Curriculum & Courses

The curriculum for the Community Preparedness and Disaster Management Certificate Program consists of four courses – each taking 12 weeks to complete. These courses are:

•		Community and Public Health Security—Disasters, Terrorism, and Emergency Management Systems
•		Community and Public Health Disasters—Agents of Action & Public Health Hazards
•		Emergency Management I—Analytic Methods
•		Emergency Management II—Planning and Implementation

Community and Public Health Security—Disasters, Terrorism, and Emergency Management Systems

Module 1 - Local Organizations: First Response
The intent of this introductory module is that each student, regardless of background, will obtain the same basic vocabulary when speaking about emergencies and disasters. Students gain insight into common Emergency Management philosophies, the history and function of emergency planning, mitigation, response and recovery systems and learn to challenge the "accepted truths" in order to find innovative and effective ways to deal with a new range of threats. Areas discussed include; defining disasters and emergencies, common response structures like the Incident Command System, and critical analysis of actual responses. Student participation and interaction is a fundamental requirement.

Module 2 - State Organization: The EOC and the Emergency Management System -- Current State of Affairs
An overview of state and federal organizational structures to address all hazards emergency preparedness, to include homeland security; national plans, strategies and resources; mutual aid; interagency coordination; and current public policy issues for state and local governments in a homeland security era.

Module 3 - National Organization: Homeland Defense, FEMA, Federal Structures and the CDC
In Module 3 you will discuss and work towards a better understanding of the Emergency Management (EM) System that is in place in North Carolina. We are fortunate to have a progressive system due to the many lessons learned through our storied disaster past. This system spans State, County and municipal governments to create a comprehensive organization that participates in the 4 phases of Emergency Management; Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery. Our first two units will review information on the legislation that created EM in North Carolina, as well as the mission and scope of EM in our State. In the last two units, we will review Emergency operations centers (EOCs), and discuss concerns for our current EM system, as well as emerging trends that are developing across the nation.

Module 4 - Health Care Response Structures -- Hospitals, Public Health and Laboratories
This module examines the state, regional and local structures that address health care challenges resulting from disasters. Students will critically review organizational and structural issues with the objective of improved readiness and response.

Module 5 - Manmade Disasters - Terrorism
A systematic look at domestic and foreign terrorist groups to understand their roots, ideological frames of reference, and past actions as a predictor for the future and their potential impact to our Public Health Community. Student research of a foreign or domestic terrorist group and anecdotal presentations on recent or current terrorism around the world will provide a solid frame of reference for students to frame their local threat and mitigation strategies.

Module 6 - Natural Disasters
A study of the organization of the local, state and federal law enforcement assets involved in disaster management. Includes an overview of the structure, role and function of law enforcement officials in responding to natural disasters, technical disasters, and attacks with weapons of mass destruction. Examines coordination - and the lack thereof - of law enforcement responses in disaster situations. Challenges participants to propose strategies to improve communication, planning and interagency coordination.

CROSS COURSE: 9/11 After Action Review and 9/11 Commission Report
A critical look at the Arlington County response to 9/11 and how the systems in place worked or failed to work. Students utilize to the Arlington County AAR to dissect the event and develop strategies to correct deficiencies. Working in a team, students then develop a similar mass-casualty situation in their area and analyze the response capability of emergency services to respond to and overcome a similar type disaster.

Community and Public Health Disasters—Issues for Action in Business Continuity

Module 1 - Biological Agents
Introduction to biological agents and an overview of terminology, methods of employment, morbidity and counter-measures. This module provides responders with the knowledge of signs and symptoms and protective measures to take should they respond to an event which is biological in nature. We also look at agents that do not readily present themselves at the time of the attack and may initially look to be a naturally recurring illness, and actions to expedite detection, isolation and resolution.

Module 2 - Chemical Hazards
As in Biological Agents, Chemical Hazards provides an overview of terminology, methods of employment, morbidity and counter-measures. This module provides responders with the knowledge of signs and symptoms and protective measures to take should they respond to an event which is chemical in nature.

Module 3 - Nuclear and Radiological Threats
This module is intended to provide the student with a basic understanding of ionizing radiation that includes an introduction to the terms, types of radiation, biological effects and detection techniques. The course participant will gain insight into the radiological concerns created by a nuclear weapon, radiological dispersal device (dirty bomb) or an attack on a nuclear power plant. The student will hone their skills through calculational exercises and discussions of the KI distribution or potential for a dirty bomb attack will enhance the key points.

Module 4- Food Safety and Agro-Terrorism
A study of the safety and bio-security of the food chain from the farm to the fork is the topic of this module. No matter what the disaster, the provision of safe food will be an issue. Knowing which agencies regulate which part of the food chain allows the Disaster Management (DM) team to quickly restore stability to the food chain. It is even more important to think about food safety and bio-security in these turbulent times as Tommy Thompson says, "It is not a matter of if, but when, an attack on the food chain will occur." An understanding of which agencies regulate and control the food chain will better enable the DM team to restore food safety and security. In order to do this the team will need to be able to understand the complexity and vulnerabilities of the food chain, and determine ways to mitigate, response and recover from any event affecting the food chain.

Module 5 - Geologic Hazards in Disasters
In this module hazards and human interactions associated with catastrophic geologic events are considered. These include primarily earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and landslides. Geologic description of earthquakes and volcanoes and their roll plate tectonics is followed by broader implications for disaster and hazard mitigation.

Module 6 - Weather Hazard in Disasters
Following a general review of our current understanding of atmospheric processes and the predictability of weather events, this module explores a series of weather hazards in sequence. Those emphasized include hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, droughts and winter storms. The differing areas involved, duration of events, and potential forecast lead-times and accuracy, are given special attention. The main assignment involves the development of information prior to the onset of an event that aids response during and after an event. The type of event to consider is chosen by the participant.

CROSS COURSE: Hurricane Katrina After Action Report
An investigation on what lessons were learned from Hurricane Katrina and how to improve our response and recovery in the face of the next catastrophic event.

Emergency Management I—Analytic Methods

Module 1 - Forensic Epidemiology
Forensic Epidemiology is the concept of merging public health methods in the setting of a potential criminal investigation. The first unit, Introduction to Epidemiology and Forensic Epidemiology, covers the definition of Epidemiology and ways in which it has, and continues to, be used in public health, the definition of Forensic Epidemiology and why the discipline began, the direction it is going, and the challenges it faces, and understanding public health's role in investigating natural outbreaks of disease and that certain unusual or unnatural findings in an investigation may suggest intentional criminal actions. The second unit, Field-based Forensic Epidemiology, covers the goals of public health and law enforcement officials and how those goals influence their investigations, and the differences between a law enforcement investigation and a public health investigation.

Module 2 - Surveillance Systems
Public health surveillance is the systematic assessment of the health of a community based on the collection, interpretation, and dissemination of health data. Surveillance is a core function of public health departments at the local, state, and federal level. This course will review the fundamentals of disease surveillance and outbreak response using primarily infectious disease models. Additionally, in response to the events of the fall of 2001, the national public health system has been charged with preparing the nation against future attacks. Special attention will be given to novel surveillance systems specifically designed to detect outbreaks of acute infectious disease consistent with attacks of bioterrorism. The goal is to provide students with a practical understanding of surveillance that will be useful for those interested in careers in applied public health.

Module 3 - Management and Communication
This module provides a basic understanding of the process of human health risk assessment. It provides an overview of the methodologies of hazard identification, exposure assessment, exposure-response assessment and risk characterization, and the application of these methods to both risk assessment and risk management. Students are expected to complete a risk assessment as part of the module and to apply that assessment in locating risk management solutions.

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Module 4 - Risk Communications
This module familiarizes students with recognized methods for communicating effectively with the public during a crisis. The role and importance of effective communication are discussed, as are the phases of a crisis. Students learn to recognize situations that might result in public outrage and low tolerance for risk which are the situations that demand concise, effective risk communication. The methods for providing effective messages are covered in the module.

Module 5 - Program Evaluation Methods
This module is designed to introduce students to basic concepts of program evaluation and how program evaluation methods can be used to improve disaster preparedness planning, response, recovery, and research. The first unit of three in this module will provide a basic overview of program evaluation and specific concepts in program evaluation in disaster preparedness. Unit is 2 is designed to provide students with an in-depth look at rapid health assessment, an evaluative process used at the onset of an incident or disaster. This third unit provides an introduction to principles of effective disaster management.

Module 6 - Cost/Benefit Analysis
The cost benefit module introduces the student to the idea of analyzing a retrospective or a prospective course of action by comparing the costs of the action to its benefits. Courses of action in which the value of benefits exceed the value of resources used are desirable. Since costs from one viewpoint are revenues from another, a perspective must be picked for the analysis. Cost benefit analysis requires the identification of all actual resources used and all actual benefits received from the perspective chosen. Actual resources and actual benefits must be valued using the fair market value rule to assign dollar amounts to them. If resource or benefit flows occur over multiple time periods, they must be discounted to the present. If resources or benefit flows have a chance that they will not occur, as with disaster studies, they must be risk adjusted. Comparing the total costs to the total benefits of several courses of action will give guidance on the most desirable course of action to take. Cost benefit analysis is especially useful for the allocation of limited funds to different mitigation and prevention strategies. It is especially helpful in disaster planning.

CROSS COURSE: Disease Outbreak Investigations
It is intended to walk the student through an epidemiological outbreak investigation. Students act as the lead investigator and conduct epidemiologic detective work, beginning with knowing only that there is an increase in pharyngitis cases in Louisiana and ending with determining the source of the outbreak By being an active participant in the investigation and making decisions about the direction the investigation will take, students gain the important skills necessary to conduct a epidemiologic investigation, including learning to calculate risk ratios, create epidemic curves, and develop line listings. Overall, the goals of the project are to reinforce the fundamental of epidemiology and encourage students to develop, test, and refine hypotheses and to think creatively and analytically.

Emergency Management II—Disaster Management

Module 1 - Evacuation Decisions
Exercise - often talked about, usually poorly executed. This module will provide an overview of the kinds of exercise and provide insight into how to assess the needs of the agency and then develop the right exercise program. A key component of this module is how to develop interoperability and inter-agency buy-in for an exercise and how to carry that over to planning and execution.

Module 2 - Military's Role in Disaster Management
A critical look at the Emergency Management systems at local jurisdictions from the standpoint of: are we really preparing or merely perpetuating an outdated model while we hope nothing bad happens on our watch. Students will objectively evaluate the system within which they work (or pick a local agency if not in EM) and using a predetermined set of criteria, critically evaluate strengths, weaknesses, and trends; and make recommendations based on lessons learned in the program.

Module 3 - Volunteer Organizations (VOAD)
Issues in Response is the second module in the Planning and Implementation course and will discuss fundamental response benchmarks to test how well we planned and prepared for the "big one". Exposure to common on-scene command issues balanced with the importance to preplan known challenges is stressed. Emphasis is placed upon emergency managers to facilitate preparation of all potential responding agencies in their jurisdiction, ensuring familiarization with each other and assuring that they have the tools to perform during emergencies.

Module 4 - Issues in Recovery
The module on recovery starts with the preparedness basics of planning, training, and exercising for a robust recovery after every type of disaster. We then look at the various components of a successful economic and psychological recovery from all emergencies, including cyber attacks and disease epidemics; with standards, audits, and assessments. The latter elements cover the measurable results, inject accountability and cost - benefit analysis. Finally, best practices and lessons learned are examined for instruction for the future and the continuous improvement of our difficult challenge from, and dismal record on, recovery.

Module 5 - Issues in Mitigation
Why do we keep experiencing such huge losses in disasters? This module looks at methods available now to stem the losses we repeatedly experience across the disaster continuum. In addition to methods of mitigation, we explore the political will (or lack thereof) in creating building codes, ordnances and other regulatory requirements to keep people from building in places we know are prone to disaster.

Module 6 - Crisis Communication
Communication, either too much or not enough, is the crux of most disaster responses. This module will focus on the student having a better understanding of the importance of communication before, during, and after a disaster. Also covered will be information on how to critique a government agency's crisis communication efforts and an understanding of some of the many theories related to crisis communication. And finally, the know-how to develop a crisis communication plan for your organization will be discussed.

CROSS COURSE: Exercise Design
Proper exercise design, facilitation and follow-up to be covered in this project.

1.)		Executive Summary for your exercise -- 5Ws
2.)		Play list -- all the participants
3.)		Exercise Objectives -- who will get what out of the exercise
4.)		Scenario -- word picture of the points of the exercise -- chronological/integrated
5.)		MESL - checklist of key events, decision points, branches, etc.
6.)		Outcomes List -- where each agency should end up
7.)		Facilitator Requirements -- how many support staff and what they will do
8.)		Equipment/Supply list -- what props, equipment, etc. outside normal department issue
9.)		Cost analysis -- estimated cost to conduct the exercise (don't include salaries)
10.)		Any other documentation you deem necessary

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