Apollo shows off new public safety training center
Mar. 24—SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP — More than $10 million was put into the new public safety center on the campus of Apollo Career Center.
About half of the facility was paid for by Apollo's general fund dollars and permanent improvement dollars, while the other half was secured through capital dollars and state funding, the training center's leader told members of the Lima Rotary Club during a visit Monday.
"We went to Matt Huffman and also Bob Cupp, and we were able to secure capital dollars in 2022. That was about $2.5 million," Keith Horner, superintendent at Apollo Career Center, said.
"About a year later the state comes out with a great opportunity for career tech education to be able to expand career tech education, which gave another $2.9 million."
The 28,000-square-foot facility has three separate bays and adds a modern space to develop and prepare public safety transportation; commercial driver's license training; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; and future firefighters and police officers.
"The need is there so much that we're trying to fill that void as fast as we can," Horner said.
There are multiple classrooms and offices throughout the facility.
Apollo will offer course pathways in the American criminal justice system, constitutional and criminal law, psychological and sociological theories on crimes, processes and personnel of court systems and police work and practices.
"We will offer telecommunications dispatch basic certification, and they will leave with their basic certification to begin a career in dispatch," Tony Swygart, criminal justice instructor at Apollo, said about the police work.
"We will study post-release programs like probation and parole."
The Apollo Career Center Advisory Board is physically preparing students to pass the Ohio Peace Officers Training Council physical fitness standards.
"I am truly excited that we have our SES coach, coach (Joey) Benda, to agree to individualized assessments and planning for students in criminal justice," Swygart said.
Horner believes career tech is trending in the right direction due to workforce issues.
"Most of us remember when we were growing up the big question was what the stigma was," Horner said. "Well, I can tell you that that has, it's obviously, significantly, flipped, which we're very blessed to be able to take part of."
Apollo, which began the year with 950 students, has grown around 40 percent in the last 10 years, Horner said.
Reach Cade Higgins at 567-242-0351
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