Northcentral Technical College (NTC) hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Public Safety Center of Excellence in Merrill last Wednesday. The facility, which trains both NTC’s students and public safety professional from throughout the region, was rebuilt and greatly expanded after it took a direct hit from a tornado in April 2011.
“Two years ago, it was flattened,” said NTC President Lori Weyers. “In every challenge there’s an opportunity. We saw an opportunity to serve the community of Merrill and the communities that support NTC.”
The land on Champagne Street near the Merrill Airport, was donated to NTC in the 1990s and the Public Safety Center opened in 2005.
Weyers thanked the city of Merrill, area businesses, the NTC Foundation and Board of Trustees, and legislators for their work in making the PSCOE a reality.
“We’re bringing people to Merrill,” she said. “They eat in the restaurants, stay in the hotels and buy their gas here. We want to help the economic vitality of the community.”
The new, improved Public Safety Center of Excellence complex and Emergency Village training facility allows learners in fire, EMS and criminal justice to bridge the gap between classroom discussion and actual emergency management situations by mimicking real life critical events without the inherent risks of actual hazardous materials and exposure to severe weather conditions. The 36 acre site is located on the edge of the City of Merrill, an area rich with a natural environment suitable for multiple uses including water rescue and wilderness training.
“We have a very unique training facility,” Weyers said. “This is primarily for our region, and for our students to simulate situations to best prepare them for their work as public safety professionals.”
The Emergency Village, unique to the technical college system, was constructed with the help of donations from the local business community.
“We have the only one in the technical college system, putting Merrill on the map,” Weyers said.
Weyers said she expects 11,000 people a year will use the facility. Along with NTC students and area agencies, state and federal agencies have already contracted with the facility for training.
“We look forward to hosting the 10,000 or so people that will come through here every year,” said Merrill Mayor Bill Bialecki. “I thank NTC for the financial impact this is going to have on our city.”
Church Mutual Insurance Company was the first Merrill business to step up and take a leadership role in raising funds for the facility, while making the first donation themselves.
Michael Ravn, President/CEO of Church Mutual and an NTC Foundation board member, thanked NTC for their commitment to the area.
“I’m here to represent a group of Merrill area businesses that came forward, that anted up a significant amount of money to help put this project together,” Ravn said.
Ravn is also a board member of the Merrill Area Community Foundation, which provided a grant to help purchase robotics in use at the facility.
Maria Volpe, an NTC Board member from Merrill, said she is proud to be part of both the Merrill community and the NTC board. She said the dedication, vision and hard work behind the PSCOE is truly inspiring.
“We have overcome,” she said. “The Merrill community has moved forward since the devastation of the tornado and NTC has moved forward with a Center of Excellence we can be proud of.”
Paul Proulx, another NTC Board member from Merrill, said, “All the donations, the hard work and the dedication that went into this facility is just phenomenal. This facility will stand proud for many years and train thousands of people.”
Streets in the campus were dedicated in honor of Lori Weyers and retired Church Mutual CEO Gerald Whitburn, who was instrumental in rallying community support of the project.
“I hope this is a true tribute of how much we appreciate your leadership in making this happen,” Weyers said of Whitburn, who was not able to attend the ceremony.
A representative of Rep. Sean Duffy presented the facility with a flag that had been flown over the nation’s capitol.
The public was offered tours of the PSCOE following the ribbon cutting ceremony last Wednesday.