UC Seminar Examines Emergency Response at World Trade Center

Patrick Reynolds, director of the University of Cincinnati open learning fire service program (College of Applied Science), rushed from Cincinnati to Ground Zero shortly after the attacks on the World Trade Center. Now the former lieutenant for New York City Fire will present a special lecture, "High Rise-Fire Command: WTC" Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 4 p.m. in Room 204 of the College of Applied Science (CAS) Administration Building. The CAS campus is located at 2220 Victory Parkway. Seating for the presentation is limited but open to the public.

Reynolds' career with the New York City Fire Department spanned 20 years. Shortly after Sept. 11, he coordinated crisis teams to visit and assist fire station crews that lost their own heroes to the World Trade Center attack.

Reynolds says his presentation resulted from discussions with UC colleagues after he returned home, including discussions about emergency responses to high-rise fires. An expert in search and rescue, Reynolds will lecture on what he calls the SAD tool, short for Size-up, Analysis and Deployment. He will examine how the response plan was coordinated not only around the high-rise challenges but also around the time of day, the weather and the varied occupancy of the building, such as the offices, shops and restaurants.

It was Reynolds' vast experience with fire, search and rescue that brought him to the University of Cincinnati in 1994. UC's open learning fire service program is one of a handful in the country to provide a bachelor or associate's degree through distance learning to firefighters and emergency service workers.