Training for the real thing: Kannapolis breaks ground on $1.5 million fire training tower

Four-story facility will give firefighters a place to train for real-world emergencies while remaining close enough to respond to calls.

Kannapolis city officials and fire personnel break ground Tuesday on a new $1.5 million fire training tower that will allow firefighters to practice real-world fire and rescue scenarios. Photo credit: Michael Anderson.

To help prepare firefighters for life-threatening emergencies, the Kannapolis Fire Department is building a new $1.5 million training tower designed to replicate a variety of real-world fire and rescue scenarios.

The four-story training center, which will be built by D.R. Reynolds next to Fire Station 1 along Firehouse Drive, is expected to be completed in 2027. Having a dedicated facility within the city will allow Kannapolis firefighters to sharpen their skills without taking crews and equipment far from their coverage areas.