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Emergency Management

Helocopter

Emergency Managers:
• Evacuate a town in danger
• Manage the distribution of food to people in crisis
• Oversee the provision of medical care to injured people
• Plan for as many unforeseen eventualities as possible before disaster strikes
• Emergency & Disaster Management Brochure

When Disaster Strikes

Emergency management personnel are invaluable. They are needed in large and small emergencies, including hurricanes, terrorist attacks, and chemical spills. These men and women are trained to manage emergency situations and respond quickly and efficiently.

"Emergency Management is an exciting, rapidly expanding and evolving profession, both domestically and internationally. Emergency Managers need to be able to make sound decisions in difficult circumstances."

— Dr. Michael O'Connor,
Associate Professor
Emergency and Disaster Management

Why Emergency Managers are Needed

Recent natural and man-made disasters including the Tsunamis in Indonesia and Thailand, Hurricane Katrina, and the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 illustrate the serious economic and health impacts of emergencies. Many disasters are preventable or minimized through good planning and response. Planning is one of many responsibilities of an effective professional emergency manager.

Earthquake DamageHands on Education

  • Virtual disaster simulations

  • Operating an Emergency Operations Center and an Incident Command Center

  • Hazard modeling


Leaders needed

The U.S. Dept. of Labor (DOL) indicates that Emergency Management will be among the fastest growing fields in the U.S. through at least 2012.
  • Positions for emergency management specialists will grow 28.2% by 2012.
  • As of 2002, there were approximately 10,948 positions listed nationwide with the DOL.
  • Careers are available in local, state, and federal emergency management as well as homeland security agencies.
  • Other career opportunities are within criminal justice, fire service, and public health fields.

Online Advantages

The Emergency and Disaster Management degree is one of SUNY Canton's signature online programs. Students don't have to travel to take an online course, eliminating geographic barriers. Because Internet courses don't have set classroom schedules, students can participate at any hour and from anywhere, even from your job.

Ready to give it a try? (sample online learning for free)

Dr. Michael O'Connor has prepared a sample course module in Disaster Mythology available through SUNY Canton's ANGEL online learning network. Simply log onto ANGEL, click on User Login, enter your Username: Guest2006 and Password: Guest2006 then scroll to EADM 200 Disaster Mythology, and begin your lesson.

Links


Dr. Michael O'Connor Dr. Michael O’Connor

Dr. Michael O'Connor's academic credentials include a master's degree from Ohio University and a doctorate from the University of Akron. His doctoral dissertation examined the curricula of emergency management programs in the United States. If you're interested in hearing more about that, the Journal of Emergency Management published an article he authored concerning his research conclusions in their November/December 2005 issue. He also presented the results of his dissertation at FEMA's Emergency Management Institute's Higher Education Conference in June 2006.

Dr. O'Connor's background also includes significant experience in the Military Police as a Brigade Adjutant and in Military Intelligence. Additionally, he has been involved in numerous emergency management agency training exercises and in a number of military command post exercises.

Dr. O'Connor is a government liaison to the American Red Cross and a member of the International Association of Emergency Managers.

 

Dr. Michael J. O'Connor Jr.
Associate Professor of Emergency Management

SUNY Canton
115 Payson Hall
34 Cornell Drive
Canton, New York 13617
315-379-3948
oconnorm@canton.edu