Associate of Science in Emergency Health and Safety Program

Program Introduction
The Emergency Health and Safety (EHS) program offered by the University of Northern California (UNC) is unique among “disaster management” programs being taught at schools around the country. First and foremost, it embraces newly emerging concepts of disaster and crisis management in a way that brings together the academic resources of the foremost disaster researchers and the focus of experienced practitioners. The EHS program employs four key competencies that are included in almost every listing by all participants. They are leadership, communication, consensus building and teamwork, and creative and analytical thinking. In each of the EHS courses, these core competencies are instilled, enhanced and exercised.

Program Description
The Associate of Science in Emergency Health, and Safety Program (A.S. in EHS) is designed to embrace the emerging concepts of Comprehensive Emergency Management. The “Partnership” initiatives launched by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and the concept of “community stakeholders” in the emergency management organization are further developed and emphasized as a point of education. The program will enhance the strategic knowledge base of those persons working in the emergency service field as well as the complete community of allied health and social groups, economic groups and political agencies. Utilizing a holistic approach, the program covers the social, psychological, environmental and physical aspects of the effects of the four basic emergency management disciplines of analysis, preparedness, response and mitigation. It also addresses the health and safety issues of victims, responders and the community environment. The program is entirely online, designed to meet the needs of individuals seeking higher education while still maintaining their daily lives.

Careers
The A.S. in EHS program has been developed to further the knowledge base and advancement of emergency service workers such as firefighters, EMT’s, trauma and other nurses, police/sheriffs and emergency management professionals. However, the program is also of extreme value to their emerging partners in the business, public administration, healthcare and hospital administrators responsible for emergency management. Specifically, the program enables persons in the emergency services sector to gain the academic knowledge and credentials necessary for advancement and at the same time it enhances the strategic knowledge base of the community “stake holders” that they will be interfacing with in the newly formed emergency management partnerships.

CURRICULUM
COURSES