Those interested in learning how to analyze and manage large-scale emergencies may soon have an opportunity to get the training via evening classes downtown.

Today, officials with Indiana Tech, the northeast campus of Ivy Tech Community College and SentryPoints, announced the partnership. SentryPoints, a company managed by the Fort Wayne-based Fourth Wave company, provides homeland security technology software.

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce is also involved in the new venture.

Under the initiative, adults will be able to take evening courses in emergency management at the FourthWave building, 300 E. Main St., using SentryPoints software. Classes would be held between 5:30-9:00 p.m., he said.

Indiana Tech and Ivy Tech already partner on a continuing degree program for various majors, including criminal justice and business, said Indiana Tech president Dr. Arthur Snyder. Students can get a two-year associate degree at the northeast campus of Ivy Tech and then complete the remaining two years at Indiana Tech to earn a bachelor’s degree. “The future opportunities are many,” said Snyder. “Our relationship between Ivy Tech and SentryPoints is very important.”

According to its Web site, SentryPoints “provides cities with the tools to see where they are vulnerable, manage daily safety and security operations, plan their response to crises, and react to and recover from major incidents.”

Students in Indiana Tech’s College of Professional Studies have been taking evening business courses at the FourthWave building for two months. In October, the department began offering a Principles of Management course. Students are currently enrolling in a Leadership course and a Human Resources Management course is scheduled to be offered in January.

“Our degree programs are designed for people who need to complete or advance their degrees while still working full-time,” said Randal Gunden, vice president for Indiana Tech’s College of Professional Studies, in a statement. “The ability to offer classes in downtown Fort Wayne fits perfectly with our core purpose of providing career-focused, professional programs of higher education.”

Holding the classes on Main Street is an effort to keep downtown vibrant, Snyder said. In addition to evening courses, he said Indiana Tech is also looking into the possibility of offering noon classes at FourthWave as well.

“We’re still exploring those kinds of things with the (Fort Wayne) Chamber of Commerce,” Snyder said. “We’re just at the beginning of this collaboration.”