A major upgrade was announced at Vinal Technical High School in Middletown after their emergency operations center received $300,000 in funding.
Thanks to generous donations from companies like Samsung, Comcast and RnB Enterprises, the new technology was unveiled on Tuesday.
David Cruickshank, the department head at Vinal Tech, told us how this new technology will help in assisting during emergencies.
“They control the whole wall wirelessly from their computers. They are constantly taking data in, consolidating it down to what people need to know., and it is just incredible," Cruickshank said.
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He tells us the criminal justice and protective services program at Vinal Tech was the first of its kind in Connecticut.
“We are expanding even further. We are in four schools now and expanding as fast as we can," Cruickshank said.
Students we spoke with told us they have assisted in COVID-19 outbreaks, hospital closures nationwide and most recently, Hurricane Ian.
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Zoila Buchca, a junior at the school, said these upgrades will go a long way.
“We had a smaller version of our wall. I think it was about nine little TVs, and now having one huge one we can split up, I think, has really had an impact on us," Buchca said.
Apollo Rodriguez, a junior at Vinal Tech, said, “When lives are on the line, we can't afford to wait a couple of seconds or a couple of minutes.”
“We are able to advance so much and get more information to people all over the world,” sophomore Donte Northue said.
The future is bright for these students — and regardless of what they go on to do, one thing is for certain.
“Being able to help people as a high school student is one of the best things you can really do," Buchca said.
