New Training Building For Fire Department Proposed In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — As development has brought more taller buildings to Alexandria, the fire department wants to incorporate that in its training.

A proposal to rebuild the fire department's burn building heads to Alexandria City Council for approval Saturday. The three-burn building at 801 S. Payne Street is proposed to be demolished and replaced with a four-story burn building. The new building would be taller to reflect taller construction in the city.

The burn building is used for the fire department to train for emergency scenarios. Studies from fire industry experts indicated the building should have a lifespan up to 30 years, which means it was due for replacement in 2012.

"The aging, 40-year-old building is no longer adequate for modern firefighter training," the fire department said in a news release. "The new and improved structure will be specifically tailored for local incident response and enable a safe, up-to-date training environment for new AFD recruits and veterans alike."

The new building would include three burn rooms for live fire training and expanded laydown area with more storage and access for fire department apparatus.

The existing building is on city-owned property out of site from residences in the southwest quadrant of Old Town. If the plan is approved, construction would begin in spring 2024 and finish in fall 2025. Construction is not expected to impact traffic.