HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – The new Fire Station 5 in Hopkinsville has completed construction on their 22,000 square foot training tower, which offers firefighters in the region a chance to train in specific, realistic scenarios.

Prior to its completion, the department was using a propane fueled training trailer that was over 15 years old and is the size of a semi-truck trailer. Payton Rogers with HFD said it had limited training capabilities especially when it came to demands that modern day fires produce. The new four-story tower mimics the layout of a type of structure that fire crews may respond to while on duty and includes balconies, stairs and other obstacles that equipment can be used on.

Aerial view of a brick fire station with five red garage doors and a tall red entry tower, a white trailer in the foreground and open fields beyond.
Fire department training tower on a concrete tarmac with two red fire trucks and a tall ladder truck in use nearby.

“The new training tower was intentionally designed to support multiple fire companies and firefighters training at the same time, a significant improvement over the limitations of the previous trailer-based facility,” Rogers told Christian County Now. “The tower features two live-burn rooms, allowing firefighters to train in realistic fire conditions using Class A materials such as wood and hay, which more closely replicate actual fire behavior than propane-fueled training props.”

HFD will also be able to move around the walls on the interior so training exercises can properly reflect the unpredictability of entering a structure fire. In addition, with the height and scale of the tower they are able to hold multiple drills simultaneously such as search and rescue operations and rope rescues.

“By creating more realistic, versatile, and challenging training environments, we are better preparing our personnel to protect the lives and property of the citizens we serve,” said Rogers.

Fire Station 5 officially opened in November of 2025 and is a culmination of years of planning and construction. It is the first new fire station constructed in the city since 1999, with the majority of the city’s fire stations dating back to the 60s. The modern, multi-million-dollar facility aims to dramatically improve emergency response and transform first responder training across the region.

| DOWNLOAD THE APP: Sign up for our free Christian County Now app