Public Safety Services Archives - Stafford Technical Center

Stafford Inducts 7 into National Technical Honor Society

Stafford Technical Center inducted seven students into the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) on May 6, 2010 during a candlelight ceremony in the Dollhouse Restaurant. The mission of NTHS is to honor outstanding student achievement in career and technical education, promote educational excellence, and help to create strong partnerships with business and industry. These students exemplify the core values of NTHS which are leadership, citizenship, service, honesty, responsibility, skill, and scholarship. Stafford is very proud of these outstanding individuals.

Inductees L-R: Haley Cotrupi-Public Safety Services (Mill River Union High School), John DeMatties-Forestry & Natural Resources (Poultney High School), Arianna Lynn-Digital Arts (Rutland High School), Mercedes LaPlant-Human Services (Proctor High School), Molly Spaulding-Health Careers (Fair Haven Union High School), Cierra Phelps-Public Saftety Services (Mill River Union High School), and Emily Patch-Hospitality & Entrepreneurship (Mill River Union High School)

Two Stafford Students Win Governor’s Award for Community Service

Two Stafford Technical Center students, Erika Stocker of Wallingford, and Ashley Barnes of Rutland, recently won the Governor’s Award for Community Service in the youth division. Both girls are seniors in the Public Safety Services Program and are members of the Students Against Destructive Decisions Chapter at Stafford Technical Center. The awards are granted through the Vermont Commission on National and Community Service, a bipartisan committee of 15 persons appointed by the governor. Both Ashley and Erika have also been nominated for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award at the gold level.

Ashley Barnes has been an active member of the Rutland City Police Cadets and has done hundreds of hours of assisting with traffic and crowd control, parades, training and other events over a 2 and a half year period. Ashley has assisted Detective Ray LaMoria of the Rutland City Police in teaching the RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) Program to all sorts of people, from elementary school students, to high school students, to college students, and to special populations. Ashley plans on becoming a trainer in this program.

Both Ashley and Erika are both active members of the Stafford Technical Center SADD Chapter, and have donated hundreds of hours in training, and in projects designed to reduce the incidence of underage drinking, promote positive personal behaviors, provide positive role models, and to reduce other negative behaviors such as drug usage, dating violence, bullying, etc. They have presented on topics such as “Improper Cell Phone Use”, “Sexting”, and “Teen Dating Violence” at a number of schools and the state-wide Governor’s Youth Leadership Conference. They have been part of a number of highway safety projects, including the “Slow Down, Stick Around” Program which partnered community members and area libraries in an attempt to increase awareness of the dangers of speeding in cars.

Erika has been a very involved member of the Wallingford Fire Department, where she has done every task possible for a junior firefighter for the last five years. She has reported to car crashes, fire scenes, fundraisers, community benefit programs, and training. Her dedication is such that she has on more than one occasion been at a fire scene so late into the night that she came directly to school from the fire scene.

Public Safety Services Students Provide Teen Dating Violence Prevention Program

The Public Safety Services Program’s first year students provided their peers, as well as the faculty and staff of Stafford Technical Center, with a presentation into the issue of teen dating violence. Regrettably, this issue is far more common than people know, with about 40% of teen girls knowing a peer who either is or has been in an abusive relationship. Abuse can take many forms, from verbal to emotional to social isolation, and physical abuse. Murder is the ultimate form of physical abuse. Women and teen girls are more likely to be murdered by their spouses, lovers, or boyfriends than by strangers by a 2 to 1 ratio.

Often, young females in our society are not taught about the dangers of dating violence, so the presentation included the warning signs that someone might be in an abusive relationship, how to break up with an abuser safely, how to get help if you are in an abusive relationship, and the patterns of behaviors that abusers go through. While the presentation dealt primarily with male abusers and female victims, which is the case 85% of the time, some males are abused by female partners and some homosexuals of both sexes are abused by their partners as well.

The students, who are also members of Stafford Technical Center’s SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) Chapter, also included some public service announcement, which heightened the effectiveness of their presentation. The audience consisted of all the Stafford Technical Center students who were not on an internship co-op that day, Stafford faculty and staff members. The number was estimated at around 250 people. The students highlighted the efforts of the State of Rhode Island, which passed the Lindsay Ann Burke Act, which mandated that all R.I. students in grades 7-12 get training about domestic violence as part of their school’s curriculum.

The presenters included Geoffry McDonald, a senior at Otter Valley Union High School, who was the Project Director for this program, Rutland High School seniors James Bonilla, Christopher Crout, and Jordan Grenier, Proctor High School junior Kyle Lenher, Kayla Stewart, a junior at West Rutland High School, and juniors Cierra Phelps, James Reed, and Haley Cotrupi from Mill River Union High School. It was a very powerful presentation. The Public Safety Services Group is available to present this information to other schools.

Students Chat Up Senator Leahy

March 9th, 2010: Nine Students from Stafford Technical Center recently participated in an online chat with US Senator Patrick Leahy. This was the first online chat that the Senator has held with Stafford Technical Center. The students asked the Senator questions and communicated with him through Skype. The questions covered a broad range of topics including health care, workforce development, the affordability of college, and even more personal ones like who were his favorite rock bands and the types of summer jobs he had while in high school. This chat was a wonderful opportunity for the students to interact with an important political figure and learn how they can become more civically engaged in their communities.

Participating students: Molly Spaulding-Health Careers (Fair Haven High School), Colin Terenzini-Power Mechanics/Welding (Rutland High), David Sexton-Culinary Arts (Mill River), Josh Marcille-Hospitality and Entrepreneurship(West Rutland High School), Colin Haas-Electrical/Plumbing (Rutland High), Luke Molaski-Forestry and Naturual Resources (Otter Valley), Geoffrey McDonald-Public Safety Services (Otter Valley), Lauren Graziano-Architecture Engineering Design (Fair Haven Union High School) and Amber Dumas-Video Production (Rutland High )

High School Students assist at Rutland’s Car Safety Seat Installation Clinic

Rutland hosts Vermont’s busiest car safety seat installation clinic, where new parents, grandparents, and anyone else who transports youngsters, can bring their car safety seat and have it installed by a technician who has had specialized training. The clinics are held weekly on Thursday afternoons from 3-6 at Regional Ambulance Service. The technicians come from different walks of life- police officers, EMTs, police dispatchers, and professionals from child and family centers. Students from the Stafford Technical Center SADD Chapter have recently been assisting the technicians.

The student assistants perform a variety of tasks. They act as scribes for the technicians, recording and documenting the particulars of this installation. They assist in childcare, so the technicians can do the installations without interruptions. The assistants also help the technician as required in any other part of the process. It is a win win situation for everyone. The technicians get assistance and are able to focus on getting the task done, and the students get to serve their community, learn new skills, and make professional contacts. The students who have been involved in the last two clinics are Cierra Phelps and Haley Cotrupi, juniors from Mill River Union High School, and Kayla Stewart, a junior from west Rutland High School. All three girls are students in the Stafford Technical Center SADD Chapter, and are enrolled in the Public Safety Services Program at Stafford.

Photo: l-r: Haley Cotrupi and Cierra Phelps help at car safety seat installation

Students Address Teen Dating Violence Prevention

Cierra Phelps, a member of the Stafford Technical Center SADD Chapter, and a student in the Public Safety Services Program, was the recent recipient of competitive national grant dealing with teen dating violence prevention. The grant was one of 10 nationwide grants awarded by DoSomething.org with funds from the Liz Claiborne Foundation.

After being awarded the grant, Cierra and her fellow SADD members and classmates went to work to fulfilling its requirements, which was a challenge considering they were required to do an initial presentation of the program, which was called “Hands Are Not for Hitting”, in the span of about 10 school days. The centerpiece of the program was a “silent witness” campaign with 8 plywood silhouettes of victims of dating violence, each with a personal story. The 8 silhouettes were of 6 women, 1 man, and 1 dog. Animals are often victims of domestic and teen dating violence and are abused to terrify the victim or used as a pawn in the relationship. The plywood silhouettes were made by Jeff Fowler of Stafford’s Construction Technology Program and his students. They were painted by Stafford Technical Center SADD members Cierra Phelps, Haley Cotrupi, and Erika Stocker from Mill River Union High School, Jo Lilly from Otter Valley Union High School, and Kayla Stewart from West Rutland High School.

The students developed a pledge for others to sign, asking those that signed it not to be involved in an abusive relationship, either as the abuser or the abused person, and also, if they are a bystander witness to domestic or dating violence, to take some action, if only to report the abuse. The SADD members set up the silent witness campaign outside the cafeteria that serves the students at Rutland High School and Stafford Technical Center. There was also a table where students or staff members could get information. Over 400 people signed the pledge that day and were given a purple silicone bracelet with the saying “Hands Are Not For Hitting” on it. The bracelets and the “witnesses” fostered a lot of discussion.

The SADD members wore T-shirts that were designed by Paige Mayer of the Stafford Digital Arts Program, so that people could identify the members and ask them questions. The shirts, which had a silhouette and the “Hands Are Not for Hitting” logos displayed on the shirts. The logos were so striking that many students and teachers asked if they could purchase a shirt. The SADD members quickly decided to sell the shirts as a fundraiser, and donate the profits to the Rutland County Women’s Network and Shelter. Additionally, the SADD members were asked to do a presentation to the Forestry, Natural Resources, and Horticulture class. Cierra Phelps had a presentation on this topic that she had prepared for a college PowerPoint class at the College of St. Joseph as part of her program of study in the Public Safety Services Program, and she and two other SADD members, James Reed, a junior from Mill River Union High School, and Kyle Lenher, a junior from Proctor High School, presented the program to the Forestry students.

Other Stafford Technical Center SADD members taking part in this project were Rutland High School seniors Chris Crout, Jordan Grenier, James Bonilla, and Ashley Barnes, Mill River Union High School seniors Cantlin Eaton, Kayla Jones, and Nate Hance, and Geoffry McDonald, a senior at Otter Valley Union High School.

The students also implemented this program for students at the College of St. Joseph, and are available to do a “silent witness” display at other schools or organizations.

Public Safety Services Students Become Nationally Certified in Hazardous Materials Awareness

Ten students in the Forestry and Natural Resources and Public Safety Services Programs at Stafford Technical Center recently became certified at the Awareness Level in the area of Hazardous Materials. Chief Robert Schlacter of the Rutland City Fire Department was the instructor through the Vermont Fire Academy for this course. Public Safety Services is a program that serves individuals who may be involved in emergency services – fire police, and rescue, as well as those in related occupations- dispatching, courts, attorneys, etc. Obviously, the professionals in emergency services, the first responders, are extremely at risk to be involved in a hazardous materials incident in a truck crash, a train derailment or a spill or explosion in an industrial facility, as are arborists and tree surgeons who also respond to these emergencies or to the cleanup.

There are tens of thousands of potentially hazardous materials that first responders may encounter. Some may be flammable, some may be corrosive, and give burns, like acids, some may be radioactive, some may be biological agents that are infectious, some may be explosive, and then there are some that are classified as dangerous, which may have more than one risk associated with it.

The students who demonstrated their mastery of this course, and who received national certification in this area were: Christopher Crout, Jordan Grenier, and James Bonilla of Rutland High School, Kyle Lenher of Proctor High School, Geoffry McDonald of Otter Valley Union High School, Kayla Stewart of West Rutland High School, Jakob Galvin and Ben Alger of Fair Haven Union High School, and James Reed, Haley Cotrupi, and Cierra Phelps of Mill River Union High School. Chris Crout, Ben Alger, Kayla Stewart, and Kyle Lenher all scored 100% on this difficult examination.

Ben Alger is a member of the Orwell Volunteer Fire Department and James Reed is on the Middletown Volunteer Fire Department. Ben Alger and Jakob Galvin are members of Mark Skakel’s Forestry and Natural Resoures Program.

Red Ribbon Tree to Memorialize Victims of Drunk or Drugged Driving

redribbontree While Vermont this year had the lowest rate of fatalities in drunken driving crashes, in the past, we have had many, many people killed or injured in crashes involving drunk or drugged drivers. December is “Drunk or Drugged Driving Prevention” Month and one of the activities that happens during this month is the Southern Vermont Red Ribbon Tree, which is placed in the Diamond Run Mall in Rutland. The tree is a way of remembering the victims, those who have been killed or injured, in crashes involving drivers who were under the influence or alcohol or drugs.

The Red Ribbon Tree brings together all the stakeholders in the fight against this serious problem- police, fire, youth, victims, emergency medical services, hospitals, community anti-drug coalitions, court and court alternative programs, and legislators and other political leaders. The tree is dedicated at a ceremony and people attending the ceremony have an opportunity to remember friends or loved ones (or themselves) who were victimized by placing a red ribbon with the person’s name on it on the tree. Each organization can demonstrate their dedication to the cause by placing an ornament with the organization’s name on it on the tree.

The event was hosted by the Stafford Technical Center SADD Chapter, which includes the students in the Public Safety Services and Health Careers Academy and Jackie Fitz-Gerald, a student in the Architecture and Engineering Design Program. SADD members from the Fair Haven Union High School and Proctor High School Chapters and their advisors represented their schools, as did contingents from Otter Valley Union High School and their school resource officer, Anne Bandy, and Mill River Union High School and their school resource deputy Jen Czachor, and teacher Suzanne Striglia. Castleton State College was represented by two members of their SADD Chapter. Lt. David Notte, Sgt. Dave Lertola, and Troopers James Wilborn and Stephanie Shaw represented the Vermont State Police. The Rutland County Sheriff’s Department sent Deputies Lawrence Ynesta and David Fox.

The emergency medical services community had members of the Wallingford and Middletown Springs Squads in attendance. Community anti-drug coalitions, the Rutland Area Prevention Coalition, and the Black River Area Coalition, both had staff members, Tina Coltey and Brigid Sullivan, who spoke to the assembled group of their agencies’ efforts. Three staff members from Rutland County Court Diversion and Community Justice Center were also in attendance. Susan Lebel from the Rutland Regional Medical Center told of the hospital’s efforts and her personal experiences as an emergency room nurse. Lastly, Lawrence McLiverty, the Vermont SADD Coordinator spoke, and others shared their stories of how they were affected by a crash.

This event was planned and executed by members of the Stafford Technical Center SADD Chapter; student Kyle Lenher, a junior from Proctor High School, was the overall Project Director. He was assisted by Sarah Grimes, a senior from Otter Valley Union High School, who supervised her fellow Health Careers students. The tree will remain at the Diamond Run Mall during the holiday season so that others can remember those who have been lost to these crashes.

Students Present on “Sexting”

Jo Lilly Presentation

Picture: Jo Lilly, Stafford Public Safety Services Student presents on “sexting”

Seven students from Stafford Technical Center’s SADD Chapter, all of whom are involved in the Public Safety Services Program, recently presented a workshop of the topic of “Sexting” to about 50 teens and adults at the Governor’s Youth Leadership Conference in Burlington. The students were Kayla Stewart, a junior from West Rutland High School, Geoffrey McDonald, a senior from Otter Valley Union High School, Cierra Phelps, a junior at Mill River Union High School, Erika Stocker, Kayla Jones, and Nate Hance, seniors at Mill River Union High School, Jo Lilly, a senior at Poultney High School, and Ashley Barnes, a senior at Rutland High School.

Sexting is a relatively new phenomenon which involves sending sexually explicit or provocative messages, cartoons, or photos of naked or seminude people by cell phone or computer. Sexting is much more common than people think, especially more common than the parents of teens think. About half of all teens report having been “sexted”, and about thirty percent of all teens report that they have sent sexting messages. The percentage of males involved in sending seems to be roughly twice that of the rates of females. Of the girls who sent photos of themselves, about half reported that they were pressured by their boyfriends to do so. Interestingly enough, about one of six boyfriends whose girlfriends sent nude photos of themselves mass e-mail the photos to others following a breakup of the relationship. It is presumed that this happens more often following the girlfriend dumping the boyfriend than the other way around.

Sexting can be a form of bullying, also. In a case from Japan, an obese male middle school student was humiliated after a fellow student took naked pictures of the obese student in the shower during gym class, without the student’s knowledge, and then sent the photos out to a large number of schoolmates. In a case from Ohio, a girl committed suicide after months of harassment from fellow students who had been sent naked photos of the girl by her ex-boyfriend after they broke up.

Sexting can also result in a number of criminal charges being brought against the sender or receiver of the photos, particularly if one of them is a minor. The charges may include pornography or child pornography or a host of other charges. A number of these charges may result in one’s becoming a registered sex offender, also; there are cases where 18 year olds with photos from their sixteen year old girlfriends have become required to register as sex offenders.

Hopefully, by raising awareness of teens in Vermont of the dangers in sexting, fewer teens will become victims.

Public Safety Student Attends Advanced Training at the Vermont Police Academy

Kayla Jones, a senior in her second year in the Stafford Technical Center Public Safety Services Program, has begun a series of three courses in Animal Cruelty Investigation at the Vermont Police Academy as part of her studies. Kayla, who is a Tinmouth resident, who will be graduating from Mill River Union High School in June, has had a long interest in the law enforcement field, especially as it relates to animals- becoming a canine handler, an animal cruelty investigator, and/or an animal control officer.

Through the Public Safety Services Program’s ongoing partnership with the Vermont Police Academy, Kayla was allowed to attend Animal Cruelty Investigation Levels I, II, and III. These courses are usually only offered to veteran police officers as in-service training. The Vermont Police Academy provides many services for the Public Safety Services Program- academy staff members who provide outstanding instruction to the class, the ropes course for team building, and guidance and direction for the program through the academy’s Executive Director, RJ Elrick, who acts as a program advisory committee member. The Public Safety Program’s students assist the Vermont Police Academy by acting as enactors in scenario-based training and as assistants as part of an intern process.

The Animal Cruelty Investigation Courses deal with all aspects of these offenses. Animal hoarding violations, which have recently been widely reported in Vermont, involve people who have large numbers of animals, sometimes including farm animals, and then fail to adequately take care of their animals. Cruelty cases may also involve fighting, like cockfighting and dog fighting, which may become more common as we become more ethnically and culturally diverse. People who intentionally hurt household pets sometimes do this as part of a pattern of domestic violence; others, particularly children, who intentionally injure animals, are often demonstrating behaviors that indicate future anti-social behaviors. Almost all serial killers started by torturing animals.

Kayla’s interest in making a difference in the lives of animals is deep-seated. She will be doing a series of internships with local enforcement agencies as part of her second year in the Public Safety Services Program.