State Rep. Denise Mentzer and Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel slowly rappelled down the side of a five-story, industrial-looking live burn tower at Macomb Community College's Public Services Institute on Dunham Road in Clinton Township to celebrate funding that will help construct a new facility there that will resemble a fire station and be used for regular training.
Mentzer and Hackel had to step over a railing at the top of the tower before starting to rappel down. Mentzer said she was "a little nervous" after stepping over the railing.
"And then, I looked up and I saw ... these firefighters, and I said, 'You know what? I'm going to be good. These guys'll take care of me.' And I just let go, and ... after that, it was a hell of a lot of fun," she said.
Mentzer asked for the $2 million appropriation in the Michigan House of Representatives and asked state Sen. Kevin Hertel to push it through the Senate, she said. Mentzer, a Democrat, faces Republican Robert Wojtowicz in the 61st district race in the November general election.
Wojtowicz said in a statement that it's "ironic" that Mentzer is celebrating the Michigan budget, which he said cut school safety funding. The budget signed into law in July deflated a grant program for school safety and mental health by nearly $300 million, but lawmakers restored $125 million of that funding in a supplemental budget in September.
First responders are trained at Macomb Community College's Public Services Institute in Dunham Road. The new building will also house two fire trucks and equipment used for firefighter training, said Michael Lopez, the director of the institute.
"This is something that's going to be very transformational for the fire academy here at the college," said James Sawyer IV, MCC's president. "We're going to expand our fire apparatus bay and give our students the accommodations and the rooms they need to really train effectively."
Lopez said fire academy cadets will be using the facility every day of their training. Local fire departments will also use it. He said he's hoping his institute can present the proposal to MCC's Board of Trustees in March. He expects the building to be completed by the end of 2025 or early 2026.
Lopez emphasized the importance of making fire, police and EMS students experience what it's like in the field.
"The more that we can make it mimic exactly what they're going to see when they get on the job, that adds a realism to the training that, it's critical," he said.
Hackel told officials and reporters Wednesday that he trusted the fire academy instructors who were watching him from the top of the building while he was rappelling. He complemented the training at Macomb Community College's Public Service Institute.
"I was thrilled to join Rep. Mentzer in rappelling down the live burn tower, showcasing the critical work being done to train our future firefighters effectively," Hackel said in a press release.
Lopez said the institute is seeking additional funding from the state and is hoping the new building will be the first phase of a larger project. The institute wants to expand its classroom space, partly to be able to conduct additional virtual reality training for law enforcement.
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