The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office officially cut the ribbon on the McHenry County Regional Training Center – Firearms Facility Thursday, officials said.
The new state-of-the-art facility is an indoor 11,000-square-foot law enforcement range featuring ten 50-yard firing ranges, a 35-person classroom, a firearm cleaning room, and a range control room, authorities said.
The range is designed specifically for law enforcement training with mechanical targets and room enough for vehicles and other large objects for tactical training.
“McHenry County police officers trained to high standards efficiently and affordably in their backyard,” said McHenry County Sheriff Robb Tadelman.
The Firearms Facility was built within a Cary’s Public Works property, authorities said.
Members of the sheriff’s office, the McHenry County Board, the Village of Cary, the Cary Police Department, the Algonquin Police Department, the McHenry Police Department, and the Lake in the Hills Police Department were on hand to cut the ribbon Thursday.
In the past, McHenry County Sheriff’s Office utilized an outdoor range in Hartland or needed to travel across Chicagoland to participate in training, officials said.
Other participating agencies would have to rent space at private ranges to complete mandatory firearms training, officials said.
McHenry County Regional Training Center is set to host its first training in early June, authorities said.
McHenry County Regional Training Center, a complimentary building to the Firearms Facility, officially opened in October.
McHenry County Chairman Mike Buehler, Village of Cary Mayor Mark Kownick, and Sheriff Robb Tadelman spoke during the ribbon cutting while Chaplain Ron Rovner performed an invocation and blessed the building, praying for the safety of all police officers, officials said.