Emergency Service Admin (ESA)

Focuses on the necessary skills to lead in complex systems. This course covers emergency leadership core competencies including critical thinking, problem solving, visionary strategic planning, organizational communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills. Additionally, it introduces ethical obligations in the emergency leadership profession.

Develops enhanced communication and interpersonal skills of emergency administrators and responders. This course discusses different components of crisis communication before, during, and after an emergency event and examines the cognitive and affective aspects of communication. Additionally, it covers effective communication applicable to a wide range of audiences and situations.

Examines communicating public information in emergency services. This course covers communication technologies, relationships among methods of delivery, effective skills of an effective Public Information Officer (PIO), and effective communication tools for given situations and audiences. Additionally, the course discusses effective oral and written communication, designing and executing a media plan, and developing a public awareness campaign for an emergency event.

Introduces the fundamentals of emergency service administration. This course also examines the multidisciplinary roles and responsibilities of the emergency service administrator in terms of leading and participating in incident management including command, multiagency coordinating, communicating, and establishing procedures.

Introduces practices employed in risk management including identification of and differentiation between hazards and threats. This course focuses on vulnerability and risk assessment/analysis methodologies and discusses the importance of the country’s critical infrastructure and key resources, its vulnerability to attack, and the need for effective public-private partnerships at the local, state and federal government levels to build safer communities.

Covers legal systems, laws, regulations and policy process within the context of disaster policy and demonstrates how political factors play a role in all phases of emergency management. This course provides the analytical tools to examine, interpret and analyze governmental decision making before, during and after disasters

Covers budgeting principles in emergency services including effective and efficient budgeting strategies necessary to support and sustain emergency service organizational operations. Guidelines for procurement of emergency service funding are strongly emphasized. This course describes the auditing processes for private and public organizations and provides scenarios of misappropriations or misuse of funding. Additionally, it introduces lean management and SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) concepts.

Focuses on personnel management and human resources as it applies to emergency service agencies in accordance with local, state, and federal laws. Areas of concentration include personnel planning, staffing, supervision, discipline, labor relations, affirmative action, equal employment opportunity, productivity, and compensation. Additionally, it provides training in employee motivation, performance evaluations, contract negotiations, and conducting exit interviews.

Focuses on the psychological and physiological responses to disasters, intervention strategies and mental health care for disaster victims and first responders. This course covers the functions of health systems and public health laws. It also covers global issues that have the potential to become crises and discusses the future of emergency service response.

Introduces the theoretical and practical aspects of terrorism and counter terrorism. This course examines the evolution, classifications, targets and effects associated with terrorism and discusses the necessary tools to conduct terrorism threat assessments. Additionally, it covers the challenges facing the US governmental agencies responsible for addressing terrorism and providing homeland security. Both local and international terrorism will be addressed including action taken by systems to control, prevent and mitigate terrorism.

Expands upon concepts in emergency management introduced in Elements of Emergency Service Administration. This course addresses topics associated with All-Hazards emergency planning, response, and recovery, as well as multi-agency involvement. It also discusses the templates and models used to develop action and operations plans and the complex interface between incident action planning, incident command, and emergency operations at all levels of government.

Covers research methodologies and statistical analysis required for composing a research proposal. Databases will be utilized for decision-making, fund requesting and policy development. This courses covers barriers to conducting research in the field of emergency services and strategies for eliminating them. Additionally, it provides tips on effective oral and visual presentations as it relates to proposals.

To be determined by the individual instructor. A Course Description will be developed for each course and documented within the course syllabus. Refer to the SFCC Style Guide for Course Description, Required Course Learning Outcome, and Topical Outline guidelines.