WEST CHESTER — The Tactical Village at Chester County’s Public Safety Training Campus has been awarded the highest honor for design of a public safety project by the Fire Industry Education Resource Organization (F.I.E.R.O.).
The award was presented to Chester County at this week’s Commissioners’ Meeting where representative from the County’s Department of Emergency Services and Facilities and Parks Department were recognized.
Receiving the F.I.E.R.O. award for design of a public safety project by Rob Manns of Manns Woodward Studios (center right) are, from left to right, Commissioners’ Chair Terence Farrell, Steve Fromnick, Director, Chester County Department of Facilities & Parks, Commissioner Michelle Kichline, Commissioner Kathi Cozzone and Emergency Services Deputy Director John Haynes.
The F.I.E.R.O. Station Design competition is judged on interior and exterior functionality, firefighter health and safety, and awardees are deemed to represent the best practices in design. Winners are selected by a team of jurors nationwide who are active in the fire service and also have degrees in architecture. The honor is only given when all judges independently agree that the project is designed, developed and executed in a manner that excels for public safety facilities.
The award is jointly presented to the Chester County Department of Emergency Services and Manns Woodward Studios, architects for the Tactical Village. Rob Manns of Manns Woodward commented, “Our architectural firm specializes in public safety projects, and without a doubt, Chester County has something very special with the Public Safety Training Campus Tactical Village.
“Often when we begin a design project we have conflicting views and requests from firefighters and police. But the group that came to us from Chester County challenged us to create a design that was unique and that met the needs of all emergency disciplines. All six F.I.E.R.O. jurors gave Chester County the highest honors that could be received, noting collaboration among public safety agencies.”
The four-acre $11 million Tactical Village includes search and rescue buildings, a high-rise training tower and vehicle burn and rescue area, as well as a burn building, a gasoline and oil fire suppression simulator and props to practice hazardous materials spill containment. This second phase of the entire Public Safety Training Campus was officially opened in May 2015 and joined the Academic Building, opened in September 2012. Phase three, the Police Firing Range, is scheduled for completion in 2017.
