Press Release

Workforce Development Center Offers Self-Defense Training for Airlines' Personnel on Dec. 11th

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The Workforce Development Center at Bunker Hill Community College is offering a Crew Member Self-Defense Training (CMSDT) program for all actively employed flight and cabin crew members of U.S. passenger and cargo carriers. The one-day hands-on training course, which is free of cost to qualified crew members, will be offered on Sunday, December 11: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

The CMSDT program, administered by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), is sponsored by the Transportation Security Administration’s Federal Air Marshal Service. BHCC partners with AACC to deliver the program locally in the Boston area. As the only community college offering the course in Massachusetts, BHCC plays a prominent role within the CMSDT community of more than 20 training sites nation-wide located at community colleges and participating airline training facilities.

Program benefits include:

  • Self defense tactics to avoid becoming a victim on or off the job;
  • Self confidence from the physical techniques taught and the mental framework built into the program;
  • Behavior recognition module aimed at increasing awareness of one’s surroundings, so that one is protected in the cabin and in personal situations that can arise in parking lots, hotels, etc.

Participants can attend this free program as many times as they would like to master the physical skills and build muscle memory. Instruction is provided by experienced law enforcement or military trainers following a rigorous certification program led by the Federal Air Marshal Service.

For general information on the program, visit:www.tsa.gov/cmsdt. For information on the BHCC training, contact Mark Wigfall at mhwigfal@bhcc.mass.edu.

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About Bunker Hill Community College
Bunker Hill Community College is the largest community college in Massachusetts, enrolling approximately 18,000 students annually. BHCC has two campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, and a number of other locations throughout the Greater Boston area. BHCC is one of the most diverse institutions of higher education in Massachusetts. Sixty-five percent of the students are people of color and more than half of BHCC's students are women. The College also enrolls nearly 600 international students who come from 94 countries and speak more than 75 languages.