This content was published: May 24, 2010. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Open house for emergency services May 27
Photos and Story by Abe Proctor
Before someone can be an “everyday hero” – such as a police officer, firefighter or paramedic – he or she must first learn the ropes. In Portland, one of the best places to do so is the Public Services Education Building at Portland Community College’s Cascade Campus. The public will get a close-up view of what it takes to be a first responder during the building’s annual Open House, set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 27, at the corner of North Killingsworth Street and Mississippi Avenue.
“It’s going to be fabulous,” said Kal Robertson, director of the campus’ Emergency Services Division. “The public is invited to learn about everything we do here, and see where the next generation of everyday heroes learns their trade.”
The open house will feature information and demonstrations from the various programs housed in the Public Services Education Building – Fire Protection Technology, Criminal Justice, Emergency Medical Services (where paramedics and emergency medical technicians are trained), Emergency Management and Emergency Telecommunicator 9-1-1.
The centerpiece of the day’s events will be two mock vehicle rescues, scheduled for 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., in which students from several programs will collaborate to simulate a drunk driving accident. Students will extricate “victims” (actually volunteers from Scappoose High School) from a wrecked vehicle, administer immediate emergency treatment and then prepare the “victims” for transport to the hospital.
Meanwhile, the “driver” will receive a field sobriety test from – and eventually be arrested by — Criminal Justice students. The actions of emergency personnel will be coordinated by Emergency Telecommunicator 9-1-1 students using the program’s computer-aided-dispatch system. A live narration from program instructors will accompany each stage of the rescue operation.
“The vehicle rescues are really cool,” said Doug Smith, an instructor in the Fire Protection Technology Program. “They involve the simultaneous participation of students from several different programs, and they give people the chance to get right up close as our students perform the rescue.”
Visitors will also have the chance to tour a mock crime scene, check out the building’s emergency vehicle bays and see the training center where students learn to be 9-1-1 operators Also on hand will be the newest addition to the PSEB vehicle fleet – a fully functional fire engine recently obtained from the Clackamas Fire District. The Emergency Services Division now boasts three working fire engines, one “brush rig” (for fighting wildland fires) and two ambulances.
“It’s important for our students to have up-to-date equipment and facilities,” Robertson said, “and it’s important for the public to know that we are providing top-notch education and training. Our students go on to serve and protect the rest of us, so they deserve the very best.”