Public-Private Partnership results in new Public-Safety/Driver Training Facility
More than three years in the making, but thanks to a donation of $3.3 million from philanthropists Dave and Gail Liniger, the new CODE 303 Emergency Vehicle Operations Training Center is now open in Douglas County.
This new facility will provide Douglas County and other metro-area public-safety agencies a safe place to teach advanced decision making; proper pursuit driving and pursuit termination; communication while driving; defensive driving; day and night driving, inclement weather skills; vehicle dynamics and limitations; motorcycle officer certifications; crash investigation training and the most recent approaches to traffic incident management.
The Liniger’s donation represented nearly one half of the estimated $6.8 million cost to build and equip phase-one of the Center.
“This facility is essential because emergency responders are not normal drivers. Collectively, our deputies drive more than 3.5 million miles per year and must make split-second safety decisions—many while driving. Every aspect of the facility has an engineered purpose and the advanced training we receive here will ultimately make our staff and community safer—it is designed to emulate the community roads that emergency responders must safely navigate every day,” said Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock.
More than just a benefit to public-safety agencies, with an estimated 19,000 teenage drivers in Douglas County, the facility will emerge over the next year as a training home for those who offer private teen driver safety programs.
“We are grateful to philanthropists Dave and Gail Liniger, who demonstrated enormous generosity and their commitment to public safety through their donation,” said Roger Partridge, Chair, Board of Douglas County Commissioners.
The CODE 303 Emergency Vehicle Operations Center (EVOC) sits on 80 acres. Phase 1 of the Center features a 1.6 mile training roadway; 9.2 acres for a large asphalt skills pad training area, and a smaller, asphalt skills pad training area of 1.8 acres.
Owned by Douglas County, the facility will be managed in partnership with the Highlands Ranch Law Enforcement Training Foundation.
Please feel free to click on the following image to view where CODE 303 EVOC is located in relation to HRLETF.
EVOC Construction – Phase 1
Public Works – Engineering opened bids on January 24, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. Seven bids were received and Monks Construction’s bid was determined to be the most responsive. The construction contract for Monks Construction was approved on February 14, 2017. The notice to proceed with construction was submitted February 21, 2017. The estimated end of construction is July 17, 2017. Douglas County Engineering is providing construction management, oversight and inspection for the EVOC – Phase One project.
The EVOC is partially funded by a generous $3.3 Million donation to Douglas County from residents, Dave and Gail Liniger, the founders of RE/MAX International.
Please feel free to click on the following images to view the full size renderings.
For questions please contact any of the following Project staff:
Sean P. Owens, P.E., Project Manager,
Douglas County Public Works – Engineering
sowens@douglas.co.us
Dave Weaver, EVOC Facility Director, HRLETF
daweaver@dcsheriff.net
