Public Safety Capstone Class

 

Required Readings

 

Textbook:

The Success Book: Developing Your Own Personal Strategic Life Plan. Outskirts Press. Collins. 2018

https://outskirtspress.com/TheSuccessBook

 

Course Requirements    

The class grade will consist of Writing Assignments, Class Presentations, and a Final Exam. Class attendance and participation are very important to passing this course, and failing to attend and participate will negatively impact your grade. Assignment due dates are listed in the Class Calendar. I also try to remind you in class and post an announcement in the Announcements area on Blackboard when assignment due dates are approaching.

All graded assignments are given a point value.

Class Participation: Attending and participating in class are vital to your success in this Capstone course. Students will be required to sign in regularly in the online platform. Students will lose 10 points from their final grade for every class they miss or fail to actively participate online.

Writing Assignments:  There are six writing assignments in this course, each of which will be incorporated in some way into your final Capstone Project. The Capstone Project consists of the creation of an Emergency Management Plan and an accompanying grant proposal. A textbook is not required for this course as it is the student’s responsibility to research key elements and concepts related to the emergency management plan and incorporate these elements into their final Capstone Projects.

Important readings will be included in each of the 15 content modules on Blackboard to provide a conceptual foundation for the material we will be discussing, but it is the student’s responsibility to research the material outside of the classroom in the weeks we do not meet in person in order to find and incorporate pertinent information into their assignments. Students should read and incorporate not only those readings included in each content module, but also any pertinent information they come across in their research that can help with completion of the project.

Using other emergency plans as a guide for the final Capstone project is acceptable, as long as students do not plagiarize those plans. Plagiarism is against the academic integrity policy and will have serious academic consequences. Each written assignment will be submitted online via the Blackboard link for that assignment in that week’s Module folder. Brief descriptions of each of the six writing assignments are included below:

1. The student will research and select a city or county in the United States. The student will then write a 2-3 page paper, double-spaced, describing that city (geographic location, population size, available resources, etc.). These characteristics will determine what risks, hazards, concepts and elements will be included in the student’s Emergency Plan. Additionally, the student will locate the emergency plan in place for that city. As this is a required element of the assignment, I suggest making sure that you can locate your selected city’s emergency plan before writing your essay. The student will submit the jurisdiction essay, along with the located emergency plan, via the submission links provided in Blackboard Discussion Area Forum for Week Two.

1. An essential element to any Emergency Plan is the completion of a risk and hazard assessment based upon the characteristics of the jurisdiction that plan is being created for. Every student will complete a risk and hazard assessment for the jurisdiction they selected using the assessment tool provided to them. This assessment must contain not only numerical values, but also written explanations for the various assessment entries, as outlined in Appendix A.

1. The Basic Plan is one of the three main sections of traditional emergency plans. The purpose of the Basic Plan is to provide a general overview of the emergency operations procedures for a given jurisdiction. Students will be responsible for writing and submitting elements of the Basic Plan, as outlined in Appendix B. The purpose of this assignment is not to reinvent the wheel. Instead, students will be analyzing the Plans of the cities they selected, and critiquing these plans for their weaknesses and strengths. The student will then rewrite the plan to ensure that the new plan addresses the weaknesses they identified. STUDENTS WILL NOT BE COPYING AND PASTING THEIR PLANS WORD FOR WORD. Students will incorporate our class lessons and their research, as well as the assignment instructions, into a new and improved plan for the cities they selected, based upon the hazard analyses they conducted.

1. The Hazard, Threat, and Incident Annexes are another of the three sections of traditional emergency plan. This section is a supplement to the Basic Plan and focuses on planning for specific incidents, hazards, and threats. Students will be responsible for writing and submitting Hazard, Threat, and Incident Annexes based upon the initial Risk and Hazard Assessment they submitted for their individual jurisdictions. Thus, the sections of these Hazard, Threat, and Incident Annexes will vary depending on the risks and hazards identified for each student’s jurisdiction. Students will be responsible for writing Hazard Annexes for the TOP 5 threats/hazards/incidents identified in their hazard analyses.

1. The final main section of a traditional emergency plan is comprised of the Functional Annexes, which are supplements to the Basic Plan that detail the specific core functions that are essential in an emergency response. Students will be responsible for writing and submitting elements of the Functional Annexes as outlined in Appendix C. Again, students will be writing these Annexes based upon their identified jurisdictions, the research they conducted on these jurisdictions, and the risk and hazard assessments they completed.

1. As budgets and funding are essential to any emergency and emergency plan, students will have to locate funding sources and write a grant proposal for a grant they identify based upon their research. The format for the grant proposal is included in Appendix D. This writing assignment is worth 25 points.

The Writing Assignments, with detailed instructions and grading rubrics, will be posted in the content modules for the weeks in which they are assigned.  Correct grammar, sentence, paragraph and essay structure, and spelling are expected.  Your assignments should be double-spaced, typed using Times New Roman 12 point font and 1 inch margins, unless the directions for an assignment specify otherwise.

APA Writing Style Written assignments must adhere to APA style guidelines. APA writing resources are available in the External Links folder in Blackboard, as well as links on how to write essays and thesis statements. Note: Please refrain from using websites that claim to format your paper without reviewing the official APA style guide. Never use Wikipedia as a reference in your assignments and papers.

Class Presentations: Students will be giving at least two class presentations in this course. One will be a practice presentation of their final Capstone Project. Students will receive credit for submitting and presenting their rough presentation drafts, and participating in the peer review process. The second presentation will be part of your Final Exam and will entail a presentation of the final Capstone Project, the finished Emergency Plan and grant proposal, to the advisory board. Throughout the semester, there may be impromptu presentations students are asked to give regarding concepts discussed in class.

These Presentations will be made online using Skype or another online presentation platform.

The Presentation Grading Rubric is included in Appendix E of this syllabus.

Final Exam :  The Final Exam for this course will be the final Capstone Project. This Capstone project will be a compilation of all of the written assignments integrated into one Emergency Plan (plus the grant proposal) presented orally to an advisory board consisting of public safety practitioners and faculty members. Students will each have 15 minutes and 10 PowerPoint slides to present their final Capstone Projects to the advisory board. Every minute and/or slide the student goes over the amount will result in a grade deduction. Following each presentation, the student will answer any questions the advisory board may have regarding his/her plan.

2

Appendix A

General guidelines for completion of the Jurisdiction Creation and Risks and Hazards Assessment Assignments.

Step 1: Research and select your jurisdiction. NOTE: Your jurisdiction CANNOT be located in Florida. Locate your jurisdiction’s existing Emergency Plan. Consider elements such as geographic location and characteristics, population size, and available resources (police departments, hospitals, etc.).

Step 2: The Student should review the existing Jurisdictional Emergency Management Plan to identify the Risks & Hazards existing in the jurisdiction.

Appendix B

General guidelines for completion of the Basic Plan Assignment.

The following elements should be included in the Basic Plan:

Title Page

Include: Jurisdiction Name, Plan Title, Your Name (This plan was prepared by: ___), Date Due (September 2013)

Introductory Material

Promulgation Document

Table of Contents

SECTION 1: Authority

A. Federal

B. State

C. Local

Hint: See Appendix A of the CPG for Federal Authorities. See sample EOPs for pertinent State and Local authorities (these are specific to the State and jurisdiction you are in in).

SECTION 2: Purpose

Hint: This purpose statement discusses both the purpose and the scope of your plan.

SECTION 3: Definitions (list alphabetically)

Your plan should include definitions for all of the major terms used in the document. At a minimum, you should have 25 definitions. Each definition should be numbered, and the term being defined should be underlined and followed by a colon (i.e., 1. Area Command: ___). DO NOT INCLUDE THE REFERENCE INFORMATION FOR EACH DEFINITION IN THIS SECTION.

SECTION 4: Situation and Assumptions

A. Situation Overview

a. Hazard Analysis Summary

b. Mitigation Overview

B. Assumptions

SECTION 5: Concept of Operations

A. Phases of Emergency Management

a. Prevention

b. Preparedness

c. Response

d. Recovery

e. Mitigation

SECTION 6: Organization and Assignment of Responsibilities

If your jurisdiction is using the ICS/NIMS structure and functional areas, this needs to be outlined here.

SECTION 7: Direction, Control, and Coordination

SECTION 8: Information Collection, Analysis, and Dissemination

SECTION 9: Plan Development and Maintenance

SECTION 10: References

Include any references used in your plan here in APA 6th edition format.

Appendix C

General guidelines for completion of the Functional Annexes Assignment.

The following elements should be included in the Functional Annexes:

Direction, Control, and Coordination

Information Collection, Analysis, and Dissemination

Communications

Population Warning

Emergency Public Information

Public Protection

Mass Care and Emergency Assistance

Health and Medical Services

Resource Management

Appendix D

General guidelines for completion of the Grant Proposal.

The following elements should be included and used as the format for the written grant proposal:

Cover Sheet

Table of Contents

Cover letter

Statement of Need

Goal, Objectives & Outcomes

Background/Significance

Approach (Methods)

Assessement (Evaluation)

Budget and Budget Narrative

References

The grant proposal needs to be single-spaced and should be between 8 and 10 pages in length. The font needs to be Times New Roman 12 point font with 0.5 inch margins.

Appendix E

How do write a Grant Proposal

Class,

See the following URL below, as well as the additional resources and such provided within the online course, on how to write a Grant Proposal.

http://nonprofit.about.com/od/foundationfundinggrants/tp/grantproposalhub.htm

Appendix E

Capstone Presentation Grading Rubric

FINAL CAPSTONE PRESENTATION RUBRIC
Category	Exemplary 9-10 Points	Accomplished 8 Points	Developing 7 Points	Beginning 6 Points	Unacceptable 0-5 Points
Presentation Content	All slide content was accurate and followed content requirements.	All slide content followed the content requirements and most of information was accurate and complete.	Some presentation content followed content requirements but some information was missing, incomplete or inaccurate.	Presentation content followed few of the content requirements; most sections were missing, incomplete, or inaccurate.	Presentation did not follow the content requirements at all.
Presenter Topic Knowledge	Presenter displayed an excellent grasp of the material in his/her presentation.	Presenter displayed an adequate grasp of the material in his/her presentation.	Presenter displayed some grasp of the material in his/her presentation.	Presenter displayed little grasp of the material in his/her presentation.	Presenter displayed no grasp of the material in his/her presentation.
Oral Presentation Skills	Presented material with confidence, proper voice projection, good eye contact, and clear delivery. Took 15 minutes.	Presented the material but could have been more confident. Adequate preparation and delivery. Was 1-2 minutes off from 15 minutes.	Presenter had some difficulty speaking and presenting. Preparation, voice projection, and eye contact were adequate. Was 3-4 minutes off from 15 minutes.	Presenter had many difficulties speaking and presenting the material. Preparation was lacking. Was 5 minutes off from 15 minutes.	Presenter was unable to complete the presentation or had such difficulty communicating ideas that the presentation could not be understood. Was more than 5 minutes off 15 minutes.
Presentation Organization	Information presented in an extremely organized manner.	Most information was well-organized.	Information was fairly organized but some areas were hard to follow.	Most information was not well organized, making presentation difficult to follow.	Information was so disorganized that audience cannot follow presentation.
Panel Interaction	Presenter addressed the panel and thoroughly answered any questions.	Presenter addressed the panel and adequately answered any questions.	Presenter addressed the panel and answered some questions correctly.	Presenter addressed the panel but answered most of their questions incorrectly.	Presenter did not address the panel and/or did not answer any of their questions correctly.
Presentation Readability	Graphics, background, and font were used in a way that made all slides easy to read.	Graphics, background, and font made most slides easy to read.	Graphics, background, and font made some of the slides hard to read.	Graphics, background, and font made content difficult to read. Content was not in bullet points.	Graphics, background, and font made the content impossible to follow.
Spelling and Grammar	Presentation had no misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	Presentation had 1-2 misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	Presentation had 3-5 misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	Presentation had more than 5 misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	Presentation was illegible due to misspellings and/or grammatical errors.
TOTAL POINTS = _______ out of 70
COMMENTS: