**February 15-17, 2006 FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education
Project Activity Report**

\(1\) ADMIRAL ALLEN PRESENTATION:

February 15, 2006 \-- Listened to Vice Admiral Thad Allen presentation
here on campus before a group of disaster response personnel in an ESF
15 (External Affairs) Leadership Orientation, and talked with him
briefly afterwards about presenting on Leadership in Disasters at the
June EM HiEd Conference (said he was interested, timing not the best,
but email him an agenda and will see what he can do) \-- see note on EM
Conference below.

Admiral Allen stressed the importance of \"parameterizing\" an event,
and noted that this was probably one of the biggest failures in the
Katrina response, that did not happen really until months afterwards \--
at the very top, as in a national war room, defining an event, getting
one\'s arms around it, establishing roles and responsibilities and
framing one\'s central message/mission and pushing that out and down to
all the troops.

Interesting discussion of why and how Admiral Allen was assigned FCO
(Federal Coordinating Officer) responsibility shortly after being
assigned PFO (Principle Federal Official) responsibilities.

Argued for more cohesive command and control framework than the one he
initially inherited, wherein there was unity of effort but not unity of
command. Some people were working out of a NIMS or ICS framework, some
out of an ESF (emergency support functions) framework, some from an
organizational defend my turf and organization framework.

If a situation arises wherein the military come in and take over a
catastrophe response operation it would be because the National Response
Plan had failed and there was no other option. It is up to governments
to make the NRP work. Military leadership of a disaster/catastrophe
response is not part of the NRP as it exists today.

Broken stuff needs to be fixed \-- better to help get ice plants within
a State quickly working again than trucking ice in from Vermont.

Need a better way to organize NGO (non governmental organizations) and
foreign assistance.

Disaster response needs to be run from the field, not Washington, DC.

\(2\) ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY \-- EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATION & MGMT.
FACULTY POSITION:

February 15, 2006 \-- Received from Dr. Bob Schwartz, head of the
emergency management program at ATU, the following faculty vacancy

announcement:

\"The Department of Emergency Administration and Management at Arkansas
Tech University invites applications for a full-time Visiting Assistant
Professor beginning August 2006. Teaching responsibilities of this
position involve both undergraduate and graduate courses in emergency
management. Candidates must have experience relating to emergency
management in topics such as business continuity, emergency preparedness
operations, disaster economics, security management, mitigation, and
training utilizing technology. The successful candidate will be expected
to teach, advise students, and participate in community outreach.
Minimum qualifications include a master\'s degree in a discipline
related to Emergency Management. Preferred qualifications include an
earned doctorate in an Emergency Management discipline, or ABD with a
confirmed completion date; a potential or history of scholarship;
working with diverse populations such as international students; ability
to teach GIS; higher education experience; and a demonstrated ability to
secure external funding. A competitive salary commensurate with the
position and qualifications of the candidate and a generous benefits
package are offered on a nine-month contract with potential for summer
assignments. Information on the program and the Department of Emergency
Administration and Management are available on the department website:
[[http://commed.atu.edu/EAM]{.underline}](http://commed.atu.edu/EAM).
Review of applications will begin March 28, 2006, and continue until the
position is filled. Send letter of application, statement of teaching
interests, curriculum vitae, copies of transcripts, and contact
information (e-mail, telephone, address) for three references to:

Dr. Robert M. Schwartz, Department Head

Department of Emergency Administration and Management Arkansas Tech
University

105 West O Street, Bryan Hall 220

Russellville, AR 72801-2222

Phone: (479) 356-2092

Fax: (479-356-2091

Email: robert.schwartz@atu.edu

AA/EOE

Forwarded this solicitation to the EMI Webmaster for upload to the EM
Faculty Positions section of the EM HiEd website where it should be
accessible soon.

\(3\) CRISIS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CASE STUDIES TEXTBOOK:

February 15, 2006 \-- Received for review from George Haddow, George
Washington University, Chapter 10, the final chapter in the case studies
book \-- entitled \"Future Trends and Issues.\"

\(4\) DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY:

Hudson, Audrey. \"Chertoff Criticized Over Budget.\" Washington Times,
February 17, 2006. Accessed at:

[[http://www.washtimes.com/national/20060217-120632-9278r.htm]{.underline}](http://www.washtimes.com/national/20060217-120632-9278r.htm)

\(5\) EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT & HOMELAND SECURITY/DEFENSE HIGHER EDUCATION
CONF., JUNE 5-8-2006:

February 15, 2006 \-- Received phone call from an assistant to DHS Under
Secretary for Preparedness, George Foresman, who stated that the Under
Secretary would be able and willing to participate in the conference \--
especially on Tuesday, June 6th. Arranged to schedule Mr. Foresman for a
one-hour timeframe on Tuesday morning, including Q&A\'s, to discuss the
new DHS Preparedness Directorate, especially as they relate to
catastrophe readiness and response.

February 15, 2006 \-- Was contacted by Tom Olshanski, USFA Public
Affairs, concerning extending an invitation to speak at the conference
to Charles E. Allen, DHS Chief Intelligence Officer \-- on terrorism and
response. Provided conference background document and agenda to Mr.
Olshanski who forwarded these on to Mr. Allen\'s office. Mr. Olshanski
also confirmed the scheduling of FEMA Acting Director David Paulison as
a speaker on Tuesday, June 6th \-- on the Reengineering of FEMA.

February 15, 2006 \-- Barbara Johnson, the EM HiEd Project Assistant,
informs me that she has started the process of sending out invitations
to attend the conference to the Primary Points of Contact identified for
each college and university on The College List which has or is
developing some sort of hazard, disaster, emergency management, or
homeland security/defense college program. The application forms for the
conference as well as to the preconference workshops, a conference
announcement letter, a draft agenda and logistical information documents
have been forwarded to the EMI Webmaster for upload to the EM HiEd
Project homepage \-- in the Conference Box at the top of the homepage
\-- where they should be accessible shortly.

February 15, 2006 \-- Added as a speaker to the \"Maintaining & Growing
Emergency Management & Homeland Security Programs\" (Graduate and
Undergraduate Levels), Dr. Joseph Barbera, Clinical Associate Professor
of Emergency Medicine, and Co-Director of the Institute for Crisis,
Disaster, and Risk Management, George Washington University, Washington
DC.

February 15, 2006 \-- Received note from the developer of the Breakout
session on \"Integration of Academic Emergency Management and Homeland
Security Degree Programs,\" Dr. Arthur Oyola-Yemaiel, Emergency
Management Program, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, to add two
speakers to this panel: Dr. David Neal, Fire and Emergency Management
Program, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, and Dr. Thomas
Drabek, Department of Sociology, University of Denver (Emeritus).

February 15, 2006 \-- Arranged with Dr. Michael O\'Connor, Adjunct
Faculty, Tiffin University, to develop and manage a conference breakout
session on Emergency Management Competencies and Curriculum.

February 15-16, 2006 \-- Exchanged several emails with Vice Admiral Chad
Allen\'s staff on seeking to schedule him in as a presenter at the
conference \-- picking up on earlier communications on this topic \--
being investigated.

February 15-17, 2006 \-- Arranged for J.R. Thomas, Emergency Management
Certificate Program, Columbus State Community College, Columbus, OH, to
moderate the \"Highly Vulnerable Populations and Catastrophe\" breakout
session. Also learned from the developer of this session, Dr. David
McEntire, Emergency Administration and Planning Program, University of
North Texas, that Dr. Hilary Styron, Director of the Emergency
Preparedness Initiative at the National Organizations on Disability has
been lined up to speak during this session.

February 16, 2006 \-- Communicated with Dr. Sharon Stanley, Program
Director, Center for Public Health Preparedness, School of Public
Health, Ohio State University, about where she is in developing the
\"How To Surge In Catastrophe\" breakout session, currently scheduled
for the Day One (Tuesday) 2nd round of breakout sessions. Dr. Stanley
notes that she has arranged for Major General (ret.) Donna F. Barbisch.

According to her bio. Dr. Barbisch \"Her multiple professional
activities include RAND studies; ANSER, Institute for Homeland Security
advisory group; the Metropolitan Washington Bioterrorism Task Force; the
Department of Veterans\' Affair\' Technical Advisory Committee on
Emergency Management, chair Subcommittee on Quarantine; Chair; Reserve
Officers Association, Committee on Homeland Security, and a member of
the Board of Directors for Humanitarian Aid International Consultants,
the Armed Forces Foundation, and Homeland Security Council for the
American Board of Forensic Examiners. She is on the faculty of George
Washington University and the Army War College.\"

February 17, 2006 \-- Dr. Bill Stanhop, Director of the Institute of
Biosecurity at Saint Louis University, called to go over arrangements
for his Thursday, June 8th breakout session presentation on Pandemics,
Bio-Hazards, and Bio-Terrorism. Emailed back the latest version of the
conference agenda for his approval.

\(6\) FEMA REENGINEERING:

Hsu, Spencer S. \"Experts Question Proposed FEMA Changes.\" Washington
Post, February 15, 2006. \[Note: Also, at the end, gets into search for
a FEMA Director.\] Accessed at:
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/14/AR2006021401933_pf.html>

Strohm, Chris. \"Overhaul of Emergency Management System is Urged.\"

Government Executive Magazine, February 16, 2006. Accessed at:

[[http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=33415&dcn=e_gvet]{.underline}](http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=33415&dcn=e_gvet)

\(7\) GLOBAL WARMING:

Vedantam, Shankar. \"Glacier Melt Could Signal Faster Rise in Ocean
Levels.\" Washington Post, February 17, 2006. Accessed at:

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/16/AR2006021601292_pf.html>

\(8\) KATRINA:

Select Bipartisan Committee, U.S. House of Representatives. A Failure of
Initiative - Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to
Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina.

Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, February 15, 2006.

Accessed at:

<http://www.reform.house.gov/GovReform/News/DocumentPrint.aspx?DocumentID=39497>

Strohm, Chris. \"Senators Grill Homeland Security Chief Over Katrina
Response.\" Government Executive Magazine, February 15, 2006. Accessed

at:
[[http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=33404&dcn=e_twa]{.underline}](http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=33404&dcn=e_twa)

Voices For America\'s Children. \"National Organizations Expose Lack of
Planning For Children Struggling In Katrina\'s Aftermath - Call for FEMA
Structural Change\" (Press Release). Washington, DC, February 15, 2006.

Accessed at:

<http://www.voicesforamericaschildren.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=6753&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm>

\(9\) NATIONWIDE PLAN REVIEW, PHASE 1 REPORT:

After Hurricane Katrina DHS \"was required to submit a report to the
President and Congress on the status of catastrophic planning in all
States and 75 of the Nation\'s largest urban areas. Each State and urban
area submitted a certification matrix to DHS that addressed a number of
questions, including compliance of its Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
with State and Local Guide 101, when plans were last updated and
exercised, and the degree of confidence that the plan was adequate to
manage a catastrophic event comparable to Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita\....The National Response Plan describes a catastrophic event as
likely to \'almost immediately exceed resources normally available to
State, local, tribal, and private-sector authorities in the impacted
area\'\....\"

We have received a PDF file copy of the Phase 1 Report here and have
forwarded it to the EMI Webmaster for upload to the EM HiEd Project
website \-- Articles, Papers, Presentations section \-- where it should
be accessible shortly.

\"DHS will conduct a second phase of the Nationwide Plan Review to
collaboratively validate the self-assessments and help State and urban
area officials identify specific planning requirements. Validation will
be provided by teams of former State and local homeland security and
emergency management officials, who will conduct site visits with you no
later than April 30, 2006. The results of the peer review and specific
recommendations to strengthen catastrophic planning will be provided in
a report to the President and Congress before the start of hurricane
season on June 1, 2006.\"

\(10\) ROYAL ROADS UNIVERSITY, VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA:

February 15, 2006 \-- Received communication from Sonja Lockert, Senior
Enrolment Liaison at Royal Roads who notes that a Master of Arts in
Disaster and Emergency Management is under development. For information
on this initiative go to:

[[http://www.royalroads.ca/programs/future-programs/mrdem/]{.underline}](http://www.royalroads.ca/programs/future-programs/mrdem/)

B.Wayne Blanchard, Ph.D., CEM

Higher Education Project Manager

Emergency Management Institute

National Emergency Training Center

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Department of Homeland Security

16825 S. Seton, N-430

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

\(301\) 447-1262, voice

\(301\) 447-1598, fax

wayne.blanchard@dhs.gov

[[http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu]{.underline}](http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu)

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