The fire district that protects Tigard, Tualatin, Bull Mountain and Durham demolished its Training Center administrative building in July, and what replaces it remains undecided.
Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue took down the 13,912-square-foot, two-story building at 12400 S.W. Tonquin Road near Sherwood after 35 years of use, according to the Valley Times.
The structure, built in 1991, served as headquarters for TVF&R's training division staff and hosted recruit academies, promotional ceremonies, community academies and the district's annual Tualatin Valley Fire Camp.
Officials said the building lacked the space and modern features needed to train the next generation of first responders. Training division staff moved into a temporary modular unit on site in May.
"We are still early in this process, and no definitive decision has been made yet on the design or purpose of the proposed structure," TVF&R public affairs officer Jacob Fuhrer said.
Fuhrer said conversations are underway about what type of replacement to build, with stakeholders weighing in on options. No timeline has been set. No budget or design has been announced.
TVF&R serves roughly 552,070 residents across 390 square miles, operating 28 stations with more than 450 career firefighters and paramedics. Its headquarters sit on Southwest 70th Avenue in Tigard, but the Tonquin Road training center is where every local firefighter sharpens skills in live-fire scenarios, hazardous-materials response and rescue simulations.
The 18-acre site, built in a former rock quarry in 1986, includes a specialized fire training structure, donated vehicles for extrication practice and a decommissioned rail tank car for hazmat drills.
According to TVF&R's own project page, the site's layout forces recruits to walk long distances between training areas, costing the equivalent of several full days per academy class. Training props on site are decades old and have reached the end of their useful life.
The district installed temporary modular units and portable restrooms in December 2025 to house recruit academies during the transition. Day-to-day training operations continue on the 18-acre site while planning for a permanent replacement proceeds.
