This week, the Lebanon County Commissioners honored the commitment and dedication of a local man by renaming the Lebanon County Correctional Facility Training Academy the Edward B. McIntyre Officer Training Academy.
LCCF Warden Robert J. Karnes requested approval of the commissioners for the name change after explaining McIntyre’s contributions, both to the facility and to the country, over the years.
“I’m pleased to make that recommendation,” said Commissioner Bill Ames.
Commissioner Bob Phillips also expressed his appreciation for McIntyre’s service, while Commissioner Joellen Litz said she was glad to second the nomination and thanked the family for their sacrifices and said she would pray for them.
“What a great legacy and what an outstanding person he is,” Litz said.
Karnes was joined by McIntyre’s wife, Marilyn, and son, Brian McIntyre, a Paxton Twp. police officer, who accompanied Karnes to the commissioners meeting, along with several other correctional officers.
“Renaming the training academy reinforces the rich historical value correctional staff can appreciate and recognize when they are training to be the professional Ed always envisioned,” Karnes said. “He’s respected throughout the state for his mentoring and leadership.”
McIntyre is a decorated three-tour Army Ranger combat veteran of the Vietnam War.
He is currently in the hospice unit of the Lebanon VA Medical Center.
Emotions ran high as Karnes told the commissioners about McIntyre’s contributions to the community.
“Ed has always been quick to shy away from recognition of his achievements,” Karnes said. “But we want him to know he won’t be forgotten anytime soon.”
From 1974 to 2004, McIntyre served as Director of Training for the county prison.
In the early 1980s, McIntyre convinced then-Warden Robert Raiger to institute a training program for LCCF staff.
McIntyre was given the opportunity to conduct training classes, adding to his responsibilities as a shift sergeant.
At the time, McIntyre realized the need for a professionally trained staff after observing changes in the corrections community at large, Karnes said.
He often conducted training classes without receiving any compensation, Karnes said, but McIntyre’s concern for the safety of the staff led him to continue.
In 1987, McIntyre was appointed by the county commissioners as LCCF’s first training coordinator and established an annual training schedule.
McIntyre also founded the facility’s first Emergency Response Team, now known as the Community Emergency Response Team team.
During the 1989 prison riot at the Camp Hill Correctional Facility, LCCF’s Emergency Response Team was one of the units responding, with McIntyre leading the team.
Shortly thereafter, in response to the riot, Pennsylvania’s Department of Corrections Secretary Martin Horn commissioned the statewide development of an emergency response team, based on McIntyre’s model, Karnes said.
“It’s amazing that what he started, (the ERT) became the model that was used throughout the state,” Litz said.
Later, both McIntyre and Karnes, who was a member of the LCCF’s ERT, were commissioned by Secretary Horn to be part of a panel responsible for selecting the Department of Corrections’ first rifle specialist and hostage rescue teams.
“As I recently told Ed, current and past correctional staff throughout Pennsylvania who were trained by him owe a large part of our careers to his consistent mentoring, leadership, encouragement, and unwavering commitment to excellence,” Karnes said.
A commemorative plaque is being designed to honor McIntyre and will be displayed in the academy training area, Karnes said.
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Full Disclosure: The campaigns of Bill Ames, Bob Phillips, and Jo Ellen Litz were advertisers on LebTown during the previous election cycle. LebTown does not make editorial decisions based on advertising relationships and advertisers do not receive special editorial treatment. Learn more about advertising with LebTown here.