Emergency Management

 

"It is incumbent upon local authorities to be as prepared as possible for the natural and human-caused emergencies that seem to be occurring with greater frequency throughout North America, whether large or small, urban or rural."

- James A. Gordon, Comprehensive Emergency Management for Local Governments: Demystifying Emergency Planning (2002).

 

Program Highlights

In response to a growing number of natural, human-caused and technological emergencies, the government of Ontario, like many other governments throughout Canada and the United States, has implemented legislation that makes emergency management mandatory for all municipalities within the province. This new, two-semester program is being designed for graduates of college and university programs. By taking the Emergency Management program, they can bridge their way to a career in this growing field. Also, many emergency management practitioners are lacking the education and skills required to perform their duties effectively, due to a shortage of formalized training in this fast-paced field. This program will address the gap by providing formalized training for emergency practitioners and a pool of qualified, job-ready graduates.

Peterborough Flood, July 2004. Photo by Kyle Griffin, Peterborough This Week

In Canada, the focus of emergency planning is on natural or human-caused disasters, such as flooding, railroad or highway accidents involving hazardous chemicals, or problems with the watersource that endanger health, such as Walkerton. International terrorism is also a consideration. Duties of the emergency co-ordinator include:

• Ensuring operational capability and general state of readiness for the emergency control group and the emergency operations centre
• Liaising with community partners and community leaders to develop and implement the emergency plan
• Assembling a general emergency management plan, as well as common priority plans covering public information, emergency social services, evacuation and telecommunications, and hazard-specific preparedness plans for each hazard facing a community

 

Word from the Workplace

"The Ontario Association of Emergency Managers supports the proposed program outcomes presented by Fleming College as meeting the needs of professionals seeking careers in the area of emergency management, in accordance with the established guidelines of the Association."

ALAIN NORMAND, President
Ontario Association of Emergency Managers

 

Why Choose Fleming?

Fleming College has strong strategic partnerships in the emergency services, security and risk management and healthcare fields, through programs such as Pre-Service Firefighter, Police Foundations, Security and Risk Management, Nursing, and Paramedic. As well, our School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences is home to several programs that concentrate on environmental issues, assessment and management. As a result, you will benefit from this integrated and comprehensive perspective on emergency management. With our network of contacts and experience, you can be sure that your training will be relevant, your faculty will be highly qualified and possess specialized expertise, and you will acquire the hands-on skills you need to advance your career.

 

What it Takes to Succeed

Emergency co-ordinators come from a wide of range of backgrounds, including:

• first responders (police officer, fire fighter, ambulance personnel) or volunteers
• occupational health and safety professionals
• elected officials
• members of the Canadian Forces
• engineers, teachers, doctors or nurses

Graduates of college or university programs who have an interest in emergency management can also increase their job prospects by adding this training to their skill set.

 

Career Opportunities

Program graduates will be qualified to work in emergency management for municipal, provincial or national government agencies. There are also many employment opportunities within the private sector.

 

Minimum Admission Requirements

• Ontario College Diploma or an undergraduate university degree
• Professionals who are currently Emergency Managers and professionals with equivalent and related work experience in the field of emergency management will also be considered for admission on an individual basis.

 

Selection Process

Course	Hours
Semester 1
Applied Scenario Development Part I	45.00
Business Continuity Plans Part I	45.00
Emergency Exercise Design	45.00
Emergency Management Doctrine	21.00
Emergency Management Standards	21.00
Emergency Planning and Management	45.00
HIRA/Mitigation/Prevention	45.00
Managing Projects in Emergency Management	45.00
Semester 2
Applied Scenario Development Part II	45.00
Business Continuity Management Program (BCMP) Transitioning	21.00
Business Continuity Plans Part II	45.00
Comprehensive Emergency Exercise Design	45.00
Emergency Information Management	45.00
Emergency Operations Centre Design and Procedures	45.00
Incident Management System	21.00
Recovery Phase Planning	45.00

Semester 1

Applied Scenario Development Part I

Course Number: APST066

The intention of this course is to blend the learned knowledge base with actual hands on practical experience. This component will be completed in an actual emergency operations centre setting. Participants will develop a scenario based on a specific risk in the selected community risk profile. Research and historic reference of this risk will form the foundation for training and briefing the emergency control group during the upcoming exercise. Acting as lead control, the student will ensure that all aspects of briefing, control, conducting and evaluation is completed during your exercise. A final report submission will conclude this project.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Business Continuity Plans Part I

Course Number: ESRV045

A vital component of an emergency management plan is to plan for the disruption of business with the goals of smooth and quick recovery of affected business services. The intention of this course is to provide an introduction to Business Continuity Planning which includes a comprehensive overview of the professional practices and requirements in planning for businesses in the event of an emergency. This course is intended for anyone who is new to business continuity/disaster recovery industry and wants to understand what business continuity is and what is involved in building a business continuity management program.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Emergency Exercise Design

Course Number: ESRV042

The design of emergency exercises and simulations must be done regularly as part of a comprehensive emergency plan. These exercises are based on hazard/risk identification and the occurrence of other possible emergencies that may occur within a given area. Students will design exercises, participate in other students' exercises, and assess their effectiveness using training objectives as criteria.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Emergency Management Doctrine

Course Number: ESRV053

The new emergency management concept, as set out in this doctrine, is embedded in the hierarchy of documents necessary to implement the concept, including legislation, regulations, guidelines, plans and procedures. Taken together, these documents provide a strategic, coherent and integrated approach to emergency management in Ontario and assist in developing federal, provincial and municipal strategies to reduce risk around a common concept and terminology.

Units: 21.00
Hours: 21.00

Emergency Management Standards

Course Number: ESRV054

Public Safety Canada and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) are working to create a new Canadian National Standard for Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs (EM/BCP). NFPA 1600 is a high level, comprehensive framework standard that integrates emergency management and business continuity, provides for a common language, and incorporates a risk based-all hazards approach, similar to current Canadian emergency management practice. The new Canadian Standard, Z1600, based on NFPA 1600, will provide an effective benchmark to allow organizations to evaluate and or initiate their Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs. As well, it will ensure development of a comprehensive, continentally harmonized, approach that will facilitate compliance for stakeholders.

Units: 21.00
Hours: 21.00

Emergency Planning and Management

Course Number: ESRV039

This course provides the core components of emergency management as it relates to relative legislation and risk management legal liability. The focus will be to prepare an appropriate emergency management program that provides defined roles and responsibilities of all levels of government and private sector.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

HIRA/Mitigation/Prevention

Course Number: ESRV050

This course provides the knowledge, skills and methods necessary to perform hazard identification and risk assessment leading to the creation of a community risk profile. Also the identification of critical and essential facilities, equipment and systems is researched to ensure all aspects of public safety and business continuity are addressed. The course will include a detailed review and research, examining how mitigation and prevention strategies may actually eliminate or greatly reduce the impacts of an emergency. The course will address structural and non - structural measures and how they are effective. Students will also explore and evaluate historical success in this area. As part of the course, students will develop a mitigation / prevention strategy for a historical disaster.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Managing Projects in Emergency Management

Course Number: MGMT108

Part of the responsibilities of emergency managers is to undertake various projects including the knowledge and skills to manage more than one project at a time. Project management skills are thus vital assets. In this course, students will learn how to identify and plan a project and work toward achieving their project goals. They will interact with a team in ways that contribute to effective working relationships and the achievement of the project goals. They will communicate in written, spoken, or visual format at various stages of the project. The course also includes evaluating the technical, interpersonal, and communication processes the team uses. Students will work on managing a project typical to one that an emergency manager or an employee in the field would likely be assigned in their course of duties.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Semester 2

Applied Scenario Development Part II

Course Number: APST067

Building on Part I, the intention of this course is to blend the advanced learned knowledge base with actual hands on practical experience. Using the designed scenario from Part I, the students will continue to develop their scenarios and conclude with the actual designed exercise. This component will be completed in an actual emergency operations centre setting and include site features. Acting as lead control, each student will form an exercise design team that will assist in the devolvement of his or her functional exercise. This project also requires your presenting all aspects of briefing, control, conducting and evaluation of a complex exercise. A final report submission will conclude this project.Co-requisite:Comprehensive Emergency Exercise Design (ESRV047)Pre-requisite:Introduction to Emergency Management (ESRV038)Applied Scenario Development Part I (APST066)

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Business Continuity Management Program (BCMP) Transitioning

Course Number: ESRV055

Most organizations or businesses use a project management approach to develop their initial Business Continuity Plans. However, Business Continuity does not come to an end once the plan is produced -- that is just the start. The intention of this course is to provide an understanding of different approaches and techniques used to move an organization/business from a Business Continuity project management mindset to a Business Continuity Management Program culture. The course will also examine how an organization/business makes "the plan" a living document and embeds Business Continuity Management into its routine operations and management processes so it can be viewed as part of its overall Risk Management profile.

Units: 21.00
Hours: 21.00

Business Continuity Plans Part II

Course Number: ESRV051

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Comprehensive Emergency Exercise Design

Course Number: ESRV047

The purpose of this applied course is to enable students to develop complex exercise programs such as functional and full scale exercises. This will require complex exercise development with many roles participating simultaneously. The need for careful planning and controlled activation will be key to a successful exercise.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Emergency Information Management

Course Number: ESRV044

Emergency information management provides public and private sector responders the ability to initiate mitigation, response and recovery phases as it relates to specific disasters within local communities. An emergency information plan supports the emergency management plan and is the primary vehicle for the dissemination of information, preceding, during and after an emergency. Public inquiry systems, media relations, and methods of delivering public awareness and education programs are components of the emergency information plan and are the responsibilities of the emergency management officer. This course covers these vital components of emergency management.Pre-requisite:Introduction to Emergency Management (ESRV038)

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Emergency Operations Centre Design and Procedures

Course Number: ESRV043

This course has participants develop EOC (Emergency Operations Center) procedures and design an emergency operations center layout with considerations of operational guidelines and best practices. Participants will utilize different formats and design to evaluate the effectiveness of each. Interpersonal and group dynamics and leadership qualities will be assessed in relation to group and personal effectiveness in operating and managing the Emergency Operations Center.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Incident Management System

Course Number: ESRV041

This course provides students with an orientation normally used for executives, administrators, policy makers, emergency planners and coordinators. It provides understanding of the IMS and how it integrates with scene control. This course also provides the vital information required by continuity planners and the overall relationship with first responders. The course focus is utilizing the methods, logistics, and responsibilities of incident commanders, controlling situations, and managing the resources.

Units: 21.00
Hours: 21.00

Recovery Phase Planning

Course Number: ESRV046

This course addresses how recovery plans are developed to formalize the process for an effective return of activities to the new norm. The recovery plans focus on specific roles and responsibilities for control group members, organizations and private sectors.Reception Centre management which provides a safe place to evacuees will be addressed. This centre provides a place to assemble, receive information and referral, obtain food, clothing and shelter and lodging if required.Recovery supporting plans will also be developed, such as pet plans and agriculture specific recovery plans.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00