Silhouette

Issue date: 5/9/02 Section: Campus

Media Credit: Matt McClure/ Silhouette The students that particpated in the simulation this year were Tim Stinemetz, Luke Foster, Lance Keltner, and Flore Hernandez as the victim.

Media Credit: Matt McClure/ Silhouette The Garden City Fire Department, Police Department as well as The Finney County EMS worked with criminal justice students during a similuated accident May 7. “You can’t believe the cooperation we receive from the Garden City Fire Department and Police Department,” Dennis Elam, director of the criminal justice program, said.

Media Credit: Matt McClure/ Silhouette George Wiecken, from the Garden City Fire Department, aided the criminal justice students in their final buy cutting away a windshield. Later, Weicken gave the students helpful hints and showed them a few new maneuvers.

When two vehicles collided in front of the John Collins Technical Building May 7, criminal justice students and representatives from area emergency agencies were there to help.

"It's a joint excercise run each year for the graduating criminal justice majors," Dennis Elam, criminal justice director and instructor, said.

The accident was coordinated by instructors of the criminal justice program to provide criminal justice students and area law enforcement agencies an opportunity to practice their emergency response and crisis skills.

Elam believes that it is important that simulations such as car accidents take place for the benefit of the students.

"When you just set up an accident, that's all they have to deal with," Elam said. "When we do this they have to work with EMS and the fire department, as well as work on crowd control. They report to the accident and see what it's really going to be like."

Elam said he has been coordinating accident simulations for graduating criminal justice majors for approximately 15 years. The exercise always takes place in May and is very life-like. The life-like nature of the exercise has even been cause for concern from individuals that do not realize that it is just a simulation.

"When I set up the exercise, I make sure to inform the local law enforcement of the nature of the exercise the morning of the event. One year, I planned on calling them at 10 a.m. and about 9:45 a.m. I heard sirens," Elam said. "One of the neighbors across the street from the college had called in and reported an accident."

According to Elam, once on campus, the officers, EMS, and fire department were informed of the exercise and remained to take part in the activity.

Working side-by-side on the simulation this year were representatives from the various local agencies including EMS, Garden City Fire and Rescue, and the Garden City Police Department. Their purpose in taking part in the simulation was to sharpen their skills in the event that a disaster of this magnitude were to take place in Garden City or any of the surrounding communities.

Black and White students are how graduating sophomores are referred to in the criminal justice program.

According to Elam, students worked along side the area agencies during the simulation to gain hands on experience in crisis situations.

Students said taking part in simulated activities is an important aspect of their training.

"[After the exercise] you know what to expect when you really get out there," Dawnette Meinert, Garden City sophomore, said.

In addition to the accident simulation, students also ran through a battery of practical exercises.

"[What we practiced on was] a felony assault on a vehicle. You use this when you have people that basically say that you will have to kill them to get them out of the vehicle," Ben Barbo, Ulysses sophomore, said. "[In the exercise] they don't even get a chance to get out of the car."

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