CPCC Announces More Than $1 Million in Federal Grants

·        American Academy of Applied Forensics - $822,000 from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
(NIJ Byrne Program for $352,000 and NIJ COPS Program for $470,000)

Cyber-crime accounts for billions of dollars in economic losses and an incalculable toll on individual victims, particularly minors. This Federal appropriation will allow CPCC to develop training courses and curriculum in cyber-security (prevention) and computer forensics (investigation) for the region’s law enforcement and business sector. This Federal investment will expand the offerings available through CPCC’s American Academy for Applied Forensics.

CPCC established the American Academy of Applied Forensics in 2001 to meet the region’s rapidly growing need for well-trained professionals in the field of crime scene investigation. Recognized as a national leader in workforce development, the College received a series of Congressional appropriations in 2001 to develop a state-of-the-art applied forensics program. As part of the three-year appropriations package, Congress appointed the National Institute of Justice to administer funding for the Academy and oversee its planning and development.

The goal of the Academy is to offer the most advanced and comprehensive applied forensics training available to law enforcement and medic and legal professionals (coroners, doctors, nurses, etc.) as well as investigative professionals. Today, AAAF provides a full range of in-service training in both general applied forensics and digital evidence. Courses in each area are taught by the nation’s leading forensic experts in state-of-the-art training laboratories and classrooms. The recently approved funding will allow CPCC to expand its offerings in cyber-security and computer forensics.

       Center for Integrated Emergency Response Training (CIERT) - $191,593 from the Department of Education – Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education

The Charlotte region’s emergency responders and public health workers serve more than 2 million citizens in the most densely populated region of the Carolinas. These emergency response professionals must be prepared to respond to complex crisis events that require a high level of collaboration.

This Federal appropriation will allow CPCC to develop training exercises and curriculum for public health workers and emergency responders. The training will utilize state-of-the-art, computer-based simulations of real-world crisis events that engages participants from across all emergency response professions.

Recently, the 16-county Charlotte Region has made great improvements in its emergency response preparedness and training, still most training occurs independently and without coordination and tracking.  The establishment of the CIERT will create a regional model that delivers integrated emergency responder training.