Lenoir City has cut the ribbon on the Don W. White Public Safety Training Center, a shared campus for police and firefighters that is designed to keep mandatory training close to home for agencies across Loudon County. The nearly $3.6 million facility held a soft opening last month, followed by an official dedication last week after a 2024 groundbreaking. City leaders say the center will trim travel time for annual certification drills and offer more realistic practice than nearby options have allowed.
According to WBIR, the center includes a class A burn prop, a class B burn prop, rescue training areas, and other skill stations, and it hosted more than 100 firefighters in a single day during early training sessions. The outlet also reports that the center is owned jointly by Lenoir City and Loudon County and carries a price tag of nearly $3.6 million.
Built for real-world drills
The campus also features training rooms, a shooting range, and a fire-training tower, officials told WATE. Lenoir City Police Chief Jonathan Bryant said the local site "is very valuable for my officers' professional development," since it lets them meet required standards without having to leave the county for every class.
Shared resource, local savings
WBIR reported the project was funded by the city and county, with help from partner agencies, and officials said the center is expected to reduce overtime costs and keep officers closer to the community when call volumes spike. Lenoir City Fire Chief Richard Martin told the station that training locally will improve response times and allow multi-agency exercises to unfold on the same site.
What it means for the county
Departments that once traveled to Maryville, Oak Ridge, Anderson County, and other nearby jurisdictions for required courses can now complete those trainings inside Loudon County, which officials say should cut down on travel and backfill expenses. Don White, the city's director of public safety, will help coordinate the schedule and outreach for the new facility, according to the Lenoir City Police Department.
Officials say the Don W. White Public Safety Training Center will host regional and outside agencies for joint drills in the coming months and describe it as a long-term investment as Lenoir City continues to grow. For the chiefs running it, the immediate goal is simple: keep the props and towers busy so first responders can keep practicing for the real thing without leaving home.
