With classes underway at Madison College, students reflect on the new Protective Services Building. The general consensus with students is that the building is a vast improvement over previous spaces.

“It’s nice not to have the building shake every time a jet take

s off,” said Cody Flury, a student in the Law Enforcement program who has also taken firefighter classes.

Previously, the Fire Science Education Center was located adjacent to military runways where several jets would take off during the course of a day. Teachers would have to stop class momentarily when the jets took off or came in for landing due to the noise in the building.

“Having everything in one place makes it easier for students taking fire and EMT classes so they don’t have to travel across town between classes,” said Trevor Klock, an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) student and graduate of the Fire Academy. EMT classes were first located in the Commercial Ave. building prior to moving to the West Campus.

Not only do students enjoy the new building, but staff members also like what the building has to offer. John Spohn, a teacher of several classes in the Fire Technician Program, uses the new building as an example while teaching his OSHA for the Fire Service class.

“No fire extinguishers are found in this building because it has a quick response sprinkler system,” Spohn said. OSHA requires employee training on fire extinguisher use, which can be difficult to conduct when staff varies, but also can put employees at risk by trying to put out a fire with an extinguisher. In addition to the new quick response sprinkler system, the Protective Services Building could also forgo emergency lighting due to the backup generator that will always keep the lights in the building on. As a safety building it is very fitting that new technology to keep occupants safe was included in the building’s design.