On Monday afternoon the newly constructed Chippewa County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue and Training Facility on Mackinac Trail in Soo Township was dedicated in a special ceremony.
Current Chippewa County Sheriff Mike Bitnar announced the dedication to his predecessor, Robert Savoie, in front of dozens of fellow first responders and dignitaries.
Savoie was the Chippewa County Sheriff for seven years, Undersheriff for 24 years, and is now a Chippewa County Commissioner.
"We did our best to keep it a secret," Bitnar said.
When Bitnar announced the new name of the building, "Robert Savoie Search and Rescue and Training Facility", Savoie was in disbelief.
"I don't like to shine the light on myself but this has been a dream since the 70's since I started in the Sheriff's Office. We could never get it accomplished. I am really proud to have this building. It really is about the people and the safety of the people. We never had a nice training and storage facility," Savoie said.
The Sheriff's Office had been renting a building in Kinross for over a decade. The building had no heat and was home to birds and rodents. Bitnar said it would take about 20 minutes to get to that facility. Now, It will only take a few minutes to get to the current one.
"The main purpose here is to keep all of our equipment ready for a moment's notice when we need it on a rescue. Location couldn't be much better being close to the office. It's always been about the people of Chippewa County. The turn-out today was remarkable for this special day," Bitnar said.
Construction of the $1.3 million building started in spring. It was paid for by using the Chippewa County Fund Balance.
