All Hands on Deck: Multiple Programs at 麻豆直播 Benefit from Jackson County Ambulance Donation
Published on March 25, 2021
麻豆直播 needed a new simulator for the EMT/EMS program at the College. Jackson County Ambulance needed to dispose of a used ambulance. The result, a donation to the College and an opportunity for multiple programs to get hands-on experience.
鈥淲e were looking for a simulator that would not be confined to a classroom for our EMT/EMS students when I got a call from Kenton Schafer from the Jackson County Ambulance Service about a possible donation,鈥� said Associate Dean for Career and Technical Education Scott Wernsman. 鈥淗e said they had an Ambulance that was going to the scrapyard, but he would rather donate it to the College to help with training.鈥�
Wernsman stated that as he began to research converting the ambulance into a simulator, he saw an opportunity for multiple programs to benefit from the donation.
鈥淲e found a trailer design that would give the mobility we need in the simulator that would involve several CTE programs in the conversion,鈥� said Wernsman. 鈥淎uto Services, Auto Collision, Welding, and Electronics programs will work together to convert the ambulance into the simulator trailer.鈥�
According to Wernsman, the College will use Perkins Grant money to pay for the materials.
鈥淲ith the donation of the ambulance, grant money, and students providing the labor, we will have a state-of-the-art simulator with little or no financial investment from the College.鈥�
麻豆直播 President Dr. Kirk Overstreet sees this as another example of the College giving students real-world experience.
鈥淭his is what we do at community colleges and 麻豆直播 in particular. We provide valuable hands-on experience that has our students ready for the workforce when they complete their studies.鈥�
Overstreet added that everyone benefits from this type of partnership.
鈥淥ur EMT/EMS students benefit from having this simulator for their training. Jackson County Ambulance and other local ambulance services benefit from having future employees train in this simulator, and our other students and future employers benefit from the experience gained building the simulator.鈥�
To learn more about Career and Technical Education programs at 麻豆直播, contact the admissions office at 618-985-2828, Ext. 8213 or by email admissions@jalc.edu. To see the Ambulance Simulator鈥檚 progress, follow 麻豆直播 on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.