High school students interested in law and health are exploring the career fields of public safety, emergency medical services, emergency management and fire rescue through Gerald R. Claps Career and Technical Center. Students enrolled in the course recently practiced command drills and learned about fire safety with police science/Emergency Medical Technician instructor Scott Downs.
The class discussed the different classes of fires and the roles of various fire extinguishers. Downs recommended that all students to have a fire extinguisher located in their homes, as well as a fire alarm and a carbon monoxide detector. Students watched a fire safety video on how to properly use a fire extinguisher, which included the acronym P.A.S.S. for Pull, Aim, Squeeze and Sweep. Downs demonstrated how this would work by holding a nonfunctional fire extinguisher in front of the class and having a student demonstrate how he would use it in the case of a fire emergency.
Students who are enrolled in the police science/EMT two-year course, learn about criminal law, criminal procedure law, search, seizure and arrest, surveillance, crime scene investigation, forensics and disorder control. The Federal Emergency Management Agency Weapons of Mass Destruction and Incident Command is also included in the program.
In the second year, students are given the New York State Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course. In addition, the Public Safety Telecommunicator (dispatcher) course is taught, which includes certification by the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials. The New York State pre-assignment Security Guard course is also taught as part of the program.
