GREENWOOD — A new facility in Center Grove is being called a game changer with a goal of keeping students and the community safe.
The Center Grove Emergency Operations Center provides a centralized place for Center Grove Police, a full-service fire station shared by Bargersville and White River Township Fire Departments and a satellite office for the Johnson County Sheriff's Office.
"We're always stronger working together. They say two heads are better than one and we're putting four to five different agencies together in one building. Think of how awesome that's going to be and all that we can do," Bargersville Fire Chief Eric Funkhouser said. "Today is one of the most exciting days of my career."
The Center Grove Emergency Operations Center, located at 2309 S Morgantown Road, is less than a half mile from some Center Grove schools. Officials say the location will improve response times - particularly at schools.
Assistant superintendent Bill Long says the idea came after a 2018 security assessment when the district was told it needed to improve response times and live monitoring.
Now, one person from Center Grove Police is dedicated to live monitoring about 700 cameras.
"One of the things that probably keeps all school administrators awake at night is 'are we doing enough to protect our kids?' This station gives us something that not only does it protect our students and our staff, but it helps better protect our whole community," Long said.
The project and facility is one of only a few in the country. Training continues for the police department.
"We have this great facility, now we have to master it," Center Grove Police Chief Ray Jackson said.
-
The family of Adam Sykes responds to a deadly officer-involved shooting
The family of Adam Sykes is speaking up and demanding answers from IMPD after he was shot and killed by police in February.
Indiana legislative session approaches deadline with major decisions looming
So far, the governor has signed more than 100 bills into law, some of which have sparked controversy.
New grant helping central Indiana schools address students' mental wellness
A new grant from Butler University is working to help school districts around central Indiana, geared toward helping students with mental wellness.
Indiana businesses remain concerned over uncertainty when it comes to tariffs
A survey by the Indiana Chamber gauges the level of concern around proposed tariffs to local businesses. 80% say they’re “concerned”, 65% are “very concerned,” and 20% say they are neutral.
