New Braunfels approves final design contract for live fire training facility

New Braunfels City Council approved a $298,210 contract with BRW Architects for final plans, specifications, estimates and construction-phase services for a live fire training facility on Aug. 24.

What you need to know

The live training facility will be located within the future Fire Training Complex located at 353 FM 306. The live training facility will include two burn buildings (one residential and one commercial) and a multi-bay building for storage and training apparatus, according to the agenda documents.

The live fire training facility will help the city maintain its Insurance Services Office 1 rating, which keeps insurance premiums low, New Braunfels Fire Chief Ruy Lozano said.

"We're obligated to provide live fire training for every firefighter, every year, for 18 hours at a certified facility. Currently, we're having to go to Guadalupe Fire Training Field, which has now condemned 90% of its facility for use, so we really need to get this project going," Lozano said.

How we got here

City Council approved an interlocal agreement with Comal County Emergency Services District 7 in January, which gave the city $4 million to design and construct the facility.

Looking ahead

The project's final design is expected to be completed in 8 months, or around April 2027. Construction would take about a year, according to the presentation.