April 24, 2007 FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education Project Report
(1) EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BODY OF KNOWLEDGE:
Having read several books in the last few months that struck me as must reading for anyone engaged in teaching college courses on emergency management, I have made revisions of my Top 50 Readings in Emergency Management List (2007) and had that posted to the "Body of Knowledge" section of the EM HiEd Project Homepage -- http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu/docs/readinglist/Body%20of%20Knowledge%20EM%20HiEd%20Project%20Managers%20Conception.doc
Some of the new additions (which perforce knocked other readings off the top 50 list) are:
Canton, Lucien G. Emergency Management: Concepts and Strategies for Effective Programs. Hoboken NJ: Wiley Inter-Science, 2007.
Flynn, Stephen. The Edge of Disaster: Rebuilding A Resilient Nation. NY: Random House, 2007.
National Research Council. Facing Hazards and Disasters: Understanding Human Dimensions. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2006.
Rodríguez, Havidan, Enrico L. Quarantelli, and Russell R. Dynes. Handbook of Disaster Research. Springer, 2006.
(2) MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME ACADEMY -- MASTER OF SCIENCE IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEGREE:
Received today copy of April 20 Massachusetts Maritime Academy (Buzzards Bay, MA) Press Release:
["Buzzards Bay, MA - Massachusetts Maritime Academy is pleased to announce the launch of its Master of Science in Emergency Management Degree Program.
The goal of the program is provide graduates with the knowledge and tools to be successful emergency managers in the public and private sectors of the Northeast region. The program's graduates will gain the problem-solving capabilities to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate disasters and emergencies. The program provides a multi-disciplinary approach requiring a core set of courses needed to address issues common to virtually all hazards, and other courses addressing special topics including public health and transportation security.
The degree is offered in an 18 month executive format. The 34-credit, 10-course program will be presented one course at a time and each course will run for a six-week period. Classes will held every other weekend beginning Friday evening and ending Saturday afternoon.
Modeled after the Academy's successful Master of Science in Facilities Management degree, the course will be based in Waltham, Massachusetts at the DoubleTree Guest Suites. This site was specifically chosen in consideration of its convenience for students working in the Greater Boston area. With overnight accommodations included in the program, students essentially have a one-way commute from work to class. At established times throughout the program, students will visit the Massachusetts Maritime Academy campus in Buzzards Bay to take advantage of the exceptional facilities and technology, such as the emergency management simulator and specialized labs.
Specific courses include:
* Organizational Behavior in Emergency Management
* Legal Issues in Emergency Management
* Managing Information Technology Resources
* Hazards Risk Management
* Strategic Planning and Budgeting in Emergency Management
* Risk and Crisis Communication
* Emergency Operations
* Public Health Issues in Emergency Management
* Emergency Management and Disaster Recovery
* Transportation Security Management
The degree program will culminate in a 4-credit capstone project. Throughout the curriculum, students will draw upon their education and experience to develop a capstone presentation specifically related to an emergency management scenario.
Why Massachusetts Maritime Academy?
No other public institution in Massachusetts currently offers a Master of Science in Emergency Management. In fact, the Academy's recently approved B.S. in Emergency Management is the one of only a few emergency management degrees offered by a public institution in Massachusetts. As a result of the limited private and public offerings, this program is well-suited to address the need for emergency management professionals in the region.
The maritime sector continues to be one of the greatest concerns to terrorism experts. A transportation security incident in one port could have major economic repercussions throughout the country. The Academy is uniquely positioned in the region to use its expertise and educate our future leaders about transportation security and the unique domain of ships, ports, and the complex and multiple disciplines involved in managing them.
Admission
To be considered for admission to the program, candidates must possess a Bachelors Degree in an Emergency Management-related field and must be capable of graduate-level study. Admissions will be based on an overall evaluation of the prospective student's application together with a personal interview. The program cost includes tuition, fees, accommodations, meals, and books.
For further information about this exciting new program, please contact the Division of Graduate & Continuing Education at 508-830-5098, by email at or visit www.maritime.edu/graduate."]
(3) ORGANIZATIONAL LOCATION OF GOVERNMENTAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT:
Read several communications on this topic in recent IAEM Discussion List Serve on the topic of where emergency management ought optimally to be placed. Pasting in edited remarks from one contributor:
"I feel very strongly that the EM Coordinator should be at the Department Head level in the org chart, no matter whether there are additional duties tacked onto that person. I do think it would be better in most instances for EM to be a separate department without additional Responsibilities.... We are supposed to be coordinators of multiple disciplines including law, fire, EMS, volunteer organizations, elected positions, etc. If we are affiliated with a particular discipline, then no matter how hard we try, we will always be viewed as having favoritism towards that particular discipline and will not be as effective at objectivity. Let's face it. Typically, law enforcement doesn't want to take directions from the fire guys and the fire guys don't want to take directions from law enforcement and EMS or the Red Cross and so on and so on. Everybody's too proprietary and thinks they have the best line on the event, when in fact they only have a small portion of the overall event. That's where EM comes in to coordinate the overall response. We're not supposed to necessarily be in charge of the event (or in NIMS terms. the IC), but we do need to be in a position to ensure that a common set of objectives is established and met for the entire incident.
As for being at the department head level, if not, then in the example of the re-organization of FEMA under DHS, there are too many levels for decision making and approvals and whatever else before you can make a decision. I know of one location in our state in which the EM Coordinator must obtain permission from the municipal fire chief BEFORE he can open the county EOC. In that situation, the EM coordinator basically holds a very benign position."]
B.Wayne Blanchard, Ph.D., CEM
Higher Education Project Manager
Emergency Management Institute
National Emergency Training Center
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Department of Homeland Security
16825 S. Seton, K-011
Emmitsburg, MD 21727
(301) 447-1262, voice
(301) 447-1598, fax
http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu
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