Geoff Woolard, Program Leader, Fire and Life Safety completed the FEMA Basic Academy recently.

Woolard (first row, 2nd from left)

The program consists of over 50 hours of self-study prerequisite courses followed by 120 classroom hours covering a wide range of topics including concepts of emergency management, weather/science related to disasters, public information, training exercise development, national incident management system, and leadership.

“The goal of the Basic Academy is to support the early careers of emergency managers through a training experience combining knowledge of all fundamental systems, concepts, and practices of cutting-edge emergency management.” (FEMA Emergency Management Institute, https://training.fema.gov/programs/empp/basic/)

In-person classes were hosted by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) in Nashville over the course of several weeks.  The 2024 TEMA cohort included representatives from TEMA, county and city emergency management agencies in Tennessee, as well as a few out-of-state students representing the City of Atlanta and Indiana National Guard (as well as UT-Knoxville).

The application process began last fall and is competitive for the 24 openings in each cohort.  My application was supported by EHS Director (Retired) Sandra Prior and UTK OEM Director Brian Gard.

“Completion of these formal classes and over 26 years of experience in the fire and emergency services, including emergency management, will enhance my knowledge and skills to support the efforts of UTK OEM and continue to expand the capabilities of the EHS Fire & Life Safety Program as we work to keep students, faculty, staff, and visitors safe on campus.”