Confluence News Media

By Kellie Hale September is recognized at National Preparedness Month (NPM). It was launched back in 2004 by FEMA through the organizations Ready Campaign as a way to promote disaster planning for families and communities. With COVID-19 continuing to impact our nation, it is the perfect opportunity to be involved in NPM. Ready.gov provides a week-by-week plan of activities for September you can partake in with your family on how to be better prepared. Such activities include Make A Plan, Build A Kit, Prepare for Disasters, and Teach Youth About Preparedness. Understanding more about the ways you can be prepared for [...]

Our Center will focus on expanding the training and education activities available through the HSEM Institute. These trainings will provide professional development opportunities for faculty, industry professionals, and students. Trainings will be in the All-Hazards Emergency Management fields (Criminal Justice, HSEM, Occupational Health and Safety, EMT/EMS, Fire Command/Fire Services and Cybersecurity). Business Continuity Planning, Resilience and Recovery, FEMA fundamentals, and Mental Health in Disaster Management have been identified as priority training. These courses will help students, faculty, and industry professionals gain awareness of industry needs, while staying current, and leveraging existing strengths and partnerships. Instructors will be industry experts who [...]

  HSEM Center - Our History In the aftermath of 9/11, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) developed standards for planning, responding to, and recovering from similar terrorist attacks. Through Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8 (HSPD-8) the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Management System (ICS) was adopted. The intent was to create an ability to respond to an incident and to be able to communicate and work under one standard system. With 85% of first responders being trained in Community and Technical Colleges, the Center of Excellence for HSEM was established in September 2004. OUR ROLE The [...]

Activity 1:  Diversity within the Community and Technical Colleges System – Recovering and Eliminating Systemic Racism and Implicit Bias The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) new vision statement, “Leading with racial equity, our colleges maximize student potential and transform lives within a culture of belonging that advances racial, social, and economic justice in the service to our diverse communities.” Working w/the CoE Advisory Board our career pathway program will lead with racial equity and recruit diverse individuals to help change our current culture: Complete and publish a Board Statement about the importance of diversity and support for [...]

Confluence serves as an intersection where we share events, interests, and important information about our Center and the state’s all-hazard emergency management pathway programs.

Congratulations Graduates of 2020 By Kellie Hale Being in a graduating class for 2020 has been a tumultuous time. None of us expected the current events to such a huge impact on our daily routines or scheduled plans (e.g. graduation ceremonies). I am a part of the graduating class of 2020 at Excelsior College where I obtained a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business. I had originally planned to attend the commencement ceremony in Albany, New York to celebrate with my fellow students. Unfortunately, with COVID-19 still not under control, the College had to forgo the face-to-face graduation ceremony for a [...]