Governor DeWine, Ohio Fire Marshal dedicate Search and Rescue Building

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine joined Ohio State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon and Ohio Department of Commerce Director Sherry Maxfield today for the unveiling of the Ohio Fire Academy's new Search and Rescue Building. The 18,000-square-foot facility marks the state’s newest training resource that will help prepare Ohio’s firefighters, EMS personnel, and other first responders. 

“We want the very best training for the brave men and women who answer the call to protect and serve their fellow Ohioans every day,” said Governor DeWine. “This unique, state-of-the-art facility provides our first responders the opportunity to train in a variety of realistic environments, which helps to ensure their safety on the job and equips them with the experience to skillfully tackle emergency calls every single day.”

The $20 million innovative Search and Rescue Building will support the training of an estimated 8,000 firefighters, EMS personnel, and other emergency responders each year. It was specially built and engineered to safely simulate a wide range of real‑world emergency conditions enabling first responders to practice rescue operations in numerous settings such as hospitals, hotels, nursing home facilities, retail stores, and other commercial or residential buildings.

“Today’s dedication marks a tremendous milestone for Ohio’s fire service. This new Search and Rescue Building will provide our first responders with the realistic training they need to meet the complex challenges they face in communities across our state,” Marshal Reardon said. “By investing in a truly state-of-the-art facility built to serve for decades to come, we are helping to ensure that current and future generations of firefighters and emergency personnel have every opportunity to strengthen their skills, build confidence, serve Ohioans, and return home safely after every call.”

The facility features a five‑story interior training structure equipped with advanced systems that can play realistic sounds and alerts to simulate emergency conditions and fill individual rooms, or the entire building, with smoke. Adjacent to the main structure is an eight‑story exterior training tower specifically designed for high‑angle and technical rope‑rescue exercises. Together, these state‑of‑the‑art elements create a modern training environment that will strengthen first responder preparedness and enhance the protection of Ohio’s communities.

After the dedication, the Ohio Fire Academy held a special graduation ceremony for the newest class of Firefighter I and II cadets in the new Search and Rescue Building. A total of 32 cadets from across Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana completed a rigorous 10-week course preparing them to serve their communities.