Online for off kilter
October 24, 2011 10:57 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for online courses related to emergency management.
I've taken a few classes from FEMA. But ideally, I'll find upper-division courses that cost no more than $250 per credit.
Besides emergency management in general, I'm interested in:
* Community health
* Crime mapping or analysis (big picture, not CSI-type stuff)
* Disaster logistics
* Dispatch
* Emergency response to terrorism
* EMS for disasters
* Environmental health
* Epidemiology
* Hazardous weather
* Health geography
* Intelligence imagery
* Military geography
* Natural hazards or disasters
* Port, border and coastal security
* Public health
* Search and rescue
* Social GIS
* Social media for disasters
* Spill response
* Wildfires
I've taken a few classes from FEMA. But ideally, I'll find upper-division courses that cost no more than $250 per credit.
Besides emergency management in general, I'm interested in:
* Community health
* Crime mapping or analysis (big picture, not CSI-type stuff)
* Disaster logistics
* Dispatch
* Emergency response to terrorism
* EMS for disasters
* Environmental health
* Epidemiology
* Hazardous weather
* Health geography
* Intelligence imagery
* Military geography
* Natural hazards or disasters
* Port, border and coastal security
* Public health
* Search and rescue
* Social GIS
* Social media for disasters
* Spill response
* Wildfires
Call your local Red Cross. If they don't have something appropriate, they should know who does.
posted by crush-onastick at 11:22 AM on October 24, 2011
posted by crush-onastick at 11:22 AM on October 24, 2011
Check your mefi mail.
I'm leery of linking because I worked for a group that did this over the summer (that has a SW regional office that would be closer to you), but there are groups that do this. Usually they're not for individuals, but they contract out to city/regional governments, hospitals, and other emergency providers who offer them/require their workers to take them.
posted by cobaltnine at 11:42 AM on October 24, 2011
I'm leery of linking because I worked for a group that did this over the summer (that has a SW regional office that would be closer to you), but there are groups that do this. Usually they're not for individuals, but they contract out to city/regional governments, hospitals, and other emergency providers who offer them/require their workers to take them.
posted by cobaltnine at 11:42 AM on October 24, 2011
Cobalt: if you are leery of linking because it feels self-linky, you should know that doesn't apply the same way in comments on the green as it does on the blue. If you have specialized knowledge, all the better!
posted by arcticwoman at 4:25 PM on October 24, 2011
posted by arcticwoman at 4:25 PM on October 24, 2011
Best answer: arctic: Leery in this case may include that the course work is not available to the general public. Many emergency response agencies and training companies/agencies require an individual pursuing training to be part of an organization and to have a request for training on that organization's letterhead. This is mainly because a lot of the information shared in these courses is taught in the same way across many, may emergency response organizations, and could be used to disrupt or improperly join an emergency response in a way that would be detrimental to the response and those in need. This is similar to the problems that police and fire departments have with 'scanner chasers' who want to be firemen/police but for one reason or another are definitely not. It's a much bigger problem than it sounds. </hijack>
You didn't mention Search and Rescue, but you should check out the SARTECH III, which is the basic level course and can be taken online. You'll need to buy the introductory book from NASAR.
TEEX is the Texas state agency that runs the Brayton Fire School/Disaster City at Texas A&M University, which is the largest school in the country for firefighters and emergency responders. They offer a number of online classes, specifically DHS-sponsored classes. Many of these will have college credits, but I can't comment on cost because I don't know where you are and you didn't state your purpose in pursuing this kind of education.
If you are NOT associated with a particular agency or taking this training for a work-related purpose, I would strongly suggest that you become familiar with your local Community Emergency Response Team, a volunteer fire department, a volunteer Search and Rescue team, or your city's Citizens' Fire/Police Academy if you have one. These organizations will open up a number of training opportunities for you along with teaching the reasoning behind the things you are taught in the training. If you have further questions, please feel free to MeFiMail me.
posted by SpecialK at 11:44 PM on October 24, 2011
You didn't mention Search and Rescue, but you should check out the SARTECH III, which is the basic level course and can be taken online. You'll need to buy the introductory book from NASAR.
TEEX is the Texas state agency that runs the Brayton Fire School/Disaster City at Texas A&M University, which is the largest school in the country for firefighters and emergency responders. They offer a number of online classes, specifically DHS-sponsored classes. Many of these will have college credits, but I can't comment on cost because I don't know where you are and you didn't state your purpose in pursuing this kind of education.
If you are NOT associated with a particular agency or taking this training for a work-related purpose, I would strongly suggest that you become familiar with your local Community Emergency Response Team, a volunteer fire department, a volunteer Search and Rescue team, or your city's Citizens' Fire/Police Academy if you have one. These organizations will open up a number of training opportunities for you along with teaching the reasoning behind the things you are taught in the training. If you have further questions, please feel free to MeFiMail me.
posted by SpecialK at 11:44 PM on October 24, 2011
Response by poster: Thank you alll.
About my background, I'm studying GIS and plan to eventually use it in emergency management work.
I'll probably take some of the ESRI courses. I'd like to go for Penn State, but that's beyond my budget right now.
SpecialK -- TEEX looks good, and so does SARTECH, which I hadn't heard of before. Also, good suggestions about local training and contacts.
posted by maurreen at 2:05 PM on October 26, 2011
About my background, I'm studying GIS and plan to eventually use it in emergency management work.
I'll probably take some of the ESRI courses. I'd like to go for Penn State, but that's beyond my budget right now.
SpecialK -- TEEX looks good, and so does SARTECH, which I hadn't heard of before. Also, good suggestions about local training and contacts.
posted by maurreen at 2:05 PM on October 26, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by desjardins at 11:14 AM on October 24, 2011