An overnight fire at the Marion County Regional Skills Center in Kimball heavily damaged the American Job Center (AJC) affiliate office located inside the Battlecreek Road facility, according to a release from the Southeast Tennessee Development District.
No one was inside the building at the time of the fire, since the center was closed. Local firefighters worked to contain the flames and no injuries were reported. Investigators are currently trying to determine how the fire started.
The Regional Skills Center facility is owned by Marion County and Chattanooga State Community College has operated training and education programs for several decades at the location.
"This location provides much-needed job services to the people of Marion County and the fire is a tremendous setback for the area," said the Center's director Patrick O'Hagan. "The fire will disrupt the local availability of these services in the coming weeks."
A temporary AJC is currently open at Chattanooga State's Kimball campus at 2100 Main Street. It will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., CT. Anyone needing questions or who may need assistance finding the location can call 423-837-9103.
Starting Monday, June 4, the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development will also have its mobile American Job Center at the temporary Chattanooga State campus AJC location to provide additional services to job seekers, according to the release.
Marion County residents can also access full services at the comprehensive American Job Center located in the Eastgate Town Center at 5600 Brainerd Road in Chattanooga. That center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. ET.