Health Security for Emergency Management Professionals

About this course:

Students in this course will develop proficiency in analyzing and evaluating the public health aspects of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, and also identify methods from improvement. It provides an overview of the different types of public health hazards (biological, chemical, radiological, environmental, etc.), their consequences, and the implications for agencies and practitioners. Students will explore international and domestic public health events that precipitate into or from disasters, as well as the multi-disciplinary response required to address them. Basic preparedness and response activities, such as disease surveillance, rapid needs assessments, and medical surge, will be discussed. Through course lectures, readings, case studies, and discussion, students will learn and understand the foundational concepts of the public health community’s role in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters.