Emergency responders, students gather at third Rotorfest

The third annual Rotorfest, held this month at Pennsylvania College of Technology, brought more than 500 K-12 students and educators to campus to learn about the college’s emergency management & homeland security major and interact with a wide range of emergency response professionals.

Unlike the previous two years, when ideal spring weather boosted the outdoor venue, this year’s chilly temperatures and wind added new elements to be managed by the event hosts.

“The third annual Rotorfest was a fantastic day! We had some challenges with weather, but our students were able to adjust and still pull off a highly successful event,” said William A. Schlosser, instructor of emergency management & homeland security. “The ability to be flexible is an absolute requirement for these future emergency managers.”

Michael J. Gruber, an emergency management & homeland security junior from Rockville, Maryland, who served as incident commander for Rotorfest, added, “This is the real world, especially in emergency response. We never know what is going to hit us. Cold. Wind. Rain. Snow. Sunshine. We need to be prepared for anything.”

Winds prevented a Pennsylvania Army National Guard Chinook helicopter from landing, but the Guard supplied an array of ground assets for participants to explore.

Also on hand were helicopters from the U.S. Coast Guard, Pennsylvania State Police and Geisinger Life Flight. Other units in attendance were: Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Williamsport Bureau of Police & Fire, UPMC/Susquehanna Regional EMS, North Central Task Force/Loyalsock Volunteer Fire Department, Laurel Mountain K9 Search & Rescue, RescueOne, Clearview Asset Protection, and Penn College Police.

“For the third straight year, Penn College has proved why we are the best technical college in the land!” enthused Chuck D. Crews Jr., assistant director for secondary partnerships. “Our students consistently demonstrate that it’s not the knowledge, but the application of the knowledge, that makes you an expert. Our students handled the logistical details, as well as acted as ambassadors to our K-12 guests, explaining to them the benefits of the program and the uses of the assets on campus. I am always excited to invite our Dual Enrollment partner schools and any school that wants to be a witness to the great things that we do on campus.”

The 20 K-12 schools and career and technology centers that participated hailed from 13 counties: Berks, Bradford, Centre, Columbia, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan and Tioga. Most of the visitors are engaged in Penn College Dual Enrollment, a program that gives secondary students the opportunity to take Penn College courses tuition-free during their regular school day.

The visiting schools and CTCs were: Canton Junior Senior High School, Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology, Danville Middle School, Jersey Shore Area Middle School, Jersey Shore Area Senior High School, Kutztown Area High School, Liberty Valley Intermediate School (Danville Area School District), Lycoming Career & Technology Center, Lycoming Day Treatment, Midd-West School District, Millville Area Junior Senior High School, Montgomery Area Junior Senior High School, North Penn-Liberty High School, North Penn-Mansfield High School, Seneca Highlands Career & Technical Center, Shenandoah Valley High School, Sullivan County High School, Warrior Run Junior/Senior High School, Wellsboro Area High School, and Wilkes-Barre Area High School.

Jeremy Brown, a criminal justice instructor at Lycoming CTC, noted it was the first time the center had visited Rotorfest, due to a wide range of spring field trip options. “We’re enjoying it,” he said. “The different stations are giving our students exposure to the career opportunities in our field plus additional exposure to the programs offered at the college.”

It was also the first time for Laurel Mountain K9 Search & Rescue, and the Tioga County unit’s search dog attracted many enamored onlookers. Volunteer Denise Drabick, a retired high school principal and educator, raved over Rotorfest: “This is a wonderful experience with all of the hands-on learning for the kids!”

For Penn College students enrolled in the emergency management & homeland security major, Rotorfest provides the challenge of planning and executing a large-scale event, while utilizing their education in incident command, field management and security tactics.

Gruber says a crucial aspect of planning the annual event is the community relations involved. “It gives us the opportunity to communicate with and collaborate with the community, bringing together resources and agencies,” he said. “It gives us that real-world practicum.”

While building rapport with those agencies, Rotorfest also gives the college students key connections with professionals in their career field.

Penn College offers a Bachelor of Science degree in emergency management & homeland security – with on-campus and online options. To learn more about the major, contact the School of Business, Arts & Sciences at 570-327-4521.

For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.