HPD recognizes HCC Public Safety Institute partnership

By HCC Public Relations

Oct 28, 2013

The Houston Police Department recognizes HCC’s Public Safety Institute for the vital role it plays in training first responders.

The Public Safety Institute at Houston Community College has played an instrumental role in producing highly trained and skilled first responders for emergency situations. Representatives from the Houston Police Department, including Mark Foster, Senior Police Officer, Pilot and Chief Tactical Flight Officer, recently recognized HCC’s PSI for its successful partnership with local law enforcement agencies to provide continuing education and facilities for rescue and tactical helicopter training. The HCC PSI has the ideal classroom capacity, state-of-the-art training structures and optimal airspace outside of Hobby and Bush airports, which minimizes the need to communicate with air traffic control. In addition to facilities, HCC offers a continuing education credit for the four-week course. The course is taught in joint training sessions at the HCC Northeast Campus, which brings together pilots, emergency responders, and tactical members from SWAT, the HPD and Houston Fire Department. Members learn hoisting operations, which involve helicopter pilots learning how to lift 270 pounds of water with a Bambi Bucket to fight fires from above. The helicopter is also used to teach emergency personnel how to rescue people from water using ropes or baskets. The helicopter and swift water rescue pond on campus allows for SWAT to train on a moving ship in the ship channel without having to wait on a Coast Guard. The HCC PSI has helped trained 70% of Houston’s emergency responders and offers a continuing education credit for the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Education (TCLEOSE). For more information on the HCC Northeast Public Safety Institute, call 713.718.8300.