SCC's PSTC named Regional Law Enforcement Training Center

SYLVA - Southwestern Community College's Public Safety Training Complex (PSTC) was recently named a regional law enforcement training center for specialized and advanced law enforcement training by the North Carolina Community College System.

Southwestern was one of three community colleges in the State to be given this distinction.

The PSTC will serve the thirty-one western most counties of North Carolina, bringing specialized and advanced law enforcement training to officers and students. Jim Mackey will act as coordinator of the Western Regional Criminal Justice Planning and Training Program.

"We'll be offering a wide range of training—SWAT, rapid deployment, hostage negotiations, terrorist training, etc.," said Susan McCaskill, Director of the PSTC. "And, we'll take the training to the students in the thirty-one county area. Some courses will be taught at community colleges and others will be taught at law enforcement agencies. We will also be offering courses for instructors so that they can train other officers."

"A criminal justice regional planning committee was formed to select three regional training centers," said Ray Harrington, Criminal Justice, BLET and Correctional Education Program Coordinator for the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS). "The committee was comprised of three college presidents and three deans outside the North Carolina College System, and also the chair of the criminal justice education and training standards commission, and the chair of the sheriff's education and training commission. That committee took all the facts in hand for each applicant and not only decided who would be the regional trainers, but how the regions would be divided."

Three hundred and fifty thousand dollars will be equally divided among the regional training centers to offer advanced and specialized training.

"I just can't say enough about the training that the PSTC offers. They've really rolled out the red carpet for the Park Service, and I'm proud to be associated with them," said Brad Headley, National Park Service Ranger.

The Public Safety Training Complex offers a wide range of fire, rescue, basic law enforcement, advanced and specialized law enforcement and EMS training.