06-16-2008 Project Update

Well we are definitely picking up speed with the project. Most recently I met with the Vp of Operations and the Assistant Operations Director at St. Charles Community College Dr Michael Banks and Dr. Mike Dompierre. I gave them the presentation on our project. I told them about the FESHE Fire Service AAS model and the need for a Fire Science and EMS AAS degree in St. Charles Co.. I then finished up with the newest information from Tandberg and most importantly the Homeland Security Workforce Development grant going on right now. I went over the grant requirements with them and that they would need to apply for this grant. Our rough figures from Tandberg are 1 million for equipment and I am calculating 500K for Curriculum development. I want to put the entire project on a system of servers that we keep at St. Charles Community College. And we are going to need the help of the community college to get the curriculum development moving. The grant is due in October. I will know more if they are going to play in the next two weeks.

Class is kickin my butt. And it is awesome. I am now being pushed hard and I love it. What we learn without Mirth we forget without Regret. Bring it!!! PS 700 level Stats is making me feel like a mathematical moron. But the Capstone project class is sharpening the project focus. The "Question" for the project and my degree is...

"How the use of IT can increase the training hours, number of Industry/State Certifications and AAS Degrees in the St. Charles County Emergency Services Association. While decreasing Out-of-Service (OOS) time for training and meetings."

I am working on types of research and methodology. If you have any suggestions let me know.

Now let my beatings commence.

As always if you want to know more - call me. Robb

FESHE Coenference

I am writing from the NFA. I am at the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE)Conference. I have found incredible people who are just like us. Their lives focus on Fire Service Education and Training. What I have learned this weekend has drastically changed my approach to the Education Project. I found 200 Universities and Colleges that have done much of what we are doing. They have lessons from us to learn from and are doing things that I have not even dreamed of. I have learned how to POD cast and will be posting some video and audio files soon. I have identified the need to link our degree programs with the FESHE model. They have done all of the work for us. Everything is done we just need to adopt it. You should expect the AAS proposal rom me within the next two weeks. I hope to have a meeting with the local community college. I would like all of you to check out the FESHE site as below.

https://www.usfa.dhs.gov/nfa/higher_ed/index.shtm

I have an appointment at the Tandberg main educational campus in Virginia tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. This has been a vertical learning trip. I have so much to write but no time. Just as a note Kim McKenna is the next presenter. That's pretty cool. Go St. Charles Co...