SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – After 14 years of work, the Tahoe Basin Public Safety Complex finally broke ground on Wednesday, May 20. The complex will support the training of both students and professionals throughout the Tahoe Basin and is set to complete construction in fall of 2027.

The complex is housed at the Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC), and President Jeff DeFranco spoke on the efforts that it took to bring the complex to reality. After a land acknowledgement to the Washoe Tribe, he spoke on the partnership the college has had with the tribe, especially in their land and forestry focused programs.

“The students and professionals who will be trained here will help to protect this great part of the west,” said DeFranco. The complex will be the first comprehensive training site for emergency services, including the north shore, and will train forestry, EMT and fire academy students.

Measure F funds, voted on by the city of South Lake Tahoe, contributed $6.25 million to the project. Board president Tony Sears noted that they were able to leverage much of those funds to help bring the project to life. “This project represents why community colleges exist—to serve their community,” said Sears.

While Chancellor Sonya Christian of the California Community Colleges could not be present, Pamela Haynes spoke on her behalf and said, “Investments like this are critical. LTCC was selected to receive funding for this transformational facility and to be a leader for community colleges.”

Haynes also supported the growth of the workforce through the program, saying, “All roads lead to workforce.”

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Chief Jim Drennan, a longtime supporter of the plan for a complex, recalled the success of the first fire academy class. He said that it showed the demand for such training and the need to expand the program. “Having locally trained firefighters would allow us to take a really good look at the applicants,” said Drennan. “Back in 2006, I thought this would be a dream. But now, it’s a reality.”

DeFranco took a moment of silence to recognize Neil Schnaible, who died in the line of duty on May 4 after suffering a heart attack and subsequent brain bleed. He was a graduate of the fire academy program and had recently been promoted to engineer.

DeFranco also thanked the many partners that helped make the complex possible, including Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein, Representative Kevin Kiley, State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil and Assemblymember Heather Hadwick. He also thanked the Division of State Architects, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, JKAE and the Cumming Group.

As part of the ceremony, Dr. Scott Valentine cut the first tree on the site, slicing off a small portion of the trunk and offering it as a coaster to DeFranco.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, DeFranco showed off the shovel to the crowd and “mother of LTCC” Roberta Mason. The shovel, which has been used in many previous groundbreaking facilities for the college, has now broken ground for its ninth large facility.

The construction for the complex will take place in 2026-2027, and is projected to open in fall of 2027.

Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley. Learn more at https://fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows/.