Tioga County Grants Funding for Public Safety Training to Mansfield University

MANSFIELD, PA  – The Tioga County Board of Commissioners have awarded a grant in the amount of $30,000 to Mansfield University’s Public Safety Training Institute to provide critical law enforcement, public safety, and security training in the Northern Tier.

“I would like to personally thank the Tioga County Commissioners for the continued support and partnership towards these efforts. These funds will be put to great use training our region’s public safety practitioners and students,” said Mr. Peter Fackler, Interim President of Mansfield University.

Act 13 of 2012, the source of the funding, requires a gas well impact fee on unconventional natural gas wells in Pennsylvania and provides guidelines for the distribution and application of these fees. The Tioga County Commissioners noted the dependability of Mansfield University as a regional provider of public safety training needs. According to the Board of Commissioners, “The County once again welcomes the opportunity to partner with Mansfield University and offer financial support of a program focused on training public safety personnel for an entire region. That is only part of the benefit; this particular program includes additional education that will result in a more diversified, broad level of training – along with enhanced opportunities for employment by the graduate.”  Articulating their responsibility with the effective use of Act 13 funds, the Commissioners stated, “We believe this approach is an efficient use of County Act 13 funds, because it is our belief, we “invest” these dollars in ways – as in this case, gives back many times over!”

Mansfield University’s Public Safety Training Institute (MUPSTI) serves as a regional training center providing initial and continuing professional development education for criminal justice practitioners, first responders, and related professionals. MUPSTI delivers initial law enforcement and security training with Pennsylvania’s Act 120 Municipal Police Academy and Act 235 Lethal Weapons Training, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree incorporating the Pennsylvania Act 120 certification. MUPSTI offers federal, state, and municipal continuing education opportunities for public safety professionals. The goal of MUPSTI is to provide comprehensive education and training opportunities to improve the knowledge, skill-set, and capabilities of those working in public safety positions.

Chief Scott Henry, Mansfield University Director of Public Safety noted “Tioga County Commissioners have now funded approximately $150,000 towards public safety training, to date. We gratefully appreciate their continued support towards these efforts.”

“It is my belief that Mansfield University should serve as the educational resource for the entire region, not just in the traditional degree seeking manner, but to also provide initial and continuing educational opportunities to practitioners,” said Dr. Josh Battin, Interim Associate Dean of Faculty. He added, “Not only are we offering these continuing education opportunities to public safety practitioners, we are also incorporating our degree seeking students into the various trainings, enhancing their knowledge base and capabilities, creating opportunities to connect with practitioners working in the field, and creating a marketable candidate for the workforce. Our ability to provide these opportunities hinge on the support we receive from the Tioga County Commissioners.”

For information regarding Mansfield University’s Public Safety Training Institute, please contact Chief Scott Henry at shenry@mansfield.edu or 570-662-4895.