CWD offers online crisis management program

A six-week online crisis and disaster management program will be offered next month for current and potential emergency management personnel across the country, from the public and private sector.

The program was born out of conversations last year between Greene County Emergency Management representatives and Ozarks Technical Community College. Both organizations found it difficult to find well-trained personnel to fill key crisis and disaster management positions.

“Because the need was not limited to our immediate region, we knew we needed a flexible solution that could accommodate a variety of schedules and locations.  OTC has a tremendous online college department, so we teamed with them for the optimum solution,” said Cindy Stephens, assistant executive director of OTC’s Center for Workforce Development.

After talking with crisis and disaster management experts, CWD and OTC Online developed an online six-course certificate program. No on-campus visits are required.

“By offering the classes online, people can participate in any time zone at any hour of the day or night,” said Vanessa Germeroth, assistant director for eLearning Outreach.  “The content is as valuable and relevant for someone in Springfield or Carthage as it is for someone in California or Alabama.”

Course topics include Emergency Preparedness and Planning, Exercise Design and Evaluation, Understanding Terrorism and Political Violence, Risk Assessment and Analysis, Disaster Response and Disaster Recovery and Mitigation.

The initial course, Emergency Preparedness and Planning, begins March 7.

Ryan Nicholls, Greene County director of emergency management, will teach the first course.

“The course will lay out the basic principals of emergency management coordination. It is designed for those in the profession, both in the public and private sector. It’s also for those who might be required to meet certain training requirements or for those who are thinking about getting into this line of work. It should be a great program,” said Nicholls, an OTC graduate.

Those planning to apply for FEMA positions or who hold government-based emergency management jobs can gain professional development credits by completing a single course or the entire program.

The fee for each course is $499, or $2,495 if a person registers for all six.

For information about the program, contact Cindy Stephens at stephenc@otc.edu. Course details can be found at http://www.otc.edu/workforce/15291.php