CHC Breaks Ground on New, $9.5 Million Public Safety Training Center

Publish Date: Jan. 26, 2023

A year from now Crafton Hills College’s Fire Academy and public safety programs will have a new home on campus. This state-of-the-art facility ensures the program’s reputation as one of the premier public safety academy in the Nation.

More than 150 attendees, including local and national leaders, were present for the groundbreaking celebration on Friday, January 20.

The $9.5 million Public Safety Training Center was made possible thanks to the vision of current and former Crafton leaders and funding from Measure CC, a 2018 bond approved by voters to fund campus upgrades at both Crafton and its sister college, San Bernardino Valley College. The training center, which will be just feet from the Academy’s current facility, is expected to be completed in December.

“This project has been a decade in the making and serves as the best example of what happens when a community comes together for a common goal,” remarked CHC President Kevin Horan.

Dr. Stephanie Houston, chair of the San Bernardino Community College District and CHC alumna, soaked in the project as she spoke during the event, calling the new facility one that was “near and dear” to her heart. As a parent of a first responder, Houston said, knowing the center was going to provide future students with additional top-tier training should bring a sense of relief to those with loved ones in the field because “at that end of the day, they are going to rely on their training, and their training all started here,” she said. “So, as we look at our cadets, as we look at this next generation of students who are going to be coming through this amazing facility that we are going to be building, [we will know that] it’s to ensure that parents and siblings and spouses and children of our first responders can sleep at night because they can rely on that training we are providing,” Houston continued. “This is an amazing opportunity for all of us.”

The Academy—including other first responder-related training programs, such as those for paramedics and respiratory care— has gone through a series of upgrades since its founding decades ago.

When it began in 1982, Crafton’s Fire Academy operated from an old automotive shop on campus that was transformed into a training space.

Community support has been the cornerstone of the program’s success.

Neighboring agencies have partnered with Crafton to provide necessary tools of the trade such as fire engines, equipment, training, and even student scholarships.

Among those lending their support is the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and its San Manuel Fire Department, which has provided the program with necessary tools and funding for years. During the groundbreaking, Tribal leaders presented a check for a $1.8 million grant that will cover student out of pocket expenses associated with the program.

The Academy operates as an 18-unit course that requires students to be on campus 4-5 days per week, often starting their day early with physical training and ending with homework from the day’s lessons. It is often difficult to find time for employment because the commitment to coursework and training is like a full-time job in itself.

“The need for a steady income and secure housing is an obstacle for many in our community to start down this path,” explained Ed Duro, San Manuel Business Committee Member-at-Large and Crafton alumnus. “San Manuel believes that those with their heart [set] to serve others should be able to, especially if they come from historically underrepresented communities. This is why I am proud to announce our investment to offer direct support to students, enabling them to devote themselves to the program.”

“It is a priority for the Tribe to advance these opportunities for everyone regardless of background,” he continued.

Horan concluded the ceremony with a thank you. “San Manuel’s generosity in the direct support of fire cadets enables us to continue to build a capable, highly qualified, and diverse first responder work force that will serve our region for decades.”