Local News

FTCC's state of the art Swift Water Rescue Training Center

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Tuesday, 25 June 2024

Written by Crissy Neville

Fayetteville’s new Swift Water Rescue Training Facility puts Cumberland County and the Cape Fear region at the forefront of emergency services training and response.
Fayetteville Technical Community College constructed the uniquely equipped indoor facility, the first of its kind on the East Coast and the nation’s second, to provide much-needed swift water rescue training for first responders locally and beyond.
The state-of-the-art complex opened its doors with a ribbon cutting in November 2023 and a grand opening this past January.
The facility contains a 140,000-gallon indoor tank and is the nation’s largest swift water complex. Fathom Tanks of Georgetown, TX, manufactured the tank here and for the training center in Texas, the only other state with an indoor facility.
Equipped with 10 pumps that can flow at up to 7 knots, the tank allows first responders and others to train year-round for rescues in floods, swift water situations and other scenarios. Before the SWRTF’s completion, local emergency personnel had no option but to train outdoors. As FTCC Fire, Technical Rescue & Water Instructor Steve White attests, the SWRTF’s launch has been a real game-changer.
“I, along with instructor Michael Barcia, have been teaching water rescue for 15-plus years … on the Cape Fear River. Now, we have an indoor facility where we can control all the variables. We control the speed of the water, the height of the water, the temperature of the water, we can make it night, we can make it day, I can make it rain, thunderstorm lightning, everything inside this building. I'm not at the mercy of the water level of the Cape Fear River. This facility has revolutionized our training methods and has inspired us to push the boundaries of our teaching.”
The river can be dangerous for the trainers — White, Barcia and a part-time cadre of four additional water rescue instructors — and trainees, but the blue way can also be less than desirable in other ways, as White highlighted with a recent example.
“I just took 14 wildlife officers from the mountains to the coast from North Carolina and did a boat operator class, a kind of a refresher class on boat operations on the Cape Fear River. The only place to get moving water on Cape Fear River is at Lock and Dam number two, just below Elizabethtown. When we went last week, the water was so low that the boat dock was sitting on the ground, and the water was just a foot and a half past that. It was that low. Plus, a seven-foot alligator was sitting down there.”
While the indoor tank may be considered the facility’s greatest attribute, other standout features include:
• Year-round training in clean, filtered water
• Controllable water level, current, flow, direction and temperature
• Ability to train with real submerged vehicles
• Realistic lightning, thunder, rain, police sirens and lights
• Obstacles and rescue challenges, including night rescue simulations.
• Central location along 1-95
Cumberland County Commissioner Jimmy Keefe weighed in on the SWRTF’s many pluses.
“As a county commissioner, one of the greatest responsibilities is keeping the public safe. Hurricanes Matthew and Florence taught us that being highly trained and prepared is a choice. I said during the storms, ‘The citizens do not blame us for the hurricane; they appreciate the rescue, but we will be judged based on our response and recovery.’ During Hurricane Matthew, there were over 130 water rescues of citizens by first responders. This facility will train first responders from our area and throughout the southeast on the best practices of rescue in swift water and standing water situations.”
Keefe credited Fire Chief Freddy Johnson, Sr., President of the Cumberland County Fire Chiefs Association, as a catalyst for the center.
Johnson emphasized that the new controlled-and-conditioned facility offers a level of safety that was once unobtainable, providing first responders with the best possible training environment. He worked with officials to build the facility after visiting a similar indoor training facility in Texas a few years ago.
Plans initially called for an 88,000-gallon simulation tank here, but the vision grew following the visit.
“Having a local indoor swift water training complex here in Cumberland County that is one of a kind on the East Coast means that first responders in the area have access to specialized training and certification opportunities,” Johnson said. “This facility plays a crucial role in preparing them to handle swift water emergencies and, ultimately, helps ensure the safety and well-being of the community they serve.”
The facility offers numerous classes during the week and on weekends and has received over 350 students this year. Emergency personnel have come from as far away as the Newport Fire Department in New Jersey to New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on the East Coast, plus a group from Kentucky is scheduled for later this year. White said they had trained students from the wildlife division, law enforcement, fire and rescue and all military branches.
The first full week of each month, the SWRTF offers a North Carolina technical rescuer certification class, the most in-demand course it provides. Other classes include basic submerged vehicle rescue, night submerged vehicle rescue, and advanced day and night courses.
The state-of-the-art Swift Water Rescue Training facility is on FTCC’s 30-acre Dr. J. Larry Keen Fire & Rescue Training complex at 775 Tom Starling Road in Fayetteville. It is one of the most recent additions to the circa-2022 campus, which includes a technical rescue facility with a four-story training tower, simulation labs, locker rooms, apparatus bays and offices; an area for trench collapse training and other confined space training; a rappelling tower with zip-line capacity; and a memorial plaza. Two additional burn buildings are currently under construction.
FTCC, the city, state and county are major supporters and funders of the project. The project received its acreage and $10 million from the county, $10 million in state bond money and $20 million from the General Assembly. Once complete, the entire complex is estimated to cost around $47 million.
Johnson expressed gratitude for the Swift Water facility. “I want to thank FTCC, especially Dr. Larry Keen, former FTCC president and visionary leader, who championed the creation of our cutting-edge Swift Water Center and state-of-the-art Regional Fire and Rescue Training Center.
"Today, under the guidance of current President Dr. Mark Sorrells, this one-of-a-kind facility stands as a testament to our commitment to excellence in first responder training. Our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Keen and Dr. Sorrells for their invaluable contributions in ensuring our first responders receive the highest training and certifications.”

(Photo: Fayetteville Technical Community College's Swift Water Training Center is one of two such facilities in the entire country. The facility can provide real-life scenarios with a multitude of different factors to help train fire and rescue teams as well as military personnel. Photos courtesy of FTCC)

Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation to increase program fees in the fall

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Tuesday, 25 June 2024

Written by Amber Little

Summer is in full swing and the community is active. The numerous community pools, splash pads and parks are seeing daily traffic, as the summer weather permits, from families, camps, and churches. These amenities provide a cool escape from the Carolina heat. There are 14 free splash pads nestled around Cumberland County for residents to use during the summer season.
Along with the splash pads, there are four community pools: Ronnie “Chase” Chalmers Pool, Keith A. Bates, Sr. Pool, Lake Rim Aquatic Center and Westover Aquatic Center. Each of these pools is an affordable way for residents to enjoy the full immersion and enjoyment of a pool. Community pools are not just used by the individual residents, but they are a common place for church and summer camps alike.
The Fayetteville Cumberland Parks and Recreation is also responsible for running recreational sports, like baseball and football. Saturdays find most of the local parks full of cars, lawn chairs and cheers. While there is never a shortage of summer camps, the Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation host budget friendly alternatives to community members, as well as after-school programs.
Fayetteville- Cumberland Parks and Recreation is responsible for all these various community spaces. With the county also boasting nine parks, two trails, and three dog parks, the department is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of all of them. And with summer 2024 in full swing, the department is already gearing up for an increase in fees for some of its community spaces and programs.
Loren Bymer, director of marketing and communications for the City of Fayetteville, said, “The City of Fayetteville is excited that we have significant interest and participation in all of our Parks and Recreation programs and amenities and have successfully been able to not increase rates since 2015 despite the increase of resident participation each year.
"To continue to keep these services running in an effective manner, there is a need to make a slight increase in the fees to participate to off-set the cost of operations.”
Currently, pool prices for residents are $1 for those ages 12 and under and $2 for those 13 and above and increases slightly for nonresidents. Summer day camps run residents $65 a week and $130 for nonresidents. Registration for sports through the department is $25 for residents and $50 for nonresidents.
Below are the fee increases.
Youth Athletics
• Resident - $40
• Non-Resident - $80
Youth Football
• Resident - $45
• Non-Resident - $90
After-School Programs
• Resident - $140 per month/$40 per week
• Non-Resident - $280 per month/$80 per week
Summer Camp/Playground
Intercession School Workday Camp
• Resident - $18 per day
• Non-Resident - $36 per day
Summer Day Camp
• Resident - $90 per week
• Non-Resident - $180 per week
Summer Day Camp (Pro-rated daily)
• Resident - $18 per day
• Non-Resident - $36 per day
Summer Playground Camp
• Resident - $55 per week
• Non-Resident - $110 per week
Pool Entry Fee
• Resident - $4 for adults, $3 for children
• Non-Resident - $8 for adults, $6 for children

Bymer said the increases will likely take place in September, but there is no official date when community members can look for the increase. The increase in fees will be used to maintain the community properties and pay staff. To stay up-to-date, make sure to follow the Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Rec on Facebook. The proposed 2025 budgets for the city and county can be found online at
• https://www.cumberlandcountync.gov/home/2024/06/06/board-of-commissioners-approves-fiscal-year-2025-budget
• https://www.fayettevillenc.gov/city-services/budget-evaluation-4400

(Photo: The Keith Bates, Sr. Pool is one of four pools operated by Fayetteville Cumberland Parks and Recreation. Photo courtesy of Fayetteville Cumberland Parks and Recreation)

NC History Center work continues on, anticipated by 2027

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Tuesday, 25 June 2024

Written by Katie Herring

In 2027, Fayetteville will be home to the NC History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation, and Reconstruction. Construction is underway now for this center of learning that will be pivotal in teaching North Carolinians of all ages about the years before, during, and after the Civil War.
But, don’t call it a museum.
A museum is a collection of artifacts, while this History Center will focus on telling the stories of the people, places and events surrounding the Civil War.
“The mission of the NC History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation & Reconstruction is to tell the stories of ALL North Carolinians and create a comprehensive, fact-based portrait of history that spans the Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction periods.” (https://nccivilwarcenter.org/about/about-the-center/)
The History Center will be located at the site of the former Arsenal Park, and will take the place of the Museum of the Cape Fear.
The Arsenal
To get a complete picture of the significance of the location of the NC History Center, we have to go pretty far back in history, to the War of 1812. During that war, the federal government realized that it was ill-equipped to provide weapons and ammunition to protect the entire country. To help remedy that problem, several arsenals were built at strategic locations around the US. Fayetteville’s location on the Cape Fear River and at the crossroads of eight plank roads made it a prime location for one of the arsenals. At its peak, the Fayetteville arsenal produced 500 rifles per month, as well as swords, bayonets, and various forms of artillery, and employed around 2,000 people. In the spring of 1861, the arsenal was seized by the Fayetteville Light Infantry, part of the Confederate army.
On March 11, 1865, Union General Sherman and his troops destroyed the arsenal and all its machinery, in addition to shops, factories, and the Fayetteville Observer, which was a Confederate-leaning publication at the time. The ruins of the Fayetteville Arsenal are still present to this day, as part of the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex.
The History Center
The idea for a new type of museum came from meetings of local officials and volunteers. This board was awarded a $1 million planning grant from the N.C. General Assembly in 2007. That funding was used to hire groups who had experience starting many prestigious museums around the country, to include the Civil Rights Center in Greensboro. After more than 10 years of planning, research and preparation-which included assessment of existing resources, and gathering community-wide feedback, ground was broken on the History Center in April of 2018.
Progress So Far
Work thus far on the History Center consists of moving three Civil War-era houses to the site and refurbishing them. The three buildings are:
• The Arsenal House will serve as a classroom and distance learning studio for K-12 students, utilizing cutting-edge technology.
• The Culbreth House will become the Center for the Study of the Civil War and Reconstruction in North Carolina and will house the offices for the Center’s Foundation.
• The Davis House will be a support building for the other buildings and areas of the surrounding portion of Arsenal Park.
Work Still Ongoing
In May 2024, construction began on the outdoor pavilion area. This portion of the center will serve as an outdoor classroom and will include boardwalks that will allow visitors to come close to the ruins of the original arsenal without damaging them. It will also include sidewalks connecting various parts of the History Center and restrooms. All of these will be ADA compliant.
Future construction also includes a 60,000-square-foot building that will house large-scale exhibits and an auditorium.
Once construction is complete and the center has opened, it will be owned and operated by the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which also operates the NC Zoo, three aquariums, two art museums, two science museums, as well as many other natural and cultural resources.
The Timeline and the Pricetag
Current estimates by the construction project management firm show that the History Center will be complete by the first quarter of 2027. The estimated cost is $84.6 million. So far, the state of North Carolina has provided $69.6 million; $14.1 million from the City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County; and the remainder has come from private donations. Between $8-$10 million remains to be raised.
Even before all of that is complete, though, the state of North Carolina will benefit from the History Center. Development of virtual educational tools for use in classrooms across the state is already underway, using scholarship from university professors, as well as input from current K-12 teachers. There is also work to include students in the conversations about teaching and learning this part of our history. The goal is that all NC students will be able to learn from the History Center, even if they cannot visit in person.
Stories
The focus of the NC History Center is stories: telling stories from every angle, from every perspective, the stories of what life was like between 1830 and 1900. Story collection is ongoing. If you or someone you know have any North Carolina-related stories from the Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction period, you can share them and they could be included in the Center. Go to nccivilwarcenter.org and click on Story Collection. All stories are vetted by History Center staff. Photos, letters, and any other artifacts you might have are welcome as well. Stories that have already been gathered are available to view and read at the History Center website.
More information about the progress of the History Center, including renderings of the main building, photos and maps of the future site, can be found at nccivilwarcenter.org.

(Photo: A rendering of the possible North Carolina History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation, and Reconstruction on Arsenal Ave. in Fayetteville. Graphic courtesy of NC History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation, and Reconstruction's Facebook page)

USACAPOC(A) changes command; City opens cooling centers; Crown Event Center moves into construction document phase

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Tuesday, 25 June 2024

Written by Staff Report

Change of Command, Change of Responsibility brings new Leadership to USACAPOC(A)
Maj. Gen. Isaac Johnson, Jr., commanding general, U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), will relinquish command to Brig. Gen. Andrée G. Carter, on Saturday, July 13 at 9 a.m. at the Main Post Parade Field, Fort Liberty. Concurrently, outgoing Command Chief Warrant Officer, CW5 Michael A. Rich will change responsibility with CW4, John Harris III.
The U.S. Army Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) is a two-star headquarters providing Army and Joint Forces commanders 76 percent of the Department of Defense civil affairs forces and 63 percent of DoD psychological operations forces.
Civil Affairs, Psychological Operations, and Information Operations Soldiers combine regional and trans-regional expertise, political-military awareness, and cross-cultural communication skills to conduct and support civil-military operations for conventional and special operations forces.
USACAPOC (A) Soldiers are integrated in current global U.S. operations including Iraq, Afghanistan, Horn of Africa, European, Pacific and Central/South American regions. USACAPOC (A) provides airborne oversight for USARC and is the only strategic CA structure in DoD while supporting the Army and Joint Force with strategic, operational, and tactical level civil affairs operations, psychological operations, and information operations capabilities.
USACAPOC (A) provides a cost-effective solution and enables the supported commander expanded freedom of maneuver in both Combined Arms Maneuver and Wide Area Security missions across the range of Military Operations. USACAPOC (A) CA, PSYOP, and IO forces support Army formations in conventional operations, Irregular Warfare, Theater Security Cooperation, and Stability Operations in support of Geographic Combatant Command requirements. USACAPOC(A) is made up of 96 Army Reserve units across 29 states.
In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in the Pope Field Training Annex, Building 372, 504 Virgin Street, Fort Liberty.

County opened cooling stations over weekend
All eight Cumberland County Public Library branch locations serve as cooling stations for residents who do not have access to air conditioning and need a place to get out of the heat, with additional County facilities available.
The National Weather Service in Raleigh forecasted the following heat indexes from the past weekend:
• Saturday, June 22, Heat Index 102 degrees
• Sunday, June 23, Heat Index 102 degrees
• Monday, June 24 Heat Index 104 degrees
Residents who need reprieve from the heat may visit any of the following County locations during regular business hours:
• Library locations are open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Headquarters Library at 300 Maiden Lane, Fayetteville, along with Cliffdale, North Regional and Hope Mills branches, are also open Sundays from 2 to 6 p.m. To find your nearest library location, go to cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/library-group/library.
The first-floor lobby of the Cumberland County Department of Public Health, located at 1235 Ramsey St., is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Masks or face coverings are required for individuals experiencing symptoms related to a respiratory illness (COVID-19, RSV, flu).
The Cumberland County Department of Social Services, located at 1225 Ramsey St., will open the auxiliary lobby as a cooling station. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. All public lobbies will be available to citizens. Masks or face coverings are required for individuals experiencing symptoms related to a respiratory illness (COVID-19, RSV, flu).
While these locations are always available to the public during operating hours, County officials wish to make the public aware of their availability as cooling stations when conditions warrant.
Extreme heat and humidity significantly increase the potential for heat-related illnesses, particularly for those working outdoors. Cumberland County Emergency Services reminds residents to take precautions during the hot weather. Drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms, stay out of the sun, avoid strenuous work, check on relatives and neighbors, and never leave children or pets unattended in vehicles.
Cumberland County Emergency Services is monitoring the heat conditions and is coordinating the opening of County facilities as cooling stations. Stay informed by visiting the County’s website at cumberlandcountync.gov or County social media pages at facebook.com/CumberlandNC, facebook.com/CumberlandCountyNC911 and twitter.com/CumberlandNC.

County anticipates breaking ground on new Crown Event Center in September
The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Crown Event Center Committee gave its approval to allow the project to move into the Construction Document development phase with an anticipated groundbreaking for the new Crown Event Center planned for September 2024.
The approval followed the presentation of updated pricing for the project from the Construction Manager at Risk TA Loving/Metcon. The CMaR conducted pricing on the 100% Design Development documents completed by project architect EwingCole, which were presented to the Committee on May 20 along with updated renderings of the Crown Event Center’s exterior and interior spaces.
Matt DeSilver, Area Manager with MBP Carolinas, which serves as the County’s Owners Representative for the project, shared that the 100% Design Development cost estimate for construction came in just above the Board’s approved construction budget of $117,864,211 at $122,173,918. However, he noted that this estimate includes built-in design escalation costs through the midpoint of construction as well as design contingency.
He said the Project Delivery Team conducted value engineering to bring the estimated construction cost down below the approved budget to $117,194,895. Items that were removed from the estimate as part of the value engineering process included an operable partition in the multipurpose room, interior window blinds, reduction of LED exterior signage and upper-level audience divider curtains in the main event hall. DeSilver said these items will still be priced so they can be included in the project in the event costs ultimately come in lower than the approved budget.
Committee members voted unanimously to approve the 100% design development cost estimate and to authorize the Project Delivery Team to move into construction document development.
The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners previously approved a total project budget of nearly $145 million in February. DeSilver said the project is still on schedule to break ground in September 2024 with anticipated completion in early 2027. He said next steps for the project will include the development of construction documents and preparation of the early site package.
CMaR hosted an outreach event for subcontractors, suppliers and vendors interested in participating in the Crown Event Center project June 20.
The Crown Event Center Committee is comprised of Cumberland County Commissioner Jimmy Keefe, who chairs the Committee, Board Chairman Glenn Adams and Commissioner Jeannette Council, along with Cumberland County Civic Center Commission Chairman McBryde Grannis, who serves in an ex officio capacity. The Project Delivery Team is made up of County staff, and staff from the County’s owner’s representative MBP Carolinas, project architect EwingCole, construction manager at Risk TA Loving/Metcon and Crown Complex Manager OakViewGroup.
For more information on the Crown Event Center project, go to cumberlandcountync.gov/crowneventcenter.

(Photo Information-Top Photo: Fort Liberty Sign.  File photo.  Bottom Photo: Graphic courtesy of Crown Event Center)