The Chester County Emergency Management Deputy Director Laura Kunzie recently completed a three-week National Emergency Management Basic Academy course.
The National Emergency Management Basic Academy is an essential program for individuals committed to emergency management as a professional goal. Like basic academies operated by the fire service and law enforcement communities, the National Emergency Management Basic Academy provides students with a broad foundation in emergency management policy and practice. Aspiring emergency managers from various organizations and agencies come together in this program to share and learn.
Emergency management is a dynamic, multi-phased process that includes prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery. Students come away with an understanding of roles, responsibilities, and legal boundaries in emergency management and how these relate to serving the Whole Community.
The course content includes emergency management planning doctrine and steps to take to accomplish writing plans and using them to deal with special events, which are common challenges for all jurisdictions.
Students also learned about the scientific principles and concepts that shape our increasingly dangerous world, including the science of natural hazards, weather prediction models, biological and chemical threats, explosive threats, and radiological and nuclear threats.
Integrated in the basic academy course was the FEMA Public Information Officer (PIO) training. Being a PIO requires effective communication, preparing the community through outreach and other means, and communication in an incident. Students were tested in oral and written communication and presented to mock media in video and media briefing scenarios.
Exercises are vital for public safety. The Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program Training exercise principles and methodology support the community’s efforts to improve our national capacity to build, sustain, and deliver core capabilities. Laura was presented her National Emergency Management Basic Academy certificate by Kim Stenson, South Carolina Emergency Management Director, in a ceremony last Friday at the Emergency Management Headquarters in Columbia.
Ed Darby, Chester County Emergency Management Director, stated, “ Laura is a major contributor to Chester County’s Emergency Management program. Completing the Basic Academy course will provide her with a better perspective of the overall Emergency Management profession. I am very proud of Laura’s achievement in continued education and skills development.”
