Deschutes commissioner to chair regional emergency training project

Published 10:45 am Sunday, May 15, 2022

BEND — Deschutes County Commissioner Tony DeBone will be the first chairman of a steering team that will work to develop a regional emergency training center.

The project, known as CORE3, is planned for 300 acres near the Redmond Airport.

“The pandemic and recent catastrophic wildfires taught many of us in Central Oregon that we all need to be better equipped for emergency situations, especially government agencies,” DeBone said in a news release.

“Central Oregon has a critical lack of training facilities for emergency service personnel and desperately needs a central hub for emergency operations if a major disaster strikes.”

The multi-agency steering team is made up of 25 people overseeing the project. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz will be vice chair.

The current plan for CORE3 is to create a training for law enforcement, fire, paramedics and other emergency personnel, at a cost of roughly $41 million. It will include an indoor gun range and burn building for firefighter training. The project will also function as an emergency coordination center, during major regional or statewide disasters.

The complete buildout of CORE3 is estimated to cost approximately $116 million over the next 30-50 years, according to the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, a lead agency involved in the steering team.