Mastering Emergency Response: Enhance Your Skills in Risk Assessment

It’s not your imagination – natural disasters are becoming more frequent and more damaging. As the earth’s climate warms, the question is not if a disaster will hit your area, but when.

The U.S. has already seen a record number of billion-dollar disasters in 2023 so far. We’ve seen wildfire smoke blanketing the northeast, an uncommonly active hurricane season, and blistering heat across the southern U.S.  There’s been flooding in California and New England, destructive hail in Colorado, and at least 1,000 tornadoes in the Midwest. Most devastating of all, a wildfire in Lahaina, Maui, killed at least 115 people.

This new reality may soon become relevant in a place you wouldn’t expect – your workplace. Businesses are increasingly acknowledging the need to plan for disasters, mitigate their effects, and be part of the solution.

In the Environmental Policy and Management program at the University of Denver’s University College, we’re focused on business acumen and equip professionals to lead the way in addressing natural disaster risk.

For professionals seeking to build expertise in environmental emergency management specifically, our Emergency Planning and Response concentration teaches how to mitigate and respond to disasters and major environmental emergencies. You can study risk reduction strategies, learn to create and execute an emergency management plan, and build the skills to effectively respond to environmental incidents, from initial response through recovery.

For a wider scope, the Flex Path program allows you to tailor your course of environmental study, choosing eight courses for your master’s degree that are most relevant to your desired career path. This could include classes in environmental policy, sustainability, health and safety, or analytics.

Every organization, large and small, now must consider its natural disaster risk and response. For workers seeking to lead prevention and resilience efforts, the Environmental Policy and Management program at University College makes career and business sense.