ABOUT RACERS
The Christian Regenhard Center for Emergency Response Studies
RACERS (The Christian Regenhard Center for Emergency Response Studies) is an applied policy research center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) dedicated to studying emergency response effectiveness. Guided by a National Advisory Board of emergency response thought leaders, and led by practitioner-faculty, the Center remains a unique link between theory and practice.
Our Namesake
Christian Michael Otto Regenhard (1973-2001)
Christian Regenhard was a firefighter with the Fire Department of New York, assigned to Ladder 131. He was killed in the World Trade Center collapse on September 11, 2001, just months after graduating from probationary school in July 2001.
Before joining the FDNY, Christian served five years as a decorated Reconnaissance Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps and studied language, art, and writing at San Francisco State University. The Center is named in his honor to ensure that the lessons learned from that tragedy continue to drive improvements in emergency response.
Our Mission
The Center conducts research on large-scale incident response with emphasis on first-responder coordination and safety, and evidence-based practices in public safety including fire, EMS, law enforcement, emergency management, and homeland security. Our work focuses on police-fire-EMS cooperation in emergency response, as well as terrorism, WMD, natural hazards, and disaster analysis.
What We Do
Research & Documentation
Collecting emergency response documentation including oral histories, GIS data, communication transcripts, incident reports, and photographs. Developing after-action and lessons learned reports that advance the field.
Education & Outreach
Publishing industry alerts and scholarly articles. Hosting symposiums and expert panels on emergency response topics. Collaborating with the Lloyd Sealy Library for public domain document access.
Policy & Advocacy
Advocating for policy changes and improvements in emergency response systems at local, state, and national levels. Working with the Skyscraper Safety Campaign for building safety improvements.
Our Home: John Jay College
John Jay College of Criminal Justice, founded in 1964, lost over 60 alumni, faculty, and students on September 11, 2001. This creates a unique institutional commitment to responder safety and effectiveness that underlies all of our work at the Center.