Vinal Tech’s Criminal Justice Program Launches New Emergency Center & Daily Intelligence Briefing
December 10, 2024
Middletown, CT — December 10, 2024 – Vinal Technical High School’s Criminal Justice and Protective Services (CJPS) Program hosted a landmark event today, unveiling a $300,000 upgrade to its Emergency Operations Center (EOC), made possible by Samsung, Comcast, and RnB Enterprises. The event also marked the debut of a groundbreaking initiative: a free, student-developed 365-day-per-year intelligence briefing for first responders nationwide.
The intelligence briefing consolidates critical open-source information, including hurricane warnings, disease outbreaks, power outages, and other public safety alerts, into a single daily report. This tool will support first responders, emergency managers, and decision-makers across the country, showcasing the capability of high school students in public service and disaster response. To support the students, Samsung provided two side-by-side 130-inch All-in-One IAC displays, seamlessly installed to present audio, video, and data streams for real-time insights into evolving situations.
Since its inception, Vinal Tech’s EOC has played a critical role in disaster response and intelligence gathering for deployed federal health and human services teams during:
- The first U.S. cruise ship COVID outbreak in 2020
- A COVID-19 hospital deployment in Wyoming in 2021
- The Hurricane Ian response in 2022
The program’s hands-on approach and real-world applications equip students with skills and experience, preparing them for careers in emergency management, disaster medicine, healthcare, police, fire, EMS, and other related fields.
The event drew a distinguished audience, including guests such as Commissioner Ronnell Higgins, CT DESPP; and Carolyne Hannan, SVP Comcast New England, along with several program alumni now working in military, EMS, and professional roles. Attendees witnessed live demonstrations of the upgraded EOC, heard from students involved in the daily briefing initiative, and learned how the program strengthens both individual career paths and national disaster response capabilities.
- Jonathan Greene, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said:
“A major challenge our country faces is ensuring the nation has the future workforce it needs. We should strive to get youth interested and exposed to careers in emergency management and public service. What is going on at Vinal Tech is innovative and important. What happens here, and in programs like it around the country, primes the pump and equips students to chart a course for fulfilling careers in public service, emergency services, and disaster management.”
- Lynn Hayes, Team Commander, National Disaster Medical System’s Connecticut-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team, said:
“The internet has a wealth of open-source information. My team has limited time to validate and condense information before we deploy for a response. The students’ Awareness Briefs outlining information on the location and incident we are responding to is very helpful to us as responders. It also provides a great learning experience for the students and a great opportunity for them to learn firsthand about the career opportunities in emergency management, disaster medicine, healthcare, police, fire, and EMS.”
- Kimberly Heredia, Federal Emergency Management Agency, said
“We commend the students’ hard work and initiative in developing a daily briefing. It’s a wonderful example of what strong partnerships between local schools and the Youth Preparedness Council can do for strengthening the emergency management field and building resilience in the region.”
- David Phelps, Head of the Display Division, Samsung Electronics America, said:
“Vinal Technical High School’s EOC highlights the power of combining education and technology to create impactful learning opportunities. By equipping the students with state-of-the-art display solutions, we are helping them engage in real-world scenarios to build essential skills for future careers in emergency management and public safety.”
- Carolyne Hannan, Senior Vice President of Comcast’s New England Region, said:
“Comcast is proud to partner with Vinal Technical Regional High School to provide a fast, reliable and secure Internet connection through our state-of-the-art Xfinity network for this first-of-its-kind, student-led Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Comcast is committed to supporting programs that leverage technology to develop the next generation of innovators and leaders.”
The daily intelligence briefing can be accessed at vinalcjps.com.
About Vinal Tech’s CJPS Program
The Criminal Justice and Protective Services Program at Vinal Technical High School prepares students for community safety careers, combining rigorous academics with real-world applications in emergency response and intelligence gathering. The EOC serves as a model for how students can meaningfully contribute to public safety on a national scale.
Media Coverage
