CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A $6 million federal grant is paying for a regional emergency operation and training center that will be located in Kingsville, Texas.
Kleberg County officials had been working on the plan for a couple of years now and feel that the facility is going to make a big difference.
"This is not only an important evolution for Kleberg County, but for the entire Coastal Bend," said Kleberg County Judge Rudy Madrid. "You know we're here standing by in case of a natural disaster, we've created our own calvary. So, we can take care of the entire coastal Bend."
Kleberg County Sheriff Richard Kirkpatrick said the facility is going to be used year-round as a regional law-enforcement training center as well.
"These could range from a variety of classes for our officers, police, firefighters, and stuff like that. So that's really where the training component becomes a very integral part of this new project," Kirkpatrick said.
Robert Peche with the U.S. Department of Commerce said that the facility is justified because it serves the greater good of the community.
"This project makes particularly good sense because it's a regional operational center for emergency situations, plus it's a training center and it serves the entire region. So it just makes all the sense in the world," Peche said.
The facility is going to be 15,000 ft., and 3NEWS was told it should be completed in nine months.
More from 3News on KIIITV.com:
- These houses are lit! Here's where you can see Christmas lights in Corpus Christi
- Man bitten by shark while surfing at North Packery Channel
- South Texas drag productions company said they're upping security due to threats
- Nueces County traffic stop turns into largest liquid fentanyl drug bust in US history
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for your daily news and exclusive extended interviews.
Do you have a news tip? Tell 3!
Put your name and contact information below, or email tell3@kiiitv.com, so we can get in touch with you about your story should we have questions or need more information. We realize some stories are sensitive in nature. Let us know if you'd like to remain anonymous.
If you do not have a photo/video to submit, just click "OK" to skip that prompt.