Southwestern Michigan College Educational Talent Search’s Public Safety Camp this Summer exposed six high school students to a variety of careers, including, for the first time, the Coast Guard.
Participants included Mya Vazquez of Dowagiac, Chelsea Etling, Amy Duckworth and Ossian Duckworth of Niles and Meagan Conrad and Taylor Gableman of Cassopolis.
In addition to experiencing firefighting and vehicle extrication, students learned about back boarding and loading patients into a Pride Care ambulance and quizzed the crew of a Memorial MedFlight helicopter that landed beside the fire station.
Police activities took place at the Dowagiac fire station, including crime scenes, takedowns and holds, police cars and equipment, a canine demonstration and mock traffic stops.
A field trip to the Coast Guard station in St. Joseph on a Dowagiac school bus, followed by lunch at Silver Beach Pizza, “was great,” according to ETS Director Bethani Eichel. “The students asked great career questions and were able to participate in one of their rescue trainings by throwing a line out to save a pretend victim whose boat was taking on water.”
One day’s activities included an “entanglement trailer,” a small box meant to simulate being trapped in an attic with wires everywhere. “The students had their turnout gear on and were blindfolded as they had to feel around to make it out of the box,” Eichel said.
Dowagiac Fire Department was assisted by Sister Lakes and Wayne Township so campers could cut into car roofs, then douse flames roaring from three vehicles set ablaze for the demonstration. For extrication, DFD uses Hurst Jaws of Life, a powerful, yet portable, tool that can cut, lift, spread and breach doors. Where power washers pack 1,500-3,000 pounds per square inch (PSI), the Jaws of LIfe equipment operates at 10,500 PSI.
Potentially stormy weather threatened to prevent MedFlight helicopter’s annual visit, however skies cleared and the chopper made it to Dowagiac. “We were able to get a tour of the helicopter and the students were able to go inside,” Eichel said. “The crew commented on how great the students’ questions were, as they were all about their careers and less about the helicopter”.
Thanks to John Eby at SMC Media Relations for assistance with this story and the headline photo.
Learn more at www.swmich.edu
