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Volume 41, Issue 5
October 28, 2003
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October
28, 2003
Grant funds security program
Benjamin Urcuyo
Contributing Writer
MCC one of 3 receiving homeland
protection money
MCC was one of three colleges pre-identified to receive funding for
“Service Learning” projects to support its homeland security
trainers.
The grant is to be used for training and technical assistance around the
country about issues in homeland security and domestic preparedness.
The Community College National Center for Community Engagement (CCNCCE)
received a $399,460 grant titled “Supporting Actions for Engagement”
from the Corporation for National and Community Service.
“The grant will be allocated to 10 different colleges throughout
the country,” stated Lyvier Conss, executive director of the CCNCCE,
regarding how MCC intends on distributing the funding received.
Conss, who works at MCC’s downtown campus, added, “The training
will primarily be geared toward students and faculty throughout the country.
The grant is managed by faculty and staff; the trainers will travel around
the country to give others advice on how to start similar programs on
their campuses.”
Larry Thacker, director of the EMT and the fire science department, will
administer the subgrant though a “Connectors Program.” The
“Connectors Program” teaches students to be community volunteers
and assist their community members in emergencies.
Cooperative ventures between the Mesa Fire Department and MCC use people
trained in the program, known as “connectors,” to facilitate
cooperation between the two agencies and better help community members,
Thacker said.
“For example, a fire department puts that fire out, and gets back
into service to another emergency. But this leaves the family without
shelter, without food, clothes, driver’s license and Social Security
card. Everything is burned in the fire. The fire department doesn’t
have time to help this family get back on their feet, so they call the
connectors, which are housed at the Mesa Fire Department’s database.
They have a computer database to every possible social service agency
imaginable. The connectors stay there with the family and help them get
back on their feet. Get all those things that they need to get on with
their lives – food, shelter, and other necessities. They follow
up the next day to make sure these people are being taken care of,”
Thacker explained.
The grant will help train students in being first responders to emergencies
and to work with the city of Mesa, the police and fire departments, so
if there is an accident or a fire these community members can assist so
the police and fire departments can do their jobs.
“It helps me teach our students this incredibly valuable lesson
about community service. It also helps the citizens and the Mesa Fire
Department who want to do this anyway,” stated Thacker.
“You can imagine the lessons the student learns about life. They
have to do some reflective journaling and write what it is that they learned
while providing service to the community,” Thacker added.
The emphasis of the program can be integrated into the Homeland Security
Department defense.
Student in service learning can deal with any kind of disaster as the
needs and their duties are the same – to assist community members
who have had their lives disrupted by unforeseen circumstances.
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“The training
will
primarily be geared towards students and faculty throughout the country.”
Lyvier Conss
Executive director of CCNCCE |
| Dennis Mikulich Mesa Legend |
| Lyvier Conss’ program will use grant
money to combine Service Learning and emergency response. |
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