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Education Ensures
a Safe America
By Hector Pe�a, Director of Continuing Education, Texas State Technical College, Harlingen, Texas.
Texas leads the way when it comes to providing private security professional education in the State.
Texas State Technical College (TSTC) has been known and valued for delivering training to first responders. TSTC provides emergency preparedness training (EMT) and academies in Firefighter training and Law Enforcement. TSTC is the only state supported technical college in Texas. The scope and mission has always been to collaborate with the private and public sectors in designing training programs to meet their needs. TSTC Harlingen has worked with the private security industry in the state of Texas to provide the access to training needed for these first responders.
The private security professionals are one of the largest, if not the largest group, of first responders in the state. They are in the malls, schools, at all ports of entry, in energy facilities, and the list goes on. This is one industry that TSTC Harlingen has committed to provide a basic foundation and orientation to homeland security. First responders have always provided and continue to provide homeland security in our communities. Since 9-11, our focus is to become more informed on the various approaches to incidents when we engage as a first responder.
The process to developing this relationship begins first with effective communication and understanding what the training needs of the industry require. Second, you must be willing to invest time in developing curriculum that will be approved by post secondary institutions that meet accreditation standards for the course to be offered. Third, you must meet the state directors and get your courses accepted by the state board of the industry you plan to train. TSTC has met with the Texas Department of Public Safety Private Security Board (PSB), the Director for Homeland Security for the State of Texas, Jay Kimbrough and the Manager for the Texas Private Security Bureau, Cliff Grumbles. The courses were presented at PSB board meeting and supported by the top officials from the State of Texas.
Some distinct advantages to working with Texas State Technical College or any community college is that it has: (1) high quality, cost effective accredited education and training, (2) an established network that is locally focused, (3) a history of effective partnerships with multiple stakeholders, and (4) transcript training progress as a permanent record. Texas State Technical College (and all other technical/community colleges) is in the best position to deliver all the services you need and, with the technology that is available today, access to this training is available to practically everyone.
Most communities have a technical and/or community college. These institutions have the infrastructure already in place and perform the training for law enforcement, criminal justice, EMT and firefighting. In our case, TSTC Harlingen can prepare our homeland security forces more efficiently and economically. So the next time you need security/homeland training, go to your local technical college first, it just makes common sense.
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