What Is The Emergency Management & Disaster Recovery Program?
Responding and managing an emergency event is, arguably, straightforward. The focus is on life safety and the protection of infrastructure. It is a well-established profession and with lots of formal & informal education opportunities.
But the long-term recovery of people & families and communities following a disaster requires a host of actions to restore the physical, economic and social functions of individuals & families and communities, including the restoration of critical infrastructure; re-establishment of educational, civic and commercial services; and re-establishment of the homes & communities of displaced persons.
It is the least formal phase of emergency response and there are few if any opportunities in Canada to learn the practical and applied aspects of Recovery.
To our understanding & research, this program will be the first of its kind in Canada.
There are several post-grad programs but few outside of non-governmental organizations that provide practical hands-on & applied education to the people who will be and are delivering recovery programs to those affected by disaster
Brought To You By Mount Royal University, StevenArmstrong.ca & Bak Emergemcy Management
Bak Emergency Management
StevenArmstrong.ca
How will this help you in your careers?
In Alberta & British Columbia alone, we have had four of the largest and most complex Recovery Operations in Canada, with the 2121 BC Atmospheric Rivers Floods, the 2016 Fort MacMurray Fires and the 2013 Southern Alberta floods. What these events have shown is that once the emergency phase is over, there are precious few people who have the education and experience to manage the long hard work that goes into recovery.
There will be recovery work taking place in the Bow River Basin for 2 to 3 more years and trained people will be required to do that work.
The frequency and complexity of these large disasters at home & abroad continue to increase giving people exciting & challenging career and volunteer opportunities.
Why should you choose us for this training?
The course has been developed by some of the most experienced recovery experts in Canada.
To our knowledge, it is the only post-secondary institution to develop a program of this nature.
What You Will Learn
Who Are Your Instructors
Sharon Bak
Sharon has been a responder and social service worker for over 25 years and currently focuses a considerable amount of business and volunteer time towards training, education, and advocacy on the unique mental health needs of public safety personnel and their loved ones.
She also continues to assist communities, businesses, and organizations, in building their emergency management programs.
Currently, Sharon is the President of a local family network and is trained as an Independent Facilitator, a role that assists in the building of social support networks for individuals with a developmental disability.
As a former Field Officer for Emergency Management Ontario, and disaster responder for the
Canadian Red Cross, she brings a humanitarian and people-first approach to both response and recovery.
Steve Armstrong
PARATUS Group
Steven Armstrong worked worldwide as a Canadian Armed Forces and the Red Cross member for over three decades.
On the literal frontlines of many of the globe’s most notable humanitarian crises during that time – ranging from the shores of Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami to the aftermath of 9/11 in New York to fighting wildfires in Fort McMurray in 2016 – Steve has proven, over and over again, what authentic Leadership means.
Martin Pollard
Martin is the consummate recovery & emergency management professional. He led and directed large-scale emergencies like the Slave Lake Fires in 2011. After the Red Cross, he led the City Of Calgary’s water services emergency and business continuity team that responded to the 2013 Calgary 7 southern Alberta flooding.
Martin has been instructing the Emergency Management & Disaster Recovery Program at Mount Royal University for 10 years and created and taught Principles of Emergency Management and the fundamentals of recovery.
Jennifer McManus
Jenn is an expert at leading diverse and inclusive teams during complex crises- Southern Alberta Floods, 2013, Horse River Wildfire Fort McMurray 2016, Covid-19 Pandemic and supported other emergencies in western Canada including partnership, media and government relations in recovery.
As a senior leader, she has led change management in a complex organization and maintained a healthy and engaged team during Covid19 pandemic.
She currently enjoys field work, community engagement and working in rural, northern and remote settings.
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