Northcentral Technical College’s (NTC) Public Safety Center of Excellence in Merrill will feature a state-of-the-art Emergency Village thanks to the support of 11 Merrill area businesses who have already committed $110,000 to expand the center in Merrill.
Local businesses including Trantow Do-It Center, Reindl Printing Inc., Weinbrenner Shoe Company Inc., Ministry Good Samaritan Health Center, Merrill Distributing, Bierman Family Foundation, Inc., Riiser Oil Company, River Valley Bank, Ghidorzi Companies, Aspirus, Inc. and Church Mutual Insurance Company have committed a total of $110,000 to the Emergency Village. The Village will replicate the business storefronts on a simulated street block to provide real-life training scenarios for emergency responders.
“The wonderful support and generosity of these local businesses alleviates the need for NTC to go to referendum to make this project a possibility,” said Lori Weyers, President, Northcentral Technical College. “Once this project is complete, we expect several thousand public safety personnel a year to gain practical, hands-on experience right here in Merrill.”
The NTC Public Safety Center of Excellence provides state-of-the-art training for public safety personnel. The Emergency Village will complement the existing training facilities and position NTC as a leader in the Midwest for emergency management training. With the addition of night time training and tactical training in the Emergency Village, NTC will make a significant impact to the economic vitality of the region as trainees come from throughout the Midwest to Merrill to train.
“This facility will allow learners to bridge the gap between classroom discussion and actual emergency management situations by simulating critical events without the inherent risks of actual hazardous materials and exposure to severe weather conditions,” said Bryce Kolpack, NTC Dean of Public Safety.
Construction is expected to begin in spring 2012 with the Emergency Village fully operational for training by the fall 2012 semester.