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The program has been developed in a manner consistent with a “memorandum of understanding” with Steven Kappa, the Director of Emergency Services for the State of West Virginia, and Thomas A. Burns, Emergency Services’ Director of Operations. The program has also received the endorsement of Jim Cox, Director of Training at the West Virginia Office of Emergency Services, and Dr. Wayne Blanchard, Director of the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) Higher Education Project.
Once approved, the 64-credit hour (four semester) program could begin as early as January, 2003. It would utilize existing FEMA courses in conjunction with BSC-delivered courses that satisfy A.S. degree and current Emergency Program Manager competencies.
“This program will be an excellent fit,” explained Michael Lilly, Program Director of Criminal Justice at BSC. “It aligns with the HEPC initiatives for workforce development and attracting nontraditional students to enter college.
Col. William Aldridge, chairman of the EMI Board of Directors and Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Administration at BSC, saw an immediate need for the program with the West Virginia National Guard. (Quote inserted here).
The 2001 floods in southern West Virginia demonstrated the need for effective emergency management personnel in the state, Aldridge added. “FEMA has initiated a process through which all 57 Emergency Management directors in West Virginia can obtain accreditation. Few EM directors hold a degree in EM and now, before the requirement to hold an accreditation is placed into effect, these individuals need a program that can develop the knowledge and competencies that will permit them to enhance their professional skill level.”
“This program could lead to future funding for a much larger educational presence in the form of a Regional Emergency Management Institute associated with Bluefield State College,” noted Bruce Mutter, EMI’s chief operating officer and Director of the Center for Applied Research and Technology at BSC. The BSC Research and Development Corporation has proposed several research initiatives involving emergency management. The opportunities for graduates of such programs will be significant, and the educational training they receive through this type of curriculum will equip them to move quickly and effectively into a field where opportunity and need are great.”
January 30, 2003
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