A new $1.19 million four-story tower at the Service Road fire station in Ceres for training firefighters throughout Stanislaus County was dedicated last week. The ceremony included a surprise for retiring Modesto Fire Chief Kevin Wise when it was announced that the center will be named in his honor.
The tower is situated on Ceres city property – formerly the Ceres Fire Station – but is owned and operated by a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) with all its members contributing toward its cost. A host of city, county and fire officials came out for the July 30 dedication and ribbon cutting of what is the Station 17 Fire Training Tower named in Wise’s honor.
Wise is technically the fire chief of Ceres as the city has been contracting for fire service with Modesto since 2019.
Modesto Deputy Fire Chief Darin Jesberg, who is in charge of both the facility and the Modesto Junior College Regional Fire Training Center, said the new tower will “provide a variety of realistic training scenarios to our firefighters, current and new firefighters.”
“This tower is a little different than the other towers we have in our system, as it offers a different types of training scenarios,” stated Jesburg.
Chief Wise said the structure is the “realization of a long standing vision.
“Years ago this site was home to a fire station but during the recession it closed, and its potential diminished with each passing year,” said Wise. “This site was literally just turned into a dumping ground for the city of Ceres. Old equipment, tumbleweeds, the station was just left and so we saw the potential for this site. We knew we had a need and we had a location. So in 2019, things began to change. We formed a partnership for a joint training agreement between multiple fire agencies. With that, we breathed new life into this property, pulling in containers, building props, and transforming it into a functional training ground. And it was with our own people who did the work, welding, building, repositioning everything by hand.”
One piece was missing, however, he said – a training tower “that could simulate the complex, high-risk environments are firefighters face in real life.”
They include apartment buildings, commercial structures and technical rescue responses.
Wise said the high rise concrete training tower at the MJC training center “couldn’t give us all that we wanted.”
The project was first proposed by Modesto Captain Chris Steffen and was set into motion in 2022.
“It allows our personnel to train in a realistic, challenging environment, so in the real call comes in, we are better prepared to serve our community and keep our people safe.”
Wise said the tower’s use is open to all fire departments in Stanislaus County and law enforcement personnel.
The four-story tactical training tower, comprised of large shipping containers, was assembled by American Fire Training Systems, Inc.
In 2019 the city of Ceres formed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with partners to create a new training facility at the Service Road fire station, to train firefighters from Ceres, Modesto, Salida and Stanislaus Consolidated. Later Turlock was added to a new five-year MOU.
The cities of Turlock and Modesto and the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District chipped in $67,900 apiece, while the Yosemite Community College District (YCCD) paid $250,000; and the Stanislaus County Regional Fire Authority to pay $325,000.
Ceres had already allocated $400,000 for the project when the council was asked by staff to approve another $131,358 to cover contingency and construction support services. City Engineer Michael Beltran said the additional budget request was due to the city spending $165,000 to pour the foundation for the four-story tower.
“The city of Ceres is proud to be a partner of Modesto Fire and honored to have this facility located in our community,” said Ceres Mayor Javier Lopez. ”And I say that with passion and pride.”
He also lauded Wise as “an excellent leader.”
“I think it’s going to be great for all to partners to get together and conduct training,” said Ceres Councilwoman Cerina Otero who also attended the event.
County Supervisor Buck Condit, who is a retiree of Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Department who spent many hours at the Service Road facility, said it is “just awesome to see the transformation and really love from all the firefighters, administrators that poured their heart into making this what it is today.”
“This is what kind of things can happen when cities, counties, special districts, all collaborate together to make service here in Stanislaus County better,” said Buck Condit. “It makes our firefighters safe, it makes our citizens safer.”
Wise served as the Ceres Fire Chief from 2019 to 2021 and still serves as a chief through the fire contract as well as chief in other agencies.
Assistant Chief Andrew Hunter mentioned how Wise has battled multiple myeloma with his wife Tara as his key support.
“His journey is a powerful reminder of the strength to lead others,” said Hunter of Wise, “often comes from the strength to overcome personal adversity. The kind of example we want to pass on to every firefighter who climbs these stairs and stretches hose lines and trains within these walls.”
