A fake city could bring real jobs to the middle Georgia town of Perry and surrounding areas.

Kennesaw-based firm Guardian Centers of Georgia plans to convert a vacant 2,200 acre manufacturing complex into an advanced disaster preparedness and response training facility.

The property will become a mock city used for emergency field exercises.

According to the company, the private site is the largest of its kind in the nation.
Guardian Center president and CEO, Geoff Burkhart:

"Our clients range from first responders across the board from your local, city and state first responders all the way up to the federal level at DHS and FEMA, military and National Guard."

Perry’s city manager Lee Gilmour expects the facility to bring economic growth:

"The primary benefits we see will be some of the spin-off for services to be provided at the center as well as a stimulus for other type of support industries that make grow around it."

Groundbreaking is scheduled for January.

Tags: Georgia, business, Perry, middle Georgia, first responders, disaster training