UC Irvine Extension Offers Crisis Communications Management Course

The University of California, Irvine Extension has announced the availability of a new hands-on course in crisis communications management, led by one of Orange County's most experienced industry professionals. Students will combine textbook theory with real-life; real-time response scenarios to further develop their crisis management skills. The course will be held Wednesdays from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. at the UC Irvine Learning Center in Orange, Calif. beginning Jan. 9 and ending March 12.

 "The recent wildfires here in Southern California have provided us all with a valuable reminder about the critical role communication plays in a disaster or other significant predicaments," said the course instructor Captain Danell Adams, Laguna Beach detective and emergency response commander. "By participating in this course, participants will learn how to work quickly and effectively in any crisis-effectively partnering with other stakeholders, improving public safety and maintaining their organization's reputation at crucial times." 

In the classroom, participants will discuss the basic elements of crisis communication, including topics such as successful collaboration with the media, creating educational preparedness campaigns, using technology in the communications process, and the functions of emergency operation centers. At the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Assess crisis management plans and their application to the work environment;
• Implement an initial crisis management framework;
• Diagnose crisis vulnerabilities;
• Describe resources for mass notification systems and related technologies; and
• Identify post-crisis concerns.

In addition to instructor discussions and practical training sessions, participants will also visit an emergency operations center. This is one of five courses  offered in UC Irvine Extension's Emergency Management and Disaster Recovery course series.  For more information, please contact Judy Purewal at (949) 824-5414 or via email at japurewa@uci.edu. 

 About UC Irvine Extension: As the continuing education arm of UCI, UC Irvine Extension is dedicated to providing a university-level learning experience for students, offering thousands of exciting courses and programs to local, regional, and global constituencies. UC Irvine Extension offers a rich array of academic and community programs to support a diverse audience, from a wide selection of academic programs to numerous campus activities. For more information, please visit www.extension.uci.edu.

About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 27,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,400 faculty members. The second-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3.3 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.