ImageChief Allan Woo of Washington Township Fire Department and in-coming Chief Alec O'Connell (who will take over when Chief Woo retires after a distinguished career) recently visited for an update on our local fire department:  its changes, challenges, and achievements. In general, training requirements are becoming tougher with new equipment, while the education of new recruits is also tending upwards. Budget constraints are an ever-present concern and the division works hard to ensure complete readiness to fight fires, provide emergency services, and save lives. In this video, Alec discusses some of the changes in technology that are occurring, and the advantages and challenges such changes have brought.

ImageWe also heard from Purba Majumder and Susan Watson. Purba is President of Cybervation, a firm providing comprehensive technology services in the United States and India, while Susan is Director of Enterprise Customer Data at Cardinal Health. A passion for educating young women and providing guidance for Science, Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) careers led Purba to found CoolTechGirls, a joint venture of City of Dublin, Dublin Entrepreneurial Center, and Cybervation, and Susan to serve on its board.. They work  to give girls knowledge of tech careers, mentoring and motivating to enter a growing and lucrative field in which women are under-represented. This video provides a great overview of how CoolTechGirls fosters excitement about STEM careers.