Former MSEM student Brian Bannon recently had his article "Integrated Mitigation Model: It's Time to Rethink the Phases of Emergency Management" published in the Online edition of the February 2012 IAEM Bulletin. Brian is currently a Senior Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton in Belcamp, Maryland.

Click Here to Read Brian's Article

MSEM student Troy Neville recently had his article "Promoting Preparedness in the Private Sector” from the Regional Business Preparedness Campaign published in the Online edition of the December 2011 IAEM Bulletin.

Click Here to Read Troy's Article

The Millersville University’s Master of Science in Emergency Management (MSEM) Program was well represented at the International Association of Emergency Managers 59th Annual Conference from November 11-17, 2011 at the Rio All-Suites Hotel in Las Vegas, NV.  The MSEM program and the Center for Disaster Research and Education (CDRE) were part of the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Expo (EMEX) in conjunction with the conference. The program coordinator Dr. Sepi Yalda was joined by MSEM professor Dr. Duane Hagelgans and students Chelsea Eggleston, Heather Morgan, Paul Benyeda and Marianne Souders. The MSEM booth in the EMEX received a lot of queries and positive feedback. The MSEM/CDRE representatives were able to attend a broad selection of sessions dealing with a variety of subjects in Emergency Management. They were also able to attend sessions with well known speakers from around the country. 

CDRE faculty member Dr. John Wallace and CDRE Director Dr. Sepi Yalda were recently featured in an article which referenced their current and future research regarding the Marcellus Shale boom in Pennsylvania. Dr. Wallace's research is primarly focused on water qualtiy while Dr. Yalda is looking into potential impacts of large-scale drilling and preparedness efforts.

Click Here to Read The Entire Article

On September 19^th, Bobby Cook and Michael Conallen from ADMS (Advanced Disaster Management Simulator), a division of Environmental Tectonics Corporation provided a demonstration at Millersville University on the ADMS incident command simulator.

Those in attendance to view the demonstration were:

Dave Gribble- Fire Services Coordinator, Lancaster County.
Jim Ploumis- Fire Service Instructor, Lancaster County.
Dan Bowers- Chief of Police, New Holland Police Department.
Jeff Helm- Emergency Management Coordinator, Columbia   Borough.
Bill Steele- Emergency Management Coordinator, Lancaster City Housing.
John O'Connell- Chief of Police, Mt. Joy Borough.
Greg Noll- Program Manager, South Central Task Force.
Randy Padfield- Program Coordinator, Harrisburg Area Community College.
Duane Hagelgans- Fire Commissioner, Blue Rock Regional Fire Department.
Keith Eshelman- Station Chief, Blue Rock Fire Rescue.
Fred Smith, Defense Logistics Agency, New Cumberland.

ADMS is designed for emergency and disaster management training and offers a realistic environment to train first responders, on-scene commanders, and incident command teams. It also supports Emergency Operation Center Exercises. ADMS bridges the gap between classroom and live exercises, and enables staff to gain necessary insight and skills to handle any type of emergency, from traffic accidents up to large scale disasters.

MSEM student Trooper Robert Bailey was awarded a National Police Award for his heroic efforts in arresting Curtis T. "Tim" McCoy, a convicted serial rapist. 

Click Here to Read Part 1 of the Story

Click Here to Read Part 2 of the Story

Dr. Duane Hagelgans, EMGT 601, 616 and 693 instructor, was interviewed following the events of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee for an article in the Patriot News. The article, entitled, "Corbett's calm in storm draws praise" discussed Governor Corbett's response to these events. "When it comes to disaster management, 'You always want to see strong leadership, and you want to see early strong leadership,' Hagelgans said. And Corbett deserved credit for showing leadership, he said."

Click here to see the full article

Kasey Voges is the 2011 recipient of the E.L. Quarantelli Award. The award is given annually to a student who minors in Environmental Hazards and Emergency Management who displays excellence in scholarship and service in the disaster field. Kasey was an intern at the Wayne County Emergency Office in northeastern Pennsylvania. While there, her duties included updating emergency operation plans for day cares, nursing homes, and dams. Kasey will be conducting research on business continuity for the Center for Disaster Research & Education. After graduation, Kasey plans on pursuing a Master's Degree in Emergency Management.

On September 15-16, The Civic and Community Engagement Research Project will be hosting an International Policy Conference. Topics such as the international status of women; global responses to genocide and natural disasters; and terrorism, safety and security will be discussed. The Center for Disaster Research and Education encourages you to attend.

Please see below for more information:

Securing the Future: International Policy Conference
September 15-16, 2011 at Millersville University

Keynote Speaker

William "Bill" Richardson
September 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Student Multipurpose Center MPR
(to be followed by Q&A)

Conference Tracts

The International Status of Women
Global Responses to Genocide and Natural Disasters
Terrorism, Safety and Security

Click Here to Register

September 15

• Mr. John Prendergast, 12:30-2:15 p.m.
• Dr. Oran Hesterman, 2:30-3:45 p.m.
• Marta Benavides, 2:30-3:45 p.m.
• Ms. Lorelei Kelly, 4:00-5:15 p.m.
• Dr. Paul Charp, 4:00-5:15 p.m.
• Mr. Bill Richardson, 7:30-? p.m.

September 16

• Ms. Nontombi Naomi Tutu, 9:00-10:15 a.m.
• Dr. William Lovekamp, 9:00-10:15 a.m.
• Indika Samarawickreme, 10:30-11:45 a.m.
• Dr. Rhoda Margesson, 10:30-11:45 a.m.
• Dr. James Zogby, 12:00-2:00 p.m.

For complete details about the conference and full biographies of the speakers, please visit the conference website.

The CDRE is proud to announce that the Millersville University-Community CERT (or, Community Emergency Response Team) is now officially recognized by the National Citizen Corps, a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Our listing can be accessed on the Citizen Corps Website at http://www.citizencorps.gov/cc/showCert.do?id=47924.

Started in January, the Millersville University-Community CERT offered its first CERT Basic Training Course throughout the month of April and the next offering for fall is scheduled for October. Some of the topics covered in the Basic Training Course include: disaster preparedness, fire safety, light search and rescue, and basic medical operations.

The goal of the Millersville University-Community CERT program is to create a culture of preparedness by increasing the knowledge and skills that the citizens need to safely handle disaster and emergency situations through training and education. This CERT currently primarily serves the Millersville University, Millersville borough, and surrounding communities. 

Please check our website for more information and updates on our Basic Training Classes!

For more information please contact us at cdre@millersville.edu

Tim Opinaldo is the Research Assistant at the Center for Disaster Research and Education during the summer of 2011. His internship work is focused on reviewing and updating the existing Continuity Plan for the Willow Valley Retirement Communities.  Tim is currently working on making recommendations to update some of the older policies.  The Continuity Plan for a community that size is a large task but Tim has been able to utilize the work done previously on this plan. Furthermore, he is quite familiar with both campuses since he previously worked at Willow Valley Communities.  Tim has been learning about the amount of detail and forethought put into every aspect of this plan.  He is certain the residents find it comforting that needs like power, water, fuel and food, have all been thought of for future emergencies.  Tim comments that "It is also great as an intern to see what a completed plan looks like; instead of sample references on websites like the CDC or ready.gov".   Tim is also scheduled to review the Communities' Pandemic Flu policy later this summer.

Troy Neville is the project leader for the Regional Business Preparedness Outreach Campaign. The Campaign is a joint effort between the South Central PA Task Force's Business Industry and Infrastructure Subcommittee, Millersville University's Center for Disaster Research and Education, and the Chambers of Commerce in the region. Through the area Chambers, the Campaign will reach between 6,000 and 8,000 area businesses.

The concept of the Campaign is to increase awareness of businesses in the Region on the need to look at business continuity to minimize the impact of a disaster or other disruption. The Campaign consists of a series of articles distributed by the Chambers to their members and a survey conducted by Millersville's CDRE to gauge the current level of preparedness at businesses in the region. Based on feedback from the survey, a seminar/conference will be held in the fall 2011 or early 2012 which will provide additional educational sessions on how businesses can increase their preparedness. The Campaign concludes with a final survey which will be designed to measure any changes in preparedness.

The project began in March and is well underway. The first article and the on-line survey will be published in July. The Campaign will conclude with an article on the results of the final survey in April 2012.

More information including a link to the survey, when available, can be found here.

Heather Morgan was awarded a scholarship participate at the  25^th Florida Governor's Hurricane Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from May 15 - May 20, 2011. through the student scholarship program.  The student scholarship is awarded to undergraduate or graduate students in the field of emergency management.  The conference consisted of training sessions and workshops including exhibits  in which students were able to interact with various national and international emergency management entities. Heather attended training sessions on HURREVAC, the National Hurricane Center , and Post-Disaster Recovery Responsibilities.  Heather was able to meet and talk with Bryan Koons,  Florida's Director of Emergency Management. The Florida Governor's Conference was an exceptional and beneficial experience for Heather that allowed her to make connections and learn more about the field of emergency management.

On May 9th and 10th 2011, MSEM students Aaron Clevenstine and Tom Reno attended LogCon 2011 in Mahwah, NJ.  LogCon was the first conference of the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program dedicated to logistics.

The objective of LogCon 2011 was to introduce and reinforce the concept of operating under universal logistics practices that are interoperable within and across jurisdictions. It brought emergency management professionals, private-sector, non-governmental and other partners involved in logistics preparedness and response together, to build relationships, share best practices and support the growth of the community.

The conference offered forums to exchange lessons learned, best-practices and current challenges to promote a common and universal approach to disaster logistics across the Region.   It also provided an opportunity for professional development; ensuring emergency management logisticians and partners are equipped with cutting-edge solutions and innovative best-practices to successfully execute their mission.

Established in 2008, the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP) is a groundbreaking Department of Homeland Security initiative to encourage collaborative emergency planning in America's largest regions. The New York-New Jersey-Connecticut-Pennsylvania (NY-NJ-CT-PA) Combined Statistical Area (CSA) includes 4 states, 30 counties hundreds of cities, towns and villages, and spans 3 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regions.  With a population of 22,000,000 people, the CSA is home to nearly one in every 14 Americans.

The Regional Logistics Program is an initiative designed to link resources, expertise and information among the participating jurisdictions in the Region. The Program brings together the 30 counties, four states and three FEMA regions to create shared systems. The goal of the Program is to provide clarity and vision behind a universal approach to emergency logistics preparedness and response, optimizing the Region's ability to manage resources and respond to a catastrophic incident.

On May 6, 2011, nine students received their Master of Science degree in Emergency Management. Graduating this year were: Pamela, Roderic, Lori, Scott, Brian, Ashley, Kerri, Sean and Laura. Dr. Yalda and the faculty of the MSEM program would like to congratulate you on this outstanding acheivement.

Congratulations also to Jason and Yuya who graduated from the program Summer 2010.

Be sure to fill out our Alumni Update Form if your employment or address information is updated.

The Millersville University-Community CERT and StormReady programs were well represented at the Public Weather Awareness Day (April 2, 2011), sponsored by Millersville University's Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society. An information table on the CDRE's two newest programs was staffed by Carrier Bamper (Meteorology Student), Pamela Drake (Graduate Assistant at the CDRE), Ethan Etter (Undergraduate Research Assistant at the CDRE), Ann Marie Fitch (Meteorology Student), and Heather Morgan (Master of Science in Emergency Management Student).  Students answered questions about these programs to members of the community, as well as other Millersville staff and students who came to enjoy demonstrations such as a weather balloon launch and gain information about weather-related phenomenon, including how to keep themselves safe during weather-related events and natural disasters.

Dr. Duane Hagelgans, an instructor for the MSEM program has made a few appearances on a local Fox affiliate, Fox 43 (WPMT) during the month of March.The links to his interviews have been provided.

On March 1, he discussed weather drills and preparedness.

http://www.fox43.com/news/wpmt-amnews-lanco-emergency-preparedness,0,3687862.story

On March 15, he discussed the South Central Task Force's involvement in supporting the Clouse Family, a local family who recently experienced a tragedy.

http://www.fox43.com/news/wpmt-clouse-funeral-support,0,2549252.story

On March 18, Dr. Hagelgans discussed what is covered under flood insurance.

http://www.fox43.com/videobeta/890a552b-71ef-45cd-8071-7a2f08a7405f/News/3-18-Flood-Insurance-What-it-Covers

In her 2009-2010 report, Dr. Francine McNairy, President of Millersville University, stated "Although the University has been, and continues to be, good stewards, we are being asked to deliver our quality education with even fewer resources. We will rise with these challenges; we will emerge even stronger; and we will arrive with our core principles intact. These principles are expressed in the following strategic directions that guide our course. ...We will offer students academic programs of national distinction."

As one of these academic programs of national distinction, the Center for Disaster Research and Education was featured in a video, which was included in this report. In the video, director Dr. Sepi Yalda, graduate assistant Pamela Drake, and research assistant Ethan Etter discuss the accomplishments of the Center as well as the projects they are currently working to develop.

On February 5^th, Millersville University's Center for Disaster Research, in association with the South Central Task Force, presented an eight hour workshop taught by Duane Hagelgans and Bernadette Lauer on Public Information Officer Awareness. The course is offered in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA). The course is a prerequisite for the Advanced Public Information Officer class offered through the Emergency Management Institute at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

During the Fall 2010 semester, students taking EMGT 607, Emergency Mental Health and Trauma, taught by Dr. Kathy Gregoire, worked on a project in which they provided information to inform those working on the MH Disaster Plan for Nashville and surrounding counties. They are developing a plan to respond to the range of needs following the flood that occurred in May 2010, but they also anticipate the plan being a model for future disasters.

An MSEM student, Shannon Saiz, selected Nashville as a community to study for her major research project and established a contact with Angie Thompson. Previously, EMGT 607 did hypothetical work on a disaster plan but this provided them with an opportunity to do work that could benefit a community in need.

 Ms. Thompson met with the class online through WIMBA and talked about beginning work on developing a Mental Health Disaster plan. She identified areas in which she would appreciate literature, ideas, and suggestions: dealing with the upcoming year anniversary, the media presentation of the disaster and responding to the needs of children and older persons. The class divided up and put together information on these three topics, which Dr. Gregoire compiled and sent to her.

Dr. Gregoire and the students will maintain contact with Ms. Thompson so that they can receive updates as to the impact of their research and to stay informed of future projects and partnerships that may arise.

The Millersville University’s Master of Science in Emergency Management (MSEM) Program was well represented at the International Association of Emergency Managers 58^th Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas from October 31-November 3, 2010.  The MSEM program and the Center for Disaster Research and Education (CDRE) were part of the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Expo (EMEX) in conjunction with the conference. The program coordinator Dr. Sepi Yalda was joined at the conference by students Pamela Drake, Brian Moeschler and Ashley Morrison. The MSEM booth in the EMEX received a lot of queries and positive feedback.  Ashley shared her experience at the conference and stated that she thoroughly enjoyed representing the MSEM/CDRE at the conference and getting to network with emergency management professionals of all stripes. Another highlight was hearing Administrator Fugate speak, attending a session on radiological hazards, and learning about women in emergency management. Additionally, it was great to meet classmate Brian and spend time with him, Pamela, and Dr. Yalda in beautiful San Antonio. Ashley would like to thank her employer, Lancaster County Emergency Management Agency, and the CDRE for making the trip possible. Brian shared that “The IAEM Conference allowed me to network with my Millersville classmates and other emergency managers from across the country—I made many meaningful connections.”> Pamela felt that attending the IAEM Conference and representing Millersville University’s MSEM program to such a diverse group of emergency managers was an excellent experience, and hearing Craig Fugate speak to the future of the field of emergency management was definitely a highlight of the conference for her.

The Master of Science in Emergency Management (MSEM) Program at Millersville University is working with local, regional, and state wide emergency management officials to evaluate the continuity of knowledge, skills, and abilities that MSEM graduates should possess in order to be most effective in the field.  On August 9, 2010,  a working group meeting was held at Millersville University with the PEMA Deputy Director for Planning and Preparedness, Timothy Sevison, along with Rick Hamm, Duane Hagelgans, and Gregory Noll, who are all members of the South Central Task Force (Pennsylvania), as well as Kay Carman of the York County Office of Emergency Management, John Eline of the Adams County Emergency Management Agency, Randy Gockley of the Lancaster County Emergency Management Agency, Steve Shaver of the Dauphin County Emergency Management Agency, and Bob Shively and Ted Wise of the Cumberland County Department of Public Safety met to review the best methods of combining practical and theoretical skills and knowledge within the field of emergency management to prepare students for careers in emergency management. Millersville University faculty in attendance were Dr. Sepideh Yalda, Coordinator of the Master of Science in Emergency Management Program, Dr. Kirsten Bookmiller, Director of Global Education & Partnerships, and Dr. Paul Specht, Professor of Industry & Technology. The meeting also focused on best practices for addressing the education and training of the future workforce development in emergency management and decision making. The recommendations will be incorporated into the strategic plan of the MSEM program and will be integrated into the existing program building practices.

Millersville University's Master of Science in Emergency Management (MSEM) and the South Central Task Force are collaborating to help MSEM students access resources to directly work with the Department of Homeland Security's Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). Access to this toolkit will allow students to gain direct experience in building and evaluating emergency management exercises with the primary methods emergency managers currently use to build exercises. This experience will benefit students as well as those targeted organizations. Students will develop skills within curriculum-based projects that will be directly applicable in future experiences as emergency managers.

Mark Ahner is the 2010 recipient of the E.L. Quarantelli Award. The award is given annually to a student who minors in Environmental Hazards and Emergency Management who displays excellence in scholarship and service in the disaster field. Mark was accepted to the University of Delaware Disaster Research Center's Research Experiences for Undergraduate Program in the summer of 2010.  Mark's research titled "Seeking the Familiar in a Time of Terror: An Analysis of the Experiences of Those in the Alfred P. Murrah and the Surrounding Buildings During the 1995 Terrorist Attack".  His methodology used content analysis of interviews with survivors of the bombing, as well as quantitative data provided by the Oklahoma State Department of Health.  Mark's research focused on occupant behavior during emergency egress, as well as experiences of those who were trapped.  The preliminary findings are that occupants seek affiliation and engage in normative action in order to gain cognitive clarity, since the event transpired within seconds.  Furthermore he also found a clear connection between those who survived being trapped and the amount of time trapped. Mark will continue to work on completing his paper this fall at CDRE.

From May-August 2010 Dr. Kirsten Bookmiller, of the Department of Government and Political Affairs, as well as the MSEM program, is conducting a research project on the Fairfax County, Virginia Fire and Rescue Department's International Urban Search and Rescue Unit. This project will involve a literature review, archival work, and interviews with past and present members of the unit. The Fairfax International Urban Search and Rescue Unit is only one of three in the United States, and is the Unit with the longest history. Fairfax bears further study to distill lessons learned from their experiences to help educate future responders to international disaster.

Devin Fisher and Nick Genovese presented their work on the development of the disaster plan for the National Watch and Clock Museum at the 4th Annual PASSHE Graduate Research Symposium, held at the Dixon Center in Harrisburg.  The symposium features research, scholastic work, creative projects, and poster persentations by graduate students from throughout the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Edcuation.  The symposium's intent was to raise awareness of the exmplary work gradute students are undertaking at the 14 state universities.

The Center for Disaster Research and Education was recently invited to be a part of the planning team for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s 2010  All-Hazard Mitigation Plan.  Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) has been asked by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to update this plan.  This process  will involve reviewing and revising previous action items and Statewide Hazard Mitigation goals and objectives.  This plan update will be vital for further reducing property damage and saving lives from the effects of future natural and human-made disaster within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  It is required for the state to be eligible to receive specific state and federal funding both before and after a disaster occurs.  Dr. Sepideh Yalda, Director of the Center for Disaster Research and Education has been invited to be a part of the committee and has been a participant in all the steps to update the plan.

Nicholas Genovese, a Graduate student in the MSEM program, attended an artifact restoration seminar on April 21 at the National Watch and Clock Museum.  The seminar was open to the public and included topics ranging from restoration to historical items and buildings to delicate paintings and art.  The seminar provided a great opportunity for anyone interested  in learning more about restoring items damaged by disaster or just worn by age.  The restoration groups stressed not only the use of proper restoration techniques but mitigation through restoration.  Examples of restoration and the techniques used in each individual case were explored throughout the seminar.  Through the restoration cases, the groups explained the importance of preparing for future disasters while at the same time restoring items to their original state.  Seminars such as this provide a great way to build and expand on knowledge of emergency management and restoration while exploring new and alternative methods to mitigation and recovery.

Devin Fisher is the 2009 recipient of the E.L. Quarantelli Award.  The award is given annually to a student who minors in Environmental Hazards and Emergency Management who displays excellence in scholarship and service in the disaster field.  Devin was also part of the research experience for undergraduates (REU) at the Disaster Research Center (DRC) at the University of Delaware.  The REU is a nine-week research experience program designed to engage undergraduate students in hands-on research training and enhance their understanding of the social science aspects of disasters.  Each student conducts their own research on a disaster related subject.  His research topic was visually displaying the relationship between sea level height and concentrated populations of elderly people in Sussex County, Delaware. 

The Center for Disaster Research and Education (CDRE) at Millersville University has recently teamed up with the National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia, PA., "to assist in the development of their disaster plan which is a part of the museum's accreditation process by the American Association of Museums," said Dr. Sepi Yalda, Director of the CDRE.

Read the complete article here