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Contact: Becky Magestro
Phone: (262) 473-0101
Email: bmagestro@whitewater-wi.gov

City of Whitewater Celebrates Ribbon Cutting for New Fire Department Training Facility

WHITEWATER, WI. — August 20, 2026 — Yesterday, the City of Whitewater celebrated the ribbon cutting for the Whitewater Fire Department’s new training facility at 1220 Innovation Drive, marking the completion of a major investment in firefighter and emergency-response training for Whitewater and the surrounding region.

The new facility gives Whitewater Fire Department personnel a dedicated location to conduct hands-on training locally and on the department’s own schedule. The three-level training structure and surrounding paved training area are designed to support realistic fire and emergency-response exercises and provide opportunities for training involving neighboring departments.

City Manager of Whitewater, John Weidl said, “Fire and EMS personnel are trained to think in seconds and minutes. That is the job. Building the place where they learn to do it took months and years, and the value of it will be measured in decades.”

The facility also represents an investment in the long-term strength of the Whitewater Fire Department and its workforce.

“Recruitment and retention in the fire service is one of the hardest problems facing small cities in Wisconsin. A department that can train its own people, on its own ground, on its own schedule, is a department people want to join and stay with,” said City Manager of Whitewater, John Weidl.

The project was made possible through funding from the Chief C.G. Hickey Fund, administered by the Whitewater Community Foundation. The Chief C.G. Hickey Memorial Fund provided funding to benefit the Whitewater Fire Department and supported the construction of the new training facility. Assistant Fire Chief Ryan Dion led the project from concept through completion, coordinating with numerous partners and stakeholders to bring the new training facility to fruition.

 “This facility exists because of a gift from the Chief C.G. Hickey Fund and the stewardship of the Whitewater Community Foundation. That is what community investment looks like when it is done right. Every resident of this city and surrounding region is safer for it,” said Weidl.

The City of Whitewater provides efficient and high-quality services that support living, learning, playing and working in an exceptional community. Visit www.whitewater-wi.gov for community information and updates.

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