MACOMB, ILLINOIS (September 21, 2026) — On Monday, September 21, Western Illinois University (WIU) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Emergency Operations Center, cementing WIU’s emergency-management program and School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration (LEJA) spot as one of the nation’s best.
This new center, located on the first floor of Sallee Hall, will allow WIU to offer the only known available apprenticeship opportunities to Emergency Management and Public Safety students in the nation, allowing students to learn the Juvare, D4H, and other predictive emergency-management platforms used within the industry.
“This new Emergency Operations Center will give WIU students an unparalleled opportunity to prepare themselves for their future careers, while also serving the needs of our region,” WIU President Kristi Mindrup said.
“Thank you to Jamie Johnson and the faculty and staff who have made this program the best in the nation.”
Joining Mindrup for the ceremony were US Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), LEJA Director Jamie Johnson, and WIU Office of Public Safety Chief Derek Watts. This new center was made possible with the receipt of a $2.3 million Illinois Emergency Management Agency grant.
“I secured a $2 million earmark back in 2022 for Western Illinois University’s new Emergency Operations Center because investing in emergency management is a worthwhile endeavor,” Sen Durbin said.
“This center will help train the next generation of public safety professionals and provide hands-on learning opportunities for students in WIU’s School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration. The region — and our state — will be better prepared for emergencies because of the work done at the Emergency Operations Center.”
This center will tie directly into the LEJA Apprenticeship Training Program. Free for students in the Criminal Justice, Fire Protection, and Emergency Management programs, faculty and outside public-safety professionals teach hands-on sessions every Monday and Tuesday, allowing students to build skills in real time and walk away more prepared for their future.
“This is about a lot more than opening a center,” LEJA Director Jamie Johnson said.
“It's about opening up new opportunities for our students, for this university, and for the communities we serve.
For more information on the LEJA program, visit wiu.edu/leja/.
