Outreach to First Responders
During Academic Year 2004-05 TISS developed a pilot program in conjunction with a number of community colleges, collectively known as the North Carolina Community College Public Safety Consortium (NCCCPSC). As JW Simmons of Sampson Community College noted, emergency responders are being continuously trained in the mechanics of responding to terrorist acts but are not being given any education concerning the beliefs, religious ideas, and social issues that lie behind terrorist events. Enhanced understanding in this area promises to serve a very important purpose. Armed with such knowledge, emergency responders are likely to be better able to work well with North Carolina's own diverse population and are more likely to be able to cooperate effectively with the media, stave off public panic, and respond well in times of crisis.
The Community Colleges of North Carolina already provide emergency responders with many opportunities for educational enrichment. What TISS could (and did) provide were speakers. Not only are a number of our members experts in such relevant subjects as counter-terrorism, emergency response, and religious extremism, but we have a wide networks of contacts and can bring some truly exceptional persons in from outside the area to talk to such groups.During our first year, we sent three or four speakers to community colleges to give evening presentations to emergency responders and then organized a day-long workshop which focused on Terrorism and was held in Raleigh. (More........) We are very anxious to continue this work which we think meets a genuine need, and cordially invite you to seek our assistance, whether you are associated with a Community College and engaged in offering classes to first responders, or whether you yourself are a member of one of the local emergency services - police, fire, or medical.
