Essay 19. 4
ZIEGLER COOPER
Ensuring A Safer Tomorrow For Our City & Citizens The Tilman Fertitta Tactical Training Center
NOT AN ACTION MOVIE One can imagine Shemar Moore
taking
tactical
police training for his roles in
Criminal
Minds
and
S.W.A.T. This is the stuff of action movies, but in real life police officers need to be prepared and practiced to face violence in any possible circumstance. In a January 30, 2019 press interview, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said that tactical training would help save lives; “The life we may save is one of yours, your loved ones, your neighbors, your friend or your coworkers, but we will be better prepared,� he said. Whether in a night club, a hotel, a bank, a place of worship, a workplace or a school, active shooter scenarios
play
out
in
devastating ways all across our nation. Still a rarity, tactical villages like the one featured here, are critical to police force readiness.
EXPLODED VIEW OF THE TILMAN FERTITTA FAMILY TACTICAL TRAINING CENTER
2
RESPONDING TO THE NEED We are all part of a different world
now,
so
enforcement
multiple
agencies
law train
together in locations across the United States, to respond to active shooter situations, so that everyone will know how they will respond. These teams may also practice mass
casualty
and
hostage
Housed
entirely
unassuming
shell
within of
a
the pre-
engineered steel building, this state-of-the-art
training
includes
intersecting
two
facility city
streets (paved for the heaviest tactical
vehicles).
This
allows
department access with a full complement
of
vehicles
and
equipment and in the most lifelike setting possible.
HARNESSING TECHNOLOGY The Tactical
Tilman
Fertitta
Training
Family
Center
will
revolutionize training for officers by providing a venue for high level training. It will equip officers to arrive at a scene ready for immediate response, by training in life-like mock-ups of most building types that one might encounter in
local
On three quadrants flanking the
any part of an urban or suburban
schools and other public locations.
streets are six individual “training
location. So specialized is the
To greatly enhance the availability
modules”
buildings
level of equipment incorporated,
and frequency of reality-based
designed to simulate real-world
that architects, engineers and
training of these kinds of scenarios
environments of a hotel lobby,
suppliers must coordinate every
in the Houston area, the Houston
townhouses, school classrooms, a
minute detail from the earliest
Police Foundation commissioned
donut shop, a convenience store/
phase of the project. Incorporating
the design and construction of the
gas station, and a bank.
the latest technology, the Center
response
scenarios
at
$10 million Tilman Fertitta Family Tactical Training Center.
–
replica
The fourth quadrant houses staff offices, training classrooms,
Located on the north side of
a live-fire simulator and a control
the
room to monitor exercises and
training center began in January
training missions underway in the
2019 with completion in late 2019.
modules, and provides access to
The facility will provide a space
the extensive catwalk system.
Houston,
construction
of
to train officers in how best to respond to the modern challenges
offers constant direct monitoring of training sessions and simulations via an overhead catwalk and the latest digital video and audio systems. Thus, not only are training sessions recorded for playback and analysis, but sessions are enhanced with sound-effects and realistic, day or night lighting.
and conditions that officers face, such as active shooter, hostage, and terrorist situations.
3
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: STEVE LUCCHESI, AIA A graduate of Texas A&M University,
LOCAL SUPPORT MAKES IT POSSIBLE
Steve has more than 30 years of experience in architectural design and management.
According to the Houston Police Foundation, The Tilman Fertitta Family Tactical
His work has received several awards and
Training Center is a critical step toward ensuring a safer tomorrow for Houstonians. (It
has been internationally published. He is
was an urgent need for the 4th largest city in the United States, as it may be for many
a member of the Board of Directors and
other large cities.) The Foundation was formed by local business leaders to support
Chairman of the Buildings Committee at
projects of the Houston Police. A respected businessman of the Houston community,
the Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park.
Tilman Fertitta has been Chairman of the Board at Houston Police Foundation for more than a decade. His leadership has been a pivotal force in bringing the project to reality. Completion of the Center represents a paradigm shift in the way police officers deliver and receive training. It will provide unparalleled realism and instant evaluation which will reduce both civilian and officer injuries and death.
ADAPTING TO CONSTANTLY CHANGING THREATS The Center was designed by Houston architecture firm Ziegler Cooper and the project was led by architect Steve Lucchesi, AIA, a graduate of Texas A&M University with more than 30 years of experience in architectural design and management. Steve’s passion for community extends to helping to promote the safety of our citizens, police officers and other first responders through his professional work with various public safety institutions. His clientele includes municipalities and civic organizations, religious institutions, and educational establishments. “While we are well known for
Steve’s passion for community extends to helping to promote the safety of our citizens, police officers and other first responders through his professional work with various public safety institutions. As Education, Worship and Community Practice Area Leader, Steve is responsible for
the
general
administration
review of projects. His clientele includes municipalities and civic organizations, religious
institutions,
and
establishments.
our expertise in many forms of urban architecture, we also have a deep concern for the welfare of communities and have a good deal of experience with public safety projects,” he said. Lucchesi hopes to work with other cities’ agencies in the future to provide similar high-level training facilities to help keep officers safe and help them adapt to constantly changing threats.
4
and
Ziegler Cooper Architects 700 Louisiana, Ste 350 Houston, TX 77002 t: 713.374.0000 www.zieglercooper.com
educational