Students at Northwest Learn Crisis Response
By: Melinda Barrett
Updated: November 19, 2012
(MARYVILLE, Mo.) A new program offered to students at Northwest Missouri State University is preparing them for more than just a career.
"We had an opportunity to create a program that would cater to students either for careers in the emergency management field or humanitarian relief, but also for students who were just interested in just being prepared citizens so that they can be responders rather than victims," said Dr. Mark Corson, Coordinator of Comprehensive Crisis Response program.
It's an area of study where students learn disaster preparedness and how to provide relief. What was once just learned after the fact, has now evolved into an industry.
"We identified that the emergency management, humanitarian relief, the disaster relief communities were becoming much more professionalized," said Dr. Corson.
The program is called Comprehensive Crisis Response.
A very broad, interdisciplinary major surrounding emergency management and humanitarian relief.
"Very hands-on, very demonstrate your skills. There's far more to this than PowerPoint's and book learning," said Dr. Corson.
"You can learn so much in the classroom, which is great, but for this line of work you need field experience, you need to be trained for it," said Chris Scroggins, college student.
And through training and simulations, students are trained to team up and respond when disaster strikes.
"Essentially, to help their neighbors and help their community, because it's not a matter of if a catastrophe will happen, it's when a catastrophe will happen. If you can take care of yourself and your neighbors and such, you have a much better chance of survival and it makes our communities much more resilient so we can get back on our feet and get on with life," said Dr. Corson.
This is the first year students were offered the Comprehensive Crisis Response program as a major.
According to the New York Times, there are 250 programs offered through colleges that are focused on programs for homeland security, emergency management and humanitarian relief.
"We had an opportunity to create a program that would cater to students either for careers in the emergency management field or humanitarian relief, but also for students who were just interested in just being prepared citizens so that they can be responders rather than victims," said Dr. Mark Corson, Coordinator of Comprehensive Crisis Response program.
It's an area of study where students learn disaster preparedness and how to provide relief. What was once just learned after the fact, has now evolved into an industry.
"We identified that the emergency management, humanitarian relief, the disaster relief communities were becoming much more professionalized," said Dr. Corson.
The program is called Comprehensive Crisis Response.
A very broad, interdisciplinary major surrounding emergency management and humanitarian relief.
"Very hands-on, very demonstrate your skills. There's far more to this than PowerPoint's and book learning," said Dr. Corson.
"You can learn so much in the classroom, which is great, but for this line of work you need field experience, you need to be trained for it," said Chris Scroggins, college student.
And through training and simulations, students are trained to team up and respond when disaster strikes.
"Essentially, to help their neighbors and help their community, because it's not a matter of if a catastrophe will happen, it's when a catastrophe will happen. If you can take care of yourself and your neighbors and such, you have a much better chance of survival and it makes our communities much more resilient so we can get back on our feet and get on with life," said Dr. Corson.
This is the first year students were offered the Comprehensive Crisis Response program as a major.
According to the New York Times, there are 250 programs offered through colleges that are focused on programs for homeland security, emergency management and humanitarian relief.
