JACKSON COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – A man who dedicated his life to keeping his community safe is being remembered in a new way – a training center is being named in honor of the late Walter Smittle.

The new facility was dedicated Friday in Jackson County, West Virginia, where Smittle served as the Office of Emergency Services director for years. He believed education was the core of emergency response efforts, and now those classes will happen in a place where Smittle will never be forgotten.

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“This is a vision we’ve had many years in the making, and given the public perspective and the demand for accountability and increased training in law enforcement, this is really a dream come true,” said Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger. “And it creates a venue to not only bring in some of the best instructors across the country, but to develop some of the best instructors across the country.”

Just this week, the new facility in Ripley along Town View Road hosted an Autism Awareness training for first responders.

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