Denver police, fire, sheriff departments seek joint training academy

People living in Denver will have the chance to vote on the Vibrant Denver Bond this November. The bond aims to improve infrastructure, community spaces, and fund city projects. One of those projects would help Denver's law enforcement and first responders.

The city's police, fire, and sheriff's departments all train in facilities in need of improvements.

"We have world class safety services here in Denver, police, fire and sheriff, but we don't necessarily have facilities that are befitting of our excellence," said Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas.

He believes it's time they have a state-of-the-art training facility.

"As long as I've been a Denver police officer, which is 37 years and counting, we have never had a facility that was built for the purpose of training recruits. And I think that the same can be said for all the safety agencies," he said.

Thomas says he had conversations with Denver's fire chief and sheriff about how great it would be to have a co-located training academy. The passing of the Vibrant Denver Bond would provide $75 million toward creating just that. It would create more opportunities to cross train and simulate realistic scenarios.

"Having a large space that has a driving track and maybe a scenario house, or maybe even a scenario neighborhood. I think that there's often occasions where it's important for us to cross train, and so I think that will allow for that possibility," he said.

For DPD, it would be a game-changer.

"Our current academy is a hangar from Stapleton Airport, and so that's how long it has been standing."

Thomas says there aren't any formal plans drawn up yet, but there's a desire for this potential joint academy to also provide mental health and wellness services.

"Physical and mental health, wellness, I think, is important. Having those assets that help us in that area, located at that facility, I think would be a great benefit to all of us."

It'd be a one-stop shop for these first responders, and a benefit to the community. It's something Thomas believes is necessary.

"I think it's due for us to have a facility that's actually specifically built for the purposes of training police, fire and sheriff."