MSU STRENGTHENS HOMELAND SECURITY
November 16, 2007
Our Global Community Security Institute, in partnership with the School of Criminal Justice and MSU Global Online Connection, grew out of the need to provide continuing educational opportunities for first responders after September 11, 2001. This unique program brings together our strengths in face-to-face training with online opportunities to enhance America’s homeland security.
Figuring out how to contain a chemical fire, evacuate employees, and decrease a terrorist threat, the nation’s first responders rush into harm’s way each and every day to save lives. The Global Community Security Institute (GCSI) at MSU helps to prepare police, fire, emergency, and corporate responders for the changing and evolving threats America faces. From biological agents such as smallpox and ricin to dirty bombs and natural disasters, GCSI brings experts together to protect our communities, families, and workplaces.
“What’s unique about this initiative is that it brings emergency planners, food safety experts, packaging engineers, crisis managers, water quality experts, hazmat teams, fire fighters, police, social workers, community leaders, educators, and corporate security managers together under one mandate,” said Ed McGarrell director of the School of Criminal Justice and executive co-director of the MSU Global Community Security Institute.
GCSI also helps meet both state and local needs. For example, GCSI facilitated a statewide videoconference to educate doctors, nurses, and emergency medical technicians about smallpox vaccinations in the State of Michigan.
“Working with the Michigan Department of Community Health and WKAR, we were able to combine our strengths in multimedia programming with health expertise, to deliver training modules to public health and medical professionals across the state,” said McGarrell. “We also used our expertise to transform school safety by working with teams from every county in the State of Michigan and applying our skills in emergency management.”
The Internet wraps around the training and conferences GCSI provides.
“Our conferences on fire fighter survival training and critical incident protocols are enhanced over the internet with chat groups and a database of experts,” said Christine Geith, director of product and business development, MSU Global Online Connection. “The internet is a great way to keep the group together and expand on the relationships formed.”
GCSI also works with communities to facilitate emergency planning and preparedness with leaders from both the public and private sectors.
“We’ve worked one-on-one with many communities such as Sterling Heights, Michigan; Redmond, Washington; Richmond, Virginia; Evansville, Indiana; and others to help the community as a whole work together to prepare better joint risk assessments,” said Phillip Schertzing, director of MSU Global Community Security Institute, and an adjunct professor in the School of Criminal Justice. “We take our knowledge where the rubber meets the road, literally.”
