Graduate students in Robyn Gershon’s asynchronous online course, Global Health Disaster Preparedness and Response, saw their lessons come to life during a recent field trip to the headquarters of New York City Emergency Management, located in Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn. They were warmly received by Kayli Capshaw, Interagency Training Specialist, and the rest of the training team, who gave a special presentation on how NYCEM works.
Next up was a tour of the Operations Center, which is activated when an emergency occurs. There are dozens of desks in the Center, including dedicated stations for NYC Health + Hospitals, the Department of Health, the Greater New York Hospital Association, and liaisons from higher education as well as all of the major agencies and organizations in NYC.
Then the students were treated to a meeting with Zachary Iscol, the Commissioner of NYCEM. He shared fascinating stories and recounted his professional journey to one of the top emergency management positions in the U.S.
In fact, NYCEM is considered to be the premier office of emergency management — not only in the country, but the world. Many students have completed internships and fellowships at NYCEM, and advanced toward stellar careers in the field. A prime example is GPH’s own Kenny Isufi, both an MPH candidate and an NYCEM employee who was on site working his shift in the Command Center during the field trip. He and other Command staff were able to explain how the center maintains a high degree of situational awareness 24/7 to keep NYC safe.
In conjunction with their MPH, students from most concentrations are eligible to pursue the Advanced Certificate in Public Health Disaster Science, Policy and Practice; it can also be earned as a stand-alone certificate. For more information on the program and the certificate, visit the program page.