BY ABIGAIL RODRIGUEZ AND AVALINA GONZALES
A small crowd was starting to form, watching curiously as a group of students crouched over senior Dominique Gomez, lying prone on a stretcher and screaming in pain.
"Can you feel anything? Where does it hurt?" senior Samantha Aguilar asked Gomez urgently.
A few moments later, the group began to move, running Gomez toward the black top. Several students stationed themselves along the path, keeping spectators at bay, ensuring Gomez's swift delivery to safety and medical treatment.
For most schools, this would be a dire emergency. For Wagner's Police Explorers, it's a Wednesday.
The Police Explorers may not be the school's most well-known organization, but sponsor Thomas Sierra believes that they are "the future of law enforcement -- not only a team, but a family."
Much like sports, the program benefits everyone. Students gain "hands on training, internships at police academies and a beautiful family" of fellow students, according to Sierra. Although they "practice hard for a few hours every day," Sierra is quick to remind students that "winning is the second goal -- having fun and succeeding is the first."
Students train in first aid procedures, search and arrest procedures, and other elements of law enforcement. And while it is technically an extra curricular activity, participation in the group offers the chance at specialized job training for a future career in law enforcement.
A small crowd was starting to form, watching curiously as a group of students crouched over senior Dominique Gomez, lying prone on a stretcher and screaming in pain.
"Can you feel anything? Where does it hurt?" senior Samantha Aguilar asked Gomez urgently.
A few moments later, the group began to move, running Gomez toward the black top. Several students stationed themselves along the path, keeping spectators at bay, ensuring Gomez's swift delivery to safety and medical treatment.
For most schools, this would be a dire emergency. For Wagner's Police Explorers, it's a Wednesday.
The Police Explorers may not be the school's most well-known organization, but sponsor Thomas Sierra believes that they are "the future of law enforcement -- not only a team, but a family."
Much like sports, the program benefits everyone. Students gain "hands on training, internships at police academies and a beautiful family" of fellow students, according to Sierra. Although they "practice hard for a few hours every day," Sierra is quick to remind students that "winning is the second goal -- having fun and succeeding is the first."
Students train in first aid procedures, search and arrest procedures, and other elements of law enforcement. And while it is technically an extra curricular activity, participation in the group offers the chance at specialized job training for a future career in law enforcement.