A new center offering training and education for police and firefighters has opened in Columbus.
Evolution Training Center, 2670 Verhulst St. in the Columbus Air Park was merely a thought just four years ago.
When retired Columbus Fire Chief Mike Compton interviewed for the chief position in 2015, he expressed to the mayor’s selection team a desire to elevate how the Columbus Fire Department conducts training.
“One particular goal which is very important to achieve the overall vision was a proper facility where training and education could be safely conducted,” Compton said. “I shared my vision for an improved facility where training could be conducted day and night so our first responders are trained to the highest possible level in a facility that meets the needs of the fire service and public safety professionals.”
Compton brought to the selection committee’s attention the condition of the then-current facility — a 30-year-old two-car garage that had been converted into a 20-seat classroom.
The garage had withstood extensive damages in 2015 due to a broken water line that flooded the building. A family of raccoons took up residence in the attic shortly after, and the building had been deemed unfit for occupancy.
Safety personnel had overcome these obstacles by setting up a small classroom in Fire Station 1 just around the corner and did the best with what they had; but that little classroom wouldn’t suffice forever.
Mayor Jim Lienhoop and his administration believed in the vision, and in 2016, work was underway to brainstorm a plan to fill the void of having a versatile, high-quality training facility in the region.
On Tuesday, a nearly four-year project in the making became a reality as Compton, Lienhoop and current Columbus Fire Chief Andy Lay uncoupled a fire hose to mark the grand opening of Evolution Training Center.
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.
