Raleigh -— U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge today spoke about the importance of first responder training while on a tour of the newly expanded Wake Tech Public Safety Education Center.
Etheridge secured $300,000 in funds for the expansion of the center.
“Wake Tech has built a state of the art facility that will train and prepare emergency responders to handle a wide verity of emergencies that our citizens may face,” said Etheridge. “These funds will benefit all emergency responders and leave them better equipped for emergency situations. That means good jobs and a safer community.”
The Wake Tech Public Safety Education Center will provide a simulation environment for all levels of emergency medical and law enforcement to gain proactive and reactive skills in the event of an emergency. It will provide realistic settings for real-life situations faced by emergency responders.
The expansion more than doubles the size of the campus, and includes a mock courtroom, jail, booking and interrogation rooms, state-of-the-art forensics labs, an incident command center and a “simmunition” room for rapid deployment training. These features make it one of the most advanced public safety and law enforcement training facilities in the Southeast.
Wake Tech trained more than 3,800 professionals in law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services last year. Curriculum programs to be offered at the Public Safety Education Campus include Basic Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice, Latent Evidence and Fire Protection Technology.
The $300,000 has enabled Wake Tech to expand latent evidence and cyber crime education. Two courses in the latent evidence degree program will now be offered as in-service training to SBI investigators, CCBI agents and local law enforcement officers. Basic Ridge Friction Analysis and Advanced Ridge Friction Analysis will utilize the latest LiveScan and fingerprinting technologies for identifying suspects. Eight new courses in cyber crime will be offered to local and regional law enforcement officers. These courses will utilize the latest technology to help agencies address the rise in internet crimes such as identity theft, child pornography and banking scams.
“This is a smart investment in our state’s safety and security. If federal dollars are spent preparing for security, less dollars will need to be spend reacting to national emergencies,” said Etheridge.