Alamance Community College President Dr. Ken Ingle presided over his first groundbreaking event on February 23 to celebrate the upcoming construction phase for a new $19,953,668 Public Safety Training Center and Firing Range.
College administrators, public officials, and professionals in the law enforcement community attended the symbolic ceremony held on February 23 at Green Level Municipal Park, a short distance from the 91-acre tract of land where the building will actually stand.
ACC’s new Public Safety Training Center and Firing Range will be the only such regional facility in central North Carolina, according to Sheriff Terry Johnson. It will provide rigorous training, including the use of simulation technology, for the College’s BLET (Basic Law Enforcement Technology) students, as well as law enforcement personnel and first responders from across the state.
The plans for the Public Safety Training Center received a boost last year with a $5.5 million appropriation from the N.C. General Assembly 2023-2024 state budget. The $5.5 million will specifically fund the indoor firing range that previously lacked full funding. Construction begins this spring and is expected to be completed in Summer 2025.
“The Public Safety Training Center symbolizes our dedication to fostering the culture of excellence in emergency response and public safety,” said ACC President Dr. Ken Ingle. “Together we will continue to build an institution that not only educates, but also serves as a beacon of support for those who safeguard the well-being of our community. It is such a challenging job, and we always want to be supportive.”
“Law enforcement in today’s world needs all the education they can get to better serve our citizens. We finally have the groundbreaking for our emergency training center for our officers, our firemen, and our EMTs,” said Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson.
U.S. Congresswoman (District 4) Valerie Foushee, unable to attend the ceremony, sent written remarks delivered by ACC Trustee Vice Chair Julie Scott Emmons. “Facilities like this one are critically important to our communities as they lower barriers to education, interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline, and help us develop a strong and specialized workforce right here at home. I am excited to see everything that ACC is doing, and will continue to do, for our students, the county, and our state,” wrote Foushee.
“Having a state-of-the-art training facility for all of our local agencies is paramount to upholding our oath as officers. It takes deliberate and continuous training to be able to perform in life and death scenarios,” said Eli Huneycutt, Burlington Police Officer and a member of ACC’s BLET Class.
Other keynote speakers included Amy Galey, NC State Senator, District 25; Stephen Ross, NC State Representative, District 63; Dennis Riddell, NC State Representative, District 64; John Paisley, Chair of Alamance Co. Board of Commissioners; and Remonia Enoch, Mayor of Town of Green Level.
The event concluded with the ceremonial groundbreaking as several groups of dignitaries pitched dirt with gold-plated shovels.