Emergency & Disaster Mgmt (EDM)

This course provides participants with a general overview of disaster events and covers the key components of disaster prevention, risk assessment and disaster management including: types of disasters, phases of disasters (preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery), a brief history o f disaster management in the US, agencies involved i n disaster situations, public service disruptions and actions, the FEMA Whole Community concept, re silence, media relations, incident command systems and mass casualty triage. We focus on the practical application of management principles including the development of key tools including t he emergency operations plan and the THIRA.

The US has embraced the homeland security monolith having neither fully understood nor tamed all that it encompasses. This challenging course provides a broad overview of homeland security and homeland defense as undertaken in the United States since 9/11. The goal is to provide the generally accepted body of knowledge required of the homeland security professional. The course focuses on four areas: the enemy, animosity and potential outcomes of threats posed; the policies and procedures enacted since 9/11; federal, state and local governmental roles; and legal issues critical to the conduct of homeland security and defense activities by the military including the National Guard. The student will gain an understanding in asymmetric thinking, develop an appreciation for the growing body of literature in the discipline of homeland security, and have the opportunity to examine a key issue in depth through a term research paper.

International and humanitarian disaster management has steadily evolved over decades. The increased emphasis on global disaster preparedness from both governmental and private sectors has widespread application across all borders. Through the exploration of disaster models, public health, principles, economic, social and political elements, students will explore the application of the disaster cycle.

Hazardous Materials & Industrial Safety This course provides an overview of the major hazardous materials commonly encountered and their effects on humans and wildlife. Industrial waste, pollution, nuclear waste, hazardous waste transportation and the management of hazardous material accidents are all covered.

This course will provide students with an introduction into geographic information systems by infusing it into emergency management. The class will focus on the 3 major elements: 1) Fundamentals of GIS, 2) Knowledge of GIS software, and the 3) Understanding of the spatiality in emergency management situations.

The purpose of this course is to develop an understanding of the various types of natural disasters which plague the world. The student will study the forces of nature which cause these events to occur, the population effects of the event itself and the dynamic nature by which the event spawns further cataclysmic change in our environment.

Weapons of Mass Destruction This course introduces students to the various types of biologic, chemical and nuclear/radiologic weapons, along with the clinical manifestations and management of exposure to these. Decontamination and institutional procedures for weapons of mass destruction incident management are also covered.

This course examines key concepts in the understanding and management of risk in an organizational environment. Aspects of risk evolution, tools and techniques, project vulnerabilities, uncertainty, modeling and risk software are included.

The course explores the issues in maintaining a business in the midst of crisis and the disruption of resources. It includes planning for, responding to, and recovering from an internal or external crisis in the organization.

This course discusses business and organizational implications of the disaster recovery lessons taught by 9/11, the California energy crisis, the anthrax scare and other related disastrous events as they relate to emergency decision making and planning. Special emphasis is directed toward infrastructure and IT/IS implications of process continuation.

This course introduces students to theories of organizational dynamics and management as it pertains to crisis and disaster situations. The course also explores communication within the organization, with external agencies, and with the public and media during and after disaster events.

This course explores the psychological sequelae of disasters and traumatic events including acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. The clinical presentation, assessment and management of these disorders are discussed. Clinical interventions such as post-event debriefing, short-term counseling and mental health referral in disaster situations are also covered. This course includes an intensive on-campus experience.

This course will prepare students to develop and implement effective emergency disaster drills and tabletop exercises. It will also encompass the principles of mass casualty triage. The principles of adult learning and educational assessment are also covered. This course includes an intensive on-campus experience.

By applying logistics, financial and supply chain principles to actual disaster and humanitarian events during the last 25 years, students will focus on what preparedness actions are necessary to ensure the adequacy of supplies and goods to citizens and emergency personnel during a disaster event. The basic principles for supply chain management for healthcare will also be reviewed. An examination of both US and international incidents will focus on planning and response. Further, we will discuss the roles of governments in delivery of logistics assistance, and the functions of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) in these processes.

The purpose of this course is to develop an understanding of the concepts of public health as they relate to disaster management. The student will apply Noji's five phases of a disaster to actual disaster events during the last 25 years and will focus especially on what preparedness actions are necessary to safeguard the health of citizens and emergency personnel during a disaster event. Public health issues in disaster management that are covered include water and food supply disruption and contamination, waste disposal, environmental pollution and infectious disease outbreaks. The basic principles of epidemiology and health surveillance are also reviewed.

The term 'special needs' is widely used within the disaster services and the emergency management world. It generally refers to an extremely broad group of people with physical disabilities, people with serious mental illness, pregnant women, children, and the elderly. These groups represent a large and complex variety of concerns and challenges. Many of these groups have little in common beyond the fact that they are often left out of programs, services, and emergency planning. This course will introduce students to planning, responding, mitigating, and recovering from a disaster as it pertains to the special needs population. This will include specific functional roles, resource identification and response of personnel involved in disaster management. Students will be presented with problem based learning assignments and based on the assigned readings, research, and personal experiences, they will be able to analyze and apply the theories and principals pertaining to the response and recovery of an event to these special populations.

Healthcare emergency management has steadily evolved over decades but at an increased rate since September 11, 2001. The increased emphasis on disaster preparedness from both the public as well as regulatory agencies now requires a level of knowledge beyond the technical level. This course is designed to provide a foundation in hospital emergency preparedness.

Applied Research Methods & Statistics Basic statistics and research methods used in the medical and social sciences are covered in this course. Students will have the opportunity to review current medical research and evaluate it with regard to its application to practice.

This course is designed to expose the student to the clinical aspects of disaster medicine by encouraging exploration of the roles of healthcare providers in disasters, the study of clinical situations that occur during disasters, analysis of public, occupational, and environmental health issues, and applying clinical research and epidemiology concepts.

This course will provide students with the opportunity to practice and refine the basic emergency management skills learned in the foundational courses. The multiday conference week requires full participation and engagement as you demonstrate your grasp of concepts. This experience must be registered for in conjunction with EMM 639 and is only offered in the Summer term.

In this capstone experience students will complete either an: original research project; an original disaster plan; a systematic review paper on a disaster-related topic with thorough literature search, analysis and compilation; or an internship with disaster plan. All of these will involve a thorough literature search, an analysis of the current research, integration of multiple facets of disaster medicine and management and completion of a substantial written product.

Internship in Disaster Medicine and Management This experience is an optional internship in disaster medicine or management at an agency involved in disaster preparedness or response. This may include international experiences when available.

This course provides an opportunity to explore topics in disaster medicine and management not developed in other courses. Examples include recent complex humanitarian emergencies, disasters, or catastrophes, new practice technology, essential health policy changes, new research findings, and other cutting edge materials. Students may take this course more than once as the topics differ each time it is offered.