NEWS: Sewer District, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office collaborate on regional firing range

Southerly Wastewater Treatment Center, Cuyahoga Heights

Yesterday, the Board of Trustees for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District approved a resolution allowing the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office to develop and operate a Regional Law Enforcement Firing Range and Training Facility on Sewer District property. This is a 30-year lease agreement.

"The cooperation between the Sewer District and the county’s Sheriff’s office is an extraordinary example of regionalism," stated Mayor Gary Starr of Middleburg Heights and Sewer District Trustee. "What is more important than public safety? Nothing."

The outdoor firing range and training facility will be located on the east end of the Sewer District’s Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant property. Local, state and federal law enforcement—like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security and FBI—will be permitted to use the facility, as well. Further, it will provide the Sewer District’s own Safety and Security Department an on-site training and practice opportunity. This is particularly important because the training and certification for the Sewer District's Security Officers is provided through the Sheriff’s Office.

During yesterday’s Sewer District Board meeting, Cuyahoga County Sheriff Bob Reid stated that the current indoor firing range, built in 1977, has come to the end of its useful life. Any maintenance would be cost-prohibitive. Reid expressed his appreciation to the Sewer District Board for their consideration and emphasized the regional use of facility.

“This is an area where the Sheriff's office and Cuyahoga County government see the need for, and the benefit to a regionalism approach to firearms training. This training facility, centrally located, will assist Federal, State and local law enforcement in Cuyahoga County."

"There is a lack of outdoor firing ranges in the region," stated Middleburg Heights Chief of Police John Maddox. "This will fill a great void for law enforcement."