Extended Education, IGSS launch new emergency certificate program 2/7/2006
A new certificate program designed to develop a cadre of well-trained and experienced emergency management leaders in Middle Tennessee will debut at Austin Peay State University this spring.
According to staff in the Institute for Global Security Studies and the Center for Extended and Distance Education, the Emergency Management Certificate Program, scheduled to begin April 17, will allow emergency management professionals to earn certification in emergency management leadership.
Mary Alice Burkhart, coordinator of noncredit and customized programs for Extended and Distance Education, said officials from both the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency approached Austin Peay about creating a certification program to train upcoming professionals who wish to move beyond their specific job area and assume leadership positions encompassing multiple emergency management agencies.
“They (TEMA) felt it was imperative that a standard skill set be developed for future emergency managers and that all emergency management personnel be prepared to lead complex, multiagency responses to a disaster situation,” Burkhart said.
The four-level program will include the following modules: • Leadership and Communication • Conflict and Crisis Management • Emergency Planning, Assessment and Response • Technical and Industry-Specific Competencies
“Successful emergency managers need to have experience in the field of emergency management, but they also need strongly developed communication and organizational skills, a working knowledge of the organizations and agencies that serve the area, and a strong ability to lead and motivate others during the period of recovery,” Burkhart said.
Emergency management professionals who complete each level will receive a certificate for that specific competency. They also have the opportunity to earn a Certificate of Mastery from The Center for Extended and Distance Education if all four levels are completed.
The IGSS also is working to develop an accredited minor in emergency management, which could be combined with most degree programs offered to Austin Peay students.
To register for the program, emergency management professionals should contact their district training supervisors. Admission to the program is competitive and requires approval from regional emergency management directors.
For more information about the Emergency Management Certificate Program, contact The Center by telephone at (931) 221-6487 or IGSS at (931) 221-7911. – Melony Leazer
