By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
Walton Mayor Gabe Brown wants Northern Kentucky to have a training facility for Police and Firefighters.
At the June Kenton County Mayor’s meeting, Brown phoned into the meeting to explain the graphic he had asked to be given out at the meeting showing a concept drawing of a training facility on land out in Walton.
“The idea came to me while sitting in some of the mayors’ meetings that there isn’t a good training facility in Northern Kentucky,” he said. “Add to that the fact that it is a long waiting list to get new police hires into the police academy in Richmond. I thought maybe I could help.”
A Walton resident, Dr. Odell Owens had gifted 54 acres of land to the city of Walton, and there is a 9-acre lake on the property.
“It’s beautiful property,” Brown said. “Heavy thicket in some places.”
About a year ago, Walton council members approved road frontage for a fire training center. for the Walton Fire Protection District. Next, Brown hopes to take the plans for the fire department a liitle further, back out of sight in the thicket.
“Out of sight, out of mind, I figure,” said Brown. “It will still be there. It is good to train for a natural disaster. There was a tornado back in 2015 or 2018 that swerved toward Walton and Crittenden, but it didn’t hit either city. Just because it hasn’t happened doesn’t mean it won’t.”
Brown contacted Steve Hensley, Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management in Kenton County to see what he thought of the idea, and Hensley put him in touch with Police Chief Brad Degenhart, President of the Northern Kentucky Police Chiefs Association.
Degenhart thought the idea was good, and they hired architect group Branstetter Carroll to create a concept drawing of what a shared firefighter/police training area would look like.
“We have never had an actual physical training facility in this area,” said Degenhardt. “We did receive a service certificate which allows us to provide training hours wherever we can borrow space from other police departments. The training has to be in a certified center with certified trainers. It would be so much nicer to have everything in one place, and all of our needs in one place.”
The original drawing shows a training facility on about 15 to 16 acres, with access off Percival road in Kenton County, and Powell lane leading to back into the property to the training compound. As Brown said, there is a dense thicket of trees between the road and the compound.
“Before the public hearing, we decided we didn’t need all fifteen acres, so we went back to Branstetter Carroll and asked them to trim the drawing up and keep it to 11 acres,” said Degenhardt. “We passed the new drawing out at the public hearing.”
The training center will still have the same entrance off Percival Road, and will include a training tower, a burn building, pond water rescue, an indoor gun range, police buildings, fire buildings, a K-9 training area, and areas that can simulate almost any kind of disaster that would require a rescue.
The plan is not all greenlighted yet. Brown presented the drawing at the mayor’s meeting, and Erlanger Mayor Jessica Fette asked what the group could do to help Brown. He told her a letter of support would be good for the project, and then he invited everyone to the public forum, which was held in the city on June 20.
“Some council members thought we should have a public hearing to gather opinions from the residents,” he explained. “It was a three hour meeting, and it was mixed. Quite a few had some concerns.”
His next test will be tonight at the regular Walton Council meeting where there will be a resolution to agree to enter into negotiations for the usage of the land. If approved, Brown will be able to lease the land to the Police Chiefs Association on a long term basis, so they can build a dual agency training center, something Northern Kentucky really needs.
“This is a big deal for Northern Kentucky,” Brown stated. “I don’t know if people realize what a big deal this is. I know the people in this group understand what this means and how much this will help Northern Kentucky.”
Brown thinks he has four votes, but he understands that pressure from people can make a vote waver. He thinks the training center will be a tribute to Dr. Owens, but he will live with whatever happens.
“I live in reality,” he said.