Written by Tanya Terry
A proposal for the City of Flint acquiring 27 parcels of land from the Genesee County Land Bank was sent to the Flint City Council December 18 and may soon be accepted.
Police Chief Terence Green told the council that plans are being made to renovate Fire Station 4 on Industrial Drive near Stewart Avenue, to add to the building, and produce a training center with classrooms, a 10-stall shooting range, grounds for training simulations and additional shared parking.
According to Green, the City wants to renovate Fire Station 4 and add to the building and produce a training center with classrooms, a 10-stall shooting range, grounds for training simulations and additional shared parking. Although he did not give an estimate for the whole project, Green said the part of the building to be used for the training would excess $1 million.
According to Green, the training center would save time for police who travel to Shiawassee County four times a year time. He added Flint police could have firearm training more often with a training center right in the city.
“We are going to continue our firearm training even without the training facility,” said Green. “But this is a facility combining the fire department and the police department. What the public safety training facility does is it increases public safety based on the fact it lessens the liability of the City. It lessens the liability of the officers who are traveling. Currently we’re traveling 30-40 minutes one way to conduct firearms service. The training is conducted when the officers are on duty. It’s really going to lessen our lost work hours for training. It’s located in the city of Flint. Their traveling 40 minutes one way is a liability for the officer, therefore a liability for the City. This is something really positive for the city. There’s going to be a cost savings with gas mileage. They’ll be less wear and tear on our vehicles. Officers can check out of service and check back in service within 30 minutes, versus two hours.”
Green stressed that anytime an officer drives out the city limits, there could be an accident or something else could occur.
Flint Police officers once were able to use a range used by several area police departments at Bishop Airport. In 2005, The Bishop Airport Authority shut down a range after a Federal Aviation Administration employee said a bullet went past his shoulder as he worked on a runway.
In 2009, Fire Station 4 closed because of Flint budget cuts.
The council Finance Committee did not take action on the land purchase at the recent meeting, saying they needed more information.
“We will provide any information they request,” said Green.
He added it is a public project.
“This is 100% positive. There is no negative about it. The biggest thing is liability. There’s going to be cost saving, and it’s better for the citizens of Flint.”
The committee meets again on Jan. 3, and Green said he is planning on being there.
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