Few of us, if we 麻豆精品 S檙e honest, paid full attention to the actions of task forces or crisis and emergency managers 麻豆精品 S� until mid-March. Now, the world practically turns on their every move. At a most coincidental time, UCF is about to graduate its first three students from the Masters of Emergency and Crisis Management (MECM) program. They happen to be at the leading edge of an oncoming wave.
麻豆精品 S淏ecause the program is so young, we can adjust the lessons to reflect whatever is going on in real time. 麻豆精品 S� – Claire Connolly Knox, director of the program.
麻豆精品 S淪tudents are attracted to the program because they 麻豆精品 S檝e been directly impacted by recent disasters 麻豆精品 S� , the BP oil spill, the Pulse Nightclub massacre, and now the pandemic, 麻豆精品 S� says Claire Connolly Knox, director of the program. 麻豆精品 S淚nterest has taken off almost exponentially. 麻豆精品 S�
Both the 产补肠丑别濒辞谤 麻豆精品 S檚 and master 麻豆精品 S檚 programs in emergency management launched in Fall 2018. Initial projections of 20 students taking up the major by 2020 has been raised to 150 for the coming fall. And U.S. News and World Report ranked UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 MECM program No. 2 in the nation.
The first three graduates, and Knox, provide a wide-lens picture of who is at the heart of emergency and crisis management.
The Director
It takes only a few seconds before Knox 麻豆精品 S檚 passion for the environment can be heard clearly. A minute later, the Louisiana Cajun accent also sneaks in.
麻豆精品 S淕rowing up in the coastal wetlands, I understood how fragile our relationship is with nature, and the impact it can have when it breaks down. The wetlands are the first line of defense against hurricanes. 麻豆精品 S�
Still, she had no idea how bad it could be. While studying for her master 麻豆精品 S檚 in public administration at Florida State University in 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated her beloved Bayou State. The scrambled response became a series of tragic lessons learned 麻豆精品 S� communication, collaboration, basic preparedness. The aftermath also kick-started Knox on a path that drew her to UCF, in a region with more than its share of crises and at a school willing to adopt new ideas.
麻豆精品 S淏ecause the program is so young, we can adjust the lessons to reflect whatever is going on in real time. That 麻豆精品 S檚 essential in this dynamic and complex profession, 麻豆精品 S� she says.
At the moment, she and other program faculty are literally creating new teaching modules derived from the ongoing COVID-19 experience. The team in the MECM curriculum includes some of the most published and cited scholars in this discipline, as well as an advisory board of practitioners from every sector. Knox also points to a group just as valuable: the students.
麻豆精品 S淪omething other than fancy titles and hats is driving them, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 their hearts. They make the program real because of their own experiences. 麻豆精品 S�
The Security Specialist
Jaime Garcia first recognized a whole new world opening in his field of expertise, ironically the same day he had to close himself off.
On March 16, Garcia was thinking about graduation, job prospects, and finishing up his internship with the Osceola County Office of Emergency Management. At the door of the county building, he was asked if he 麻豆精品 S檇 been in any crowds the previous weekend. As a then part-time security guard at the Magic Kingdom, Garcia had. He spent the next 14 days in quarantine watching the news. What he saw and heard from Ecuador, where he was born and raised, only emboldened his reasons for pursuing his MECM.
麻豆精品 S淧eople were dying, the morgues were full, and they didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know what to do because there had been no planning, 麻豆精品 S� says Garcia. 麻豆精品 S淗ere, even though I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 like being quarantined, I knew there was a good reason. The contrast proves why we need good people making decisions before and during a crisis. 麻豆精品 S�
Garcia 麻豆精品 S檚 first lessons came from his father, a doctor. While many people in authority, including doctors, used their positions in Ecuador to hoard essentials and profit from them, Garcia 麻豆精品 S檚 father would drive into rural areas and distribute vaccines and treatments for free.
麻豆精品 S淗e said helping people was always the right thing to do. 麻豆精品 S�
As a teenager, Garcia coordinated a group of classmates to collect food and clothes for families following a mudslide. After moving to Charlotte, North Carolina, he took a group of security colleagues to deliver water to evacuees in the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina.
麻豆精品 S淲e have so many blessings in the U.S., but that made me realize we can never take them for granted. 麻豆精品 S�
All of these experiences led Garcia to enter the MECM program when it launched in 2018. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 a continuation of what I love doing, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淲e discuss how things are always changing and how to prepare for anything. 麻豆精品 S�
At work he 麻豆精品 S檚 been in discussions about crises like water contamination or a second outbreak of COVID-19.
麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e also preparing for the possibility of severe weather later this week. 麻豆精品 S�
The Meteorologist
It 麻豆精品 S檚 8:30 a.m. and Maureen McCann is in full stride. A meteorologist for Spectrum News 13, she 麻豆精品 S檚 already been on the air 20 times this morning to give weather updates. In the midst of Central Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 singular focus on COVID-19, McCann needs to find a way to alert us that, yes, a severe storm is a distinct possibility in the next 72 hours. Weather events pay no attention to lockdown orders.
麻豆精品 S淥ur motto is, 麻豆精品 S楧on 麻豆精品 S檛 be scared, be prepared, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淭hat 麻豆精品 S檚 true in any emergency situation 麻豆精品 S� the virus, the weather, a severe storm. The more I know about crisis management, the better I can communicate preparedness to viewers. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淲atching the meteorologists on TV made me less scared, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚 decided that 麻豆精品 S檚 what I wanted to do 麻豆精品 S� warn people and calm them at the same time. 麻豆精品 S�
After earning a 产补肠丑别濒辞谤 麻豆精品 S檚 degree from Cornell University, McCann 麻豆精品 S檚 television career led her around the country. Whether she was in Austin or Denver, something about Central Florida intrigued her. Specifically, the storms. When she moved here in 2013, she also had an unfinished master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree. The launch of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 MECM in 2018 seemed fortuitous.
麻豆精品 S淚 liked that it 麻豆精品 S檚 a fresh program and the instructors are willing to adjust so we can collaborate on real-time events. 麻豆精品 S�
She and her cohorts have gleaned lessons from hurricanes Irma, Maria, Michael and Dorian. Even the meteorologist has had her light-bulb moments.
麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 a scientist with an opportunity to communicate directly with people who will be impacted by an event. That 麻豆精品 S檚 a form of emergency management in itself.
麻豆精品 S淎nother big takeaway is the need to network before a disaster, not during. My network has expanded through the program to include security, conservation, a first responder. The boots on the ground 麻豆精品 S� that 麻豆精品 S檚 an interesting perspective. 麻豆精品 S�
The Paramedic
Chris Goodson is catching his breath. He 麻豆精品 S檚 just finished a workout near his neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, and now he 麻豆精品 S檚 foraging for what we 麻豆精品 S檝e all come to know in recent weeks as a PPE kit. A risk and safety specialist for Superior Ambulance, he 麻豆精品 S檚 waiting to find out where he 麻豆精品 S檚 needed next.
麻豆精品 S淚 like to be on the move, 麻豆精品 S� Goodson says.
He 麻豆精品 S檒l transfer COVID-19 patients to rehab facilities or to McCormick Place, which FEMA has set up as a field hospital downtown. 麻豆精品 S淭he situation we 麻豆精品 S檙e facing isn 麻豆精品 S檛 one that I enjoy, but the chaos is putting my education into practice. 麻豆精品 S�
His winding route involved uprooting from his home to enter a brand-new graduate program 1,200 miles away at UCF. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 glad I took the chance, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淟eaders in Central Florida have been at the forefront of disasters in terms of coordination, action, protocols, leadership. I 麻豆精品 S檇 like to use those lessons here at home. 麻豆精品 S�
Goodson grew up in 麻豆精品 S淭he Hole, 麻豆精品 S� the most oppressive section of Chicago 麻豆精品 S檚 notorious Robert Taylor Homes public housing project. Gunshots became everyday noise. 麻豆精品 S淧olice might come or they might not. At some point I thought, 麻豆精品 S楥hris, you could provide the help. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�
After high school, he completed two years at Eastern Illinois University before enlisting in the Army, spent time in Afghanistan, delivered aid to Haiti, helped the recovery following Hurricane Sandy, and eventually moved to Roseland in the south-side of Chicago as a paramedic. At UCF he learned about cultural competency as a central concept in crisis management. Back home, it 麻豆精品 S檚 more than a concept.
麻豆精品 S淗ospitals near my neighborhood are underfunded and understaffed. More black people are dying because of underlying health conditions, a lack of resources, and slow response. You have to know how things work at the local level to effectively help. 麻豆精品 S�
Goodson plans to take a grant writing class to round out his credentials. In five years, he sees himself in a role with FEMA or a local governing body. But for now, he 麻豆精品 S檚 checking his gloves and mask. He doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 know where he 麻豆精品 S檒l be 20 minutes from now. And that 麻豆精品 S檚 just fine with Goodson. He 麻豆精品 S檚 ready for anything.
