The Training Center

Facts

Dispelling Myths

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About the Training Center

The Public Safety Training Center will be used by the Atlanta Police Department and the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department to train their personnel.
Both the Atlanta Police Department and Atlanta Fire Rescue Department currently use insufficient and aging facilities that impede proper training. Atlanta needs a modern and permanent home for training personnel serving in our public safety agencies.
The facility will include:
- An Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC) for fire and police driving training;
- A training and education center with modular design enabling classroom, seminar education and training;
- A Leadership Institute complete with an auditorium, meeting rooms and a community room to host leadership events and accommodate the needs of the community;
- A firing range with sound baffling and barriers;
- A fitness center for public safety professionals;
- Stables and pastureland for mounted patrol;
- Canine training center with kennels;
- Green space open to the public, featuring trails, picnic areas and a pavilion; and
- A community watch training program for our communities.

The Center will be built on land owned by the City of Atlanta in unincorporated DeKalb County.
The Center is being developed by the Atlanta Police Foundation on behalf of the City of Atlanta. After construction, the Center will be managed by the City.

Police Training Needs

The City of Atlanta has the most extensive training requirements in the Southeast. The State of Georgia requires only 10 weeks and one day of training. APD requires 23 weeks of classroom training, and an additional 12 weeks of field training.
Our training includes vital areas like de-escalation techniques, mental health, community-oriented-policing, crisis intervention training as well as Civil Rights history education.
This training needs space, and that’s exactly what this training center is going to offer.

Fire Training Needs

The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department is the largest professional fire department in the state of Georgia with over 1,200 employees, responding to more than 75,000 calls for service annually. The Department recruits 80-100 people a year to become Atlanta firefighters.
The current training location on Claire Drive opened for operation by the COA in 1960. All buildings have since been condemned for use by the COA due to structural integrity and functional obsolescence.
From 1990-2021, the Training Section of AFRD was housed in unoccupied APS elementary schools as its training academy, for classroom training only.
For more than 10 years, AFRD has not been able to provide technical skills training to its recruits or incumbent members in-house. AFRD has had to leverage the use of burn facilities across the metro area to training its members in fire extinguishment.
AFRD has never had a dedicated Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC) to teach its members to operate the Fire Engines and Ladder Trucks used across the city.
- In the 1980s-90s, AFRD utilized parking lots across the city to provide basic vehicle operations training.
- Since that time, fire apparatus training and the use of private parking lots has been banned across the city due to the extreme weight of the vehicles and the impact on the surfacing and asphalt at those locations.
- Vehicle operation training is currently done on the road under supervision during light traffic conditions only.
The Training Center will meet a variety of AFRD training needs, including:
- Emergency Vehicle Operators Course;
- Residential & commercial tactical response training;
- Sprinklers & standpipe training;
- Firefighting evolution and safety training;
- Joint response all hazards drills for fire & police personnel;
- Technical rescue and rappel training; and
- State-of-the-art disorientation drills utilizing electronic smoke generators.

Environmental Stewardship

The 85-acre facility will be constructed on a set of parcels owned by the City of Atlanta that total more than 400 acres. The rest of that land will continue to be green space.
The site itself will have green space open to the public, featuring trails, recreation areas, and picnic areas.
Most of the site will include double row erosion control to ensure viability of Intrenchment Creek, the main waterway in the South River Forest Basin.
The training center will sit on land that has long been cleared of hardwood trees through previous uses of the site. Arborists have confirmed the existing vegetation on this land is overwhelmingly dominated by invasive species like brush, weeds, vines, and softwood trees.

The Atlanta Police Foundation has committed to replace any hardwood tree destroyed in construction with 100 new hardwoods, as well as replace any invasive species trees with new hardwood plantings.
This land includes the original site of the police training center and has been in continual use for outdoor tactical training for Atlanta’s public safety agencies for more than 50 years.
Atlanta and its nonprofit partners will continue to collaborate with DeKalb County’s planning and environmental officials working to ensure that the plans and development of the Public Safety Training Center strictly adhere to or exceed all federal, state, and local environmental standards.
Atlanta will encourage contractors and subcontractors to use sustainable materials in construction.
Mayor Dickens has prioritized environmental protection and expansion of protected green space. In his first year of office, the City of Atlanta and its partners acquired an additional 260 acres throughout the city to be used for green space.

Size of the Training Center

The size of the campus is comparable or smaller than facilities in other cities.
- The core Atlanta campus will include an 18,000 sqft Leadership Institute and a 58,000 sqft classroom building, sitting on 85 acres.
- The $950 million New York City Police Academy sits on 32 acres and is 730,000 sqft, and excludes tactical training areas such as an Emergency Vehicle Operations Course and Firing Range. This site is exclusively for police, not fire training.
- Others of note – Reno, NV (124 acres), Fresno, CA (80 acres), Meridian, MS (99 acres), Houston, TX (70 acres).
For comparison, Benjamin E. Mays High School in Atlanta is a 70-acre campus.

Local Jobs and Economic Development

Atlanta will encourage its nonprofit partner to engage in outreach to minority business enterprises and female business enterprises, including minority and female business enterprises that are certified the Mayor's Office of Contract Compliance, and engage them in contracts and subcontracts for work performed on the premises.
Atlanta will encourage contractors and subcontractors to use WorkSource Atlanta and WorkSource DeKalb to facilitate training and hiring workers from the surrounding communities.
Atlanta will encourage contractors and subcontractors to use local businesses for support of the project, including materials, supplies, equipment, and indirect project expenses such as signage and catering.
Atlanta will work with educational organizations to engage youth in public safety and other career development opportunities and provide workforce development to include a Cadet Program.

History of the Site

The City of Atlanta purchased the property in DeKalb County in 1918 for the purpose of constructing a Prison Farm that would house people convicted of non-violent crimes. At the time, the concept was regarded as “progressive,” enabling those convicted of non-violent crimes to work the land, produce their own vegetables and help provide for their own sustenance. The Prison Farm was closed in 1995.
The City owns multiple parcels of land in the area, totaling more than 400 acres.
The site has previously been used by the Atlanta police and fire departments for training, including firearms training, explosives deactivation training and fire management.
There is no evidence of any human burial sites on the City-owned property. A thorough and extensive soil and environmental study, and a study of the historical ruins on the 85-acres on which the Public Safety Training Center will be constructed found no evidence of burial grounds.

Facility

How much money will the facility cost to build and who is paying for it?

(May 2023) Current projections estimate the total cost of construction to be $90 million dollars. The City of Atlanta is responsible for $31 million of the $90 million, the rest of the construction costs including any overage will be paid for by philanthropic donations through the Atlanta Police Foundation.

In addition to the initial payment of $31million that the City of Atlanta is making to support construction costs, through a lease back agreement with the Atlanta Police Foundation the city will pay $1.2 million per year for 30 years in order to use the facility. These payments will not begin until occupancy begins. Other important facts:

At the end of the 30-year lease back period the City of Atlanta will own the facility.
The lease back annual payments of $1.2 million are not new or additional expenses for the city or taxpayers. The payments will be made with the funds currently used to pay rental fees for the training facilities that both APD and AFRD use now.
The lease back of the facility is a budget neutral venture for the city.

How many acres of land will be used to build and house the facility?

85 acres. The city owns 385 contiguous acres in this location; however, construction will only take place on 85.

How was the location selected as the site for the facility?

Without a permanent, dedicated training facility for Atlanta’s public safety officials, establishing one was a standing priority.

In2018, a group of leaders from the public safety community, along with architects, engineers, and designers began to draft concepts for a facility that would meet these needs.
The size and scope were scaled, the group looked for properties owned by the City of Atlanta that could accommodate such a facility and ultimately the previous administration settled on the area of the Old Prison Farm.
This location provides sufficient space to consolidate the majority of the training needs.
The land is already owned by the City of Atlanta, no new purchase required.
The site and building plans meet federal, state, and local requirements for construction and occupancy at this location.
Since 2021 the community has provided valuable input about the proposed layout and plan changes have been made accordingly in response.

What kinds of training facilities are being built at the site?

Academic Building – 58,754 SF
- 13 classrooms
- Meeting Rooms
- Simulator room
- Mat room
- Computer labs
- Offices
- Fitness Center
Leadership Building – 17,798 SF
- Lecture hall
- Merchandise store
- Pre-function Area
- Community Room
- Meeting Rooms
- Recruitment hub
- Community Room
- Catering kitchen
- Conference rooms
Real-World Training Buildings
- Two-story House (1,871 SF)
- Nightclub (3,419 SF)
- Gas Station with store (832 SF)
- Motel/Apartments (3,008 SF)
Training Fire Station
Shooting Range
Burn Building
Skills Pad
Skid Pad

With police violence against black and brown people still a significant problem in our country, how does the City of Atlanta reconcile using this particular location to train police and fire personnel in what some see as perpetuating the cycle of targeting and violence against the same groups?

City of Atlanta leaders including the Mayor, City Council, and public safety officials recognize the patterns of police violence against black and brown people that have taken place for many years and are committed to making changes that support socially just public safety.

Fulfilling this commitment requires fundamental shifts in training including examples like de-escalation techniques, expanding community and peer responder programs, crisis intervention training, training on diversion and alternative options including harm reduction initiatives, and others. Doing this requires space and resources; things that Atlanta Police and Atlanta Fire Rescue personnel urgently need, and things that the new training facility will provide.

Regarding the history of the site, City and Public Safety officials acknowledge that there is no perfect location for this type of facility and are thankful for the scrutiny and attention given to this site. The ongoing attention holds the City accountable for protecting and preserving the South River Forest and Watershed communities, as well as protecting and promoting the welfare of the neighborhoods that surround the facility.

The city looks forward to the recommendations from the Community Task Force on visioning and memorializing the historical areas at the site. The input from the Task Force will result in a balanced approach to the use of the site and how it will support efforts to reduce and eradicate historic policing issues.

Environmental Impacts

Will building the training center really require the clear cutting of 400 acres of forest, including protected specimen trees?

No. The only area experiencing clearing is the 85 acres that will be used for the facility. Within the 85 acres, only 4 specimen trees could potentially be removed to facilitate building the sidewalks. Land planners and engineers are working with the community to find alternative options for the community recommended sidewalks, which might allow for the preservation of these 4 specimen trees. For every specimen tree removed, 100 new hardwood trees will be planted.

Is construction causing excessive silt run off into Intrenchment Creek tributaries? If so, how is this stopped? If not, how does the City prove that it is following EPD regulations?

The project is not causing excessive runoff into Intrenchment Creek, nor any other waterways around this site. The construction activities are strictly following the approved Erosion and Sediment Control Plan and Best Management Practices(BMPs) required by Federal, State and local regulations. This includes daily inspections and the installation of double erosion control with mulch, precautions that go beyond the guidelines of the NPDES GAR100001 permit.

What are the environmental impacts of the chemicals used in the overturned tanker truck carrying flammable materials simulation?

This part of the AFRD training plan is on indefinite hold and a thorough review of all consumable materials used will take place if it is considered for construction. Any future use of training simulation that will include chemicals containment will follow best practices.

Noise Pollution

Will neighbors hear the guns at the firing range?

APD’s current firing range is less than 500 feet from the closest residential neighborhood. Community members surrounding the site have asked for the relocation of the firing range to reduce its impact. As a result, the firing range will now be moved to the most southern point of the facility, closest to an industrial park. This relocation will place the closest resident more than ¾ of a mile away, with most residents landing more than 1 mile from its new location.

What about cars and trucks when they are practicing on the courses?

Grading and sloping, as well as a 100-ft minimum tree buffer will be used to mitigate sound from any vehicle activities in the facility. The vehicles will have standard mufflers of the type normally used by First Responder vehicles when on city streets.

Will residents be able to hear helicopters flying during drills?

Helicopter training will not take place at this site.

Will helicopters be limited to flying during specific hours?

Helicopter training will not take place at this site.

Any ancillary use of helicopters in the vicinity will follow standard APDSOPs. The Atlanta Police utilizes helicopters to perform several critical functions for the safety of residents, including providing a clear view of active crime scenes, missing person searches, large-scale event monitoring and much more. Every effort is made to utilize the air unit in a manner that minimizes the impact on neighbors, while prioritizing the safety of the City of Atlanta.

How will noise and waste from the firing range affect the forest and surrounding communities?

The range is being moved from its current site to a location away from the Boulder Crest/Walk communities. A new state-of-the-art firing range will be constructed. It will meet the required disposal and cleaning standards, as required by local, state, and federal guidelines.

Training

Why does Atlanta need a new training facility?

Simply put, because neither APD nor AFRD have dedicated training facilities. Without dedicated facilities and modern equipment, learning, and practicing current and more socially just models of policing and crisis intervention are extremely difficult.

How has APD been training without a dedicated facility?

In 2021, after 29 years at the 180 Southside Industrial Parkway location, the facility that APD used for most of its training was condemned and closed. Since then, APD’s training activities have been segmented and spread across region.

While APD has tried to condense as much training as possible into its leased space at Atlanta Metropolitan State College, there are still significant constraints on what can be done in that setting, on property that they don’t own.

A dedicated training facility will provide the space and layout needed for all public safety officials to train in simulated real-world situations, better equipping them with there action skills and response tools to make positive impacts on the communities that they serve.

How has AFRD been training without a dedicated facility?

Much like APD, the Fire Department’s training facility including its burn building and burn tower were condemned in Spring 2016, due to safety concerns. In February 2020, AFRD vacated the 407 Ashwood Training Facility due to unsafe conditions. Since then, AFRD has trained at a facility owned by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport; we are required by federal law to pay rent, just like any third-party entity.

Who will be trained at the facility?

The site will be used to train members of Atlanta’s public safety community including:

Police and Civilian personnel
Fire
E911

Will the facility be used for military or combat style training?

No. In fact, with the dedicated space and resources that the facility provides, APD officers’ training will be more effective, ideally resulting in a lower use of force rate. The ability to train using both virtual and live simulated real-world scenarios will provide officers with a more opportunities to practice de-escalation and other crisis intervention techniques.

Will there be military style vehicles housed at the facility?

No.

Will military or military style helicopters be used at the training center?

No.

Will any helicopters or other aircraft be used at the training center?

No.

What kinds of explosives training will happen at the site?

None. This has historically been the site for explosives training; however, such training will no longer be held at this location. There will be no detonation of explosives at the site.

Will there be a mock city on site?

Yes, these are shell buildings and non-working. The buildings will be used by APD, AFRD, and medical personnel. The following small-scale buildings will be constructed for simulated real world training:

Two story house (1,871 SF)
Nightclub (3,419 SF)
Gas station with a store (832 SF)
Motel/Apartments (3,008 SF)

These types of training buildings are used by Fire and Police departments all over the Metro area and country. Indeed, such facilities have been in use for more than a generation.

Video of the use of the training buildings is available on the PSTC website: www.ATLTrainingCenter.com

Will other law enforcement agencies or international military groups be allowed to train at the facility?

The primary purpose of the training center isto train Atlanta public safety personnel and to serve as a community resource.A small portion of that may include joint training with other law enforcementagencies. A limited number of other agencies may be allowed to utilize aportion of the facility for training purposes, but the city has no currentagreement to that effect

Where can I find more information about the Atlanta Police Department’s standard operating procedures and training?

CLICK HERE for APD’s current SOPs.

Site Renderings

Site Overview

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Fire Training Facilities

Police Training Facilities

Atlanta Police Department Mounted Patrol Stable

Educational Facilities & Meeting Spaces

Additional Documents‍

Studies & Determinations

June 2023 - Previous Plans and Studies
June 2023 - Previous Plans and Studies Summary
May 2023 - Preliminary Report: History of the Atlanta Prison Farm Site
Feb. 17, 2023 - Fulton County Judge Thomas A. Cox, Jr.'s Ruling Denying Motion for Emergency Temporary Restraining Order
Feb. 16, 2023 - Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division Letter Regarding the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center
April 25, 2022 - Terracon Letter Regarding Cultural Report for PSTC
April 2022 - Terracon - A Cultural Resource Assessment Survey of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center
Dec. 21, 2021 - Terracon Limited Site Investigation
April 22, 2021 - Terracon Phase I Environmental Site Assessment

Project Updates

PSTC Update August 2022
PSTC Update July 2022
PSTC Update June 2022 - I
PSTC Update June 2022 - II
PSTC Update April 2022
PSTC Update January - May 2022
PSTC Update December 2021
PSTC Update November 2021

Press Releases

June 2, 2023: City of Atlanta Statement on the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center Budget
April 12, 2023: Mayor Andre Dickens Comments on DeKalb County Zoning Board of Appeals Decision on Atlanta Public Safety Training Center
March 24, 2023: Mayor Andre Dickens Establishes South River Forest and Public Safety Training Center Community Task Force
Feb. 28, 2023: Mayor Dickens to Establish Task Force to Seek Further Community Input and Expert Recommendations on the South River Forest and Atlanta Public Safety Training Center
Jan. 31, 2023: Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond Announce Protection and Enhancement of the Environment and Local Economy as Part of Planned Public Safety Training Center

The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center

Why Does Atlanta Need a Public Safety Training Center?

Why Does Atlanta Need a Public Safety Training Center?

About the Training Center Site

About the Training Center Site

What Will the Training Center Look Like?

Mayor Dickens Speaks to Residents in Communities Neighboring Training Center Site