Columbia College: Officially opens its new Public Safety Center

Columbia College will officially opens its new Public Safety Center on Friday.

A ribbon cutting for the Public Safety Center is set for 10 a.m. Friday.

The new Public Safety Center, Columbia College’s first Measure E-funded building project, is nearly complete. A ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, April 10 at 10:00 a.m. will celebrate its official opening. The public is invited to attend the ceremony at the college’s main campus off Sawmill Flat Road in Sonora and to tour the new facility.

The center is at the college's main campus 11600 Columbia College Drive Sonora, California

This is the first major project at Columbia College completed with funding from Measure E, the $326 million bond approved by voters in 2004.

The new fire station and training facility will enhance the college's fire science program, which already has a strong reputation.

Columbia has an advantage with its location. Students are training in hillside terrain that resembles the areas where many of California's most challenging fires occur.

The campus fire station and operations of the Public Safety Center are conducted as a partnership of the YCCD/Columbia College, Cal Fire and the Tuolumne County Fire Department. . The station responds to about 350 calls per year.

The new facility — a $2.8 million project — is more than twice the size of the old one and consolidates the fire station with campus security and emergency services. It has dormitory space, a living area with a kitchen and a weight- training room and backup generator.

Columbia College has had fire science classes since soon after its founding in 1968, and has offered an associate of science degree since 1982-83. But in recent years it has become a popular training option for people who hope to work for Cal Fire or the Forest Service. Many of the graduates already have permanent or seasonal jobs lined up.

The construction:
Last year’s groundbreaking on June 16 marked the start of the $2.8 million building project, which consolidates the existing campus emergency services into a single location.

The original structure that housed the Columbia College Fire Station #79 was expanded so that the campus security and emergency dispatch services could be combined with the fire protection services into one Public Safety Center.

As such, the 2,900 sq. ft. fire house has doubled in floor space with the construction of an adjoining 3,000 sq. ft. addition.

The newly-finished structure contains a residential facility with separate quarters for men and women fire science students.

The living area includes a commercial-sized kitchen and a weight training room. A 13’ x 32’ apparatus bay increases the total amount of space to 1,312 sq. ft. available for storage of department equipment.

In the event of a power outage, an emergency backup generator will allow the facility to maintain critical functions.

An off-street parking area is available within the facility site for use by visitors.

This project is funded by Measure E, which was passed by voters in the area served by the Yosemite Community College District (YCCD), of which Columbia College is a part. Among them are residents of Tuolumne and southern Calaveras Counties.

The facility architecture was designed by Lionakis of Sacramento and the general contractor was Robert E. Boyer Construction of Twain Harte. Project management was handled by Kitchell, CEM of Modesto.
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Related links:
Columbia College - Link
Campus construction map - Link
Press release - Link
Attached: Artist color rendering of Columbia College Public Safety Center