On April 19, 1995, an act of terrorism took place at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City.
This event’s impact rocked the entire world, and Rose State College was not spared from the devastation as 21 individuals associated with the college were lost that day.
As Rose State joined our state and nation in mourning, one group of people made it their mission to enhance the public safety of police officers through training, professional development and education, in what they call "the nation’s 800,000 eyes."
The Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism was founded in the days following the federal building bombing. Their home all these years has been in the former Journal Record building adjacent to the Oklahoma City National Museum and Memorial.
MIPT’s proximity to the memorial site has been a stern daily reminder of what their purpose is. That mission will not be lost when MIPT relocates to their new home next year.
On Thursday, Dec. 19, MIPT Executive Director David Cid joined Jeanie Webb, president of Rose State, at the college’s memorial erected after the bombing. At the memorial, the names of each of the lives lost from the Rose State family are engraved on a granite slab taken from the federal building.
Together, Cid and Webb announced a new partnership that will make Rose State College MIPT’s new home.
"We are so proud the Institute selected Rose State College as its new home," said Webb. "As an organization that provides educational opportunities to the nation’s first responders, the Institute will complement our lifelong learning mission.
"Rose State College’s Professional Training Center already provides a broad range of professional development programs, and our new partnership will allow us to offer an expanded certificate-based curriculum to personnel who are so critical to ensuring public safety."
But the mission won’t just stop there.
MIPT also plans to develop a "Master of Policing" certification program for law enforcement officers at Rose State, said Cid. And the college’s nationally-known cyber security program will be another academic area with which MIPT will coordinate.
"The charge we were given by the families and survivors keeps me working hard, despite any difficulties we’ve had. This is what we bring to the table. We bring the obligation to do the best work we can. Rose State is the perfect place for that," Cid said.
Bringing MIPT to the college campus also involved Webb’s husband, Roger, who has served on the Institute’s board for almost 10 years. He helped identify the "perfect synergy" that existed between the college and MIPT, his wife said.
"It’s a great opportunity for us," Cid said. "Institutions like MIPT need the support and collaboration of forward-thinking, action-oriented institutions like Rose State College. I think it’s a great combination. I think we are going to do great things together."
MIPT will make its home in the college’s Professional Training Center located on Hudiburg Drive. They will office in the second floor of the building.
To find out more about MIPT, visit www.mipt.org or visit www.eastwordnews.com to find a video of the executive director at the bottom of our homepage.
