By Preshus January
Savannah State University’s (SSU) Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) program is the only bachelor’s degree in homeland security and/or emergency management in the state of Georgia. It is the first in the United States at a historically black college or university.
The program prepares students with skills and information to coordinate the full range of resources to improve outcomes in disasters. It offers knowledge specific to different types and causes of disasters including comprehensive and hazard-specific practices that lead to effective prevention, protection, preparedness, response and recovery, and lessons from past disasters.
Assistant Professor and Special Project Coordinator Norbert Chandler is passionate about his students knowing the importance of professionalism and staying alert. “We don’t follow separate guidelines, we follow the same protocol as FEMA and we support it.” His 35 year tenure of law enforcement service, with 23 years dedicated to homeland security, has been influential for the program. “Safe, Secured, Unified, that’s the SSU we identify as.”
The HSEM program is built on current and developing research with an emphasis on lessening impacts of disasters on the most vulnerable citizens.
The program complies with the SSU Emergency Management guidelines and the FEMA guidelines, and it prepares students for public and private sector positions in this growing field.
“It’s a lot of pressure to be a part of this program, you have to be able to relate to people and have an openness about you. It’s the new, cutting-edge profession of law enforcement,” says Chandler.
June 1 is the beginning of hurricane season on the Atlantic Ocean. With SSU being located in the Low Country, and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the east, it is important to know what to do in the case of an emergency.
Savannah has been in a drought with hurricanes. The last hurricane to hit Savannah was Hurricane David in 1979, which can lead to complacency. Chandler suggests that people should be prepared all year round. “I keep a bag in my trunk that has flashlights and batteries, emergency numbers and copies of important documents in a zip-lock bag, and special pictures that I otherwise would lose.”
Evacuation guidelines are particularly important and the Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) website features a variety of guides to help prepare families and individuals for safety in the case of a hurricane. CEMA has master plans ready to put into action at a moment’s notice, including handling increased traffic on evacuation routes.
“We have evacuation gates on I-16 to keep people from getting access in Savannah, so you can leave but you can’t get in. The faster we can communicate to the community, the better for emergency management. Everything starts locally,” says Chandler.
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The HSEM department annually sponsors a $500 scholarship to the intern of the year. HSEM also hopes to offer a fully online master’s program in the coming year.
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Preparation is key to successfully evacuating you and your family.
Important Hurricane Preparedness Tips:
• Know in advance where you will go and how you will get there.
• Create a “Go-Bag”.
• Have a communication plan for your household.
• Place important documents in zip-lock bags for waterproof protection.
