by Mary Rupert
At a mock drill today at Kansas City Kansas Community College, students from Wyandotte High School had the opportunity to get some hands-on experience working an accident or responding to police calls.
The students donned protective gear, then went to work at a mock car accident scene, using rescue tools under the supervision of professionals from the Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department.
Students also participated in a sessions where they met with homicide detectives and with police officers from the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department who respond to domestic violence situations. In addition, there was a mock meth lab explosion where the students met with public safety professionals to investigate.
Robert Hofmann, Wyandotte High School Career Academy facilitator, said high school freshmen were actually working the mock crime scenes under the guidance of the professionals. The students were in the ninth grade in Wyandotte High’s Human and Public Safety Academy. He added that Kansas City Kansas Community College also was participating in this career program.
“The biggest thing, is as a freshman, they can make that informed decision as to what they would like to do,” Hofmann said.
If enough students decide they want to pursue a career in fire science, for example, then Wyandotte High School could then provide a career program for them, he said. It creates a career path for the students.
“It gives them an opportunity to be exposed to something that they might have never even considered,” said Battalion Chief Morris Letcher, a spokesman for the Fire Department.
It gives the students an idea of what the careers are like in the department and hands-on experience of what firefighters do. It can help with recruitment, he said.
“You can get kids interested in things like this that never even considered it,” Letcher said.
Hofmann believes the hands-on career experiences are very helpful to students. Starting as ninth-graders, the students will have time to consider different careers and plan a career path.
Sgt. M.J. Cross, who was talking with students about law enforcement, said he believes it is a good experience for kids and provides good first-hand knowledge of public safety.
