The City of Bowie is hosting five training courses this Spring, starting in February. These courses are free of charge and have been specifically chosen based on the needs of municipal staff. I encourage all staff to take advantage of these classes and sign up as soon as possible. Of particular relevance is the class titled G205 - Recovery from Disaster, the Local Government Role. This class’s target audience is elected officials, executive staff, department directors, first responders and emergency management staff.
The following classes are being offered:
G205 – Recovery from Disaster, the Local Government Role – 2 days, Feb.21st and 22nd
This course covers the activities usually performed by local governments after the emergency response to a disaster has peaked and the long–term activities (called recovery) begin. Recovery may commence while the emergency response is still ongoing; however, recovery activities usually require different knowledge, skills and abilities than response activities, and are usually performed by a different team of people. This course identifies the types of local government officials who may serve on a disaster recovery team and describes their roles and responsibilities as a member of that team.
G318 – Local Mitigation Planning – 1 day, March 14th
This workshop discusses the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 which amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act by, among other things, adding a new section, 322—Mitigation Planning. Section 322 requires local governments to prepare and adopt jurisdiction-wide hazard mitigation plans as a condition of receiving Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to “brick and mortar” mitigation projects. The Mitigation Planning Workshop for Local Governments course assists representatives of local communities or multi-jurisdictional planning areas to develop a mitigation plan that meets community needs as well as the Section 322 local government planning requirements as described in 44 CFR Section 201.6. This workshop explains each of the requirements, demonstrates how FEMA’s new Mitigation Planning How-to-Guides can be used to address each requirement, and provides opportunities to begin the planning process in group activities with representatives of the same community or planning area.
G358 – Evacuation and Re-entry Planning – 1 day, April 4th
This course is designed to provide participants with the knowledge and skills needed to design and implement an evacuation and re-entry plan for their jurisdictions. It uses a community's vulnerability analysis and evacuation plan. It also addresses evacuation behavior and recommends methods to make evacuation and re-entry more efficient.
G108 – Community Mass Care and Emergency Assistance – 1 day, May 3rd
Community Mass Care and Emergency Assistance course is designed to provide training for local communities to prepare for and manage this function effectively. The goal is to prepare community agencies, organizations and businesses to work together in coordination with emergency management and traditional mass care providers to plan and provide MC/EA services to those affected by disaster.
G775 – Emergency Operations Center Management and Operations – 1 day, June 6th
This course provides participants with the knowledge and skills to effectively manage and operate EOC's and multi-agency coordination systems at the local, state and federal levels of government. This course describes the role, design, and functions of Emergency Operations Centers and their relationships as components of a multi-agency coordination system.
To register, you must use the Maryland Department of Emergency Management Learning Management System. If you do not have an account, you must create one. Once you create an account, go to the events calendar, and click on the course you want to register for. For more information, contact Lee Cornwell, Director, Office of Emergency Management, City of Bowie at lcornwell@cityofbowie.org.