Training Complex Construction Takes Shape in Gaston

Construction is moving forward on the Gaston Fire & Rescue Training Complex. Ten shipping containers have arrived at the department, and the concrete and steel footings that will support the new structures are now in place.

The containers and footings are the first major pieces of a project that will turn the department's open field into two separate multi-level training structures. Each building will give firefighters space to practice the work they may be called to perform in Gaston and surrounding communities.

The complex is being designed for live-fire exercises, firefighter survival, search operations, rapid intervention team training, rope rescue, technical rescue, and other specialized drills. Separating the structures will allow crews to run realistic fire scenarios while maintaining a clean environment for rescue and survival training that does not require live fire.

As construction continues, the shipping containers will be connected and adapted into rooms, floors, openings, and other features that can recreate challenging emergency conditions in a controlled setting.

The new complex will serve Gaston Fire & Rescue members and create more opportunities for neighboring agencies to train together. Those shared exercises help departments build the coordination they need before they meet on an emergency scene.

There is still significant work ahead, but the project has moved beyond plans and site markings. With containers on the ground and footings in place, the training complex is beginning to take shape.