From Classroom to Command Post: Penn College Students Learn With D4H

Shaping the Future of Emergency Management at Penn College

D4H is designed to simplify complex processes, allowing emergency managers to focus on what truly matters: readying their community, and it's making a significant impact at Pennsylvania College of Technology. Penn College is arming its students with tools that make vital work more manageable, enabling them to respond effectively and confidently when disaster strikes. It’s about making the job of an emergency manager easier, not harder, and Penn College, with the help of D4H, is leading the way.

A Hands-On Approach to Emergency Management

Penn College prides itself on its hands-on learning environment. William Schlosser, an instructor in Emergency Management and Homeland Security, emphasizes that students don't just talk about theory; they immediately put it into practice. This means frequent field exercises, simulations in their dedicated lab, and even participation in real-world disaster responses as volunteers. This practical experience is crucial in a field that's constantly changing. While individuals can complete independent FEMA courses, the real challenge lies in practical application, such as filling out an IC form or making a resource request through software, which is where Penn College's curriculum excels due to its integration of D4H.

D4H in the Curriculum: From Classroom to Command Post

Students at Penn College start with foundational courses like "Introduction to Emergency Management" and delve into critical areas such as "Critical Infrastructure" and "Geospatial Analysis." However, one of the most impactful classes is the"Incident Command System" (ICS), where D4H truly comes into play.

Katie Martin, a student and firefighter, explains how D4H helps them take a "3,000-foot level" view of incidents, moving beyond the tactical perspective they're used to as first responders. It allows them to reorganize their thoughts and implement strategies effectively.

"D4H allows us to take a step back, recognize our thoughts, and then respond well to the incident."

— Katie Martin, Penn College Student and Firefighter

Micaiah Stake, another student and firefighter/EMT, echoed this, highlighting how D4H helps with "lingo and understanding" and translating field knowledge into the management side.

The students highlighted a common pain point in emergency management is the reliance on outdated, paper-based forms. As Micaiah explained, before D4H, they were doing everything on paper or they downloaded the form to Google Docs or Word and shared it. The lead to struggle with software crashes and lack of real-time updates was a common complaint.

Colton, a student from Washington State who came to Penn College for a different program and "fell in love" with Emergency Management, perfectly articulated the impact of D4H. Coming from a wildland firefighting background where "they still use paper for everything," he sees D4H as a game-changer. He noted that D4H allows everyone in the classroom to log on simultaneously and work on something together, fostering real-time collaboration and communication that's essential in the field.

"D4H would be amazing in the Wildland fire industry for the fact that they still use paper, and I have no clue what's going on when responding. Being able to use D4H has greatly expanded my knowledge for emergency response using D4H will greatly help everyone."

— Colton, Penn College Student

Instructors like Will are excited about expanding D4H's use across the entire program. From customizing systems in the "Technology and Emergency Management" class to using it for long-term recovery planning, D4H's flexibility makes it an invaluable tool. The ability to integrate mapping features, track resources, and maintain a common operating picture all within one platform eliminates the need for clunky, separate software.

"Something I like about D4H is we don't have to use another mapping software, being able to use the resource request and then take the pin and drag it to where we are going to stage them on the map is super helpful"

— Micaiah Stake, Penn College Student and Firefighter

While using D4H the students have full access to D4H support, and when struggling with adding users, student Katie contacted support and was thrilled to receive a fast response, highlighting the importance of customer support if and when D4H is being used in the field.

"I was struggling and I emailed your help team, and they responded immediately, I was so impressed I couldn't believe they emailed me back so quickly!"

— Katie Martin, Penn College Student and Firefighter

Incident Exercise

D4H was used for a major incident exercise conducted by Penn College, simulating a missing persons scenario. In this high-stakes simulation, student Micaiah Stake was unexpectedly assigned as the Incident Commander (IC). What made this particularly challenging was not only her lack of prior IC experience but also the fact that D4H Incident Management software was entirely new to the entire team.

"During our major exercise, D4H worked great. We hadn't used the software a whole lot before the incident it was brand new to everyone. I was able to log on as incident manager, start assigning roles and tasks and it was really easy to use."

— Micaiah Stake, Penn College Student and Firefighter

The students used D4H Incident Management without prior training, and they found could effectively manage complex incidents. The practice incident run by the college for the students was a missing persons exercise across 70 acres of a remote wooded area. The ability to instantly share photos of debris and pinpoint locations in real-time within the software was particularly lauded, showcasing how D4H arms emergency managers with tools to make their vital work more manageable and respond effectively and confidently. The consensus was that D4H makes their job easier, not harder, demonstrating its potential to revolutionize emergency management education and practice.

"D4H has changed how we work as a team, when you work on the field you never work individually, D4H allows ease of communication and collaboration."

— William Schlosser, Instructor, Emergency Management & Homeland Security

Looking Ahead: The Future is Bright with D4H

The partnership between Pennsylvania College of Technology and D4H is a testament to how academic institutions can proactively prepare students for the demands of the modern emergency management landscape. By embracing user-friendly, comprehensive software like D4H, Penn College is ensuring its graduates are not only knowledgeable in theory but also highly proficient in the practical application of emergency response.

As Billy from D4H aptly summarized, the goal is to equip future emergency managers with "creative solutions" and "simplistic outcomes." The enthusiastic feedback from the students and instructors at Penn College clearly shows that D4H is doing just that – making their jobs easier and helping them focus on what truly matters: keeping communities safe.

"The usability of D4H is immensely amazing, it is going to change the Emergency Management field forever"

— Katie Martin, Penn College Student and Firefighter