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The Ambulance Science Fellowship faculty & staff sent cupcakes to Boston EMS this week, just to remind them that they did a great job and we are thinking of them :) We love taking small, do-able actions to make our professions better-to quote the motto of the first Disaster Science Fellowship, "Cookies Don't Suck!"

Read Professor Phelps' review of Hurricane Andrew: Ethnicity, Gender, and the Sociology of Disasters in the March 2013 International Association of Emergency Managers Bulletin.

The Ambulance Science Fellowship Program is now a sponsor of the National EMS Management Association!

Professor Phelps scheduled to teach Advanced Strategic Crisis Management at the University of Canterbury: Centre for Risk, Resilience & Renewal August 19th-23rd, 2013.

Hear Prof Phelps on the EMS Educast talking about the Ambulance Science Fellowship.

Ambulance Science Magazine and Disaster Science Magazine are now available on Flipboard.

The FIRST Ambulance Science Fellowship Program begins SEPTEMBER 2013.

The next Americas/Oceania/Asia Disaster Science Fellowship Program begins in SEPTEMBER 2013.  

Upcoming Presentations:

Dark Tide: How World War One, Terrorism, and Incompetence Resulted in a 15-foot High Wave of Molasses Engulfing Boston. Disaster Recovery Institute Conference, June 4th-7th, 2013. Philadelphia, PA.

New Technology Hands On. World Conference on Disaster Management, June 23rd-26th, 2013. Toronto, Ontario, CA.

Disaster Science Fellow Shannan Saunders will be attending Wolfson College, Oxford University for her PhD in Comparative Social Policy with a focus on Community Disaster Resiliency Strategies.

Disaster Science Fellow Noel Kepler is working on an major Hurricane Sandy oral history project.  See TV coverage HERE.

Disaster Science Fellow Dave Nichols earns presidential award for efforts in international disaster relief.

As part of our outreach program, Professor Phelps spoke at Defencia Civil de Buenos Aires (photo), met with hospital leadership & disaster planners at Buenos Aires level one trauma center Dr. Cosme Argerich General Hospital (photo) and met with EMS leadership at SAME (photo) in February 2013.

Professor Phelps reviews Kate Ascher's "The Works: Anatomy of a City" in the February 2013 IAEM Bulletin.

The Emergency Managment Academy is proud to announce our new partnership with IAEM-Oceania.  IAEM Oceania members now receive a $500USD discount off tuition, a Kindle Fire, and can access all books from the Academy's electronic lending library.

Professor Phelps on Australian Broadcast Corporation Radio on the Anniversary of September 11th

Professor Phelps in a Public Radio International story on how ambulance financing is a public policy disaster

Hear Professor Phelps on Here & Now, public radio's national news magazine, on how America's ambulance system is a public policy disaster

Professor Phelps in the San Francisco Chronicle on how the current ambulance finance system led to ambulance shortages during the Aurora shooting

Professor Phelps was nominated for Disaster Recovery Institute's 2012 Award of Excellence for the Emergency Management Academy's role in further crisis education programs.

Disaster Science Fellows — On The Shoulders Of Giants- Two graduate fellows of the Academy of Emergency Management discuss why they chose to pursue the fellowship, the time commitment required and how emergency management theory helps them in their day-to-day roles.

IAEM America, IAEM Oceania, and International Network of Women in Emergency Management (INWEM) members receive a 10% discount on tuition as a benefit of membership!

All Disaster Science Fellows beginning September 2012 will be given a Kindle Fire tablet with a dozen of the Fellowship books already on it as part of our "Green" initative.


 

Media

Disaster Science Fellows — On The Shoulders Of Giants
Two graduate fellows of the Academy of Emergency Management discuss why they chose to pursue the fellowship, the time commitment required and how emergency management theory helps them in their day-to-day roles. -Continuity Insights, November 2011.

Zombie Attack! presentation for Massey University Emergency Management program, Wellington, NZ on July 28th, 2011.

"The Upside of Disaster" -Professor Phelps in the July 2011 IAEM Bulletin.

"Like a dense chocolate cake, you need to eat a small slice at a time to enjoy it." -Professor Phelps' review of Robert Putnam's book, Bowling Alone, available in the June 2011 IAEM Bulletin.

"Dr Blanchard’s work at FEMA is a clear example that one man can have a significant and lasting impact on America and the world.  Working on a shoestring budget, the Higher Education Program has become the global leader in encouraging and supporting teaching, research, and theory in the field of disaster management”-Professor Phelps commenting on Metropolitan College granting Dr Wayne Blanchard an honoroary PhD in recognition of all his work and service in June 2011.

“The real question for Japan is will they rebuild for yesterday’s economy or tomorrow’s economy? After a catastrophe, there is tremendous pressure to rebuild right now just the way things were, but crisis can be an opportunity to both ‘get it right this time’ and to build infrastructure for the next 30 years without the burden of the last 30 years getting in the way. Rebuilding for tomorrow is critical for Japan.”  Phelps, quoted in Continuity Insights magazine, May 2011

CDC jumps on the zombie bandwagon: http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp in May 2011 (I've already presented at two major conferences on this EXACT topic....)

"You can’t suddenly expect people to work in new ways during a crisis!" -Stephenson on Resilience quoting Professor Phelps from a 2009 presentation, in April 2011 (guess people really do listen to me!)

"Hats off to you Scot. We have so many useful, free open source solutions by companies like Google. It's time to take the stigma out of using them in official capacities."-Matt Ricci, in his blog, Boots in Your Go Bag, talking about technology and emergency management, in February 2011.

DJ Phalen's Emergency Management Magazine blog column: "The day I found the Emergency Management Academy however, I found something I had been looking for...."

Get Smart! Continuity Insights Sept/Oct 2010: "...a brand new organization that is taking an entirely different approach...."

Stephen L. Wagner, Ph.D. is an Emergency Management Fellow

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More Information
What's on Our Mind?

 

Knowing Theory Helps Good Emergency Managers Become Great

The Disaster Science Fellowship is a global, online 1-year intensive graduate-level learning program where participants read and discuss the most important books in emergency management, based on the Emergency Management Graduate Body of Knowledge, books representing the core knowledge of the emergency management field, as selected by hundreds of emergency management professors from around the world at the Federal Emergency Management Agency Higher Education Conference.  It is designed for the mid-career emergency manager (current Fellows have more than 10 years of experience, on average), and although it will focus on graduate-level discussion (1/3 of Fellows have a doctorate or are doctoral candidates, another 1/3 have at least a Masters), participants are not required to have a previous college degree.  

How Does it Work?

Participants read roughly three books a month, discuss six key questions in a threaded web-based discussion as they read, then participate in a facilitated weekly 90-minute online conference call centered around six discussion questions led by participants (so each student will have to prepare and lead one discussion question roughly every other week.)   

What Are Fellows and Current Participants Saying About the Fellowship Program? 

"This was one of the most personally gratifying experiences I have had over my years in this business"-Frank Mineo, PhD, FAcEM, FACHE, CHSP, CEM, 2012 Summer Fellow,Director of the Emergency Preparedness Certificate Program at New York Medical College and Corporate Manager for Emergency Preparedness at Health Quest Systems.

"Personally, I found the twelve months in the fellowship to be intensive, very worth the time and effort, and the best learning experience I have ever had."-Scott Milne, BA, BSW, FAcEM, ESM, 2012 Summer Fellow, Response Manager at Australian Maritime Safety Authority and IAEM Oceania President.

 "Scot Phelps...is single-handedly changing the face of disaster science, emergency management, and higher education with this program."-Christopher Neuwirth, MA, FAcEM, 2011 Winter Fellow, in Emergency Management Magazine.

"I've learned to look at things in such a different way through this course. It was a truly rewarding experience."-Shannan Saunders, MA(c), FAcEM, 2011 Winter Fellow, Senior Program Advisor for Business Continuity & Emergency Management at Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, and IAEM Canada Student Region President.

“I have two under graduate degrees, a Masters in Public Administration and I am a Project Management Professional, but the best education I have ever received is with the Emergency Management Academy. The discussions I’m having and understanding I’m obtaining about the role of emergency management is information that I apply everyday in my work.” -Noel Francine Kepler, MPA, FAcEM, PMP, 2011 Winter Fellow, Emergency Management Consultant, and Vice President of the International Network of Women in Emergency Management (INWEM), in the INWEM Lunch'n'Learn Conference Program.

"Every session leaves me thinking I know less, not more, or maybe realizing what I thought I knew was probably flawed."-David Parsons, FAcEM, 2011 Summer Fellow and Manager of Emergency Risk Management at Sydney Water.

"(The Fellowship) discussions have given me new insight...."- Greg Santa Maria, FAcEM, 2011 Summer Fellow, Emergency Manager for Sanford Health System and Contributing Writer in From the Ground Up in the July 2011 issue of Emergency Management magazine.

"The Fellowship's design is an excellent way to help even Masters-prepared emergency managers fill gaps in their knowledge."-Kevin Cunningham, MS, FAcEM, CEM, CBCP, 2011 Summer Fellow.  Head of Business Continuity for the Americas, UBS Investment Bank.

"...Conversations with a wide range of EM professionals was the biggest gain for me...it was money well spent."-David Nichols, BA, FAcEM, CEM, 2011 Summer Fellow, Medical Reserve & Workforce Deployment Manager at Public Health of Seattle & King County commenting on Linked In.

"...A very valuable opportunity to discuss fundamental EM issues, with the freedom to slay giants if we wished."-Richard Kinchlea, BA, FAcEM, ABCP, Director of Operations at the Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness

Is the Disaster Science Fellowship For Me?

The Fellowship is designed as an alternate program for emergency managers who learn best by reading-and-discussing, who are interested in really mastering the theory of emergency management, and for mid- to senior-level emergency managers who do not have a degree but do want to learn and discuss how theory applies to their practice.  Current participants include:

  • A former President of the International Association of Emergency Managers;
  • The Business Continuity Director from one of the largest investment banks in the world;
  • An Aid Worker in Southern Sudan;
  • The Emergency Manager for one of Australia's largest water utilities;
  • The Operations Manager for Canada's largest emergency management professional organizations, and;
  • The Emergency Manager for one of the largest hospital systems in the midwest, with operations in six states.

How Big Will My Cohort Be?

Each cohort will have no more than 12 participants, so we can ensure a high-level professional discussion. 

Are There Tests?  What Do I Get in the End?

Participants will receive an weekly evaluation of honors, high pass, pass, or fail based on the three components of email discussion, presentation of the discussion question (as assigned), and participation. When participants complete the program, they will have mastered the Body of Knowledge and will be awarded the title "Fellow of the Academy of Emergency Management (FAcEM)."

What If I Need an Advanced Degree, Instead?

If the Fellowship isn't right for you right now and you need a graduate degree, we've created a simple website, EmergencyManagementDegree.info which provides a direct link to every Master's and Doctorate-level program that we knew of from around the world.