PIA 2101 - MANAGING EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Emergency managers perform their work often in chaotic, complex, political and rapidly changing environments and events. How well they have prepared for those events can often, literally, make the difference between life and death to those impacted by these situations. The risk of disasters and emergencies threaten all individuals, communities and governments. The administrator at all levels of government or within Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOS) will face the need to prepare for, respond to and recover from such events, but how do you do that? Emergencies are events that strike at communities and create needs that are usually met by local responders and resources typically available. This can include private, governmental and NGO resources from within the community and the ready assistance from neighboring jurisdictions. The responders are familiar with one another through training and daily interactions. They typically share similar risks and understand local geography, demographics and politics. Emergencies commonly involve what are described as emergency responders-fire, police, emergency medical services, 911, public works and Emergency Management Agencies (EMAS). Disasters are larger in scale, impact and need. Disasters require assistance from the state and federal governments, which bring financial, material, and human resources but also new challenges to organizing, communicating and succeeding. The responders may be a blend of local and far-away individuals, who often lack local knowledge and sensitivities that can present difficulties beyond those presented by the disaster itself. These responders may be from a wide array of agencies and various fields of expertise, not commonly thought of as emergency responders but critical to the success of the response and recovery effort. The ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from and mitigate against the effects of disaster on the social, natural and built environments is needed by all public organizations. Residents, organizations and businesses play a vital role in making the community more disaster resilient. The preparedness activities of planning, training and exercising involve more than the emergency responders, they require a ‘whole community’ approach to preparedness.
Academic Career: Graduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: Grad Letter Grade

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