{"id":17710,"date":"2019-10-18T19:50:02","date_gmt":"2019-10-18T19:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?p=17710&post_type=story"},"modified":"2023-08-24T18:56:54","modified_gmt":"2023-08-24T18:56:54","slug":"helping-the-helpers","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/helping-the-helpers\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping the Helpers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fall 2019 | By Jenna Marina Lee<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThis means I promise to keep you safe,\u201d says Orange\u00a0County Sheriff\u2019s Office Lt. Ashley Strange \u201905 \u201907MS<\/strong>,\u00a0while pointing to the star badge on her uniform.<\/p>\n

Her vow is at the heart of her job duties as a featured\u00a0police officer on WUCF TV\u2019s Meet the Helpers<\/em><\/a>, a\u00a0multiplatform project for teaching children about first\u00a0responders and other community helpers and better\u00a0preparing them for emergency situations.<\/p>\n

Named after Mister Rogers\u2019 famous advice to \u201clook for the helpers,\u201d the series introduces viewers to seven professionals \u2014 from paramedics and 911 operators to teachers and meteorologists \u2014 who help during emergencies. It was developed under the advisement of\u00a0Judith Levin \u201986MEd<\/strong>, associate lecturer and program\u00a0coordinator for Early Childhood Development and\u00a0Education<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In July, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting\u00a0gave $250,000 to WUCF to support the project, which\u00a0was created in response to the 2016 Pulse nightclub\u00a0shooting<\/a>. The funding will focus on emergency\u00a0preparedness, youth stress and anxiety, and crisis\u00a0communications.<\/p>\n

As UCF works to make Meet the Helpers<\/em> a national\u00a0model, the university is also committed to improving\u00a0the quality of life for first responders.<\/p>\n

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Healing Trauma<\/h2>\n

Since its start in 2011, UCF RESTORES<\/a> has become known\u00a0nationally for its innovative PTSD treatment for veterans,\u00a0active-duty military members, first responders and other\u00a0victims of trauma.<\/p>\n

The program\u2019s unique approach to treatment \u2014\u00a0including its groundbreaking three-week intensive\u00a0outpatient program \u2014 combines exposure therapy,\u00a0emerging technology and group therapy sessions to treat\u00a0patients. For example, through virtual reality, patients\u00a0are exposed to the sounds, smells and sights that have\u00a0contributed to their PTSD, helping them work through\u00a0possible triggers.<\/p>\n

Backed by funding from generous private donors, the\u00a0Florida Legislature, and grants from the Department\u00a0of Defense and U.S. Army<\/a>, UCF RESTORES has treated\u00a0nearly 500 veterans and active-duty personnel, and\u00a0has expanded its services to treat more than 200 first\u00a0responders from 20 states. The organization has also\u00a0served survivors of mass shootings.<\/p>\n

In March, UCF RESTORES announced it was\u00a0teaming up with the Florida Firefighters Safety and\u00a0Health Collaborative<\/a> to streamline access to support,\u00a0resources and treatment for more than 350 departments\u00a0around the state.<\/p>\n

Until now, UCF RESTORES has leveraged third-party\u00a0technology for the virtual reality element of its\u00a0treatment, but that\u2019s about to change thanks to funding\u00a0from Congress and a partnership with the UCF School\u00a0of Visual Arts and Design<\/a>, the UCF Nicholson School\u00a0of Communication and Media<\/a>, the UCF Institute for\u00a0Simulation and Training<\/a>, and E2i Creative Studio<\/a>. The\u00a0proprietary VR technology will allow UCF RESTORES\u2019\u00a0therapists to dynamically recreate traumatic scenarios\u00a0specific to each participant.<\/p>\n

Located on UCF\u2019s main campus and Brevard campus<\/a>,\u00a0UCF RESTORES currently provides free treatment for\u00a0Florida residents.<\/p>\n

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Preventing Exposure to Deadly Chemicals<\/h2>\n

Imagine a device that resembles a mix between a Star\u00a0Trek<\/em> phaser and a baseball radar gun that can detect\u00a0deadly toxins.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what UCF engineering<\/a> Associate Professor\u00a0Subith Vasu is developing after receiving a $1 million grant\u00a0from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Vasu\u2019s energy-efficient handheld device would have the\u00a0capability for remote detection of fentanyl and Carfentanil\u00a0\u2014 opioids that are 50 to 10,000 times more potent than\u00a0heroin. When dispersed in the air, the chemicals can kill,\u00a0even if the exposure is minimal.<\/p>\n

The device\u2019s sensor would also detect similar toxins,\u00a0sometimes released in fires or explosions and used in\u00a0chemical warfare, which pose threats to first responders\u00a0and military personnel.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal is to combine laser technology with artificial\u00a0intelligence in a compact and rugged device people in the\u00a0field can use,\u201d Vasu says. \u201cWe want to keep our military\u00a0and responders safe while they keep us safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Interpreting Dangerous Signs<\/h2>\n

The Orange County Fire Rescue Department posed\u00a0a challenge to the UCF Institute for Simulation and\u00a0Training: \u201cCan you clone our best trainer?\u201d<\/p>\n

While the institute may not have had the capability to\u00a0actually clone a human, program director Eileen Smith\u00a0believes the institute\u2019s E2i Creative Studio came up with\u00a0the next best thing: the Firefighter Incident Command\u00a0Training Simulator.<\/p>\n

For the past seven years, the fire department has used\u00a0the simulator as a tool to train new lieutenants, captains\u00a0and battalion chiefs. With the click of a few buttons,\u00a0the program allows for dozens of fire situations to\u00a0immerse future incident commanders in seven different\u00a0environments, ranging from a forest to a home. Within\u00a0each simulation are cues that the incident commander\u00a0needs to recognize to make critical decisions.<\/p>\n

There might be toys in the yard or a car in the driveway,\u00a0suggesting that someone might be trapped. A propane tank\u00a0beside a building or a certain kind of smoke can indicate\u00a0impending hazards to firefighters. The trainee has to\u00a0recognize the clues, make fast and accurate decisions,\u00a0and actively call out the commands to manage the situation, gaining experience in weeks that would\u00a0otherwise take years.<\/p>\n

The scenarios typically last 20 minutes, compressing\u00a0hours of real-life incident command decisions that occur\u00a0during a real fire. This helps prepare lieutenants, who are\u00a0usually the first officers on the scene, on how to transfer\u00a0critical information to the battalion chief when he or she\u00a0arrives and takes over command.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you handing them in 20 minutes? It could\u00a0be a catastrophe, or you could already have the fire down,\u201d\u00a0Smith says.<\/p>\n

OCFRD says that the system has helped their\u00a0department increase confidence in their training and their\u00a0command officers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we initially began using the simulator, we\u00a0could tell who had taken the training based on their\u00a0radio communications on actual incidents,\u201d says OCFRD\u00a0Deputy Chief Jim Fitzgerald. \u201cThey were using standard,\u00a0command terminology and asking better questions. They\u00a0were communicating commands more effectively and\u00a0preparing incoming units to operate more effectively\u00a0when they arrived. It increased their confidence and\u00a0competence. And when every second counts, that matters\u00a0in a big way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lab\u2019s next simulation project is a research testbed\u00a0for unified incident command, which would allow police,\u00a0fire and emergency medical technicians to train together\u00a0to respond to events such as a hostage situation, mass\u00a0shooting or hurricane evacuation, so they can understand\u00a0how to avoid it or work through the situations as a team\u00a0more efficiently.<\/p>\n

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Identifying Impaired Drivers<\/h2>\n

UCF police officer Frank Imparato is on a mission to make\u00a0roads safer in Central Florida, the state and nationwide.<\/p>\n

Imparato, who joined the UCF Police Department<\/a> in\u00a02011 and serves as supervisor at UCF Downtown<\/a>, is one\u00a0of five certified drug-recognition expert instructors in\u00a0Orange and Seminole counties.<\/p>\n

He regularly hosts instructional DUI trainings for\u00a0Central Florida police officers, from rookies learning\u00a0protocol to 20-year veterans on the force who need\u00a0a refresher. The National Highway Traffic Safety\u00a0Administration mandates 24 hours of curriculum for\u00a0police officers nationwide, but Imparato has extended his\u00a0lesson plans to 32 hours to include other helpful hands-on\u00a0experiences.<\/p>\n

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[blockquote source=”Frank Imparto, UCF Police Officer” cite=”” color=”#000″ css_class=””]\u201cI take pride in\u00a0having the city of Orlando, Orange County Sheriff\u2019s\u00a0Office, Seminole County Sheriff\u2019s Office and the Florida\u00a0Highway Patrol calling upon UCF to educate and train\u00a0their officers and assist them in investigations.\u201d\u00a0[\/blockquote][\/callout]<\/p>\n

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Imparato puts his trainees through a mock trial\u00a0interrogation with defense attorneys and prosecutors,\u00a0which allows officers to practice testifying as a witness in\u00a0court. He also supervises a wet lab exercise that enlists\u00a0volunteers to become inebriated just past the legal limit\u00a0so officers can learn to interpret signs of impaired driving\u00a0correctly and with more accuracy.<\/p>\n

In addition to his service at UCF, Imparato is an\u00a0instructor at Valencia College\u2019s Law Enforcement\u00a0Academy and also collaborates with the University\u00a0of North Florida\u2019s Institute of Police Technology and\u00a0Management to teach various topics to officers from\u00a0around the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am only one person, but if I can pass on that\u00a0knowledge to officers, not just at UCF but around the\u00a0country, maybe they can save a life so someone gets\u00a0to go home that night,\u201d Imparato says. \u201cI take pride in\u00a0having the city of Orlando, Orange County Sheriff\u2019s\u00a0Office, Seminole County Sheriff\u2019s Office and the Florida\u00a0Highway Patrol calling upon UCF to educate and train\u00a0their officers and assist them in investigations.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Detecting Signs of\u00a0Domestic Violence<\/h2>\n

According to a study in the Journal of Emergency Medicine<\/em>,\u00a0women who have been previously choked by their partner\u00a0are over seven times more likely to be killed in the future.<\/p>\n

So when the Brevard County Sheriff\u2019s Office contacted\u00a0the UCF Department of Sociology<\/a> in 2014 about improving\u00a0its officers\u2019 ability to identify nonfatal strangulation\u00a0in domestic violence cases, Associate Professor Amy\u00a0Reckdenwald jumped on board.<\/p>\n

Over the last five years, Reckdenwald, who specializes\u00a0in domestic violence research, and her colleagues teamed\u00a0up with law enforcement, public health practitioners,\u00a0local domestic violence victim advocates and the\u00a0state attorney\u2019s office to develop the Brevard County\u00a0Strangulation Prevention Program, a coordinated effort\u00a0to teach law enforcement officers how to better identify\u00a0and document choking and refer victims to forensic\u00a0medical exams. The program also trains sexual-assault\u00a0nurses how to accurately document forensic evidence of a\u00a0strangulation assault during an exam and testify as expert\u00a0witnesses in court.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne may think you\u2019d easily notice signs of\u00a0strangulation; bruises around a victim\u2019s neck, for\u00a0instance, are commonly thought to be a clear indication\u00a0of strangulation. While that may be the case, research has\u00a0shown that the majority of strangulation victims do not\u00a0have any visible signs of injury,\u201d Reckdenwald says. \u201cAnd\u00a0even though strangulation is a felony offense in Florida,\u00a0there is no required training to empower police officers to\u00a0accurately identify it. This lack of corroborating evidence\u00a0that the strangulation took place results in many cases\u00a0being unable to be prosecuted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reckdenwald says the program has been a success.\u00a0Findings from the evaluation showed officers were able to\u00a0identify strangulation with more accuracy, and more cases\u00a0with forensic evidence were sent to the state prosecutor\u2019s\u00a0office. As a result, 70.8 percent of explicit strangulation\u00a0cases that had forensic evidence had sufficient evidence\u00a0for the prosecutor to file a criminal charge, which was\u00a0significantly higher than the 46.6 percent filed previously.\u00a0Additionally, explicit strangulation cases with forensic\u00a0evidence were prosecuted at a more stringent level than\u00a0cases without forensic evidence.<\/p>\n

Training for officers is still taking place in Brevard\u00a0County, and the program is looking for continued funding\u00a0to be able to provide forensic medical exams to victims of\u00a0choking.<\/p>\n

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Reducing Exposure to Radiation<\/h2>\n

This year\u2019s HBO miniseries Chernobyl<\/em> was a massive hit\u00a0with audiences and critics but left some fearing what\u00a0might happen if a nuclear disaster occurred in our own\u00a0backyard.<\/p>\n

UCF industrial engineering<\/a> doctoral student Buder\u00a0Shageer \u201913MS<\/strong> is researching that concern in his quest\u00a0to develop tools for nuclear-disaster response. Using data\u00a0from the 2011 disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear\u00a0Power Plant, Shageer is simulating a similar disaster at the\u00a0St. Lucie Power Plant in Jensen Beach, Florida.<\/p>\n

In March 2011, Fukushima, a coastal nuclear power\u00a0plant in Japan, experienced a Level 7 meltdown \u2014 the\u00a0same level as the 1986 disaster at Chernobyl \u2014 after an\u00a0earthquake and subsequent tsunami knocked out the\u00a0plant\u2019s primary and backup power supplies. The loss of\u00a0power disabled the cooling process for three reactors,\u00a0resulting in overheating, explosions and radiation released\u00a0into the air and surrounding ocean.<\/p>\n

Shageer\u2019s advisor, Michael Proctor, associate professor\u00a0of industrial engineering and management systems, says\u00a0lessons learned from Fukushima\u2019s accident prompted\u00a0U.S. nuclear plant managers to take precautions to guard\u00a0against such disasters. Nevertheless, a Florida coastal\u00a0nuclear plant runs the same risk of power outage\u00a0from a major hurricane and catastrophic storm surge.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s probably less than a 1 percent\u00a0chance that something like this would\u00a0happen at St. Lucie, but the potential\u00a0scale of what might happen is so\u00a0large that it\u2019s important to address,\u201d\u00a0Shageer says. \u201cThese disasters are not\u00a0a one- or two-year event. The effects\u00a0last decades.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to improving disaster\u00a0response, Shageer\u2019s research\u00a0would help improve the safety and\u00a0well-being of first responders.<\/p>\n

Combining data from the\u00a0Nuclear Regulatory Commission\u00a0and real-life flight dynamics, Shageer\u00a0is determining how unmanned aerial\u00a0vehicles \u2014 in this case, helicopters \u2014\u00a0can deliver water precisely to reactor\u00a0cooling pools despite radiation in\u00a0the air.<\/p>\n

Helicopters may be an important\u00a0first line of defense in response\u00a0measures as storm surge may knock\u00a0out bridges and roads, as seen in\u00a0Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm\u00a0Sandy. But manned helicopters\u00a0can be dangerous and ineffective.\u00a0At Chernobyl, one crashed, killing\u00a0all on board, after its electronics\u00a0and operations system failed due to\u00a0radiation exposure. At Fukushima,\u00a0helicopters flew so high to avoid\u00a0dangerous radiation and reactor\u00a0debris that water dumps to cool\u00a0reactors were futile.<\/p>\n

Shageer\u2019s simulation would ensure\u00a0that doesn\u2019t happen by determining\u00a0electronic radiation hardening\u00a0requirements for helicopters until\u00a0ground vehicles reach the disaster\u00a0site and assume operations. His\u00a0simulation can be applied to any\u00a0nuclear disaster situation by\u00a0modifying parameters such as\u00a0radiation leak rate, the number of\u00a0compromised reactors and radiation\u00a0hot spots, time of day, wind direction,\u00a0and location of the nearest source of\u00a0fresh water.<\/p>\n

The simulations can model ground\u00a0scenarios involving groundshine \u2014\u00a0the radiation emitted from radioactive materials on\u00a0the ground \u2014 which is a big threat to surrounding\u00a0communities and first responders on the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis would help map better recovery plans and give\u00a0communities and first responders the ability to plan for\u00a0and contain a disaster,\u201d Shageer says.
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