Wings for Humanity

FLIGHT SCHOOLHeritage Academy:On the GroundGround school is the trainingthat pilots receive before theyget into a plane, preparingthem for their training in the air. Manystudents come to Heritage Academyto participate in the mission aviationcourse, and ground school is availableto any student with an interestin flying.“On the ground” also refers to thedestructive force of a tornado whenACTS Command Centera funnel cloud touches down, andalso refers to people who are activein response to a disaster situation. Amission pilot’s service is not limitedto his time in the air. What theydo on the ground is a vital aspectof their ministry. Often called torespond to emergencies, they maybe required to administer first aid tovictims whom they will be flying. Itis important that they can be calmin a crisis, and skillful in handlingemergencies.Students at Heritage Academyreceive a broad training for thisservice on the ground. Everystudent is grounded in the beliefsof the Adventist faith. This yearour students received a two-weekintensive from Scott Moore and theLay Institute For Evangelism (LIFE)in Bible marking where each studentlearned to give a Bible study on anyAdventist teaching. Additionally,students are trained in colporteurevangelism and are being taughthow to share their faith with peoplein their homes and businesses.Additionally, all are trainedin First Aid, CPR, and the useof an AED (automated externaldefibrillator). For response todisasters, students are trained in aFEMA course called: CommunityEmergency Response Teams(CERT). A component of disastertraining at Heritage is a coursecalled: Disaster Psychology, wherethey learn how to speak to someonewho is in a medical crisis. Throughdisaster simulations they learnhow to share Jesus with someonewho may be dying. Students alsoparticipate in large-scale disastersimulations with the Department ofHomeland Security (DHS).Last year a group of Heritagestudents prepared fifty victimsfor a disaster simulation at theOrlando International Airport.For our disaster simulations weuse a technique called moulage tosimulate realistic injuries. Orlando’sSWAT team, Orlando RegionalMedical Center’s helicopter,and about forty fire trucks andambulances were involved inthis event.Students also participated in aterrorist simulation in the AmwayArena for which they preparedover three hundred victims. Thesevictims simulated burn injuriesand were taken to various Orlandohospitals. The hospital staff wassurprised by the realism of thevictims’ injuries.Twice a month studentsparticipate in training with thePutnam County Fire Department.Each participant is issued personalprotective equipment including afire coat, fire pants, boots, gloves,and a helmet. This program includestraining in fire streams, the use ofropes, search & rescue, the use ofbreathing apparatus, and many otherfire fighting skills. Additionallysome students will have the opportunityto ride with the rescue squad.Affiliated with David Canther’sdisaster response organization(ACTS), Heritage Academy hasbeen responding to disasters sinceHurricane Katrina, ministeringto the needs of others in floods,tornados, and hurricanes. In April2011, students were called upon torespond to tornados in Tennesseeand Alabama, being involved insearch & rescue, mass feeding,distribution lines, traffic control,and clean-up operations.These various courses andexperiences combine to lay afoundation for our future missionpilots to be ready to serve onthe ground.8airways | Winter 2012www.FlyAWA.org