Grand Prairie's New Fire Station Site Currently a Training Ground

The site of Grand Prairie's new fire station is currently being used as a training ground. 

Station No. 1 in downtown Grand Prairie is more than 60 years old. 

Firefighters said they'll be moving out of the outdated building and into a new spot across the street. An old building currently sits on that property, so until demolition begins, crews are simulating real-life scenarios and getting on-hands training on that location.

Battalion Chief Bill Murphy said crews are rotating their training schedules on the property. 

"We're going to have about 180 coming through here over the next two weeks. We're going to get all our on line personnel that are going to be here getting this training," he said.

The city purchased the building on Main Street and NW 5th Street, which will become a part of a two-block property that will be the new Station No. 1. 

"Having the station in downtown is crucial to the city, because station 1 is our busiest station. It's our busiest ambulance, busiest engine, busiest truck," said Assistant Chief C.J. Grippin.

Murphy said because the building will be knocked down in the next three weeks, firefighters are taking advantage of the space- knocking walls down and doing as much training here as possible. 

"We can do our forcible entry and tear stuff up, cut holes in it, and give us guys as live fire training as we can without actually burning the building, so it's great use for us," he said.

Murphy added that they're enjoying a rare opportunity to train on that particular spot.

"A lot of memories are going to be here, you know doing the training and with the new station coming in, it's going to be great," he said.

Construction of the new station is expected to begin in the next couple of months and should be completed by summer of 2014.