IHCC to dedicate emergency personnel  training facility and give tours, Oct. 29

OTTUMWA ? Indian Hills Community College will dedicate its new Rural Emergency Services Training Center at 10 a.m. Oct. 29.

The center is located on the college?s North Campus at the Ottumwa Industrial Airport.

The dedication ceremony events include facility demonstrations and tours at 10:30 a.m.

A reception will be held at 11 a.m. at the college?s North Campus Café, located on the west side of the ATC North building.

The state-of-the-art tactical training facility will be utilized by regional fire, emergency medical services and law enforcement personnel.

The building features three levels, three burn rooms and various types of doors to allow for maximum flexibility in the training of emergency workers.

Indian Hills also is renovating a nearby building to provide classroom space near the site.

Indian Hills President Jim Lindenmayer will open the dedication ceremony, followed by comments from Bill Menner, USDA Rural Development State Director; Randy Novak, Bureau Chief of the Iowa Fire Service Training Bureau; and Jim Clark, Chief of the Ottumwa Police Department.

Funding for the project initially came from the Iowa Legislature, which in 2006 dedicated funding to establish 11 regional fire training facilities in Iowa.

Indian Hills also received grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Foundation, Ottumwa Oktoberfest Committee and the Alliant Energy Foundation.