August 4, 2005
Del Mar College “Switching Emergency Lights On” to Break Ground
for New Public Safety Complex on Aug. 9
On Tuesday, Aug. 9, Del Mar College, the DMC Board of Regents and other representatives
will “switch on the emergency lights” as they break ground for the
new Public Safety Complex on the College’s West Campus. The outdoor ceremony
is set for 9:30 a.m. in the open classroom area between the Coleman Center and
the Barth Learning Resources Center, located at the Boaz Blvd. cul-de-sac off
Airport Road (campus map available at www.delmar.edu/maps/west.html).
The new $11.5 million facility will house the Division of Business’ Department
of Public Safety Education, which encompasses the Del Mar College Regional Police
Academy, the Emergency Medical Services Professions program, the Fire Science
Technology program and the Occupational Safety and Health program. Once the
complex is completed, the College will move these programs from relocatable
buildings and the Automotive Shop, which serves the auto body and automotive
applied technology programs in another division, to state-of-the-art facilities
that will provide advanced training for law enforcement, firefighting, emergency
medical paramedic and Homeland Security professionals.
“Our new facilities will expand job training opportunities for first responders
and other professionals employed with South Texas safety agencies,” says
Chris Black, chair of the Public Safety Education Department. “Del Mar
College’s Public Safety Complex will complement existing city and county
training.”
Targeted for completion for fall 2006, the new complex will incorporate over
35 training features, including
• a 47,000 square foot classroom building that includes 12 classrooms,
two emergency medical services labs, one chemistry lab, one computer lab, one
fire arms simulator lab, one defensive tactics lab and one cardio lab and
• a training field with
º a burn tower with multiple interior and exterior advanced training
features that include movable wall panels, elevator shaft access, flashover,
an unstable floor, stairwell, rappelling,
an apartment balcony as well as facades that simulate the fronts of an apartment
building, convenience store and office building, among other features.
º a burn residence with features addressing scenarios involving first
and second floors and the roof, including living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom
and garage scenarios and a stairwell.
Other features include a balcony, burn racks, moveable wall panels and laddering.
º a drafting pit that will accommodate approximately 35,000 gallons
of water, drafting practice and annual testing of fire apparatus, among other
training features.
º a street system that will allow for emergency vehicle driver training
and realistic scene approaches as well as provide functional hydrants and controlled
lighting for night fire training. The system will also accommodate training
trucks.
º a driving pad with multiple uses available for driver training for
emergency medical service, fire and police instruction as well as for the Transportation
Training program with the Center
for Economic Development. Police Academy students will practice police pursuit
and felony stop exercises using the new facility feature.
º propane elements to prepare Fire Science students for propane tank
fires, impingement fires, car fires, pipe rack fires and leaks as well as how
to perform auto extrications and use collapse
and trench collapse props.
º a HazMat area with “hot zone” training area, decontamination
showers and a treatment area.
º a vehicle bay to house vehicle and equipment storage, a breathing air
compressor, additional showers and restrooms and a 24-hour lab.
º a confined space for rescue simulations from cramped and restricted
areas.
º Hogan’s Alley to conduct “shoot/don’t shoot” training.
Training capacity in and around the Public Safety Complex will allow instructors
and students to use 25 features simultaneously.
“Facility use can equate to around 134,400 training hours a year,”
says Black. “The continuing education opportunities for area agencies will
also increase. We’re excited about the mutually beneficial ability to partner
with the Corpus Christi Fire Department in this training field. We also look
forward to working with other public safety agencies to meet their needs.”
He adds, “Our department and the new complex will serve the training needs
in all disciplines of public safety in the Coastal Bend area. We’re delighted
that the College is moving forward with the construction of this world-class
training facility that will benefit South Texas for years to come.”
McGloin + Sween Architects, based in Corpus Christi, designed the Public Safety
Complex. Zachary/Moorhouse Construction serves as the general contractors for
the third major construction project on the College’s West Campus.
-DMC-mce