2008 Woodie Awards
Two-year college plans disaster training degree
Jo Napolitano
Issue date: 10/27/05 Section: News
Disasters natural and man-made prompted Kankakee Community College in Illinois to create an associate degree program in emergency management, a spokesman said.
The program, touted as among the first of its kind in the state, may begin offering classes this spring.
Recent events, from terrorist attacks to natural disasters, show the need for more people prepared to handle catastrophes, college officials said, and they want to be among the first to train students for this growing field.
"We need incident managers," said Michael Casagrande, program coordinator. "I think it's really an evolving field."
The college has been developing such a program for two years.
The program, created with help from the governor's office and expected to draw 15 to 30 students in the first semester, will train people on how respond to a variety of scenarios, including train disasters. Students also will perform rescue exercises in confined spaces, tactical operations and weapons of mass destruction training.
Future courses could include policy and planning, public awareness and community relations, incident management and sociology and recovery of disaster.
"What I hope to see is the ability to create a plan for our community in case disaster hits, whether it's a natural disaster or any other type," said Anne Perry, the college's technology division chair. "They will have to learn about local government and crisis management."
But the coursework will go beyond coordination, she said.
"It's not only planning and understanding policy, but it's also going to be mitigation," she said. "I think what's most needed is to understand the behavioral responses of people, the sociology of it, how people respond to the disasters, the media, the attention."
Karen Hunter Anderson, senior director for student and instructional development at the Illinois Community College Board, said incorporating homeland security and emergency management courses into a two-year college curriculum is a high priority.
- contributed by KRT
The program, touted as among the first of its kind in the state, may begin offering classes this spring.
Recent events, from terrorist attacks to natural disasters, show the need for more people prepared to handle catastrophes, college officials said, and they want to be among the first to train students for this growing field.
"We need incident managers," said Michael Casagrande, program coordinator. "I think it's really an evolving field."
The college has been developing such a program for two years.
The program, created with help from the governor's office and expected to draw 15 to 30 students in the first semester, will train people on how respond to a variety of scenarios, including train disasters. Students also will perform rescue exercises in confined spaces, tactical operations and weapons of mass destruction training.
Future courses could include policy and planning, public awareness and community relations, incident management and sociology and recovery of disaster.
"What I hope to see is the ability to create a plan for our community in case disaster hits, whether it's a natural disaster or any other type," said Anne Perry, the college's technology division chair. "They will have to learn about local government and crisis management."
But the coursework will go beyond coordination, she said.
"It's not only planning and understanding policy, but it's also going to be mitigation," she said. "I think what's most needed is to understand the behavioral responses of people, the sociology of it, how people respond to the disasters, the media, the attention."
Karen Hunter Anderson, senior director for student and instructional development at the Illinois Community College Board, said incorporating homeland security and emergency management courses into a two-year college curriculum is a high priority.
- contributed by KRT