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Palomar College, San Marcos, Calif. monday oct. 11, 2010 Vol. 64, No. 6
the-telescope.com
Interest group pushed off campus belinda callin the telescope
Above and right, Palomar College Fire Club member Steve Luna plays a mock victim in a drill. casey byrne the telescope
Members of the Palomar Fire Club donned fake blood and burn wounds on Friday, Oct. 1, as they played victims of a mock plane crash at McClellan-Palomar Airport. The exercise was part of a multiagency drill that tests readiness and response to a plane crash with mass casualties at the airport. FAA regulations require these mass casualty drills every three years to insure agency preparedness during a catastrophic event such as a plane crash. “Everybody was able to meet their training objectives,” said event organizer and assistant airport manager Olivier Brackett. “This was a lot of hard work.” The scenario had a plane crashing shortly after landing, breaking apart and scattering victims along the runway. A city bus was used to represent a damaged plane, and rescue teams had to assess the scene Photos by allyson watson | THE TELESCOPE and set up a triage where victims PCFC member Brittany Quillin shows off her could be treated. Agencies involved “wound,” created by make-up artists. included local fire departments and
Fire club drills with the pros
American Red Cross, as well as the FBI and Carlsbad city officials. The PCFC will often volunteer to take part in various training exercise in cooperation with fire departments across the county, according to club advisor Carl Lofthouse. “(The PCFC) helps move members from being students into active fire service,” he said. After the drill was concluded, a de-briefing was held and everyone was treated to lunch. The participants were all smiles after completing the excercise Many individuals were still in their bloody costume as they ate sandwiches and talked excitedly about the drill. The PCFC members looked as though they had been in an actual plane crash, with realistic looking wounds and burns applied by make-up artists who donated their services to the exercise. The club was at the event to act as victims of the plane crash, and members said they hoped to get a valuable firsthand experience in the process. “It’s a good way to put us in their (firefighters) shoes,” said Tyler Tuttle, a member of the PCFC.
“
It gives you a first-hand look of what it is like to be a victim, and be able to observe first responders in action.
”
— Su Coy
Palomar Fire Club Chief
The PCFC is in its fifth year at Palomar, and according to Lofthouse, the club participates in many similar events to help members gain experience and get the chance to network with veterans in the fire service. Mike Ballester, a second year club member, said that events like this are very important for those turn to fire page
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Students had the opportunity to participate in the battle between big oil and green legislation, but last week organizers were asked to leave by the administration. CALPIRG, California Public Interest Research Group, was on campus last week managing a campaign against Proposition 23, a proposition that if approved would suspend a 2006 voter-approved global warming solutions act. Jon Kenney, a CALPIRG campus organizer, was in charge of the campaign, and was recruiting interns. “I was getting the feeling that Palomar doesn’t want us on campus,” Kenney said. He said that CALPIRG’s goal on campus was to get students to sign pledge cards that said that they would vote no on Prop 23. “Students often talk about what is wrong with the world, CALPIRG gives them an opportunity to do something about it,” Kenney said. “CALPIRG is a nonpartisan interest group fighting for public interest and right now the public is being affected by air pollution.” Kenney and his interns had reserved a conference room in the library for their first official Palomar chapter CALPIRG meeting. One hour before the meeting Kenney received a call informing him that the room was for staff use only and they could not hold their meeting there. Kenney and his group then turn to calpirg page
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No parking solution in sight emilie vurik the telescope
It’s hard to find someone who is happy with the parking situation at Palomar, which has left some students wondering why a solution isn’t being implemented. “It’s a big problem, a lot of people buy parking permits, but still don’t find a place to park,” student Jonathan Mendoza said. “They have to park in residential areas. I think it’s time for change.” Bonnie Dowd, the vice president of finance and administration, said that Palomar does not have the funds to add additional parking. “A structure is very expensive and the state does not fund for that, it would have to be with local money, which we do not have,” Dowd said.
She explained that there is a difference between money that would pay for parking, and money that pays for the new buildings on campus. Proposition M, a $694 million voter-approved bond used to update buildings, funds the new buildings. Prop M does not include parking. Students said that school officials should find another solution. “It’s difficult to find parking any time of day,” student Brandon Miller said. “I wish they would open up the dirt parking area because I have to park way out in the boondocks.” He added that he has to come as much as an hour early to find parking sometimes. turn to parking page
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RICHARD KOCI HERNANDEZ | mct campus
Tyler Ichien, 15, of Los Gatos, Calif., looks over his shoulder before backing out of his parking spot.