We are pleased to have started the Fire Station/Instructional Center at CSN’s Charleston campus. This unique public-public partnership will provide for municipal public safety needs while creating badly needed additional space for students in the state’s higher education system.
Regent Chair James Dean Leavitt, CSN President Dr. Michael Richards and NSHE Chancellor Dan Klaich at the Fire Station/Instructional Center groundbreaking on Sept. 30, 2009.
This 15,400 square-foot building will be located on the Southwest corner of the campus. It will house Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Station 6, and 4,600 square feet of classroom space.
This is a great partnership that will combine state and local resources to efficiently generate services for Southern Nevada residents and provide much needed space for CSN. College enrollment has grown 15 percent over the last three years and our square-footage-per-student ratio is the lowest in the state, so the classroom space could not come at a better time.
The City of Las Vegas will fund the construction of the $7 million facility on the Charleston campus, the largest of our three main campuses. The building is expected to open in the fall of 2010 and is already three months ahead of schedule thanks to the planning and collaboration among the architecture, contractor, city and CSN officials.
Located across from Bonanza High School, the fire station will also provide learning opportunities to interested high school students through future collaborations among Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, Clark County School District and CSN officials.
A focal piece of the building will be a glass wall located in the lobby that will provide viewing into the fully functional, four-bay fire station and allow students to observe firefighters and emergency medical technicians in action. Inside the lobby, there will also be educational displays about the history of the fire service for students and community members’ enjoyment.
Not only is the fire station needed to serve the citizens in the area but Las Vegas Fire Chief Greg Gammon said he sees the next generation of firefighters in Las Vegas as being prepared better than ever for the challenges of a career in the fire service by this unique learning opportunity.
The facility will house three state-of-the-art classrooms that will be used for CSN classes, and Las Vegas Fire & Rescue training and professional development sessions when not in use by the college.
The roof of the bays is being designed to accommodate the installation of solar panels for energy efficiency. Funding for instillation of these panels is being pursued through grant opportunities. The building will be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) equivalent facility.