The Protective Services Program

[Administrators]

Word has just been received that the Protective Services Program at the Franklin County Career and Technology Center will be DISCONTINUED/PHASED OUT.

Solutions are being looked at to finish the program for the remaining students.

More information will be posted as it is received.

[MAYTAG]

That's a shock !

[Bill]

OK.

If the Franklin County Emergency Services Alliance wants to do something productive, here's something they can start to work on immediately!

The Emergency Services Community receive both compensated and volunteer personnel as a result of this program.

It's time put some time and energy into something that really counts. The Chief's Association have the box cards and response times and staffing issues covered. Franklin County WILL build a new radio system regardless of how many people hassle them.

What really matters is having personnel to implement all this and respond to emergencies. We need to promote, nurture and educate the next generation!

I have spoken to Jim Duffey and I have a call in to a Superintendent. It's time to develop facts and information and come up with a game plan!

[Brian McCaffrey]

OK, I'll be the odd man out...

Is this course really necessary? You give highschoolers a little police training (which doesn't do them any good until they are 21 anyway), some fire training (Are they allowed to catch real fire yet or is it still just Roscoe smoke?) and an EMT class.

I have never been 100% behind this course. I know more than a few young people who went through it and none of them were that serious about it. Now most of them are involved in the Emergency Services in one way or another, but they have all been junior members, etc, before taking this course and most likely would be doing one they are doing anyway. Most of those I've known use the class as a very easy way to pass the time before catching the bus home. If you are going to go to school, then by God, you ought to be learning something other than the various recreational uses of the Protective Services handcuffs!

I would not have been one to push for the program to be closed down, but if it had still been around when my son is old enough, I would not have encouraged him to take it.

JM not so HO,

Caff

[MAYTAG]

OK, Caff started the frank discussion, so I’ll follow suit.

I do believe this is an absolutely vital program and do not want to see it eliminated. The biggest problem I saw the few times I was there was a lack of seriousness placed upon the course by numerous people from the ground up !!!!

Some of the students were serious about the course while others could have cared less and were allowed to do as they pleased.

There should be some sort of pre-screening exam to enter the program, followed by periodical requirements/ evaluation to remain. This program is, well was designed to train our future First Responders and if they do not take the course serious, then what will they do once they become a First Responder.

So let’s all get busy and let the people in power know how we feel and not only save this program but to make the needed changes to make it a productive program.

[Brian McCaffrey]

Now THAT I could support...

I'll admit that I have only been there few times, but the attitude of ALOT (maybe not most) of the students was damned annoying. Students acting like they new better than the instructors, not listening in general, etc. That's why I I have only been there a damned few times.

If it could be run correctly and seriously in the manner Tag as suggested, then I could get behind it.

[vol4life]

The powers to be from the school districts IE the Superintendents have no clue as to the real impact this class could and does have on the community. I agree the program has lost popularity in some realms due to the lack of management and other reasons that I wish not to comment on and that is sad but with every department in Franklin County screaming about the lack of manpower why don't we use this opportunity to mold the program into something you would be proud to encourage your kid to go to? (no disrespect Caff) The young people get the opportunity to get their EMT as well as their Essentials and yes they get the LIVE burn not smoke. This was passed by legislation through Pat Fleagles office stating that as long as they are enrolled in the FCCTC they are permitted to take part in live burns. With the young folks getting this training and to take it one step further I would like to see them come out with just not the essentials program but FF1 as well. This can be achieved with the help and support of all the entities in Franklin County meaning the FCFCA, FCEMSC, and the Alliance committee. Also the other change that needs to come about is the separation of Law Enforcement from the program. I agree that it serves the folks no good as far as leaving here and going into the work force except being a security cop at the mall, but as an EMT / FF1 and 18 yrs of age I believe there are numerous agencies looking for EMT's now not to mention the growing need for FF/EMT's in the counties south of us IE: Montgomery County, Frederick County, ect. The last statistic I heard and it was not confirmed but last year alone Montgomery County alone hired 80% +/- of their people from PA and the counties that contributed allot of those people were Adams, Franklin, York, Cumberland. Just think of the growth the County is looking at in the next 5 to 10 years and then ask yourself "what is the need going to be then for paid / volunteer personnel?" I'm not saying that the FCCTC is going to be the savior of our service but it sure as hell wouldn't hurt! Just my 2 sense!

[Instructor]

Protective Services Program at the Franklin County Career and Technology Center is being phased out for all the wrong reasons.

The Chambersburg School District voted to stay on a half day schedule. There are not enough hours in the school year to teach the new Essentials courses with the half days. Without the CASH students it is not profitable for the career center to keep the program.

I can only speak for the fire side. When the students are there for the “Fire Academy” it is run much like the municipal fire academy at HACC. Most of the instructors are career firefighters and officers.

In the Protective Services Program the students have a class lieutenant. The class lieutenant beings the class to attention and is responsible for class assignments and movements. The students must wear uniforms for morning formation. There is discipline in the class. Students have done push-ups and shined fire extinguishers for horseplay or not following the orders of the class lieutenant. This is not to say that the kids don’t act like kids at times, but not on the training grounds. The safety of the kid has been very important, up until last year we were without an injury. This past year two students re-injured their knees. (Not during live fire training)

We have been giving the students much more than Into to Safety, RIT, Haz-Mat Operations and Essentials. The kids also learn how to take a civil service test, retirement planning, and how unions and contracts work in the fire service. The students have to write a research paper on a historical event that impacted the fire service. They get 4 free college credits in fire science from Harrisburg Area Community College or University of Maryland.

Seventeen Protective Services Program students are now working in the fire service. (Was 18 but one went back to be a cop) A lot more have worked EMS. The Placement for the students has been very good.

The program has had great support in the past nine years from the local fire service and the community. True we have gotten a bunch of good volunteers from the program, this is a bonus. They are the future of the both the career and volunteer systems.

I wish that we would have had this program “way back” when I was in high school. I just hope that we can help our replacements get there start here in Franklin County. This program has been giving the student a two year head start on the junior members and a place to start for students that have no junior member program in their community.

The Franklin County Career wants to turn the program over to BUCKS, HACC,Hagerstown Community College or Penn State - Work Force Training so that the current students can complete the program.

It would help if each of the local fire companies would contact the career center and their local school districts in support of the program.

[A1M9B]

The career and technology center has made a terrible decision to shut down the best shop. Even though John left the shop in shambles we have been picking up the pieces and working together as a team to make this shop happen. There are many upcoming students that I know would want to become a firefighter/ emt. What do little kids say when you ask them what they want to become when they grow up? A firefighter. This is every kids dream and the career and technology center is crushing their dreams. I am a current student of the shop and I am planning to continue through to make this a career. The career and Technology center must come to understand that you may not become paid in this career field until you turn 18 for obvious reasons. The fire service and ems continue education throughout their entire career. There are many new things to learn everyday in this service field. I am going to continue my career exploration of the fire/ems field through college. I am planning to attend Penn Tech for 2 years and achieve my paramedic patch, I am then planning on attending the fire academy to become placed in a department and be a paid firefighter/paramedic. So let the career center read this and know how it works.

[AC9A]

After reading the post's concerning the protective services program. I now think it is time for my five foot, two inches worth of comment. Most of the interaction that I have had with the program have been through the co-op and shadowing students who were assigned to the Pleasant Hall Fire department during the days that I work part time, and the two years that I spent working full time for Metal township fire & EMS. Every student who I had the privilege to work with. Believe me it was a privilege to work with these kids because I have had no problems with any of these young adults, every single one of them wanted to work and learn, and they had the same goal. That goal to make emergency services a career. In the end I always learn something positive from the experience. All or most the students that I supervised during there shadowing or co-op are now in paid/career positions with in the emergency services. The one's I can remember are listed below.

Bobby Pine - Chief of EMS, Carlisle Fire Department
Dale Myers- Frederick County MD, Fire department
Ben Myers- Franklin County 911, Part time Pleasant Hall FD.
Brent Black- Mont Alto, EMS

(If I have forgotten any one it because my old brain is not working today)

It is my personal opinion that this program should be kept open. I am not saying that it should not be revised in some form or another. Let face it, in life every thing changes. But please lets get together and do what is needed to keep the protective services class open.

[BigFoot]

Rick, you are so on point. The Department of Emergency Services was lucky to have Stan Baker and Jamie Izer for several months. Stan came on quickly as a dispatcher and Jamie is prospering as a paramedic, in Williamsport, PA the last I heard. One thing they mentioned was the exposure that the DES provided to a behind the scenes activities of emergencies and the non-fire and ems opportunities that abound.

There are many good people in the program, most will make fine career personnel. My only hope is that they remember the sacrifices of many people before them that created the "home" volunteer departments and that they bring their skills back to teach the next crop of newbies.

Unfortunately, the career needs are going to be exponential over the next few years and will greatly out-strip the pool of trained personnel that choose this option as a career. I would like to see high schools offer the Essentials and First Responder/EMT programs prior to graduation. Even if someone goes onto college or other technical school, maybe they will come back to volunteer and not have to put in the massive required hours of training before they can start. If the high schools can offer college courses now, why not basic emergency response skills.

Hopefully this program will not end, but will be expanded to better prepare our student population to help serve the public.

Don Eshleman, Jr.

[28-23 to Hdqtrs...]

I believe this is a very BAD decision on the part of both CASHS and FCCTC. CASHS for going to half days(which to me makes no sense, but their has to be some reasoning by it). I was a recent Graduate of the Protective Services program when Mr. John Fahnestock was the instructor. He could always weed out the good kids(who wanted to be in the Fire-Ems field) from the bad. I hear that Craig myers is running the show now, which i think is a good move after Fahnestock left. Craig is a very good teacher with kids. He brought me into the fire service and to Co.3. After i Graduated from FCCTC i went to the Ohio State Fire Academy to recieve my IFSAC FF I & II. Yet i do not at this time have a job in the service... thats a work in progress. To finalize i have nothing bad to say about the school and the class. I think that if this does actully go through it will have bad reviews from the parents and the school will hopefully relize they have made a bad decsion. I give my respect also to Mr. Gary Summers and Mr. Trayer Stoops, both of whom taught me at FCCTC.

[vol4life]

Don,
As one of the members of the Alliance committee is there anything the committee can do to help support the program at that level? I think the reorganization, and restructure of the program would be a positive step for the committee to be involved in. Lets face it in the long run the folks that come from the school could have some impact on the communities one way or the other so why not be a part?

Just a thought,
Craig

[BigFoot]

Craig, the question that still remains is what is the OFFICIAL status of the program? The Alliance most likely could provide municipal verbal support, but the decision of how the FCCTC operates is at the mercy of the six school districts. The next Alliance meeting is on June 10th and if anyone would happen to have statistics to support where the students went after the program would be helpful. I know there are many people that went through the program and successfully pursued a fire or EMS career and some that just got through and are not using their skills. Unfortunately, often decisions come down to success and failure of the students as they leave the program.

If someone has a roster of classmates that graduated and what they are doing following graduation would help substantiate the success or failure of support for the program. Again, we need the official word on the future of the Protective Services program.

Don

[athl1881]

if vo-tech is no longer going to be a part of the protective services program, Who is going to hand out grades? if they are no long part of a official school program they will have to fall under the child labor laws. who is going to cover there insurance?
who from buck has the teacher certifications to teach high school?
who is the chief's assocition to pick what is to be tought? who even teaches for bucks other then Baker,North,Dale and Help? i think that there is more questions then the chief's assocition have tought of. if the assocition can't put a training weekend together what make them think they can run a five day a week program for 9 months. vo-tech should keep the program!