Lost hikers? Emergency managers are all in

A call comes in from the Lycoming County Department of Public Safety’s 911 Center, reporting lost and injured hikers are in the woods on the property of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center. Fielding the dispatch are students enrolled in the college’s emergency management & homeland security major, who promptly set their training and skills into motion, deploying a mobile command post and search teams. Also responding to the emergency are Penn College forestry students, who clear debris blocking rescue access at two locations. An ambulance staffed by two members of the Clinton Township Fire Department also joins the effort.

That’s the scenario that played out during a search and rescue full-scale exercise, organized to benefit Penn College’s emergency management & homeland security students. 

“Our search teams did an excellent job by staying on course and accomplishing our objectives, as well as staying alert and safe,” said Mikya L. Stake, a junior from Port Allegany, who served as incident commander during the recent exercise. “Our command staff also did an excellent job from planning to operations to managing the logistics. They accomplished all the tasks within the planned objectives in a timely manner. Overall, everyone did a great job on communicating, working safely and, most importantly, having a fun and engaging learning experience.” 

Stake works as a health assistant in College Health Services and is a live-in emergency medical technician/firefighter at Montoursville’s Willing Hand Hose Co. 1. At home in McKean County, she serves as an EMT for Port Area Ambulance Services and is a state firefighter at Port Allegany’s Star Hose Co. No. 1.

“Our IC (incident commander) is doing an exceptional job!” enthused Stacey A. Folk, Lycoming County Emergency Management coordinator, as she watched Stake take charge of exercise activities from a post in the pavilion next to the Earth Science Center pond.

Folk, who graduated from Penn College’s emergency management & homeland security major in 2023, was on hand to observe the exercise along with Zachary A. Divers, a planning specialist with Lycoming County Emergency Management, who is a senior in the major.

“We think this is an important exercise, so it’s appropriate to be involved,” Folk said. “Activities like these help us improve our planning. The goal is always to improve.”

Last year, the emergency management & homeland security major staged a mass casualty incident full-scale exercise centered around a pipe bomb explosion. The unique opportunities take the theory gained in class and places it into a hands-on, field experience.

“The experience I get, along with all my classmates, is incredible with these events,” said Colten C.B. Hajicek, a junior who hails from Redmond, Washington. “These scenarios provide an excellent way to learn the real-world profession that we will be heading into. Teachers are there to assist and answer questions, but other than that, they let us succeed and fail as a team.”

“Having the opportunity to collaborate with other majors, like forestry, gives us a realistic approach to our jobs,” Hajicek added. “Working with forestry was a ton of fun. There was so much we learned from them, and we hope they learned a little something from us!”

Hajicek, who took on the role of public information officer for the full-scale exercise, works as an EMT at UPMC Susquehanna Regional EMS and is also studying to be a paramedic. He previously worked as a wildland firefighter in his home state.

Lucas R. Sampson, a junior from Media, said, “These exercises are structured in a way that really puts students’ skill sets to the test, which is something I really appreciate about these events. One of the notable successes was the coordination of resources across different teams. In the field, we may need to request resources from a neighboring county or state, so being able to practice that in a controlled environment really helps to build the confidence in our abilities. This was all around a great event, and I am excited to see what’s next!”

Sampson served as operations section chief during the exercise. Back home in Delaware County, he is a volunteer firefighter with Rocky Run Fire Co. Station 46.

The Search and Rescue Full-Scale Exercise unfolded under the watchful eyes of emergency management & homeland security instructors David E. Bjorkman and William A. Schlosser, who served as exercise controllers and safety officers, along with Eric C. Easton, forestry instructor.

Also assisting on the ground (literally) was Craig A. Miller, professor of history/political science and department head of social sciences and humanities, who, along with his brother, Jeremy, played the roles of lost hikers. A manikin was used as an injured hiker.

Penn College offers a Bachelor of Science in emergency management & homeland security. Students can attend online or on campus.