Northwestern College Hosts Trainings for Law Enforcement Conducted by NCTC

[Bridgeview, IL] Northwestern College’s Bridgeview Campus (7725 S. Harlem Avenue) recently served as the host location of the Northeast Counterdrug Training Center’s (NCTC) 2-day course entitled, “Trauma Management”, which was co-sponsored by the Illinois Tactical Officers Association (ITOA). The course was held twice last week due to high demand, although classes were also limited to the first 25 registrants. NCTC regularly offers these courses as well as others at No Charge to law enforcement agencies, making them valuable training tools for departments to take advantage of. Northwestern College also regularly provides its facilities at No Charge for NCTC and law enforcement so as to assist with the facilitation and access to training in order to keep law enforcement officials current on techniques, trends and tactics, despite whether or not a department has funds to conduct such training for its officers.

The first 2-day session on Trauma Management last week was conducted September 8-9, with the second session held on September 10-11. The course was taught by a duo of instructors, including SSG Jesse Oswald and SSG Melvyn Mayo of the Pennsylvania National Guard Medical Battalion Training Site. Both instructors are frequent contractors for the NCTC.

Staff Sergeant Jesse Oswald is a 13 year service member and Combat Medic Instructor with the US Army who has been deployed multiple times during his career. From 2004-05 he was deployed as a Medic to Iraq and then to Egypt from 2007-08. He was also deployed to Afghanistan as a Flight Medic from 2010-11. SSG Oswald has been an Army Medical Center and School Instructor for six (6) years teaching the combat medic course, basic life support, combat life-saver course, and gunshot wound training. Staff Sergeant Melvyn Mayo is a 7 year service member and Combat Medic Instructor with the US Army who was deployed to Iraq as a Combat Medic for OIF from 2008-10. He has been an Army Medical Center and School Instructor for two (2) years where he has facilitated training for soldiers aspiring to be combat medics as well as civilians seeking medical training. SSG Mayo has also taught a variety of courses such as combat life-saving, gunshot wound training, basic life support, and national registry EMT. Both instructors have a vast array of experience responding to and managing actual trauma situations.

This week’s training event was brought to Northwestern College with the assistance of Randy Meyers, the Executive Director with the Illinois Tactical Officers Association as well as a Northwestern College Criminal Justice Instructor. Meyers is also a retired Commander of the Oak Lawn Police Department. With NCTC as well as Northwestern College providing the training and facilities free of charge, approximately forty eight (48) law enforcement officers in the area were able to take full advantage of it, 24 during each of the two sessions.

These 2-day, 16 hour military-led familiarization courses were designed to provide law enforcement attendees with an overview of trauma management techniques that can be executed as a team or by individual providers. As first responders, they received instruction on select types of trauma and treatment, in addition to careful instruction as to the importance of considering “big picture” considerations such as mental aspects of trauma management, triage, care under fire, collection, evacuation and communication. Each of the classes culminated in a final exercise whereby these law enforcement students could use all the lessons learned in order to respond to the scenarios by demonstrating treatment, support, and leadership techniques.

The NCTC serves military, state, federal, and local law enforcement officials and community prevention specialists by offering unique counterdrug training courses focused on topics such as operations and interdiction, interrogation, undercover operations, leadership, terrorism, intelligence, and drug demand reduction. Although located in Annville, Pennsylvania where it provides the majority of its training opportunities, conferences, and planning sessions, in 2007 NCTC developed its Mobile Training Teams (MTT) as a result of the growing demand for its specialized training. MTTs effectively deliver NCTC course offerings (such as the Trauma Management courses taught last week at Northwestern College) throughout an 18-state region and the District of Columbia. NCTC instructors are subject-matter experts with extensive education and training backgrounds and proven successes. The NCTC courses are taught free of charge to local law enforcement, allowing them to obtain training that could otherwise cost local agencies significant funds.

Northwestern College continues to serve as a resource for the local law enforcement community by providing a venue for numerous training sessions and operations throughout the year.

About Northwestern College:
Northwestern College (NC) is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, http://www.ncahlc.org. The college offers focused career-oriented associate degree and certificate programs with flexible schedules and a supportive faculty. Day, evening, weekend, online classes and online programs are available. More information can be found at www.nc.edu or by calling toll-free (888) 205-2283.