Homeland Security Programs at West Virginia University was featured recently on one of the most viewed Webcasts ever presented by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

HSP@WVU – aimed at helping America’s first responders plan for manmade and natural catastrophic events – was featured on FEMA’s National Preparedness Institute’s Live Response Program with Al Ruechel. It was the most watched Webcast in the history of the show and the fourth most watched program (satellite and Web) in the past three years.

LaRue Williams, director of HSP@WVU, is featured in the broadcast, along with three of the program’s instructors: Bill Klein, Dave Custer and Bryan Schyphers.

“Being a part of this broadcast was a true honor,” Williams said. “Our mission is to train first responders, organizations and communities nationwide, and being a part of this Live Response broadcast helps us to cast a wider net in capturing that audience.”

The Live Response broadcast highlighted HSP@WVU’s Emergency Planning for Special Needs Communities course. The goal of this course is to introduce a universal and functional emergency planning process to support special needs populations. Participants learn how to determine planning needs to effectively maintain human services, assess and disseminate medical resources and decide how to assist during the recovery phase to restore and resume everyday activities.

The program is still available online at: http://terrorism.spcollege.edu/ntpi/Broadcasts/PrevBroadcast.aspx

HSP@WVU designs, develops and delivers high-quality training to first responders that enhance their skills for preventing, protecting, responding to and recovering from manmade and natural catastrophic events. Through education and collaboration communities nationwide will be better prepared to plan for, respond to and recover from emergencies and disasters of all kinds.

HSP@WVU offers four direct delivery courses and five online courses that are funded through grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency, Training and Exercise Integration/Training Operations.

HSP@WVU is a division of the West Virginia University Research Corporation. For more information on HSP@WVU, go to: http://www.hsp.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

Contact: Joan Caridi
304-293-1455

02/17/10