Gilbert, Arizona is leading the way in public safety innovation and training, from cutting-edge facilities to inclusive, trauma-informed care, Gilbert is redefining what it means to serve and protect a growing community
Once a small farming community known as the “hay shipping capital of the world,” Gilbert, Arizona is now the state’s fifth-largest municipality and a thriving hub for the aerospace, defense, and biotech industries. With Gilbert’s designation as the second safest city in the United States, this high-growth community has made strategic investment in its public safety infrastructure, training, and workplace culture to support its rapid growth.
Purpose-built public safety training facility
The Town of Gilbert’s $86 million, 50-acre training facility prepares current and future first responders in their local environment, blending element-specific training and immersive technology. The training prepares first responders for a wide range of potential scenarios they may encounter across the nearly 200,000 calls for service received by Gilbert each year. Prior to the facilities implementation, the town’s first responders spent more than 4,000 hours off post each year, traveling to receive training in different communities. Not only can these first responders now train locally, but these facilities are also a hub for training volunteers and aspiring first responders from throughout the state and region.
For example, the Gilbert Fire Department hosts a three-week internship program as a part of their firefighter recruitment program, in addition to co-hosting with the Gilbert Police Department a four-day Aspire Academy for high school-aged girls interested in the public safety field. A Cadet Program and COM251 program train adults and volunteers who may be interested in becoming professional firefighters or volunteering in post-incident recovery, respectively. The Gilbert Police Department created the Gilbert Police Regional Academy following the implementation of this space, a multi-community collaborative recruit training program that serves Phoenix-area partner agencies. The police department anticipates bringing more than 200 new recruits into the department by 2030.
Cutting-edge training tools and technology
The purpose-built nature of the space allows police and firefighters to train in realistic environments. The facility includes a 46,000-square-foot pair of indoor shooting ranges that support low-light and vehicle-based training in a lead-free, soundproof environment. The facility utilizes a pressure system to eliminate smoke within sixty seconds of rounds being fired and even accommodates material separation for metal recycling – with nearly 12,000 pounds of brass bullet casings and 6,000 pounds of frangible powder having been recycled over the past two years. Access to a high-quality indoor training facility in the harsh desert climate has led to a high demand for this space from surrounding law enforcement agencies, as well.
A simulated rail incident on the public safety training center campus allows the fire department to train with the specific type of equipment that transports nearly 70% of hazardous materials in the US. Also, a serpentine driving track provides public safety personnel with a safe environment to learn and refine emergency vehicle driving techniques and pursuit tactics, such as utilizing Stop Sticks® or deploying grapplers.
In addition to providing enhanced facilities for on-the-scene first responders, the Town of Gilbert has invested in facilities for those professionals who provide crucial support off-scene in their Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and 911 Dispatch center. There has been a growing movement to recognize 911 dispatchers as first responders, ensuring that they receive the appropriate benefits and mental health resources to manage the high stress and trauma of triaging a wide variety of emergencies. From 2023 to 2024, Gilbert’s EOC was remodeled at a cost of $7.7 million and the 911 Dispatch center was remodeled, doubled in size, and equipped with cutting-edge technology at a cost of $11 million.
The 911 Dispatch Center now emphasizes wellness in design by incorporating art and function. While functionally, the center more than doubled in size to 10,500 square feet with 19 dispatch consoles and room for five more; technology-wise, the center also features Cloud CAD, Next Gen 911, updated radio consoles, and flex-use training spaces with the actual consoles that future dispatchers will utilize.
Further, elements promoting art and wellness such as circadian rhythm lighting, solar tubes that bring in natural lighting, biophilia through plants and green walls, and a high-tech air purification system make a stressful environment more physically inviting.
The Town of Gilbert has demonstrated significant care for the well-being of its employees, too. Off of the Dispatch floor are wellness rooms with red-light and massage therapy machines and a fitness center. The town’s Baby at Work Program allows new parents to bring their infants to work for the first six months of their life, with specialized baby rooms and nursing suites available just steps away from parents. This not only relieves stress for new parents, but also helps them better connect as a team.
Immersive and inclusive public safety training
Gilbert’s Police, Fire, and Parks & Recreation Departments are Certified Autism Centers, which ensures that 80% or more of the employees within these departments are trained to communicate with and respond to community members on the autism spectrum. The Police Department also utilizes VirTra V-300 immersive simulation systems to train first responders in real-time decision making, as well as through a specialized Autism Awareness V-VICTA program developed in partnership with the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center.
The Police Department also offers their Bring Me Home Program, a confidential program by which family members or caregivers can provide law enforcement with information to build a confidential profile for individuals on the autism spectrum, which may include a photo, information about sensory triggers, fears, interests, and communication preferences. Further, the Gilbert Police and Fire Departments jointly host S.A.F.E. (Sensory Awareness Family Events) Public Safety Day each Spring, offering family members an opportunity to introduce children on the autism spectrum to first responders in a low-stakes, non-emergency environment. Individuals can ride along in a fire truck, experience a police traffic stop, see fire gear up close, and more.
The goal of these educational efforts is to elevate the level of service which first responders offer to all community members and to create opportunities for individuals on the autism spectrum to bond with first responders before a crisis occurs.
Indeed, the Town of Gilbert’s mission is to Anticipate. Create. Help People. If this were not evident enough from its thoughtful and intentional investments in public safety infrastructure and community-facing partnerships, the forthcoming Gilbert Advocacy Center is a living embodiment of this mission. The Advocacy Center, slated to open in 2026, is a place for crime victims to recover from trauma and navigate the justice process. The facility will feature trauma-informed design in its architectural design and consider user experience first and foremost. The space will offer forensic interview rooms, private counseling rooms, group therapy spaces, victim advocate space, and more.
Through this type of intentional investment and innovation, the Town of Gilbert is not only preparing for the future needs of its own population, but it’s setting a high standard for the future of public safety.
Photos courtesy of the Town of Gilbert
You can find out more about how law enforcement is using advanced technology in their efforts to fight crime and serve the public here
