To serve and protect: HCC opens Public Safety and Automotive Technology Center of Excellence
Sep 15, 2016
Ryan Russell has wanted to be a firefighter ever since he was a little boy. Today, the Houston Community College (HCC) Fire Academy cadet is on his way to achieving that dream.
“I really like helping people,” said the class leader. “This is something I can do to give back to the community.”
Helping others has always been a passion for Maria Mora, who has been in law enforcement for nearly 10 years. Mora started as a 911 dispatcher and is now a student at the HCC Police Academy.
“I’ve been a cadet for nearly four months and choosing Houston Community College has been one of the best decisions in my life,” said Mora.
Russell and Mora are just two of the many success stories coming out of the Public Safety and Automotive Technology Center of Excellence housed at the HCC Northeast Campus. This Center of Excellence offers associate degrees and workforce certifications in public safety including EMS, fire science, criminal justice and law enforcement, automotive technology, and heavy vehicle and truck repair.
You may wonder why police, fire, EMS, and transportation fall under the same center of excellence umbrella.
“They all have problem solving in common,” said Dr. Cesar Maldonado, HCC chancellor. “When you are in an ambulance and need care, the person who is helping you is trying to analyze what is going on. An auto mechanic does the same thing. Assessing the problem is what our students are learning and using their experience in their special fields to apply that.”
According to Johnny Sessums, director of the Public Safety and Automotive Technology Center of Excellence, all programs are certified by the State of Texas and students have pass rates from their respective licensing agencies ranging from 85-98 percent and consistently high placement rates with police and fire departments across the Greater Houston area and Texas. There is also a 100-percent job placement rate for automotive technicians who graduate from HCC.
“These are the programs that we expect to provide reliable transportation maintenance and upkeep, and to come to our rescue in the event of police protection, fire emergencies, or sudden medical crises,” said Dr. Margaret Ford-Fisher, HCC Northeast President, during the Center of Excellence grand opening.
Dr. Ford-Fisher joined fellow administrators, industry partners, students, faculty members, and HCC trustees Dr. Adriana Tamez, board chair; Dave Wilson, District II; and Eva Loredo, District VIII.
“I am glad about all the opportunities this Center of Excellence has to offer and all the programs we have,” said Loredo. “It makes me proud to see that these students are going to be the first line of defense for us and that they are here for a purpose - to help people.”
Assistant Chief Kevin Alexander with the Houston Fire Department’s (HFD) Professional Development Command spoke about the longtime partnership between HCC and HFD and encouraged both public safety and automotive students to strive for the best.
“As you move on in your careers, as you move up the ranks, each badge will mean something,” said Alexander. “For those in the Automotive program, make sure that every time you go to work, leave your mark.”
To learn more information about the programs offered at the Public Safety and Automotive Technology Center of Excellence, visit hccs.edu/public-safety.