Yesterday, Hillsdale Emergency Action Response Team went downtown to city hall to receive training from the fire department in the areas of natural gas and carbon monoxide leaks as well as power line safety.
With recent events of both a gas leak and a down line earlier this year, members see the information and training received at the event as both helpful and beneficial to campus safety.
“The purpose of HEART is that we are trying to train a group of people on campus who can assist security…as well as the local law management and personnel to help restore order if something were to happen on campus,” HEART President Kelly Tillotson said.
Associate Dean of Men and adviser of HEART Jeffery Rogers said that having many club members involved in the community departments will allow for the program to grow and develop in the future, enabling the program to become more specialized and more effective.
“We wanted to get to the heart of the matter, that’s why it’s HEART,” Rogers said.
Although a student-led club, HEART does not rely solely on its campus members and advisors for advice and resources. HEART looks to gain knowledge and advice from local Hillsdale authorities such as the fire department, police department, and the local EMS.
“HEART’s other goal is because the college is such a big part of Hillsdale, we want to make sure we give back to the community that we work in, that we study in, that we play in,” senior Rebekah Smith said. “We are a huge part of the community and we take up a bunch of their resources, so we thought it would be a great way to help on campus and off campus.”
HEART prides itself on being a diverse group of people from all corners of campus, having members from almost all the sports teams as well as the Greek houses. As a student- led group, HEART looks toward the student body for support and leadership.
“I feel like I know the people better, I feel like I know the campus better. Getting to work with Director Whorley and Chief Rogers is great. They are just a fountain of knowledge. I definitely feel like I am better prepared. If there were ever an emergency, I would be more confident to step in and help instead of feeling like I would be a hindrance,” Smith said.
Although many of the members of HEART aspire to work either in the medical fields or law enforcement after graduating, the club invites anyone interested to join.
“The people we want are students who have a desire to help ,” Tilloston said. “If you want to learn how to be an effective leader, especially in emergency situations. That’s really what we are looking for: an eagerness to learn and an eagerness to lead.”
