FSU Emergency Management and Homeland Security Program

This weekend our team continued to support FSU PD and FSU EM at the Louisiana/FSU game. While working as part of the team ensuring a safe and fun day of football, our students gain valuable experience in how unmanned systems integrate with public safety. We also use the games as training and testing opportunities for technology and systems, including utilizing both and aircraft. The massive home win was a nice bonus.

That's a wrap on 🍁 😚
✅ Learning the latest issues in the world of EM
✅ Meaningful connections with professionals in the field
✅ A New Englander's commitment to ice cream regardless of weather

A little midweek check-in from our team at 🍁 We are so proud and happy to see our students working hard this week. Have a look at their live tweets via (@)NEMA_web and see for yourselves! They are crushing it! 💯

The FSU Chapter of the International Association of Emergency Managers is organizing a group of students to attend the IAEM Annual Conference, which will be taking place in Savannah, Georgia this year, and is in the process of obtaining funding from SGA for conference registration, travel and lodging. The IAEM Annual Conference brings together emergency management professionals and students from around the world for multiple days of hearing from notable speakers, breakout sessions, networking, education and more. The dates of travel to and from the conference will be November 13th-16th, 2022.

More information on the conference can be found at: https://www.iaem.org/usconf/

Interested students can submit their resume and a cover letter to IAEM FSU at: [email protected]

An interview process will take place and the application window closes on Wednesday, October 26th at 11:59pm EST.

Yesterday our team arrived in Stowe, Vermont for the 🍁 With such beautiful scenery we obviously had to stage a photoshoot!

Our students and staff are just five days away from traveling to Stowe, Vermont for ! It's an honor learn from Emergency Managers from across the country, in both the public and private sector. We can't wait!

Florida UAS Task Force 1 (FL-UAS1) has concluded a 10 day deployment to Lee County in support of Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) efforts following Hurricane .

FL-UAS1 is a multiagency, all hazard, UAS/remote sensing team comprised of members from the FSU Emergency Management and Homeland Security Program, City of Tallahassee Fire Department, Leon County Sheriff's Office, and the City of Tallahassee Police Department. The team sent 10 personnel to respond to Hurricane Ian, focused on direct tactical support of state and federal US&R teams. Working in conjunction with UAS teams from Boone County Fire Protection District (Missouri), Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, Alachua County Fire Rescue, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, and USAA, the team provided real time information to searchers, performed reconnaissance, and built maps of impacted areas. Texas A&M University’s Humanitarian Robotics and AI Laboratory (HRAIL) deployed their Mobile Lab command vehicle to support data processing and communications.

In addition to FL-UAS1, FSU EMHS activated multiple personnel as part of the Florida SERT Air Operations Branch on 25 September, with that activation winding down today.

The Hurricane Ian response generated a lot of important steps to further the use of UAS in disasters. The teams performed a variety of missions throughout the impact area. These included:

FL-UAS1 and attached resources performed initial reconnaissance for US&R in Cape Coral and on the Pine Island causeway. This quick collection brought critical information back to decision makers and planners - enabling better decisions to be made on where to send resources first.

As response emphasis moved to the barrier islands of Sanibel and Pine Island, FL-UAS1 and Boone County’s DSAR (Disaster Situational Assessment and Reconnaissance) Team were airlifted by the National Guard to the islands to utilize drones to extend reconnaissance. With ground access and transportation limited - small unmanned systems were an effective tool to gather information about the worst impacts on the islands. These UAS teams were able to bring that information directly to decision makers.

FL-UAS1 and all the assigned drone teams worked with forward deployed analysts from the National Geospatial Agency (NGA) to build products supporting targeted searches, boat ops, and searches of rafted debris. This collaboration created an effective workflow that ensured US&R had the best imagery and map products available to support operations. This event was the first time this collaboration had been attempted and everyone agreed it should be the standard moving forward.

Finally, the UAS teams embedded pilots directly with US&R squads conducting searches on Ft. Myers Beach (including during the Presidential visit TFRs). This approach gave search managers another tool to reach areas that were difficult or dangerous for a human to access.

Finally, FSU EMHS supported all the state US&R task forces with a consolidated TAK (Team Awareness Kit) Server to enable enhanced situational awareness during the response.

Drone ops in a disaster are complicated, requiring constant communication and coordination to avoid duplication of effort and effective products delivered on time and on target. During the response all UAS resources working US&R were consolidated into a new DSAR Group, with FSU in the role as State Group Supervisor. This collaborative approach allowed the UAS teams to support multiple task forces and enabled a wider scope of operations.

FSU’s UAS Team has deployed to a variety of disasters starting with Hurricane Hermine in 2016, and including: Hurricane Matthew (2016), Hurricane Harvey (2017), Hurricane Irma (2017), Kilauea Eruption (2018), Hurricane Michael (2018), Hurricane Laura (2020), Hurricane Sally (2020), Champlain Tower South Collapse (2021), and Hurricane Ida (2021). FL-UAS1 was formed in 2020 to broaden expertise and availability of UAS resources in the Tallahassee area.

The FSU team could not have made all this work without a lot of support in Tallahassee. Faculty, staff, and students stepped into a variety of service roles ranging from helping cover classes to volunteering in the State EOC. Field operations are a team effort - and the support elements are critical to success. We’d also like to thank a few partner organizations for providing support during this event. Pix4D, Esri, USAA, PAR Government, Somewear Labs, the TAK Syndicate, Autel Robotics, and Skydio all went above and beyond to make sure everyone had what they needed to get the jobs done. Thank you to Florida TF-1, Florida TF-2, Florida TF-4, Florida TF-5, Missouri TF-1, FEMA US&R White IST, Florida ESF-4/9, Florida Gold IMT, and Florida AOB for all the hard work pushing this technology forward.

Unfortunately our event with Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Christopher Sill (USMC) originally scheduled for 29 SEP has been canceled due to Hurricane Ian. Stay safe!

EMHS warmly welcomes Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Christopher Sill (USMC), who will speak with our students about security cooperation and capacity building in countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU), specifically Ukraine, a non-NATO country, and Latvia, one of the first FSU countries to join NATO. He will also address the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Colonel Sill will join us Thursday, 29 September 2022 at 3:05pm in BEL 0180.

Angilmarie Rivera Sanchez - Florida State University News

One of our Intel students was recently profiled as an FSU Student Star! Angilmarie Rivera Sanchez spoke about her passion for growing diversity and equity in the intelligence community. We can't wait to see where Angil goes in the future!

Angilmarie Rivera Sanchez - Florida State University News Senior Angilmarie Rivera Sanchez has always had a passion for helping people. With ample extracurriculars, leadership opportunities and an acclaimed political science department, Rivera Sanchez found a broader path for her passion at Florida State University. She credits the campus for her connectio...

Yesterday, our students at the Intelligence & National Security Summit had the honor of meeting Christy Abizaid, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center and the first woman to lead the United States’ counterterrorism enterprise.

Dr. Audrey Heffron-Casserleigh, COL (Ret.) Robert Duggleby, and some of our Intelligence Studies students are attending the Intelligence & National Security Summit in Maryland! offers engaging plenaries & breakout sessions with influential leaders from government, industry and academia. It's a well-deserved opportunity for these students and we know they'll make the most of it!

We're hiring! https://bit.ly/3RJd5fL

Tomorrow! Come join IAEM FSU for a great guest speaker session with Roy Dunn!

Go Noles! Another experiential learning opportunity!

On this day in 1992, Hurricane Andrew made landfall in Florida, becoming the third category 5 hurricane to touchdown in the United States. Hurricane Andrew was at its peak intensity as it moved over the Bahamas. The storm continued northwest, causing significant damage to South Florida, then crossed the Gulf and touched down again in Louisiana. At the time, it was the costliest hurricane to ever hit the US.

We have an incredible opportunity for our emergency management students to travel to Stowe, Vermont to participate in the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) Annual Forum taking place October 16 to 22, 2022. Selected students will gain first-hand insight into the many different aspects of emergency management and national security. The EMHS Program will cover students’ travel and lodging for the duration of the conference. Students will pay for their own food and beverages, though some meals will be provided by the conference.

Eligibility:
Must have successfully completed or be currently enrolled in PAD 4391/5397 Foundations of Emergency Management.
Must live in the Tallahassee area.
This opportunity will be afforded to students passionate in pursuing careers in traditional emergency management.

To apply:
Follow the application link [https://buff.ly/3PRGZwQ] and fully answer all questions. All applications must be submitted by Wednesday, August 31 at 5pm. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

Finalists will be notified via email to schedule interviews with EMHS faculty and staff. Questions? Contact Chantelle Tuffigo (ctuffigo at em.fsu.edu).

EMHS is currently testing the Skydio X2E system as we refresh our fleet. There are a lot of things to like about the X2E, no the least of which is the ease of performing mapping missions. Today we flew a 2D GPS Grid mission, a 2D mission, and a 3D modeling mission, and watching the aircraft automatically dodge power lines, guy wires, trees, and posts as it mapped was incredible. The 2d mission data was pulled into Pix4Dreact and processed in almost no time flat. Pretty good day pushing UAS forward!

On this day in 2019, Professor Duggleby and his students were recognized on Embajada de Estados Unidos en Panamá's Twitter account. Students of the inaugural FSU International Programs Intelligence Studies Immersion study abroad trip had the opportunity to tour the U.S. Embassy in the capital city, meet with Embassy leaders and officials, and learn the intricacies of U.S.-Panama relations.

Our team was in North Miami the past three days with Florida Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 (FL-TF1) as we participated in the annual FIU disaster exercise. Despite the heat, we accomplished quite a bit, including: a solid field test of Starlink, initial integration of real-time ATAK position information into ESRI ArcGIS, testing of new statewide TeamConnect TAK server, deployment of multiple UAS operating under UAS Tool in ATAK, live streaming to Tallahassee via Starlink, rapid mapping and push of processed products to ArcGIS Online and ATAK devices (sub 15 minutes flight-to-screen time), and of course lots of networking.

Dr. Casserleigh and Bobby Duggleby are currently in Belize, establishing connections with community leaders from across the country. We hope to bring our students to this beautiful country once again to work on emergency management projects with leaders from National Emergency Management Organization-NEMO and Belize Red Cross Society. A special shout-out to Geraldo Flowers, an alumnus of Florida State University College of Social Sciences & Public Policy’s Public Administration PhD program!

FSU EMHS faculty and students are in Escambia County this weekend observing how the county and local agencies run a major outdoor event - the Pensacola Beach Airshow. EMHS was also supporting the Escambia Sheriff’s Office and other public safety agencies with TAK - the Team Awareness Kit - a cross platform software package developed by the DoD that is now gaining traction in public safety. TAK is free to deploy and use, but provides powerful tools to enhance situational awareness. Command was able to see where all resources were deployed in real time, as well as bringing in weather, planning maps, and live camera feeds. All of this is available in the incident command post as well as on deputies’ smartphones in the field. This event also allowed EMHS faculty to continue to test and refine equipment, procedures, and workflows that will drive information management and ‘disaster intelligence’ during the next disaster in Florida.

Want to work for EMHS? We are hiring a Media Specialist to support the creation of course videos, document activities, and manage social media. Questions can be directed to Brad Skillman (bskillman -at- em.fsu.edu). Please apply via the FSU Job site, Job ID 52257.

Saturday, June 18 is the FAA’s 2022 Drone Safety Day!
If you fly a UAS (aka a drone!), make sure to Fly RIGHT!

This year:
• Register your drone
• Interact with others
• Gain knowledge
• Have a safety plan
• Train and take the TRUST (The Recreational UAS Safety Test)

Since 2019, the FAA has hosted the annual campaign dedicated to drone safety and best practices. Safety is a shared responsibility that requires the community and the FAA to work together.
For additional information and to find virtual and in-person events near you, visit https://buff.ly/3lQC9TR. Follow the FAA on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest Drone Safety Day news.

17 EMHS students are participating in Tallahassee Memorial Hospital's mass casualty drill today! This is an excellent opportunity for our students to see what goes into running a large-scale exercise. And check out that moulage! 😱 Thank you to TMH for having us!

FSU EMHS students, alumni, and faculty at the Governor’s Hurricane Conference Student Reception. This event is a great networking event for our students to meet public and private sector emergency managers and learn about future career opportunities.

Can you answer this Jeopardy question from April 3rd, 2018? For $600: The 79 A.D. eruption gets most of the headlines, but the Dec. 16, 1631 event at this volcano killed 3,000 & had a dark sky for days.

Answer: What is Mount Vesuvius?

Can you answer this Jeopardy question from April 3rd, 2018? For $400: By around 1400 this was responsible for the death of about 40% of Europe's population--25 million people.

Answer: What is the Black Death?

Students and Alumni, would you like to be featured by the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy for a recent achievement? Share your recent accomplishments with us in this survey so we can shine the spotlight on you!
https://buff.ly/37enGNE

Can you answer this Jeopardy question from April 3rd, 2018? For $800: On April 26, 1986, a fireball blew off the steel & concrete lid of the reactor at this power station.

Answer: What is Chernobyl?

Go 'Noles! We have a great cohort of students selected for the 2022 Governor's Hurricane Conference!

Can you answer this Jeopardy question from April 3rd, 2018? For $200: 1,100 miles of shoreline were polluted after 2010's Deepwater Horizon oil spill in this large body of water.

Answer: What is the Gulf of Mexico?

Our students attending NEMA this week had the honor of meeting with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell! We deeply appreciate the opportunity to meet with Administrator Criswell, and we admire her commitment to supporting the next generation of emergency management professionals.

Our students are hard at work at the NEMA 2022 Mid-year Forum in Alexandria, VA! We are honored to be the only university invited to NEMA each year. In exchange for the privilege of attending this prestigious forum with EM professionals from across the country, our students manage NEMA's Twitter presence for the week and take formal notes for each session.

Reminder for all EMHS alumni in the D.C. area! In just a few days some of our staff members will be traveling to Alexandria, VA accompanying six stellar students to the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) Mid-Year Forum. We have organized a fun opportunity for our students to meet up with alumni during free time on the evening of Monday, March 28. If you would like to join us, please reach out to Chantelle at [email protected] for more information! We can't wait to see you!

Can you answer this Jeopardy question from June 22nd, 2021? For $800: FEMA declared major disasters due to wildfires in these 2 neighboring western states about a month apart in 2020.

This question was a triple stumper, but the answer is California & Oregon!