Tarrant County College District’s New Firing Range Serves the DFW Metroplex

10/30/2013 | VLK Architects

Tarrant County College District’s new indoor firing range will provide students and law enforcement officials a training experience unlike any other in the DFW Metroplex. The nearly 35,000 square foot facility is part of TCCD’s Criminal Justice Training Center (CJTC) that has served approximately 3,000 graduates a year. The new facility expects to double enrollment fairly quickly.

Cadets and law enforcement officials previously used the campus’ open-air firing range. The opening of a new high school across the street from the College’s Northwest Campus and subsequent concerns regarding safety led TCCD to partner with VLK Architects to create this state-of-the-art indoor facility. Designed to serve CJTC Basic Police Officer Academy cadets as well as state, federal, local and county police agencies in north Texas, the range houses 15 50- yard firing lanes, five 100-yard lanes, a 40-seat classroom, ammo and target storage rooms, a cleaning room and a break room.

High-tech amenities incorporated into the design include a high-volume HVAC system designed for firing ranges that removes lead from the air, making this a “Safe Training Environment” for users and instructors. Additional benefits of this indoor range include protecting the surrounding community from noise pollution and providing cadets the ability to participate in night training and mock exercises, preparing them for real-life situations.

“We are both proud and excited to have this facility on the Northwest Campus. It continues to highlight the amazing partnerships that TCCD has with the local businesses and county agencies that all played a significant role in the planning, development and construction of the firing range,” says Dr. Elva LeBlanc, TCCD Northwest Campus President. “We look forward to the success of our students that will utilize this facility and to the expansion of our programs that will be offered by the Northwest Campus Criminal Justice Training Center.”

The College’s dynamic range rivals some federal-level facilities. “This indoor range allows TCCD to provide a truly modern, state-of-the-art facility for both the community and for local police forces,” states Kirby Chadwell, AIA, TCCD Director of Facilities Planning & Development. “This will expand training opportunities for cadets and law enforcement across the Metroplex.”

VLK appreciates the ability to collaborate with TCCD on such a pivotal project, designed to benefit law enforcement in the area. “VLK is privileged to continue our partnership with Tarrant County College District on this project,” states VLK Principal Sloan Harris, AIA. “We are proud to be able to work with the College to continue offering programs to governing authorities in north Texas.”

About VLK Architects
With offices in Fort Worth and Houston, Texas, VLK Architects provides architecture, planning and interior design services to K-12, Higher Education, Corporate and Institutional clients throughout Texas. For more information please contact Ms. Kristen Allbritton, Marketing Coordinator, at 817-633-1600 or kallbritton@vlkarchitects.com.