RALEIGH, N.C. (October 28, 2026) - As communities mark Fire Prevention Week, Wake Tech is highlighting a proposed investment in the training facilities that prepare fire and rescue personnel to respond when they are needed.

The $149.1 million Wake Tech Workforce Forward Bond, on the November 3 ballot, includes $20 million for public safety program expansion. The funding would help complete the fire and rescue training center at Eastern Wake Campus, building on work made possible by the 2022 Wake Tech bond.

The expansion would add classrooms, simulation and decontamination labs, flexible training space, equipment and an apparatus bay. These spaces would give students and working professionals more opportunities for hands-on training.

“Wake County’s growth is increasing demand for people with the skills to keep our communities safe, care for our families and support our economy,” said Wake Tech President Dr. Scott Ralls. “These investments would give Wake Tech more capacity to prepare students for those careers while updating the facilities and technology that support their learning.”

The public safety project is part of $41 million in proposed workforce program expansion. The bond also includes $12 million for skilled trades training, $5 million for automotive technology, $2 million for dental hygiene and $2 million for planning future expansion of Conlon Western Wake Campus.

The proposal would provide another $65 million to renovate aging facilities at Southern Wake Campus, Wake Tech’s original campus, and $43.1 million for collegewide renewal, including building systems, safety, accessibility, technology and equipment.

“These projects address both immediate workforce needs and the condition of facilities that serve students every day,” Ralls said. “They would help Wake Tech continue to meet the needs of a growing county.”

For more information about the proposed bond, visit waketech.edu/2026bond.

Wake Tech is North Carolina’s largest community college, serving more than 76,000 adults annually across nine campuses and training sites throughout Wake County, as well as through a comprehensive array of online learning options. The college employs more than 3,100 faculty and staff members dedicated to student success, workforce development, and strengthening the talent pipeline for employers across the region. The college offers more than 250 associate degrees, diplomas and certificates that prepare students for university transfer or immediate employment, along with short-term workforce training, public safety education and training, customized corporate training, small-business support and adult education programs.