Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 10, 1989)
Feature May 10,1989 THE CLACKAMAS PRINT Page 5 Jones excited about upcoming school year by Caree Hussey what’s going on at school. It’s important in building a person’s Feature/Managing Editor Tim Jones will be serving as self. It helps in realizing your moral Associated Student Government’s and civic duties.” He is currently vice president during the 1989-90 serving as a vice president’s sena school year. tor in ASG. Jones is the youngest of four Jones recently changed from children and, he states, “the tough a biology major to a business est.” Jones was bom in Seattle administration major. He hopes and lived there for the first two to get into industrial waste man years of his life. He says he has agement. “It’s a real growth area. “good memories of Seattle be I like higher level management tween the ages of zero and two.” decision making.” Jones has attended Blue As for his future, Jones says Mountain, Walla Walla and Pierce he wants to “get school finished. Community Colleges. Last year My career is my future.” he moved to Oregon City to live Jones is currently working full with his brother. “I’m trading rent time but wants to assure the stu fof babysitting my niece,” he said. dent body that “I’m stopping at Jones raced bicycles last the end of summer so I can as summer. This was one of the rea sume the duties of vice president” However, he is com sons he decided to attend Clacka mas. “I rode my bike around here pletely serious about his duties as (jo train for racing). It’s a beauti vice president “Pm going to make fulcampus. I liked thesetup of the sure things get done in a timeiy and orderly manner,” he said. buildings. It’s convenient.” According to Jones, he will Jones’ next step was to talk to some instructors. “I was impressed make every effort to . communi by the quality of instructors and cate-with the students. “I wartt by how much they give to the stu them to beaware that I’m working forthem. Myofficewillbe opento dents.” - - This is his first year at Clacka anyone.” He wants the students to know mas and so far he says,”I’m really happy. It’s worked out well. I can’t who he is and feel free to talk to him. “I’m going to get up in class name a bad instructor.” Jones got involved with stu and make every class I’m in aware dent government because, “it’s a that I’m the vice president, If you great way to meet people and the see me in the hall come up and half tuition waiver helps finan talk to me. I’m willing to listen to cially. It gets you more involved in anyone.” photo by Jillian Port« Tim Jones, who will be serving as the ASG vice president during the 89-90 school year, Is eager to hear students' opinions. He is very positive about the upcoming school year. He said that he has talked to ASG Presi dent-elect Garret Lytle and feels that their personalities are very compatible. Jones stated that he would like to thank the students for elect ing him and give a special thanks to Leslie Barton (the current vice president) “for helping me out and knowing what the job is and what to do.” ' 911 program training students for challenging career as professional emergency dispatchers by Caree Hussey Feature/Managing Editor The 911 program here at Clackamas is only one of two programs of its kind in existence in the U.S. The other program is at Portland Community College. The program was started fall term of this-year. It is a one year certificate program. In June, the first class will graduate. The program was started because, “the industry came to us,” explained Jim Brouillette, chairperson of the criminal jus tice department. “There is a 60-70 percent attrition rate in the first year for dispatchers,” he stated. This means that 60-70,percent of the dispatchers that were hired are leaving during the first year. Brouillette attributed this to “culture shock There are a lot of stresses placed on dispatchers. It’s ten minutes of boredom and seven hours of panic. They can’t just leave during a crisis if their shift is over. People are not prepared.” Being a 91 ^dispatcher is not just a job. According to Brouillette it is a “total commitment to a career. The overtime is large. Dispatchers are very dedicated and conscientious. They have to be high-level decision makers. They are constantly on the razor edge.” Because of the demands placed on dispatchers, this program was bom. The students attend classes, but are also expected to put in 12 hours a week doing co-op work experience at different 911 cen ters in the tri-county area. They are moved around to different sites so that they learn how the various centers are run. Students are also "it's ten minutes of boredom and seven hours of panic. They can't just leave during a crisis..." required to ride along with police, fire and ambulance on occasion. Also included in the program are classes on crisis and stress man agement. “We prepare you for the stress,” j stated Brouillette. Throughout the year, students ate evaluated. “It’s a constant ré- learning process,” explained Brouillette. The advantages to going through this program are “your odds for getting a job are higher, and you’re more attractive for hiring.” The disadvantages are “it’s very demanding. You have to dedicate nine months of your life to the program and yow might decide that you don’t like it There are no guarantees, but it isn’t a waste of time. It’s valuable for any occupation,” Brouillette said. Getting into the program is not an easy task First an applica tion must be filled out. The appli cation deadline for next year’s class is May 31. Applications may be obtained by contacting . Jim Brouillette at ext. 560. Testing is done on June 3. It is a four and a half hour written test. If applicants are successful oh the test they are called in for an oral interview. The interview panel consists of representatives from the college and from 911 dispatch centers. The point of this inter view is to make sure that the per son can “think fast. They have to have a good speaking voice. We’re not really concerned with specific answers to questions. Fingerprints are taken and a criminal history is run,” Brouilette explained. The prospective students are then placed on a list and the top 30 are selected for the class. “We are trying to ensure the success of the program. It is an elite group. But you can be sure that we are conscious of your needs and are going to assist you,” explained Brouillette. There are advantages to the job itself “The pay is good: $15,000 to $20,000 to start. It can run above that with overtime. There are fringe benefits. There are advancement opportunities-managers and su pervisors come from within the ranks,” stated Brouillette. Currently there is legislation pending in Salem for minimum education standards for dispatch ers in Oregon. If it passes, 11 (911) Dispatchers are the responders ON THE LADDER to cries for help. It's TO SUCCESS. a critical profession." ■ Transfer programs applied toward Brouillette feels that “we will have a leg up in providing training.” Brouillette said that he has al ready been “besieged with inquir ies” about the program. He has been contacted by people in Austin, Texas; British Columbia; Wyoming and Montana. Tie foresees that being a dis patcher “will develop into a true profession.” He stated that dis patchers are the “link up to have someone respond to an emergency. A lot of things can go wrong You’re dealing with human lives. Dispatch ers are the responders to cries for help. It is a critical profession. We’re training professionals.” Bachelor degree requirements ■ Professional degrees in Art, Man- ! agement, Music & Pastoral Ministries ■ Individualized degrees that adapt coursework to career goals ■ Prior learning credit for those with applicable work/life experience ■ Classes scheduled evenings, week ends and weekdays (503) 636-8141 1-800-634-9982 Marylhurst College Marylhurst, Oregon 97036 | centimeters 26 -19 43 55.93 oö . öu 29.37 13.06 -49.49 54.91 -38.91 30.77 3U.// 27 43.96 52.00 30.01 ou.ui 28 82.74 3.45 81.29 o'** Colors by Muriseli Color Services Lab 30 50.87 -27.17 -29.46 L* a* b* 1