OKEECHOBEE – Okeechobee County Commissioners finalized the location of the Fire Rescue training tower at their Dec. 22 meeting. The new plans call for construction of the “burn tower” near the Okeechobee County Jail and the Emergency Operations Center. This will save the county significant money since the existing meeting space in the EOC building can be used for classroom space. The county will also save money by adding the “burn building” to the existing contract with Ajax Building Company for the expansion of the Okeechobee County Jail.

Previously, commissioners had looked at other sites for the training tower, including the Okeechobee County Agri-Civic Center property and Indian River State College.

Most of the project will be funded by a grant. The county’s share of the cost will be about $80,000.

Building their own training tower will save Fire Rescue significant expense in overtime, as county personnel will no longer have to travel out of the county for training. Fire Chief Ralph Franklin said they will recoup the $80,000 by the reductions in overtime costs.

The county looked at a lot of different locations for the fire training center,” explained Director of Capital Projects Justin Nelson.

The best location in the long run is in the public safety complex area, he explained because classrooms and restrooms are already there.

Using the builder and contractors already on site for the jail project added to the savings, he explained. “Every contractor we needed and our subs were all on board.”

Changing the location saved the county about three-quarters of a million dollars, he added.

“The county is gaining a significant asset for a very small amount of money coming out of the taxpayers’ pockets,” he said.

In other business at the Dec. 22 meeting, Paul Fernandez, of Ajax, updated the commissioners on the Okeechobee County Jail project. “Things are going along nicely according to our schedule,” he said. “We now have generator on site. It has been set and we’re waiting for the transfer switch to arrive.” He said work is underway on the storm water system. “On the inside, we’re moving along nicely, finishing up the masonry walls,” he continued. “We’re getting all the mechanical and electrical and plumbing finished.”