Download EMHS 1909 Basic Skills for Emergency Managers

BARTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
FALL 2006
I.
GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION
Course Number: EMHS 1909
Course Title: Basic Skills for Emergency Managers
Credit Hours: 3 Credit Hours
Division and Discipline: Environmental Technology & Military Programs Management
Course Description: This course is designed to improve the first responders and emergency
managers skills in the areas of leadership and influence, decision-making and problem
solving, and communication.
II.
CLASSROOM POLICY
Students and faculty of Barton Community College constitute a special community engaged
in the process of education. The college assumes that its students and faculty will
demonstrate a code of personal honor, which is based upon courtesy, integrity, common
sense, and respect for others both within and outside the classroom.
The college reserves the right to suspend a student for conduct, which is detrimental to the
college’s educational endeavors as outlined in the College catalog.
Plagiarism on any academic endeavors at Barton Community College will not be tolerated.
Anyone seeking an accommodation under provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act
should notify the instructor and the Barton Community College Coordinator of Instructional
services.
For specific College policies and notices concerning: Non-discrimination, Civil Rights Act
of 1964, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Sexual Harassment,
Academic Clemency Policy and Academic suspension, visit the Barton County Community
College Ft. Riley website at: http://fr.bartonccc.edu/ .
III.
COURSE AS VIEWED IN TOTAL CURRICULUM
This course is designed to address the important aspects of leadership, decision-making and
communication in community emergency management.
Being able to effectively make decisions, lead others and communicate are necessary and
vital for the job of every emergency manager, planner, and responder.
Course Transferability to Regent Universities:
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Basic Skills for Emergency Managers is not designed as a transfer course.
IV.
ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING/COURSE OUTCOMES
Barton Community College is committed to the assessment of student learning and to quality
education. Assessment activities provide a means to develop an understanding of how
students learn, what they know, and what they can do with their knowledge. Results from
these various activities guide Barton, as a learning college, in finding ways to improve
student learning.
1. Describe what leadership means for emergency management.
2. Identify your personal leadership capabilities and areas for personal development.
3. Describe a change management model for emergency management and the process for
planning, communicating and implementing change.
4. Develop strategies for using personal influence and political savvy to network and
influence people within a community.
5. Describe the personal attributes of an effective decision maker.
6. Distinguish between a problem and its causes or symptoms.
7. Explain how the ethics of a situation can affect decision-making and problem solving.
8. Apply a model for problem solving and decision-making to emergency management
scenarios.
9. Describe the basic communication process.
10. Discuss the value of empathic listening and effective feedback.
11. Explain the role of verbal and non-verbal cues in effective communication.
12. Prepare an effective presentation based on the audience needs and message.
Competencies
1. Describe what leadership means for emergency management.
a. Discuss the impact of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 (Management of
Domestic Incidents), Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8 (National
Preparedness), and National Incident Management System have on local emergency
management leadership.
b. Compare and contrast the three leadership paradigms described by Robert Quinn in
Deep Change.
c. Identify the qualities of a Transformational Leader.
d. Identify the behaviors that build trust or mistrust.
e. Describe a leader’s role, and possible strategies, for developing leadership qualities in
others.
2. Identify your personal leadership capabilities and areas for personal development.
a. Discuss how self-knowledge and understanding contribute to effective leadership.
b. Differentiate inquiry and advocacy and identify strategies for balancing the two.
c. Use self-assessment, self-reflection, and authentic feedback to increase your selfknowledge of your capacity for leadership.
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3. Describe a change management model for emergency management and the process for
planning, communicating and implementing change.
a. Describe each of the seven components of the change process.
b. Develop a strategy for effectively communicating change using William Bridges’
“Four P’s.”
c. Identify from a case study three strategies for facilitating change among employees
and stakeholders.
4. Develop strategies for using personal influence and political savvy to network and
influence people within a community.
a. Use examples to describe the need for and importance of using personal influence in
emergency management.
b. Identify the key aspects of political savvy.
c. Develop strategies for influencing individuals, groups, and the organization to a
specific course of action from a case study.
5. Describe the personal attributes of an effective decision maker.
a. Discuss how decisions made before an emergency affect decision making and
problem solving during an emergency.
b. Describe factors and personal styles that have an impact on decision making.
c. Distinguish between situations requiring individual decisions and those requiring
group decisions.
6. Distinguish between a problem and its causes or symptoms.
a. Describe the five steps in the problem-solving model.
b. Review a case study and distinguish the problem from its causes and symptoms.
7. Explain how the ethics of a situation can affect decision-making and problem solving.
a. Identify potential ethical issues that can arise during an emergency.
b. Describe the components of ethical decision- making.
c. Apply the problem-solving model to a case study with ethical issues.
8. Apply a model for problem solving and decision-making to emergency management
scenarios.
a. Compare the impact of stress on decision-making in an emergency and decisionmaking during routine activities.
b. Define “problem solving” and “decision-making.”
9. Describe the basic communication process.
a. Define “communication” and apply that definition to various forms of
communication.
b. Discuss why effective communication is important to emergency management.
c. Compare how different communication styles affect interaction.
d. List the characteristics of effective emergency communication.
e. Describe how and when technology can assist with communication.
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10. Discuss the value of empathic listening and effective feedback.
a. Identify the roadblocks to effective listening and recommend strategies to improve
active listening.
11. Explain the role of verbal and non-verbal cues in effective communication.
a. Identify the potential verbal and nonverbal communication issues related to age,
culture, language, or disability.
b. Describe strategies preparing and delivering emergency communication to groups in a
case study.
12. Prepare an effective presentation.
a. Analyze the needs to a target audience.
b. Determine the appropriate type of communication for a given message and audience.
c. Describe strategies to use nonverbal cues displayed by an audience to improve the
effectiveness of an oral communication.
d. Recognize appropriate and inappropriate uses of humor in oral communication.
e. Select the appropriate technology to support the message and discuss why this
technology will maximize the impact of the message.
INSTRUCTOR’S EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS IN CLASS
V.
VI.
TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS
VII.
REFERENCES
VIII.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION AND EVALUATION
IX.
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS
X.
COURSE OUTLINE
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