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Northland Pioneer College (NPC) President Mark Vest informed the Taylor and Snowflake councils at the May 2 joint meeting that appropriations promised to the Jake Flake Emergency Services Institute Northeast Arizona Training Center (NATC) nearly a decade ago, might be forthcoming during the current legislative session.
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Vest shared, “When Senator Jeff Flake and others throughout the area pushed the legislature for the financial support to get this facility going in the wake of the Rodeo-Chediski Fire, the legislature at that time committed to a series of appropriations to provide a permanent home for fire, law enforcement and emergency service training for everyone in the area.”
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Surplus trailers provided by the county have been used for the classrooms, but as Vest noted “The trailers are at the end of their useful life.
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“Given the budget surplus this year,” Vest continued. “NATC decided it was a good time to approach Senator Allen and Representative (Walter) Blackman to see if we could get the appropriation that was promised over a decade ago.”
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The good news is that NATC is on the senate draft for an appropriation of $1 million, which would be used to double the size of the classroom training facility as well as create housing for the virtual training center that is currently housed at the county and tiny homes for students and staff that need overnight housing.
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Vice Mayor Kerry Ballard asked how often the facility was in use. Vest responded, “The use of the facility is on a daily basis. It has outgrown the demands for all the training needs of NPC, law enforcement as well as fire and emergency.”
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The councils also had heard a brief presentation by NPC Faculty for History and Social Sciences Dr. Amy Grey and were reminded that the registration for the summer and fall sessions are open as well as registration for the kids’ college for kids from six to 14 years old. More information on registrations can be found at www.npc.edu.
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