At WHP Trainingtowers™, we’re celebrating 45 years of firefighter training. We lead the fire training tower industry domestically and internationally. We have been in business since 1980 and have over 1,000 training towers worldwide. You’ll find WHP training towers in Canada, Italy, Asia, Germany, and the Middle East. In fact, WHP Trainingtowers™ has provided the fire service with more pre-engineered metal fire training towers and buildings than any other supplier in the world. How did we get here?
Dedication to Quality and Constant Innovation
This global dominance is due to an unwavering dedication to quality, and our continual innovation in firefighting equipment. We have been at the head of the pack since Bernie Padgett founded Werner-Herbison-Padgett (WHP) in 1980. Around the globe, our products are valued for their durability, effectiveness, and safety. Joe Kirchner, COO says, “You can’t lead the industry without keeping a close eye on the future.”
45 Years of Innovation
This over 45-year history of constant innovation is responsible for our continued growth and global success. Here’s a nutshell view of the innovations that have kept us at the forefront of our industry for four decades:
1980 Werner-Herbison-Padgett Founded
Bernie Padgett founded Werner-Herbison-Padgett, a large Chicago construction company. Mr. Padgett had a reputation for quality, integrity, and customer service. Bernie saw a need for a fire training building that could withstand repetitive uses in a harsh environment and array of climates. Seeing this unfilled need, he used his existing knowledge to crossover and introduced the FIRST ever metal fire training tower to the market. By the time Bernie retired in 1998, he had completed over 200 fire training towers and related projects, of which his very first tower is still in use today in Kotzebue, Alaska…45 years later!
1980 Introduced First High-Temperature Burn Room Panels
Werner-Herbison-Padgett introduced the FIRST high-temperature, thermal insulating burn room panels, specifically for fire training.
1997 Fire Chief William Jahnke (Ret.) purchased Werner-Herbison-Padgett
He relocated the company to Overland Park, KS, and renamed it WHP in honor of the founding fathers. Bill’s unique combination of skills (28 years of firefighting experience and over 45 years in construction management) provided the perfect ingredients to make the company successful.
1998 WHP Sets Industry Standards in Quality
WHP’s mission is to provide the highest quality, most rugged metal training building available. Our exclusive two-part framing system, 18-gauge steel, fully galvanized stairs and railings, and custom-designed buildings made our towers the best in the industry.
2002 Padgenite Super HD™
Our unique proprietary Padgenite Super HD™ thermal lining system is the highest density board offered on the market, making it the most durable and quality consistent burn room panel offered in a thermal lining system to date.
2002 Introduced Concrete Floors
We introduced concrete floors throughout the entire structure for increased durability and longevity.
2004 Upgraded Shutters
Redesigned shutters doubling the thickness of the steel and adding a hardware package operable from both inside and out.
2004 Hot-Dipped Galvanized Steel Standard
We made hot-dipped galvanized standard on all stairs, railings, ladders, and other fabricated components lowering maintenance and increasing longevity.
2006 Upgraded Rappelling Anchors
Upgraded rappelling anchors to forged hot-dipped galvanized swivel-style anchors for increased safety and capacity.
2007 Made Maze System Trackless
Upgraded maze system to function without ceiling tracks increasing the usable maze area to the entire structure allowing for flexible training scenarios.
2009 Designed Hazmat Training Facility
WHP designed the first fully integrated hazmat (hazardous materials) training facility for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. WHP manufactures over a dozen hazmat props for realistic training.
2016 Introduced MODx™ Towers
WHP introduced the MODx™ training tower to the public at FDIC. Unlike fire training containers, the fully galvanized structural steel frame allows for open floor plans without any interior columns or beams. The walls are independent of the unit, allowing all walls, doors, and windows to be easily moved, removed, or reconfigured.
2016 Upgraded to Steel Plate Doors
Upgraded hollow metal doors to plate steel doors and continuous hinges increasing the durability and reducing maintenance.
2017 Waterproof Concrete Floors
Introduced permanent waterproofing component to concrete floor decks reducing maintenance and increasing the structure’s lifespan.
2020 Celebrated 40 Years in Business
At WHP, we are proud of four decades of enhancing firefighter training and safety. From quote to completion, we make it as easy as possible for fire departments around the world to provide realistic training for their firefighters.
2020 Introduced Padgenite Interlock™ System
Padgenite Interlock™ panels are attached to metal mounting channels which allow for an additional insulating air space between the panels and the walls of the building increasing the longevity of our buildings.
2020 Hazmat Instructor Series™ Trailer
The Hazmat Instructor Series™ Training Trailer comes plumbed and wired for all props (1-ton chlorine cylinder, leaking drum, reacting drum, leaking tank, falling cylinders with rack, sprinkler system, leaking training tree, and smoke machine) and includes our wireless portable control system that controls all of the props in the trailer.
2025 Celebrating 45 Years of Firefighter Training
As you can see, ours has been a journey of continuous improvement and innovation. Our passion for excellence and dedication to safety drives everything we do. Each tower we construct is a testament to our relentless pursuit of quality. “We simply never rest. We are constantly looking for ways to improve our products either by making them more durable, more practical, more affordable, or safer,” said Joe Kirchner, COO.
Global Leaders in Fire Training Towers
Our influence extends around the world, reshaping training with our state-of-the-art designs and superior engineering. Our global footprint and industry expertise make us the undisputed leaders in delivering the highest quality training environments for fire services everywhere. At WHP Trainingtowers™ we don’t just lead the market; we revolutionize it. While WHP doesn’t stand for “We Hardly Pause”, it certainly could.
