Center’s Blog
Use this page to stay up-to-date on COVID-19, homeland security emergency management, campus safety, job resources, career pathways, upcoming webinars, scholarships, Washington State news and more.
“Back to the Future” – Taking Control and Personal Responsibility Over Our Destiny-reclaiming our future to Engage and Take Action
“Back to the Future” - Taking Control and Personal Responsibility Over Our Destiny-reclaiming our future to Engage and Take Action By Linda Crerar The main theme of the movie “Back to the Future” (1985) concerns taking control and personal responsibility over one's own destiny. A situation can be [...]
Holiday Message from the Center Director and Staff
As we look back upon the past year, we would like to acknowledge those who have helped and inspired us to keep plugging along.
And Another Thing… (notes from a grumpy septuagenarian) – Dec 2022
And Another Thing (notes from a grumpy septuagenarian) By Jim Mullen Emergency Once Removed As our nation lurches into a worrisome and contentious period in our history, I’ll share some less-than-earth-shaking thoughts I have had recently (if you open your window, you may hear me shouting). I’m inclined never to [...]
Education = National Security
Education = National Security By Jim Mullen Emergency Management Once Removed As a student financial aid director at a struggling private college in Illinois in the early 1970s, I had the responsibility of ensuring that students could finance their college educations without incurring loan obligations that would inhibit their [...]
Center of Excellence for Clean Energy: Helping to lead the way in alternative fuels for our future
Center of Excellence for Clean Energy: Helping to lead the way in alternative fuels for our future By Nancy Aird On October 24, 2022, Nancy Aird (staff for CoE HSEM) attended the Hydrogen in Focus Conference held at Centralia College hosted by the Center of Excellence for Clean [...]
RESILIENCE FOR NEXT EARTHQUAKE: Video Game promoting preparedness
RESILIENCE FOR NEXT EARTHQUAKE: Video Game promoting preparedness By Nancy Aird Lewis & Clark students and professors created a video game called Cascadia 9.0 (https://www.cascadia9game.org) to promote preparedness incorporating technology. The players navigate through an earthquake devastated city looking for their corgi dog that escaped during the earthquake. [...]
Women with Disabilities: Barriers and Bias in the Workplace
Women with Disabilities: Barriers and Bias in the Workplace By Kellie Hale Women with disabilities will often experience an array of barriers and biases in the workplace. They often experience an imbalance in hiring and promotion opportunities, limited access to training and retraining opportunities, and unequal pay rates. [...]
Securing the Supply Chain Summit 2022: Building Resilience through Sustainability
Securing the Supply Chain Summit 2022: Building Resilience through Sustainability On October 18, 2022, the Centers of Excellence for Homeland Security-Emergency Management and Global Trade and Supply Chain Management held their sixth summit, which focused on “Building Resilience through Sustainability.” This was the first time in three years [...]
A Legacy of Excellence gala for Dr. Michele L. Johnson
A Legacy of Excellence gala for Dr. Michele L. Johnson On Saturday, October 22, 2022, Nancy Aird (Data Research Specialist for our Center) attended the Legacy of Excellence Gala to celebrate Dr. Michele Johnson at Pierce College. Pierce College has been creating quality educational opportunities for a diverse [...]
Resilience for the Next earthquake: ShakeAlert early warning system
Resilience for the Next earthquake: ShakeAlert early warning system ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning system offer an alert to everyone. It does not predict earthquakes but indicates that an earthquake has begun and shaking is imminent. Sign up at: https://www.shakealert.org/ The Great Shakeout Earthquake Drills just occurred on October [...]
SBCTC Climate Solutions Program
SBCTC Climate Solutions Program During the 2021-2022 legislative session, Washington State legislators approved $1.5 million for expanding climate solutions education across our 34 community and technical colleges. The community and technical college system of Washington is positioned to be a key resource in helping achieve climate solutions by [...]
Education and Climate Priorities for WA state in 2023
Education and Climate Priorities for WA state in 2023 Gov. Jay Inslee outlined his climate policy package for the 2021–2023 biennium. “Climate change is a health issue, an economic issue and an equity issue. We must address these very real threats to our state, and we cannot wait. [...]
Emergency Management: Tough to Do, Tougher to Teach
Emergency Management: Tough to Do, Tougher to Teach by Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed During the Great Depression, a young Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) interviewed for a teaching position in Texas. During his interview, when asked, “Is the world flat or round” – he replied, “I can teach [...]
New podcast featuring The Future of Emergency Management after 2020: The New, Novel, and Nasty
Jim Mullen interviewed authors, Curry Mayer and Robert McCreight on their brand new book, The Future of Emergency Management after 2020: The New, Novel, and Nasty.
Gov. Jay Inslee holds press conference about CJTC expansion
Gov. Jay Inslee holds press conference about CJTC expansion On July 21st, governor Jay Inslee held a press conference where other law enforcement officials and legislators assembled to outline proposals on the expansion of the Criminal Justice Training Center to Pasco, Vancouver, and Everett-Bellingham. Our Center and our [...]
Breaking News – Landslides
Breaking News - Landslides Columbia River Blocked By Massive Landslide 1446-1447 AD By Nancy Aird The 1446-1447 AD Bonneville Landslide (also known as The Bridge of the Gods Landslide) blocks Columbia River where the river bisects the Cascade Range near present day Cascade Locks. The southern escarpment of [...]
COE Highlights
COE Highlights FY 22 Impact Statement Economic Development Focus Currently, 86,000 employees are documented in the CTE Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security Clusters. Government and public service organizations employ about 80% of this workforce with 20% employment in private sector. There is a growing demand in this [...]
Back-to-School Programs
Back-to-School Programs Looking for a great career opportunity? Thinking about career options or looking to change careers? The climate change crisis has created significate educational opportunities in Emergency and Risk Management for industries, government, and public service. Join the workforce to help maintain national security, response to all-hazard [...]
“You don’t need a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows…” (Bob Dylan.et al.)
“You don’t need a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows…” (Bob Dylan.et al.) by Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed In this era of increasingly dangerous weather events, among the most dangerous are those slow-moving storm systems that pause over an area for an extended period before moving [...]
Studying the Past, Confronting the Present, Shaping the Future
Studying the Past, Confronting the Present, Shaping the Future by Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed The epidemic of mass shootings (defined as incidents where four or more persons are injured) in our country are emotionally draining tragedies for which thoughts and prayers are insufficient while rational solutions seem [...]
Mental Health Resources
Mental Health Resources 2-1-1 Washington Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Stress and Coping Mental Health America Mental Health Resources in Washington Washington State Department of Health Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 (Toll Free - English and Español) SMS: Text [...]
College/Program resources
College/Program Resources Below are available resources for college/program courses: Inventory of courses offered at SBCTC Colleges https://www.sbctc.edu/colleges-staff/programs-services/professional-technical/default.aspx Career Pathway Course Maps Social Service Mental Health (AA-DTA) with Certificate Career Pathway Course Map Social Service Mental Health (AAS) Career Pathway Course Map Social Service Mental Health [...]
Storytime: The Equal Rights Amendment and Me
Storytime: The Equal Rights Amendment and Me by Jim Mullen From 1973-75 I was an ombudsman in Jacksonville, Illinois, an exempt employee of a self-proclaimed “reform” Governor, Dan Walker. Though my “day job” was to advocate for citizens wrongly deprived of government services to which they were entitled, my [...]
Imagine This…
Imagine This... by Dr. Mary Schoenfeldt Trauma, Resilience, Self-Care, Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, PTSD and Post Traumatic Growth… all common words these day, aren’t they? They have become such everyday familiar words we use them freely in conversation, but what do they really mean? And more importantly, why does it [...]
Acknowledgment of Recent Events
We wanted to take a moment to acknowledge recent events by Center Staff We are shocked by the most recent mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde. No matter what, we cannot become accustomed to these heinous acts of violence. During the pandemic, our county and the world experienced unprecedented [...]