Students, families and community partners gathered this week to dedicate the new Career and Technical Campus (CTC) at W. 93rd Street in Overland Park. The CTC houses the Project Blue Eagle Signature Program and includes Fire Science, Law, and Emergency Medical Safety (EMS) strands of study.
Ryan Flurry, CTC principal, made opening remarks by thanking the many community partners who support the Project Blue Eagle program. Current students also thanked administrators and educators for providing the opportunity to dive deep into this field of study.
Following remarks, students gave demonstrations at different stations throughout the facility:
- Firefighter Rescue– This area included props and portions of buildings and homes where students can practice different drills that replicate the real-life skills and situations faced by firefighters in the field.
- Fire Apparatus Operator – Much like scuba equipment, guests could try on gear needed by firefighters when entering a hazardous or smoke-filled environment.
- Emergency Medical Services – First Aid, CPR, and other life-saving techniques were demonstrated at this station.
The highlight was two students in full firefighter gear hooked up the hose from the fire truck to the fire hydrant and turned on the top-level spray hose. Peter Bailes, a consultant from the Lenexa Fire Department, shared that while this may look like a lot of fun, there are 15 critical steps all involving math including valve, pressure, and nozzle size that are part of this exercise.
Several Project Blue Eagle alumni attended the event sharing their continued study in the field of firefighting at Johnson County Community College.
The Career and Technical Campus is the housed in the former district Operations and Maintenance building. HTK Architects repurposed the interior updating space with classrooms and offices.
Find out more about Project Blue Eagle courses here.