By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
Decatur Mayor Dan Rickord called it “a great training aide” after the city’s board of works and safety approved the police department’s share of the cost of a new training simulator.
The simulator, a Recon 180, will bring a significant upgrade to the department’s current device which is about a decade old, Chief Kevin Gerber told the board at its meeting Tuesday night.
The new simulator will be purchased from Ti Training, which provided the one currently in use.
It is located in the Merit Center, where the new one will be installed by the company.
A grant from the Adams County Community Foundation (ACCF) and Adams County Sheriff’s Department’s desire to share the cost will help bring Decatur’s cost to $24,737.50 – from a price of $96,475.
The ACCF granted the department $45,000, knocking the cost of the device to $49,475.
With the sheriff’s department evenly dividing that price – and a $2,000 Ti discount for early payment – the city and county law enforcement agencies will then be paying $24,737.50 each.
Ti’s website calls the device “the three-screen, adaptable environment for the ultimate immersive training.”
The three screens stretch out to 33 feet.
“It’s not just about pulling your gun and firing,” Chief Gerber said in explaining that an instructor will work through the simulator on decision making.
“It’s a great training device,” the mayor said. “It’s crazy how it puts you in real-life situations.”
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