Amy Sebring: Welcome to the EIIP Virtual Forum Round Table! Amy Sebring: Our special guest is Walter Green, Assistant Professor, University of Richmond, MPA, CEM. Amy Sebring: Walter's background includes 28 years of experience in emergency medical services, search and rescue, military disaster preparedness, and the management of large scale operations. Amy Sebring: He also serves as Director of Emergency Operations for the Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services and ESF-8 manager for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Amy Sebring: Walter is here on behalf of SALEMDUG today to talk about an emergency management technology certification program that is under development. Amy Sebring: Walter, thank you very much for taking time to be with us today. Walter Green: Thanks Amy, and welcome to everyone on today - a small crowd but a good one ... Walter Green: SALEMDUG has started work on a certification in emergency management technology designed for emergency managers who use technology to manage response and technologists who work in emergency management ... Walter Green: The goal is to provide a specialist certification program that addresses especially computer operational literacy in our field ... Walter Green: Our approach has been similar to the philosophy of specialist certifications that have been emerging in information systems ... Walter Green: Our initial design is a four part certification process including (1) a point scale for experiences, (2) a test of basic emergency management knowledge, (3) demonstration of technology knowledge, and (4) completion of a scenario for the use of technology in emergency management ... Walter Green: Vendor training and certification courses count toward the demonstration of technology knowledge and emergency management training counts toward the experience requirement ... Walter Green: The criteria also allow points for conference attendance, publishing, presentations, and participation in professional associations ... Walter Green: We have not resolved whether some requirements may be grandfathered based on work experience in computerized emergency management ... Walter Green: We are also looking at whether a demonstrated successful project may be substituted for the Walter Green: scenario, and what the best way to the testing is. One approach may be to test like we work - on an open book basis ... Walter Green: We are in the early stages of this effort and would welcome support and participation from the emergency management technology community. Our goal is to be able to offer the first certifications in conjunction with next year's SALEMDUG conference... Walter Green: At this point, probably the best thing is if I ask if I can answer any questions? Amy Sebring: Thanks Walter. Amy Sebring: Since we have such a small group today ... Amy Sebring: I would like to dispense with the question marks ... Amy Sebring: just chime in with your questions. Amy Sebring: I have a couple myself right off the bat Walter ... Amy Sebring: does one need to be a SALEMDUG member to apply? Who will be issuing the certificate? Amy Sebring: I mean, will this be a strictly SALEMDUG certificate ... Walter Green: First, we haven't resolved the membership issue - certainly membership may count toward the experience requirement ... Amy Sebring: or combined with anything else? Walter Green: and that is common in many certification programs ... Walter Green: but I think that we probably will make it open to the community ... Walter Green: Second, this will be a SALEMDUG certificate ... Walter Green: but we are also working with the University of Richmond for some options in their program. Amy Sebring: Great thanks. Do you expect to structure it around core competencies? rick tobin: Where do I sign up? Walter Green: Give us a week or two Rick ... seriously, we hope to have it up by February or March. Isabel McCurdy: I am a Canadian, any restrictions? Walter Green: Amy - good question about core competencies. I think the technology knowledge and project scenarios will address that from the technology standpoint ... Walter Green: and that the emergency management knowledges will be included in the test and experience portions. Isabel McCurdy: What is the cost? Walter Green: Isabel - as I remember it computers work just as well in the great north, so, no, although we may have to look at how Canadian emergency management training and doctrine differs. Walter Green: Isabel - we haven't solved that because we don't know what it is going to cost us ... Walter Green: but, we will price reasonably. I don't see a fee higher than $50-100 ... Walter Green: Most US state certification programs are in the $10-50 range. Amy Sebring: Walter did you know that John Pine is working on a curriculum along these lines for higher ed? I am not sure what the status of that is at the moment. Walter Green: Yes Amy, I keep track of that and eventually we will need to consider that effort ... Amy Sebring: It might be helpful in terms of identifying core technologies ... Amy Sebring: I would think that an Internet component is necessary these days! Walter Green: right now, I think we are going to be driven primarily by what those of us who do this are doing. Amy Sebring: GIS ... Amy Sebring: what else do you think should be included? Walter Green: I don't see how you can do emergency management today without an understanding of Internet practice. Amy Sebring: I am biased, but I would agree strongly re Internet. Walter Green: One of our debates has been just how far you throw the net ... Walter Green: For example, do we include remote sensing technology, remotely piloted vehicles, etc. ... Amy Sebring: I guess that is why I was suggesting a core approach ... Walter Green: technology is a huge area. I think our initial thrust will be on computers, inside the EOC, with maximizing what technology does for command and control ... AK Miller: Is there a place on the SALEMDUG web site that has some basics of the program and invites comments? Walter Green: and I am not sure anyone really knows what the core competencies are ... or for that matter in emergency management in general. rick tobin: Hey, I know of a great book about using the Internet that I think I could recommend! : -) Amy Sebring: there should be some basics you can identify. Most of us don't get to use the fancy stuff! Amy Sebring: Basic database work e.g. Walter Green: AK - I don't think so ... as soon as we get a solid definition of where we are going we will ... Walter Green: and I think I hear Amy volunteering for the committee in the background ... Amy Sebring: ho ho! Amy Sebring: Hey Chip, welcome. Amy Sebring: We are less formal today ... Walter Green: seriously, we are looking for individuals who are SALEMDUG members who would be interested in helping in the effort. chip hines: Better late than never? AK Miller: Now were cooking Amy Sebring: Walter has been telling us about the EM Technology Certificate program they are working on. AK Miller: now we're cooking Amy Sebring: A real challenge. Amy Sebring: Some kind of situation tracking I would think also. Walter Green: Amy - all good thoughts. Walter Green: The problem of course is to avoid making it vendor specific. Amy Sebring: We have talked from time to time about using volunteers to provide tech assistance .... Amy Sebring: this type of certificate might fit in well with that idea. Walter Green: Yes - we really see it as something appropriate for the technology community ... Walter Green: We are requiring knowledge of emergency management because that is a baseline ... Walter Green: but that can be met at the FEMA IS course level ... Walter Green: Everything else we are considering could be met by a technologist or an emergency manager. Amy Sebring: There should be some hardware knowledge involved I would think. To just keep things running! Amy Sebring: Does anyone else have ideas about what should be included? Walter Green: Again, we run into the issue of where to draw the line ... Walter Green: And the needs are so varied ... Walter Green: Do we make a certificate that requires some of everything ... Walter Green: or a lot of one specific thing ... Walter Green: or allow a variety of different skill sets to meet the bar ... chip hines: Could your certificate have areas of specialization? Walter Green: our current thinking is toward the latter, which means that certified individuals might well be specialists in one area ... Walter Green: as Chip just suggested, and not necessarily expert in all areas. Walter Green: I think that is really the importance of the four areas ... Walter Green: really, only the tested emergency management knowledge requires a specific skill set ... Walter Green: the project scenario, technology knowledge, and experience components demonstrate expertise ... Walter Green: and at a reasonably high level ... but that expertise may be quite varied in content. Amy Sebring: What do you have in mind for the scenario Walter? Walter Green: The original thought was that the individual would be given a description of a technology need ... Walter Green: and be expected to design a reasonable approach to meeting that need ... Walter Green: this would require an understanding of available technology ... Walter Green: and project management skills to make it happen ... Walter Green: this is one area in which we are considering options ... Walter Green: for example, if you have done it for work already, should you be able to submit a description of your finished project and how you got there to meet the requirement ... Walter Green: I tend to think so. Amy Sebring: Any further questions, comments, suggestions for Walter? chip hines: This would be within the context of an emergency situation? Walter Green: Chip - the intent of the scenario is more of a program management exercise, how well can you manage the implementation of technology in your program. chip hines: That sounds like a good idea - useful and practical. Amy Sebring: I think our community really needs to do some thinking about what is essential these days ... Amy Sebring: and this may be a good way to do start. Walter Green: Thanks Amy, I appreciate the chance to present, and I look forward to your volunteer statement. Amy Sebring: (I will have to become a member first!) Amy Sebring: Thank you very much for coming today Walter... Amy Sebring: if you all don't mind I will go ahead and do the upcoming announcement ... Amy Sebring: adjourn, but if you would like to stick around, please do ... Amy Sebring: Today is the official beginning of hurricane season, and tomorrow, 12: 00 noon, Dr. Roger Pielke will be with us from the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado to discuss this year's outlook. Amy Sebring: Kellye Junchaya will be hosting the Round Table next Tuesday, June 8, (with any luck on connections) from the Community and Family Preparedness Conference at Mount Weather. Amy Sebring: Next Wednesday, June 9, we are pleased to present Carole Macko from the EPA's Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office. Amy Sebring: You may realize that later this month is the deadline for regulated businesses to submit their Risk Management Plans to the EPA. Carole will discuss what happens after that. Amy Sebring: Thank you all for coming today.