LEMONT FURNACE, Pa. — The Outreach and Continuing Education department at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, will begin offering Situational Awareness for First Responders, a new course for first responders, on Oct. 6.
The course was developed to empower emergency responders with resources to understand and prepare for the physical, emotional and cognitive responses to a critical incident.
First responders must prepare for increasingly violent environments due to the opioid epidemic and a higher frequency of active-shooter situations. The course will introduce survival mindset tactics, cover and concealment exercises, and best practices for addressing real-world ambush scenarios.
Connellsville-native and law enforcement executive Brian Ruck will lead the session. Ruck has more than 19 years of police experience within the national capital region, having served on the Fairfax County Police Department SWAT Team and as a law enforcement instructor on firearms, police sniper operations, and active-shooter response. He currently serves as the school liaison commander in the Fairfax County public school system.
The course is sponsored by Fayette County Emergency Medical Services Council. Organized in 1974, the council is responsible for planning an effective emergency medical services system for the citizens for Fayette County.
Situational Awareness for First Responders is a four-hour session offered free of charge. The class also will be streamed remotely to students enrolled in the paramedic program in Kersey, Pennsylvania. This is a collaborative effort between Penn State Fayette and Penn State DuBois to address the EMS workforce shortage in the region.
Space is limited. For more information or to register by Oct. 2, visit https://fayette.psu.edu/form/non-credit-course-registration or call 724-430-4211.