The City of Kotzebue Alaska has over 3,100 residents and is the mining and fishing hub of the Northwest Arctic region for 11 villages. Located 30 miles above the arctic circle on the Chukchi Sea in Northwest Alaska, it has a rich history and culture as a trading ground for Inuit people from the US, Canada, Greenland and Russia.
Kotzebue, AK, endures some of the harshest weather conditions in the Arctic. Winters bring biting cold, frequent blustery winds, and heavy snowfall, with temperatures often plunging well below zero. The region also experiences powerful coastal winds off the Arctic Ocean and frequent blizzards that can reduce visibility to near zero. Sea ice and permafrost shape daily life for a majority of the year.
45 years ago, the City of Kotzebue Alaska reached out to WHP Trainingtowers™ founders—Werner, Herbison and Padgett—with a unique request to build a rugged purpose-built fire training tower. The requirements: A structural building that could endure their harsh climatic conditions and withstand the test of time and a thermal barrier that could withstand repeated burns without breaking down. The result of this request: The first ever metal fire training tower. Since then, WHP Trainingtowers™ has designed and installed over 1,000 Fire Training Tower projects. WHP Trainingtowers™ stands behind the integrity of their products with Kotzebue as a prime example.
WHP Trainingtowers™: Built for Alaska’s Arctic Conditions
A Fire Training Tower in Arctic conditions must embody rugged durability across the entire structure and enclosure. Many considerations had to go into the initial design of the tower including the types of materials used to meet the unique requirements for this type of structure. The steel frame and connections must endure extreme cold, thermal contraction and expansion, and high wind pressures. At the same time consideration had to be made for durability as snow loads and icing would impose sustained vertical and lateral stresses. Cladding and roof assemblies had to be used that could resist ice damming, abrasion from blowing snow, and freeze-thaw cycles that can ingress moisture and cause corrosion. The drastic freeze thaw cycles required additional considerations which would require special protective coatings and proper drainage. Overall, the design itself would have to embody redundancy, corrosion resistance and reliable enclosure integrity against blistering winds, shifting ice, and permafrost-related ground movement.
With these considerations in mind Werner, Herbison and Padgett developed the first Steel Fire Training Tower which utilized a rugged corrugated dual frame system and fully hot dipped galvanized components.
Reinforced Steel Cladding System for Training Towers
The introduction of our military-grade proprietary wall cladding system consisted of galvanized and factory painted vertical structural panels with 4.5″ deep corrugations embedded with a series of smaller corrugations. This unique design made them much thicker than other metal buildings and greatly increased the strength of the panel allowing for open spaces and design flexibility. The cladding was structurally bolted together every 6″ making it the strongest steel wall cladding system on the market, providing the perfect wall surface for safe firefighter laddering and rappelling evolutions.
Durable Hot-Dipped Steel for Arctic Training Towers
The original training tower design which is still used today, utilizes hot dipped galvanized steel. Rather than just surface coating with a galvanizing spray material the steel panels are hot-dipped into a vat of galvanizing material at a high temperature, assuring complete bonding with a long-lasting superior coating. The result: A strong durable panel that can resist the rust and corrosion of the harsh freeze-thaw cycles and powerful coastal winds off of the Arctic Ocean.
Engineering a Tower That Withstands Time
In an effort to further strengthen the structural cladding system, a secondary framing system consists of heavy gauge steel columns which provide additional rigidity and the ability to add, modify, or update our structure in the future without the need for structural modifications. Without structural modification, the building system was already capable of meeting the most stringent wind load and seismic requirements in the country.
Padgenite™: The Innovation That Changed Fire Training
In addition to the requirements of the rugged building structure itself, the Kotzebue fire department was looking for the ability to mimic real fires and train in a live fire environment which could be used repetitively. Considerations included: The ability of the thermal lining system to protect the exterior structure itself and maintain the structural integrity of the building, as well as the ability to conduct live fire training events within the structure that would provide a safe and realistic training environment.
That’s when the original Padgenite™ I was born. A fire training industry game changer, this calcium-silicate-based panel offered the perfect blend of durability and heat resistance. Padgenite™ I was the first high-temperature, thermal insulating burn room panel created specifically for firefighter training, and it quickly became a standard in WHP Trainingtowers’™ burn room construction. These early Padgenite™ panels offered departments something they had never seen before—a product that mimicked real-world heat conditions while protecting the structure behind the walls.
Left to Right: Firefighter/EMT Tierney Kootuk, WHP™ CEO Maggie Scaletty, WHP™ CPO Steven Jahnke, Fire Chief Joshua Funk and Firefighter EMT JJ Foster
45 Years Later: WHP Trainingtowers™ Still Standing Strong
In July 2025, exactly 45 years after its original construction, CEO Maggie Scaletty and CPO Steven Jahnke traveled to Kotzebue Alaska to meet with Fire Chief Josh Funk to assess WHP Trainingtowers™ inaugural build—the first steel fire training tower ever installed. The tower remains in remarkable condition: Minimal rust, fully functional, and continually in use. Remote locations like Kotzebue lack road access to the lower 48, so all materials must be delivered by air or barge, making repairs and field service expensive. Yet, the steel structure’s inherent durability and the design’s corrosion resistance have kept maintenance straightforward. All upkeep—including the thermal lining system—has been self-performed by the local Fire Department. As of July 2025, the tower is still in active use, with live Class-A burns conducted on the original building and Padgenite™ lining system. Fire training practices continue to evolve, favoring more combustive engineered materials and faster response times, underscoring the value of a structure designed for long-term adaptability. WHP Trainingtowers™ exemplify purpose-built systems built to endure decades, while leaving a lasting legacy for future generations of firefighters.
FAQs
Q1: Where was the first WHP™ Training Tower built?
Q2: What makes WHP Trainingtower’s™ fire training towers last so long?
Q3: Who founded WHP Trainingtowers™?
Q4: Does WHP Trainingtowers™ still use the same building methods today?
WHP Trainingtowers: A Legacy of Durability and Design Excellence
WHP Trainingtowers™ has always had the vision to create spaces that will stand the test of time and provide each fire department with the ability to grow their training program as their community grows. Even during the design and construction of the first WHP™ Training Tower, WHP Trainingtowers™ had the future in mind.
From Kotzebue, AK—their first training tower project, to Louisville, KY, their 1,000th—WHP Trainingtowers™ has engineered the structural system to support the needs of a growing department. Each building is over-designed to support future additions, such as burn rooms, additional square footage, and additional training props.
Over 45 years, your community and your training program are certain to change and having facilities that can stand the test of time and grow with you will support the legacy you leave for your department.
If you’re ready to build a training facility that will grow with your department for decades, connect with WHP Trainingtowers™. Our team is here to guide you, answer questions, and help you plan for the future.
