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E V E R Y T H I N G ' S
July 14, 2015
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GRAND OPENING FUTURE LEADERS OF TEXAS Page 4
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Public Safety Operations & Training Center The mood was a mix of
celebration and relief at the grand opening for the new Public Safety Operations and Training Center on Friday, July 10. A ceremony and ribbon cutting with Mayor Dale Ross preceded a come-andgo open house for distinguished visitors of the City of Georgetown and Williamson County. The events of the week represent the center’s true readiness for duty, and the occupants can get back to (only) the business of public safety. The 76,000 square-foot main building of the new center houses all Police Department employees, as well as Fire Department administration, Fire and Life Safety, Plans Review, and Code Enforcement employees. The center also houses the City’s emergency operations center, 911 emergency communica-
tions center, CSI lab, secure interview suite, volunteer area, victim services area, fitness area, locker rooms, defensive tactics training room, short-wave radio room, and large training room. Training elements of the facility include a 17,000 square-foot tactical building with classrooms and realitybased training bay, as well as a slow-speed driving track. Georgetown voters approved funding for the facility in a bond election in 2011. Georgetown PD Captain Evelyn McLean commented, “It’s a great day. We never thought we would have something like this but it is going to help us progress quickly and manage services with the growth we know is coming to Georgetown. It won’t be long before our ‘western’ location becomes the center of the city.”
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Fire Chief John Sullivan says the building “is a testament, to the community, how seriously we take public safety.” Sullivan is pleased to have fire and police in the same building because it allows cross training, which will make both departments more effective in the field. Police Chief Wayne Nero explained, “This has always been about so much more than space. This is a legacy project for the city. This building was designed to be here for the next 100 years. By co-locating both departments, we strengthen our relationships and ability to engage in collaborative training and safety efforts.” Nero went on to say that the facility is designed for competency. While knowledge is gained in the class-
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