PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — The Pinellas Park Fire Department built a new training tower behind Fire Station 35 to give firefighters easier access to hands-on training. The facility, officials said, will help with recruitment and retention as Florida faces a firefighter shortage.
The four-story tower opened earlier this year and is designed to help crews train for emergencies in buildings such as condos and apartments. Officials said it includes eight burn rooms and allows firefighters to practice scenarios they may face inside homes and other structures.
Lt. Bradley Rogers, who has been with the Pinellas Park Fire Department for about seven years, said crews are using the tower to practice pulling hose lines through spaces that simulate real obstacles.
“What we’re doing is we’re pulling hose lines off and simulating that we’re going through a house, where there’s different things in the way,” Rogers said. “You have furniture and just all sorts of different things that could get in the way of you when you’re pulling a hose line through a house to get to the seat of the fire.”
Before the tower opened, Rogers said the department had to do those kind of trainings at St. Petersburg College’s facility or at other fire stations.
“It was tough because you have to get everything scheduled out there,” Rogers said.
Division Chief of Training T.J. Layfield said the tower gives firefighters more opportunities to build skills and prepare for calls.
“I can’t give firefighters experience, but what I can do is give them proper training,” Layfield said. “I can give them opportunities to get better, and this is what they’re doing. This is how they hone their craft.”
In 2023, the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association and the Florida State Fire Marshal said the state had a firefighter shortage tied to factors including demographic changes, generational ideology, medical issues and mental health.
Layfield said the new facility will support both recruitment and retention in Pinellas Park.
“Firefighters want to go where they can do their job,” Layfield said. “We allow that here at Pinellas Park, and currently, we are fully staffed.”
Now firefighters like Rogers can get much easier access to training that will help prepare firefighters.
“You want to be able to do all the basics, but also really critique your fine skills,” Rogers said. “This tower is going to work wonders for us. We’re very excited.”
Officials said the Pinellas Park tower is the fourth facility of its kind in the county and will be available to other departments in the county for training.