David Hensley of Blue Ridge and DeLaine DeBruhl of Cooper Construction shake hands following the installation of the new flag in the Public Safety Training Facility.

Cooper Construction Donates U.S. Flag for Public Safety Training Facility

David Hensley of Blue Ridge Community College (left) and DeLaine DeBruhl of Cooper Construction (right) shake hands following the installation of the new flag in the Public Safety Training Facility (Photo by Rich Keen, Marketing and Communications Dept.).


Marketing & Communications Dept.

A new American flag, donated by Cooper Construction, now flies over the recently opened Public Safety Training Facility on Blue Ridge Community College’s Henderson County Campus.

The 6,500-square-foot facility was unveiled in April 2022 at a ceremony attended by public safety and local government officials, first responders, College leaders, and a combined honor guard featuring representatives of both the Henderson County Law Enforcement Honor Guard and the Henderson County Fire and Rescue Honor Guard. The flag from Cooper Construction is the finishing touch on the $1.2M facility and was installed by February 2, 2023.

“We appreciate the gift and the partnership we have with Cooper Construction, from the construction of the building into the future,” said Philip Hosmer, Blue Ridge’s dean of public safety.

The flag donation was a special project of Cooper Construction’s Vice President Trey Ford and Vice President and Field Operations Manager DeLaine DeBruhl.

The Henderson County Board of Commissioners contributed $1M to the Cooper Construction project, with $200,000 provided by the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation.  The facility supports about 50 public safety programs and courses offered by the College, as well as specialized training for law enforcement, fire and rescue, and emergency medical agencies.

More information about the Public Safety Training Facility available here.