FTV 12/20/2012 MMA Cadets and their Majors- EM

Ian Memmi is a 2/C Emergency Management Cadet. He is also participating in the Cadet EMT program, new to the Academy.

Question 1. In your own words, explain your major.
Answer- "Emergency Management. Need I say more? It is the management of emergencies in terms of preparation, planning, and communication."

Question 2. Explain why you chose your major.
Answer- "It's the only thing that I've ever imagined myself doing. I enjoy the challenge, and feel gratified by the opportunity to serve the people and their safety."

Question 3. After graduation, what do you hope to do with your degree?
Answer- "I am interested in working at the local or county level, mostly with response to hazardous materials incidents."


Emergency management professionals protect communities by coordinating and integrating all activities necessary to prepare for, respond to, and recover from threatened or actual natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters. The profession and the academic discipline that addresses this 'management' of emergencies and disasters is called emergency management. An emergency is any unplanned event that can cause deaths or significant injuries, shut down business or disrupt operations, cause physical or environmental damage and/or threaten reputation or revenue.

Emergencies and disasters come in all shapes and sizes. They include hurricanes, earthquakes, hazardous materials incidents, flooding, structure fires, tornadoes, terrorism, protests, human epidemics, volcanic eruptions, drought, heat waves, power outages, computer system failures and many, many more.

Whatever the event, effective coordination among federal, state, country and local government, the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGO's) and volunteer agencies- before, during and after an incident- is crucial to effective emergency management. The role of the emergency manger is to promote coordination among all of these parties.

The Kennedy's recent trip to New York was to aid and support the Emergency Workers.

Here is a fact sheet to learn about  Emergency Management Careers
Try these activities to learn more about Getting Ready for local emergencies.

FTV 12/17/12 The Kennedy Returns Home

Thanks to Cadet Meghan Thibeault for these pics

A Message from 

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

She’s back!

I suspect everyone had the same feeling driving down Academy Drive as they came on campus: the ship is safely back! After many long weeks of 24/7 work caring for and feeding the thousands of FEMA workers who were canvassing the neighborhoods of Staten Island New York helping out the victims of Hurricane Sandy, the officers and crew of the Kennedy have returned home safely - just in time for the Christmas holiday season.

Before they departed New York Saturday morning, David Matsuda, the US Maritime Administrator, presented Captain Bushy and all of the members of the Kennedy crew with the Merchant Marine Medal for their stalwart, steadfast service to the people of New York, hit so hard by the terrible storm. When the call for support came in early November, the officers and crew all volunteered for the task, not knowing how long they might be away. They missed many weekends and evenings with loved ones and even gave up Thanksgiving with their families to give a Thanksgiving celebration to the FEMA workers who were there on Staten Island trying to put life back together for the victims. Because of the efforts of the offices and crew of Kennedy, the FEMA workers responding to the emergency had a safe, warm place to sleep and good food to eat, both located right next to the neighborhoods they were assisting. No long transits to the disaster site from crowded motels hours from their work as after Hurricane Katrina, saving hundreds of thousands of man-hours and contributing to the efficiency of the entire operation.

Please join me in welcoming our friends and co-workers home and thanking them for their service to the communities so hard hit by Hurricane Sandy. While the MMA community now returns to our routine, happy to have our friends and family back home, may all who suffered losses due to the storm soon see a return to a more normal life.

With the ship safely returned to its  dock at home in Buzzards Bay. We can now look forward to preparing for our 2013 Seaterm. To accompany the daily FTV blog we have log books, one for each student, available to track the voyage virtually and classroom wall maps of the trip. These resources are available free to classrooms that are going to Follow the Voyage this year.

If you would like these free resources delivered to your school please
contact me with the names of the teachers their email addresses, number of
students logs required and number of classroom maps needed. If you would like a classroom visit from Alicia Tarr, cadet blogger, please email me so that we can make arrangements.

I look forward to sharing another sea adventure with your classes. Please feel free to stay in touch with me throughout the voyage at memery@maritime.edu