PAPILLION, Neb. (KMTV) — The city of Papillion recently amended its budget to allow for more money to be given to the police and fire department, a move that could save money for Papillion homeowners.
this dark room is used to carry out firefighter training exercises..
The city council voted for the amendment Tuesday. It will provide a new $1 million dollar facility where all firefighters can train in one place.
“We’ve been trying to get a training facility for 20 years,” Jeff Jones deputy chief Papillion Fire Department said.
At the Papillion Police Department, police chief Chris Whitted said there’s also room for improvement.
“We need additional patrol workspace and additional office space,” He said. “We have no place for all the drones we’ve accumulated.”
Jones said the new training facility will allow the department to perform a variety of search and rescue drills, and that there’s an added benefit for homeowners.
“It’s gonna hopefully help us improve our ISO rating which in turn results in lower homeowner insurance costs for the people that we serve,” He said.
For the police department, the money will go towards a nearly $10 million dollar building extension and remodel. Whitted said the upgrade will prepare his department for future growth.
“We’ve added probably upwards of 20 people give or take from when we moved in this building,” He said. “ We will continue adding staff.”
Money for both projects comes from a mix of CARES Act funding and the city’s tax funded reserves.
The fire department expects construction to begin on its new training facility by late April to early May, the police department’s extension is expected to begin construction by the end of this year.
