CREST Homeland Security Training Center, Standard Federal Bank Unveil Signature Facility for Security Training

Standard Federal Bank, Troy Police Department participate in first

Cooperative public-private sector training exercise at new site

Auburn Hills, Michigan - Oakland Community College’s CREST (Combined Regional Emergency Services Training) Center and Standard Federal Bank, headquartered in Troy, Michigan, today unveiled a new partnership in safety and security at the CREST training facility on OCC’s campus in Auburn Hills.  The two organizations unveiled the bank’s signature blue and white logo atop the site’s mock bank as a symbol of cooperation in public-private security training.

“We are excited to have Standard Federal Bank as an active partner in our CREST community,” said Oakland Community College Chancellor Richard T. Thompson.  “We believe cooperative training between private companies such as Standard Federal and local law enforcement, fire and EMS organizations is one of the most effective ways we can help enhance safety and security in our communities.”

“We are proud to be a cornerstone of this truly amazing training center,” said Standard Federal Group Senior Vice President Gerrie Smith.  “The CREST facility offers a real-world environment to help train emergency personnel for crisis situations.  This type of training will make all the difference when a dangerous situation arises.”

The Standard Federal-CREST partnership has already begun paying dividends, with a cooperative exercise involving Standard Federal’s security team and Troy Police Department, which today staged a bank robbery and hostage scenario inside the bank.  Standard Federal and police officials will obtain a better understanding of how to handle specific robbery/hostage situations by practicing a variety of responses during the scenario.

The 22-acre CREST simulated city is equipped with traffic signals, pedestrian walkways, two-lane streets, a bank, motel, a convenience store/gas station, school and three furnished homes.  It is the only emergency response-training center in the Midwest that allows front-line defenders from across the country to train emergency services personnel in real-life emergency scenarios.

A wide variety of activities is planned for CREST in the near future.  In February OCC’s Fire Training Institute cadets will be trained on the site’s streets in the use of fire-extinguishing foam.  In March the cadets will practice basic and advanced vehicle extrication techniques, as well as methods for handling hazardous materials at CREST’s gas station.

Starting in late April the Oakland County Sheriff Department will use CREST buildings in scenario-based training modules for its won, and other law enforcement personnel.

Throughout the month of May the OCC Police Academy will conduct activities such as vehicle stops and night exercises.  The FBI Citizen’s Academy will also use the site’s classrooms in May and June.

In July firearms trainees will be instructed in the use of “simunition”, the dye-filled breakable wax bullets that are essential to many of the law enforcement scenarios.

Standard Federal Bank N.A. is a nationally chartered bank with $45.9 billion in assets and $23.2 billion in deposits (as of December 31, 2002).  Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, Standard Federal offers a complete range of retail and commercial banking products through 270 branches and 920 ATMs in Michigan and Indiana.

Oakland Community College is the largest community college in Michigan and the 14^th largest in the nation, with five campuses located throughout Oakland County.  OCC offers degrees and certificates in more than 125 career fields and university transfer degrees in business, science and liberal arts.  Approximately 70,000 undergraduates attend the college each year.

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