City, community college district teaming up to develop new regional fire training center

HAYWARD, Calif., Oct. 15, 2018—The City of Hayward and Chabot-Las Positas Community College District have reached agreement on a partnership to jointly develop a new regional center for firefighter, paramedic, rescue, and emergency response education and training.

The new $60 million Regional Fire Training Center would be constructed at the City’s Hayward Executive Airport as a campus with classrooms, offices, a training tower and other facilities for urban search and rescue, and other types of emergency response training, as well as a new Hayward Fire Station #6.

At a time when firefighting personnel are being stretched thin across California, the groundbreaking project will put the City and Chabot College on the forefront of creating our next generation of first responders.

“This is a landmark partnership between a college and city,” said Dr. Susan Sperling, Chabot College president.  “We expect this to set the standard for innovation in workforce development by combining the power of education with cutting-edge services in a new state-of-the-art training facility.”

The training center will become the new home of and allow for expansion of Chabot’s fire academy in a premier facility that is both student-focused and designed to foster synergy between a fire department, college, faculty and students.

Hayward Fire Chief Garrett Contreras said the project illustrates how public agencies can work together to accomplish more and get the most out of public resources.

“We are always looking for ways to work smarter and invest strategically to create a safer, more resilient and thriving community,” Contreras said.  “It takes creative and visionary partners like Chabot-Las Positas Community College District to make that happen.”

Through the partnership, Hayward Fire Department will add both a world-class training facility and a new fire station that can serve Hayward Executive Airport, surrounding neighborhoods and industrial areas west of Interstate 880.

High school students participating in the Eden Area Regional Occupational Program career preparation courses taught by Hayward firefighters also will benefit.

Under a memorandum of understanding recently approved by the Hayward City Council and Chabot-Las Positas Board of Trustees, Hayward will contribute $40 million and the College district $20 million to the projected $60 million cost of the project.

A use agreement still to be finalized between the City and District will govern the shared operating roles and responsibilities.

Currently in its design phase, the project is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete once construction begins.