Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/563465
32 | I NSIGH T • S e p t e m b e r 2 0 15 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m B y A n d r e w S c h a i c k C all it a playground for public safety. at's perhaps the best way to describe Fox Valley Technical College's Public Safety Training Center in Greenville, a 75-acre training ground complete with a six-story burn building, a Boeing 727 aircra, train derailment simulation and high speed pursuit track. But not just anyone can come use the sandbox. It's specifically designed for students and law enforcement training, and it's gaining nationwide attention. FVTC's facility has drawn students and law enforcement officials from all around the U.S. who are utilizing the grounds to gain hands-on training in real-life emergency scenarios. Officials from the college, which received an Insight Innovation Award for the project, say the training center offers an experience no other place in the country can provide. "What makes us so unique is we do multi-disciplinary training for all aspects of public safety," says Aaron Tomlinson, dean of public safety. "Most centers across the nation typically only focus on one field of training, and you will see a crossover of all areas here at this facility." is $35 million project, built following a 2012 referendum, is located on the south side of Appleton International Airport. It's the nation's first fully-integrated training facility Beefing up the brigade FVTC's Public Safety Training Center draws national attention for law enforcement, fire service and emergency response personnel. FBI officials have also descended on the training facility to help train some of the nation's top public safety officials and investigators. "Since we've fully opened in January, we've had almost 6,000 people through the building, so really we see an average of 1,000 people per month. And that does not include our degree earning students," Tomlinson says. Secret Service and FBI squads use the facility as a way to gain hands-on experience in situations they might face on a daily basis. "Having some of the top emergency response people in the field come here to do their training says a lot about the facility. We have established a location that people want to come to," Tomlinson says. Besides the hands-on training, the site also features classrooms with state-of-the-art technology. Tomlinson says the rooms provide a way for students and law enforcement to learn the basics, before applying what they learned to real-life situations. Serving a need More than 400 students were on a waiting list for the Fire Protection Program before the training center opened. e college found its criminal justice training programs had Training for various tactics takes place on the Boeing 727 aircraft donated to FVTC P H O T O C O U R T E S Y F V T C I N S I G H T O N H I G H E R EDUCATION