'Real-World Ready'
Published 03.28.2024
Jump right into “Real-World Ready,” the latest episode in Penn College’s Tomorrow Makers podcast series.
From jumping out of an airplane to jumping into emergency response, the podcast hosts run the gamut in this lively conversation with Will Schlosser, emergency management and homeland security instructor.
Just as fascinating as this unique career field are Will’s background and range of experiences, which have honed his adaptability and flexibility. A professional musician, he has directed middle school and elementary school bands for years. (Talk about group dynamics!) He jokes, “I tell my homeland security class, ‘I’m qualified to teach homeland security because I taught kindergarten for a year.'"
This Civil Air Patrol colonel is commander of CAP's Pennsylvania Wing, which comprises 43 squadrons with over 1,600 volunteers. (CAP is the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.)
“Emergency management is 99% planning,” Schlosser explains. “We’re not first responders. … We’re the people behind the scenes making sure all that stuff is working.”
In addition to addressing the emotional intelligence and empathy needed in the emergency management field, the instructor reports on the second annual Rotorfest being planned by his students (and expected to attract more than 600 high school students to Penn College’s campus in early April) and a new lab being developed that will replicate a dedicated emergency operations center.
It’s not just another day at the office; we’re talking constant activity, continual improvement and making tomorrow work!
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