The operations committee meets quarterly to address task-level decisions regarding the operations manual, annual budget, and annual training plan and schedule for recommendation to the chiefs board. The center director serves as the chair of the committee, which consists of one member from each the Glendale, Avondale, Peoria and Surprise fire departments; the Glendale Police Department; and the community college district's fire and police programs. All actions approved by the operations committee are contingent on a membership vote.

The center director is appointed by the Glendale fire chief and can't hold a rank below deputy chief. He or she is responsible for oversight of all day-to-day management issues surrounding the training center including all fiscal budget and strategic planning recommendations. The salary and benefits for the center director are funded from the training center's annual budget. Job performance is evaluated annually by the executive and chiefs boards.

The partnering agencies have tasked the center with providing students fair, impartial and job-related instruction. The training process is conducted within the scope and expectations of their daily duties. The center staff provides counseling, tutoring, organized study groups, and remedial instruction as necessary. The performance of the basic graduates is evaluated for the first year after graduation and training programs are updated to ensure continuous improvement and quality education.

All instruction methods are consistent with the standards of adult-learning principles. Training programs emphasize individual responsibility and preparedness, while acknowledging the teamwork public safety personnel use while performing emergency functions.

A master calendar is used to document all center activities for one calendar year. The calendar is managed using an 80/20 rule, which mandates that the calendar will never have more than 80% of the capacity scheduled, leaving 20% to be used for discretionary purposes. Requests for use of the center facilities must be submitted by April 1 for the following fiscal year. The calendar is then submitted to the operations committee and subsequently to the chiefs board for final approval on or before June 30. Priorities for the facility have been established to be fair and equitable and are in the following order:

1. Basic and advanced training for partnering public safety agencies and the community college district.

2. Regional specialty training for non-partnering public safety agencies.

3. Use by municipal and county public safety agencies located outside of Maricopa County, outside governmental agencies, and personnel.

4. Use by private entities that have a need to be trained in public safety.

The center has provided multiple training courses and opportunities for all partnering agencies since opening in April. Although the courses have encompassed a wide variety of subjects from leadership training to Department of Energy hazmat training, the center's training foundation is public safety basic and advanced training. Basic training encompasses recruit firefighter and police officer training, as well as degree courses. The first basic-training class to graduate from the center was the Fire Academy 07-1 Class in October.

The advanced training required by each agency is diverse and can include in-service training, technical-rescue technician and hazmat programs and continuing education, tele-conferences, law enforcement identification technician, annual mandated training, leadership and management training, National Incident Management System training, media training, minimum company standards, command training, firearms training, driver training, physical training, force resistance training, reassignment training, instructor training, proficiency training, language training, pre-service fire academies, AZPOST basic police training academy, Citizen Emergency Response Teams training, a citizen's academy, and Explorer/cadet training. It also can include move-up programs for engineers, captains and battalion chiefs, and field-training programs for officers, detectives and sergeants program.

But the center isn't done yet. Phase II should be completed in March 2008. Phases III and IV have preliminary design plans and will be initiated when funding is available. Phases III and IV will expand the capacity of the center to benefit all public safety agencies within the State of Arizona and possibly in the southwestern region of the United States.

With the new phases, the fire department will be getting a wildland simulation area, trench-rescue area, structural-collapse rubble pile, swiftwater prop, simulated gas station, big-box building, strip mall with multiple occupancies, electrical high-tension tower prop, two additional house burn props, and a multi-family burn prop.

Police officers will have a simulated police department station and village with multi- and single-family, commercial, and industrial occupancies; a convenience store; and a K9 training area with kennels

There also will be additional classrooms and offices, a cafeteria, and a dedicated driver-training building for joint use.

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Chris DeChant is the training division chief for the Glendale (Aria.) Fire Department, where he has served for 11 years. He holds associate's degrees in fire science and advanced emergency medical technology, a bachelor's degree in public safety administration, and a master's degree in educational leadership.

Jim Higgins has been with the Glendale (Aria.) Fire Department for more than 28 years and currently is the assistant chief over operations, training, personnel, and safety and health. He was the project manager for the design, construction and opening of the Glendale Regional Public Safety Training Center. Higgins holds an associate's degree in fire science, a bachelor's degree in industrial safety and a master's degree in educational leadership. He teaches in the EM'S and fire science programs.