A new state-of-the-art facility that will be the international hub for Force Science activities is nearing completion in a suburb of Chicago.
Creation of the Force Science Training & Research Center, which will occupy 10,000 square feet in a sleek, low-rise building in Des Plaines, IL, is announced today by Dr. Bill Lewinski and Patricia Thiem, founders of the Force Science Institute.
“The opening of the Center marks a pivotal growth benchmark for the Force Science Institute,” Lewinski told Force Science News. “Demand for FSI’s research and subsequent training has been increasing rapidly and in order to meet that need while continuing to maintain our robust training schedule nationwide we agreed that it was time to establish our own facility. This will allow us to ramp up our research efforts considerably and provide more training, both in areas we currently explore and in a multitude of new areas. This is a very big step for us as an organization and a critical step for the betterment of law enforcement.”
The Center, expected to be ready for occupancy by the end of this year, is located near the confluence of two Interstate highways, just minutes from O’Hare International Airport and easily accessible to downtown Chicago via expressway or elevated train.
In classrooms equipped with the latest in audiovisual technology, FSI intends to conduct certification courses in Force Science Analysis, overview seminars on Force Science investigative principles, and highly focused training in what Vice President of Operations Scott Buhrmaster describes as “hot topic” issues. “These special classes,” he says, “will be led by top experts in a variety of fields, uniquely addressing some of the most pressing and challenging issues in law enforcement in light of current events.”
The Center will also serve as a base for brain-storming, designing, implementing, and coordinating FSI’s ground-breaking research projects. “Among other things,” Buhrmaster says, “the Center will be a gathering point for the world’s leading experts on human-factors research.”
Besides administrative offices, notable features of the Center will include:
- International teleconferencing capabilities
- A video production space
- Webinar technology
- Comfortable networking areas
- After-hours access to a well-equipped fitness center, including a swimming pool, hot tub, and wet and dry saunas.
Nearby are a selection of leading chain hotels, a range of restaurants, and a variety of recreational options, including a public nature preserve, the Chicago area’s leading casino, a cineplex, and an upscale outlet mall.
“Although Chicago’s central location makes the Center readily accessible and appealing to travelers, FSI will continue to present formal training and customized presentations at scattered locations in the US and Canada, just as we do now,” Buhrmaster says. “But we’re confident that the unique features of the Center will quickly make it the vibrant hub of expanded Force Science activities.”
He says that FSI also plans to make the Center available to law enforcement agencies and select training entities that would like to conduct their own programs at the new location.
FSI is in the process of rolling out its initial training session dates for the new center. As new dates are added, they will be published in Force Science News and posted on the Force Science Web site.
“We see the Force Science Training & Research Center not as our Center but as a gathering place for all of law enforcement,” Thiem told Force Science News. “It’s designed to bring innovative trainers, top academic experts and highly motivated police professionals of all ranks together in a comfortable, protected spot to freely share ideas, confront challenges, explore new realms of human performance and, most importantly, to learn.”
If you have questions about the Center or would like additional information, please feel free to e-mail us at: training@forcescience.org.
Scott Buhrmaster
Vice President of Operations
Force Science Institute
Chicago Office
773.481-4964
F: 773.913.6205
scott.buhrmaster@forcescience.org