Course Syllabus
COURSE SYLLABUS
Course: Hazard Mitigation & Preparation
Course & Section: FES 6726
Credit Hours: 3
Session: SPRING 2025
** On-line
Instructor: Dr. Reginald D. Freeman
Office Rinker School of Construction Management
817-584-3424
Bio for Dr. Reginald D. Freeman, CFO, FIFireE
Hello everyone. My name is Dr. Reginald Freeman, and I am your professor for this class. Currently, I serve as the Executive Director of Fire & EMS in Neom, Saudi Arabia. Previously, I served as the 31st Fire Chief for the City of Oakland as well as Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director for the City of Hartford, CT. I also served as the international fire chief for Lockheed Martin as well as a civilian fire chief in Iraq for the U.S. Department of Defense from 2004-2008. I have had the honor and privilege to work in a number of fire service capacities in my career, including firefighter/emergency medical technician (EMT), fire captain, fire service instructor, assistant fire chief, and fire chief.
My educational accomplishments include a Bachelor of Arts in Leadership from Bellevue University in Bellevue, NE, a Master’s Degree in Executive Fire Service Leadership from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ, and a Ph.D. in Emergency and Protective Services. I am also a graduate and Fellow of Harvard University’s Senior Executives for State & Local Government program at the Kennedy School of Government. Furthermore, I have previously served as the Chair of the Industrial Fire and Life Safety Section for the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and a previous Board member of the Executive Fire Officer Section of the IAFC and Technical Committee member of NFPA 1021 (Fire Officer Professional Qualifications), respectively. Additionally, I serve on the Board of Directors for the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc. (CPSE) and formerly served as a Commissioner (former Chairman) for the Commission on Professional Credentialing via the CPSE. I currently serve as the Director of Training for the Caribbean Association of Fire Chiefs. I am a credentialed Chief Fire Officer (CFO) through CPSE and a credentialed “Fellow” with the Institution of Fire Engineers, USA Branch. Lastly, I’m humbled to serve on the Board of Directors for NFPA. I am looking forward to us having a great learning experience together through this next semester.
**Course Website: http://lss.at.ufl.edu
Text:
Schwab, A., K., Eschelbach, K., & David J. Brower (2016). Hazard Mitigation Preparedness (2nd Ed).
Wiley & Sons. New Jersey. ISBN: 978-1-4665-9556-9
**Additional Resources: Use resources on the course site under the Resource tab
**Course Description: This course will introduce the major principles involved in preparing for and mitigating the impact of hazards in the context of emergency / disaster management.
Topics include:
Key features and characteristics of various hazards, both natural and manmade, the risk assessment process that is used to determine community vulnerability, and in-depth discussion of hazard mitigation planning.
**Course objectives:
- Describe the difference between hazards and disasters.
- Identify steps in the risk assessment process.
- Analyze local and federal emergency management strategies for mitigating hazards.
- Recognize tools and techniques for hazard mitigation planning.
- Develop a HVA Mitigation Analysis.
**Teaching Philosophy: I am looking for students to demonstrate a working knowledge of the subject. You need to be creative when you complete your assignments but maintain a professional appearance of your work. Your work needs to be complete and in such a manner that someone can pick up your document and understand what you are trying to convey. And most of all your work needs to be supported with research and cited in properly in APA format.
**Instructional Methods: The course is designed for individual and group interactivity. It is important to post and respond to discussion questions in the course within the time frame allotted. This provides a learning environment by networking with other students in the course. The assignments are individual base to give you the opportunity to do a variety of activities, in many cases, similar to what you will be doing in role as a leader in the emergency services profession.
Course Policies:
Attendance Policy: The course is designed in module format. You should check the site at least once a week. You are required to complete the assignments including discussion questions within the time period designated on the module. There will be meetings set up throughout the course.
Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course are consistent with university policies that can be found in the online catalog at:
https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx.
**Quiz/Exam Policy: There is a final paper for this course. There are no exams or quizzes.
Make-up Policy: You must contact me if you are going to be late on any assignment to receive
credit.
**Assignment Policy: All assignments have a due date. Please be sure to check the date and time it is due in each module. Module discussion posts will be every other week and they are located in the "Discussions" tab. Your initial discussion post must include a reference that is proper APA format. You are required to respond to at least 2 class mates posts for full credit. Furthermore, I will periodically post questions that I expect you to respond to in the "Announcement" section. These will be current events or relevant material to the course that is expected to stimulate thought and apply your academic studies to real world practical scenarios/situations.
**Course Technology: Class meetings will require a web camera and mic/audio. If you are not able to use a web camera you will need to at least provide audio/mic, you can call in on a phone also.
** UF’s honesty policy
UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge which states, “We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honor and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code. On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.”
The Honor Code (http://www.dso.ufl.edu/sccr/process/student-conduct-honor-code/) specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. Furthermore, you are obliged to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor of in this class.
UF Policies:
University Policy on Accommodating Students with Disabilities: Students requesting accommodation for disabilities must first register with the Dean of Students Office (http://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/). The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodation. You must submit this documentation prior to submitting assignments or taking the quizzes or exams. Accommodations are not retroactive, therefore, students should contact the office as soon as possible in the term for which they are seeking accommodations.
University Policy on Academic Misconduct: Academic honesty and integrity are fundamental values of the University community. Students should be sure that they understand the UF Student Honor Code at http://www.dso.ufl.edu/students.php.
**Netiquette: Communication Courtesy: All members of the class are expected to follow rules of common courtesy in all email messages, threaded discussions and chats. [Describe what is expected and what will occur as a result of improper behavior] http://teach.ufl.edu/docs/NetiquetteGuideforOnlineCourses.pdf
Getting Help:
For issues with technical difficulties for E-learning in Canvas, please contact the UF Help Desk at:
x Learning-support@ufl.edu
x (352) 392-HELP - select option 2
x https://lss.at.ufl.edu/help.shtml
** Any requests for make-ups due to technical issues MUST be accompanied by the ticket number received from LSS when the problem was reported to them. The ticket number will document the time and date of the problem. You MUST e-mail your instructor within 24 hours of the technical difficulty if you wish to request a make-up.
Other resources are available at http://www.distance.ufl.edu/getting-help for:
x Counseling and Wellness resources
x Disability resources
x Resources for handling student concerns and complaints
x Library Help Desk
Course Summary:
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