City of Cambridge to Construct First Standalone Fire Training Facility

The City of Cambridge is excited to announce the construction of its first standalone Fire Training Facility, located on the Gore Street side of the Engine 3 property at 175 Cambridge Street.  This modern facility is designed to provide critical resources to enhance the department's training capabilities, maintain certifications, and provide a hands-on, immersive experience to ensure firefighters can respond effectively to any emergency further supporting the department’s ability to protect the community.

The Cambridge Fire Department is rated as an ISO Class 1 fire department by the Insurance Services Office (ISO), a distinction awarded to only 373 of the 46,000 fire departments in the United States. This rating reflects the department’s exceptional firefighting and emergency response capabilities and can lead to reduced insurance premiums for homeowners and commercial property owners in the City. Building a dedicated training facility supports the City maintaining this prestigious rating.

The new training facility includes several advanced features that will allow Cambridge firefighters to conduct specialized training drills and prepare for a wide variety of emergency situations:

• Four roof anchor points to train firefighters in rappelling techniques, critical for technical rescue scenarios
• Two anchors above windows to practice bailouts and rescues, such as removing individuals trapped at upper levels
• A forcible entry door for practicing techniques to quickly and safely break through doors during a fire or rescue
• A pitched roof prop for hands-on training in roof ventilation, essential for clearing smoke from burning buildings
• A confined space prop to train on below-ground rescues in tight spaces
• A standpipe system to simulate hose movement and firefighting in high-rise buildings
• A theatrical smoke distribution system to simulate realistic fire conditions and visibility challenges inside the building
• Reconfigurable wall panels that allow for changing the interior layout of the facility, providing endless training scenarios and helping firefighters stay prepared for different types of fires and rescues

Similar to training facilities for the Brookline Fire Department and the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services in Springfield, Mass., the Cambridge training building will be a prefabricated metal structure provided by Triumph Modular and their partner WHP Training Towers. This tower consists of eight modular units for a compact footprint of 20’W x 24’H x 26’H  (3-story facility) to be located on Gore Street at the rear of the East Cambridge Firehouse. The tower will be clad in a Nichiha Plymouth Brick series fiber cement board siding for a kiln-fired brick appearance. The tower includes windows and doors configured to support its training use. The interior includes reconfigurable partitions, stairs, and roof access. The prefabricated units will be delivered to the site and placed in early 2025. Some on-site preparation work is required prior to the arrival of the units.

Project Timeline:

• Fall 2024: Contractor mobilization on-site
• Late October 2024: Installation of temporary fencing
• November 2024: Trench and foundation preparation
• January – February 2025: Modular installation of the training structure (6 weeks)

Overall, construction is anticipated to take approximately six months to complete. All work will occur on the fire department property.

For more information or to sign up for the project email list, please visit: https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/publicworks/cityprojects/2024/eastcambridgefiretrainingfacility.

Note the artist's rendering below.