo next to Amarillo Independent School District’s new CTE facility. In collaboration with the local school district and Amarillo College, high school students can take classes at the First Responder Academy, and Fire Academy students can use the culinary and welding facilities at the school district’s CTE academy.

From big box store to training facility

A unique challenge for this first responders academy design was to convert a big box store into a multidisciplinary CTE training facility. The original JC Penney’s department store had already had three additions built on to it and had to be brought up to code.

From floor to ceiling, almost every facet of the building was reinforced for structural integrity. Construction by a different contractor was ongoing as the new facility was being renovated, adding further challenges like fire separation.

Designing spaces for burning and learning

The Academy contains a mix of specialized public safety spaces such as ambulance simulators, gun lockers, a fire training tower, and a mock emergency room with flexible classrooms, student commons, offices, and support areas. The entire 100,000sf existing big box store and its surrounding site was transformed to support this new use and showcase Amarillo College’s identity in this central location.

The fire tower is a unique space in that it had to be designed to burn again and again, while maintaining structural integrity and usability. The structure is galvanized, and meant to be sprayed with water for fire suppression. Certain rooms are designed to catch fire, with specialty props controlled by instructors. The new First Responders Academy helps to train college and high school students in a variety of career pathways.

Client
Amarillo College

Location
Amarillo, Texas

Size
75,001-100,000 sf

Disciplines

Beyond the Building