Officials in Bergen County celebrated the opening of the county’s new training environments for firefighters, police officers and EMS workers on Tuesday.
The project, called the county’s Law and Public Safety Institute Modernization Project, first broke ground in June 2021, officials said. It was constructed in two phases — the first phase was completed last October and the second completed recently.
“As a 47-year volunteer firefighter, I understand how important it is for our first responders to train in an environment that simulates real life scenarios,” Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco said in a statement.
“With the completion of the LPSI modernization project, first responders of every discipline will be able to do just that, by utilizing three new state-of-the-art training structures that mimic current development trends,” he said.
Designed by RSC Architects and built by Natoli Construction, the structures include training environments that can mimic real scenarios, including active shooters and large-scale fires. It cost roughly $14.8 million, officials said.
The first phase featured a two-story training mall and a new four-story training building equipped with nine propane-fueled simulators. The second phase contained a two-story mixed use commercial and residential structure, which came with five additional fire simulators.
The second phase also included another residential structure that included an attached garage to teach fire academy trainees how to respond to class-A fire materials, officials said.
“These enhancements will help prepare emergency responders by being able to practice real life situations in a controlled environment before experiencing those same situations in the field,” said Bergen County Commissioner Chairman Tom Sullivan.
The dedication ceremony also included the unveiling of Larry Rauch Boulevard. It is named after former law and public safety coordinator Larry Rauch, who spent 18 years in the role. He also served in the U.S. Navy and the Upper Saddle River Fire Department.
Rauch died in February 2021.
“We are proud to help provide a world class training facility to the brave men and women who are on the frontlines protecting our residents,” Sullivan said.
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Brianna Kudisch may be reached at bkudisch@njadvancemedia.com.
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