By Cassandra Day
Journal Inquirer
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. 鈥� Vinal Technical High School鈥檚 Criminal Justice and Protective Services Program has received a $300,000 infusion to support a state-of-the-art upgrade to its courtesy of two global companies.
Students at the Middletown school have developed a free online, year-round intelligence briefing for first responders nationwide. Daily briefings on hurricanes, disease outbreaks, power outages, and solar flares are available.
David Cruickshank, CJPS department head, founded the program. Vinal opened the nation鈥檚 first high school emergency operations center five years ago.
The EOC was used at full capacity for three major incidents: the first cruise ship COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, a COVID-19 hospital deployment in Wyoming in 2021, and Hurricane Ian in 2022.
鈥淲e realized they鈥檙e doing so well that we need to be using it more and doing more,鈥� said Cruickshank, a former police officer. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 realize the students were going to be as good as they are. They blow us away every day.鈥�
He added that the students suggested using the 鈥済roundbreaking鈥� program more often.
While he recently applied for funds to upgrade the center, he said that Samsung and Comcast jumped at the chance.
鈥淚 figured it was a five-year goal,鈥� but funds were secured within just three months.
Samsung offered to double the amount the high school would have spent by supplying an 鈥渁bsolutely incredible鈥� video wall that contains state-of-the-art technology, Cruickshank explained.
Comcast, a project partner since the center opened, upgraded all its equipment and increased its contribution.
RnB Enterprises installed the entire wall, he said, and worked to get companies to offer significant discounts on equipment.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not what people see,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 what they don鈥檛 see. It鈥檚 what鈥檚 behind the monitor that powers it with gig-per-second internet for up to 400 devices.鈥�
鈥淭he students all have the ability to turn their Chromebooks into Ferraris because they鈥檙e on different networks, and they鈥檙e able to do incredible things,鈥� he said.
The wall was ready to operate when students came back from summer break. Then Hurricane Helene hit in September.
At the time, a program graduate was working in Florida on a national ambulance contract. He reached out, asking to be included in Vinal鈥檚 briefings. 鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 getting any information while he was down there,鈥� Cruickshank said.
However, Cruickshank said the EOC hadn鈥檛 been activated for the incident. 鈥淲e realized at that moment that we鈥檝e been doing it wrong this whole time.鈥�
A group of student incident commanders got together and came up with the idea of the briefings, said Cruickshank, who is also a security specialist for the National Disaster Medical System under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
鈥淚t is incredible. They aggregate about 60 websites every single day to create the briefing. They filter out exactly what emergency responders need,鈥� Cruickshank said.
Unfortunately, Cruickshank said, 鈥渢here鈥檚 no shortage of disasters. They鈥檙e getting bigger and worse and more frequent.鈥�
At the same time, most first responders started in the field around Sept. 11, 2001, he said.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e all getting to the end of their careers, and it鈥檚 leaving big gaps for talented people that have field experience. That鈥檚 what we鈥檙e training these students to do: be the next people at the helm.鈥�
Students can earn their EMT certification and learn about emergency management, fire, forensics and law in CJPS. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e very well-rounded,鈥� Cruickshank said.
They also have an opportunity to earn their Federal Aviation Administration drone pilot license, take hazardous materials courses, and learn Stop the Bleed CPR techniques.
They end up graduating with more certifications than most four- or five-year police officers, Cruickshank said. 鈥淭hey can get hired pretty much anywhere right out of high school.鈥�
Those who went through the program work for companies such as AMR New Haven and are dispatchers in Cromwell and Waterbury. Others become firefighters or combat medics.
Apollo Rodriguez, a junior, said the experience has been 鈥渦nbelievable.鈥�
鈥淎nytime something major happens, it鈥檚 easy to feel glum or depressed by the state of the world,鈥� Apollo said. 鈥淏eing here has shown me I don鈥檛 have to sit there and feel helpless. I can do something about that.鈥�
Timely information is crucial for those in emergency operations, said Apollo, who is among only 10 students nationwide chosen to work as a Federal Emergency Management Agency Youth Preparedness Council representative for New England .
鈥淭his has to be something you have to want to do. You have that compassion and care for others and that drive,鈥� Apollo said.
Dontae Northup, a junior, agreed. 鈥淚t will take time. It will take effort,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou will have to work early in the day, late at night to find the information you need.鈥�
Hands-on training is also invaluable.
鈥淲e are getting real-world experience. We are already making impacts on the field while we鈥檙e still getting our education,鈥� Apollo said.
Cruickshank said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 incredible having a junior in high school, and her resume is better than mine.鈥�
The program is much in demand. In all, 72 students are enrolled, and there鈥檚 a waiting list at Vinal, A.I. Prince, Bullard-Havens and Windham technical high schools.
鈥淲e鈥檙e rolling it out to more schools as fast as we can,鈥� he said.
Courses are college-level, including forensics and criminal psychology. 鈥淲e push these kids hard,鈥� Cruickshank said.
鈥淵ou can throw anything at a high school student, and as long as you give them the passion, and motivation, they鈥檙e going to accomplish it,鈥� he said.
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