I have found a cluster of valuable information about the nations Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR), National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) and DHS Critical Infrastructure Protection. Secretary Napolitano recently met with private sector leaders to discuss the importance of our vital assets.

Here is a graduate program in the Center for Infrastructure Protection Report :
"The George Mason University School of Public Policy provides information about the development of a new graduate degree program. This degree, the Executive Masters in Public Policy: Leadership in Critical Infrastructure Protection (EMPP-CIP) was created through the partnership between School of Public Policy and the Center for Infrastructure Protection. They also provide information about the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) cooperative agreement that was recently awarded to them and the Center for Infrastructure Protection."

Digging a little more, I found these helpful links for emergency planners to have a greater understanding of the process and procedures of creating their CIKR information:
The Department of Homeland Security CIKR Asset Protection Technical Assistance Program (CAPTAP)
"The CIKR Asset Protection Technical Assistance Program (CAPTAP) is offered jointly by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Infrastructure Protection (IP) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Preparedness Directorate (NPD) to assist state and local first responders, emergency managers and homeland security officials to understand
The basic tenets of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP),
The value of a comprehensive state and local infrastructure protection program, and
The steps required to develop and implement such a program.
The CAPTAP curriculum also includes instruction on the use of the Automated Critical Asset Management System (ACAMS) as a tool to support infrastructure protection programs."

About the Infrastructure Information Collection Division includes additional information which "IICD equips federal, state, and local governments with tools for the collection, management, and visualization of infrastructure data to support national preparedness, response, and recovery efforts."

To top it off there's a free on-line course available if you click this last link: IS-860.a National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP).

Mr. Craig Fugate, FEMA Administrator was the Keynote Speaker at the IAEM Conference in Orlando, FL where I spent a week to network, meet new colleagues and discuss Emergency Management degree programs, and training. Here are some new links and information:

There is a new course: Intergovernmental Affairs of Emergency Management taught by Dr. Christine Gibbs Springer, Director of the Executive Masters of Science in Crisis and Emergency Management at UNLV which focuses on intergovernmental relations, memorandums, and networking with local, regional and federal governmental agencies.

There are emergency management internships and students participating in service learning, volunteering with agencies such as Red Cross, CERT, and Civil Air Patrol where they gain free training and are players in exercises. This adds a "hands on" component to the degree program and assists students in learning and experiencing work first hand through a variety of opportunities.
IAEM has this link for job postings which includes internship information.

Emergency Management Magazine hosts a tab for job opportunities in related fields.

On another note, as of January 1, 2010 the IAEM Certification in Emergency Management (CEM) will require a four year degree. Get your packets in before 12/31/2009. There is an updated study guide.

Registration deadline is November 23, 2009 for the December 4, 2009 CEM Exam Prep Course.

 
The uniformed services and military included a large contingency of Certified Emergency Managers present at IAEM who are actively pursuing degrees in the emergency management specialty track and career field, from services including the Coast Guard, Air Force, Navy, and Army. The post 9/11 G.I. Bill will reimburse those service members who are eligible, for obtaining the CEM.

If you have additional ideas or information you would like to share about your emergency management degree programs please contact me through my name on the header.

We're off to a great start! I found a wealth of material from my friends at FEMA and academic colleges, and have had a warm reception from those I have told about my Blog. I appreciate your interest and look forward to hearing your input, starting with great news from International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM): Emergency Management Institute (EMI) funding has been increased $1.84 million to $9 million by the US House of Representatives. Looking at the FEMA website I was directed to several nuggets of information to share:

FEMA EMI Emergency Management Higher Education
The College List
Archived Activity Reports

Another tidbit I was looking for are Geographic Information Systemes (GIS) based courses for emergency management students which interface with a variety of software programs emergency managers should be familiar with when they come on board to a new job position. The FEMA HAZUS program offers training and courses. While DHS utilizes "The Automated Critical Asset Management System (ACAMS) is a Web-enabled information services portal that helps state and local governments build critical infrastructure/key resource (CIKR) protection programs in their local jurisdictions." http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1190729724456.shtm.

One more link, the FEMA YouTube channel. If you have information on additional training, programs or academic intel Emergency Managers would benefit from, please forward for posting to the Academic Intelligence Forum.

Emergency Management degree programs are now readily available at institutions of higher education through colleges and universities, and have become highly sought after during the last decade. Years ago it was perceived through seniority a predecessor might fill the empty slot of the Emergency Manager, Fire Chief or Police Commander. Now it takes more than perseverance, by making a commitment to higher education, from Bachelors to Masters and PhD education levels to make the grade. Lifetime career seeking individuals are looking at returning to college for that sought after degree which can make the difference when it comes to getting hired.

Military personnel and officers with Department of Defense training and G.I. Bill benefits will find an easy transformation into the emergency management field with their expertise in incident command, logistics, finance, engineering, specialized training and situational awareness.

After attending the FEMA Higher Ed Conference last summer I attained a whole new perspective on how emergency management and fire service programs are accredited. Here is the link to the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Model Curriculum: http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/nfa/higher_ed/feshe/feshe_model.shtm

The link for FEMA Emergency Management Institute opens to a gateway of training opportunities: http://training.fema.gov/

There is also a Certified Emergency Manager® program through the International Association of Emergency Managers: http://www.iaem.com/certification/generalinfo/intro.htm

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to play an active role and has Centers of Excellence: http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/editorial_0498.shtm

This is the tip of the iceberg for higher education in respect to training and programs available for those interested in pursuing emergency management degrees. By having the opportunity to Blog for Emergency Management, we can pull together the resources to promote the great higher educational opportunities available in emergency management, and share our experiences to encourage others to find their rewarding career paths through these emergency management programs.

My background working with emergency services began over a decade ago in the volunteer sector with multiple fire and law enforcement agencies as a trauma interventionist. After graduation with a bachelors degree, I progressed to working with the state emergency and military affairs department and am now working on my Master of Science in Technology with emphasis on emergency management and environmental engineering at Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus.

Photo courtesy of: ASU Commercial Photography Studio