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Vendrell with two British fulbrighters, taken at the
U.S. Amabassador's residence in London
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What can a Miami police officer learn at New Scotland Yard? Plenty,
according to Ernest Vendrell.
Taking advantage of a Fulbright Police Studies grant, Vendrell,
who serves in the Miami-Dade police department's training bureau,
spent three months in the United Kingdom learning about that country's
program for training its emergency and disaster management professionals.
As an educator himself, Vendrell recognizes the importance of
training. The abilities of emergency and disaster management professionals
are an important hedge against the growing challenge the United
States faces of international and domestic terrorism, as well
as other types of emergencies, stresses Vendrell. He adds that
only through improving the skills of professionals currently working
in emergency management and those of the officers who will serve
in this area in the future can we ensure success.
His desire to understand how police departments abroad train
their emergency management professionals led Vendrell to apply
for one of two Fulbright Scholar Police Studies awards offered
annually for policing-related research in the United Kingdom.
Winning the grant allowed Vendrell to visit several police forces,
emergency management departments and training facilities throughout
the United Kingdom, including departments in Ireland and Scotland.
In addition to meeting with his British counterparts to discuss
emergency services coordination and other issues, studying risk
and crisis training modules, and reviewing a hazards and consequences
computer modeling program, Vendrell was able to experience his
host's emergency and disaster prevention program firsthand. For
example, he witnessed police presence and tactics at a rally by
the National Anti-Vivisection Society at Trafalgar Square.
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Fulbrighters gathered with the U.S. ambassador (green
tie) at his residence in London
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Vendrell believes we can learn from our colleagues overseas.
"The world has become a much smaller place as a result of
increased mobility, the growing global economy, the proliferation
of multi-national corporations, as well as other strategic factors.
If we really stop to think about this, today, the world is right
next door… we must learn from the experiences, good and bad,
of our counterparts around the world," Vendrell cautions.
"The United Kingdom is blessed with a very professional
and advanced emergency services community," Vendrell stated.
One aspect of the United Kingdom's police service that benefited
Vedrell enormously on his grant was the fact that their forces
are community oriented.
Vendrell was received openly everywhere he went in the United
Kingdom and was able to exchange information, ideas and resources
readily with those he met. This officer from the Miami-Dade Police
Department, a large police agency which has confronted multiple
emergencies and disaster situations in recent years, will bring
back a variety of innovative programs already in place in the
United Kingdom that can lead to improvements in police operations
at his home department.
Along with sharing his new knowledge with his own department,
Vendrell has been active the academic community since his return.
At Lynn University in Boca Raton, he has developed and implemented
a number of emergency management programs that enhance professional
development. For example, Vendrell developed, received approval
for and implemented a Master of Science in Emergency Planning
and Administration program. He also created and administered a
seminar series concerning emergency management and environmental
crimes.
Vendrell acknowledges the impact his Fulbright grant has had
on him. "These experiences provided me with a global perspective
with regard to emergency and disaster management which will remain
with me for many years to come," he states. "In short,
no country or organization has all the answers and, if we really
want to learn and grow, it is imperative that we look beyond or
jurisdictional boundaries or spheres of influence."
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