SoCal Community College Wraps Public Safety Training Facility
By Eric Althoff
YUCAIPA, Calif.—Respected K-12 school building contractor Erickson-Hall joined officials from Crafton Hills College for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the school’s new BL 20 Public Safety Training Center. The facility was designed for the San Bernardino Community College District by principal architect Kelley Needham of the firm PBK to train firefighters and other public safety officials in and around the Inland Empire region of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties.
The Crafton Hills College BL 20 Public Safety Training Center project entailed designing and constructing two fire training facilities encompassing 6,848 square feet. These facilities are built to specifications dedicated by the fire academy for proper training procedures. In addition to classroom instructor, cadets and trainees will encounter real-world scenarios and learn about active fire situations as part of their curriculum.
Because Crafton Hills College was somewhat limited in space, PBK and Erickson-Hall had to ensure that the fire training building would fit within the existing campus footprint and that the construction process would not remove too many parking spaces. However, collaboration between the designers, builders and campus officials ensured that Crafton Hills College continued to function optimally during the renovation process.
“The enhancement of technical training capabilities for fire and emergency medical services programs that the new Public Safety Training Center provides will have a significant positive impact on the first responder community,” Dr. Kevin Horan, president of Crafton Hills College, said of the project. “The collaboration with Erickson-Hall and their experience in working with college campuses and safety center construction played a crucial role in creating a state-of-the-art facility that will benefit public safety for our students and community partners.”
Erickson-Hall’s previous work within the educational sector ensured a timely and efficient delivery of the BL 20 Public Safety Training Center. Erickson-Hall has constructed educational facilities around the Southern California region, particularly in the Inland Empire. The ribbon-cutting of the Crafton Hills College BL 20 Public Safety Training Center signifies another milestone in Erickson-Hall’s commitment to public safety and education within the San Bernardino region.
“Our team enjoyed collaborating with the San Bernardino Community College District and Crafton Hills College to create a facility that will play a pivotal role in preparing the next generation of firefighters,” said Mat Gates, president of Erickson-Hall. “We are dedicated to delivering projects that meet the client’s standards as well as serve communities for years to come.
“This new BL 20 Public Safety Training Center allowed us to accomplish both of those, and we are extremely excited about the outcome.”
Over a quarter-century in the business, Erickson-Hall has delivered over $1.5 billion in construction work in both K-12 and higher education projects. The company provides general contracting, preconstruction services, design-build as well as lease-lendback services.