UC's terrorism and security class to be taught nationwide
The University of Cincinnati’s course titled Terrorism and Homeland Security soon will be a model course taught nationwide through the U.S. Fire Administration’s Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education program.
The course was created by former police officer, firefighter and federal prosecutor Lawrence T. Bennett, Esq., a professor-educator who serves as chair of UC's Fire Science Program.
It has attracted students in the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services and the UC College of Medicine, among others.
The U.S. Fire Administration produced a standardized undergraduate curriculum that is national in scope, content and outcomes. The UC course fit into this project because of wide-reaching but personal accounts of lessons learned from terrorism and security events, including the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon, mass shootings in Las Vegas and the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, and the Fifth Third Bank shooting in Cincinnati.
For example, see Bennett’s interview with Dr. Dustin Calhoun, associate director of UC's Division of Emergency Medical Services, who was on duty in the emergency room on Sept. 6, 2018, when a mass shooting occurred at the Fifth Third Bank headquarters.
Miami Township Fire Chief Steve Kelly and Xavier University Public Safety Director Robert Warfel, a retired FBI agent, lead this year's Terrorism and Homeland Security course.
Beyond the infamous events listed above, the course includes a review of current events concerning homeland security, federal, state and local agencies that may respond to a terrorist event and steps to improve emergency operation plans in any community. Infrastructure protection, cybersecurity, and sharing intelligence are additional topics covered.
The U.S. Fire Administration curriculum is a milestone in fire and emergency services education. It provides for consistent coursework between institutions and between associate and bachelor’s programs.
The course is taught online each fall and spring semester, as an accelerated seven-week course. For more information on the course and the University of Cincinnati Fire and Emergency Management program, contact Professor Lawrence Bennett at lawrence.bennett@uc.edu or visit the Fire Safety Technology program website.
For more information about the U.S. Fire Administration’s standardized curriculum efforts in fire and emergency services, visit the model courses website.
Related Stories
UC’s Ground Floor Makerspace births combat robots
April 17, 2024
In the heart of UC's 1819 Innovation Hub lies the Ground Floor Makerspace, an advanced and active hub of ingenuity where students, faculty and the community converge to bring their ideas to life. This includes being the birthplace of robots much like miniature race cars, combating fender to fender in an enclosed boxing ring. Combat robots like UC's Maximizer will again be fighting for first place in the National Havoc Robot League (NHRL) competition, slated for April 20.
UC researchers develop new CPAP device
April 17, 2024
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati are developing a VortexPAP machine that takes advantage of vortex airflow technology. A preliminary clinical study with current CPAP users demonstrated that the VortexPAP can deliver the pressure levels that are used in the subjects’ CPAP therapy, but the mask is more comfortable to wear. It has a minimalistic design that is less intrusive and barely touches the patient’s face.
UC architectural engineering alumna inspires high school students
April 16, 2024
University of Cincinnati alumna Emma Wilhelmus fell in love with engineering when she was in ninth grade. After taking drafting, architecture and engineering courses in high school, she set out to major in architectural engineering in college. Now, she is an engineering teacher at a local high school and hopes to inspire students.