Morris County Auto Body Students Repair Washington Township OEM Trailer

WASHINGTON TWP., N.J.– Students from Morris County School of Technology's auto body shop classes restored a trailer for the Washington Township Office of Emergency Management.

"The Washington Township OEM contacted the school and asked if we could help,'' said auto body curriculum instructor Louis Rosso. “They brought the trailer down to our school and the students went to work.''

The trailer allows the OEM to haul supplies to emergency shelters.

"The teachers and students at the Morris County School of Technology should be applauded for their efforts,'' said Freeholder Hank Lyon, the county governing board's liaison to MCTS. “It's another example of the great value of our county school for students from across the Morris County who attend it.''

The purchase of a new trailer was not in the municipal budget, Communications and Digital Media Manager Larry Ragonese said in a news release.

Washington Township police donated an unused trailer that had been for student DARE program training, Ragonese said.

However, the exterior of the trailer "was in bad shape" and couldn't "accomodate the identifying township isignia," Ragonese added.

MCST's morning and evening auto body classes, which included roughly 20 students, sanded the trailer, stripped the old paint, and removed rust, Rosso said.

A two-part epoxy paint was applied to make the trailer weather resistant and durable, according to Rosso.

“It was a classic ‘win-win’ situation,'' said Rosso. “Our students would get a technical challenge that could further their training and a community in need would get a workable solution to its problem.”

Images courtesy County of Morris

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