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World Trade Center artifact part of Burlington's HERO Center

A monument being dedicated as part of Burlington Gateway's HERO Center will include a piece of the World Trade Center pulled from the rubble after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack.

The dedication will be part of a grand opening at 11 a.m. Sept. 3 at its new HERO Center -- Health and Emergency Response Occupations -- a state-of-the-art facility which will provide added opportunities for EMS students and firefighters to receive realistic, hands-on training.

The ceremony will be broadcast live at www.gtc.edu.

The HERO Center consists of an 8,700-square-foot addition to the existing 12,000-square-foot-building at 380 McCanna Parkway near Gateway's Burlington Center, according to a Gateway news release.

"The HERO Center stands as a testament to the men and women who serve every day to keep our communities safe," said Gateway Technical College president Bryan Albrecht.

"We are proud to partner with our community EMS and fire service departments in providing a state-of-the-art leadership and training facility. The HERO Center reflects our respect for all first response professions"

Two representatives of Tour of Duty will also be on hand at the ceremony. The group of 36 runners and support team members from the United States and Australia has nearly completed its cross-country run across America to pay tribute to the fallen emergency responders of Sept. 11, to honor those serving today and to raise funds for a variety of charities.

Gateway has partnered with several companies in the development of the HERO Center, including Pierce Manufacturing, Medtec Ambulance Corporation and SimplexGrinnell.

"SimplexGrinnell shares Gateway Technical College's commitment to providing education and training to those involved in life safety and property protection," said Dave Baer, SimplexGrinnell vice president of marketing.

"Our support of the HERO Center is a key piece of our ongoing effort to raise the overall standard of protection in the industry and share knowledge and experience with fire officials and other life-safety professionals, architects, engineers, building owners, facilities managers and contractors."

The HERO Center will provide access to real-life, scenario-based training, disaster simulation and technology-equipped classroom instruction. A few of the many training features include:

-- staged scenarios in several breakout rooms to simulate real-world emergencies in settings like industrial areas, kitchens, second-floor apartments or even a medical facility.

-- a virtual fire department or communitywide emergency command is simulated so firefighters gain leadership skills as they implement procedures. They also receive the "soft skills" just as important for today's leaders and managers.

-- providing EMS students with the opportunity to train on simulated situations encompassing a broad spectrum of patient care - from treating a computerized "patient" in a living room to loading them into a working ambulance and then bringing them back to the HERO Center and into a simulated emergency room.

-- training for firefighters on a number of simulated emergency and fire situations, providing them with the skills to more efficiently perform their job and protect themselves and the public.

-- a 911 Dispatcher/Telecommunications Officer Training Center aligned along national industry standards which will provide hands-on learning for those seeking employment along with continuing professional education for incumbent workers.