The Field-Delivered Executive Education Seminars are conducted around the country by CHDS teams comprised of nationally recognized experts from a variety of fields. Each seminar is designed to enhance preparedness and challenge leaders to think about the complexity of a major off-site nuclear power plant emergency incident and the public’s response to such an incident. CHDS teams work with requesting agencies and organizations to customize educational content and format to meet participant needs and objectives. Seminars are delivered in an open-dialogue, roundtable discussion format comprised of CHDS subject matter panelists and local senior leaders (elected officials, state/jurisdictional/agency/industry leadership). 

Seminar Objectives

REP Executive Education Seminars are designed to help senior leaders discuss their roles, responsibilities, key decisions, and actions in response to a fictional commercial nuclear power plant incident. This is accomplished through a facilitated discussion with a variety of key participants from jurisdictions that are involved with emergency planning/preparedness for the designated nuclear power plant, along with a panel of subject matter experts. Specific objectives may include, but are not limited to:

• Identify and examine complex radiological emergency preparedness challenges around nuclear power plants in the post-Fukushima Daiichi environment.
• Increase the overall knowledge and awareness of radiological emergency preparedness issues at the policy, strategic, and organizational design levels.
• Increasing the awareness of potential emergency situations and protective actions by communicating facts and updates about the situation quickly and factually.
• Discuss potential options to meet those challenges in practical and sustainable ways.
• Set the stage for follow-up action and future educational opportunities.

Seminar Participants

Seminar attendance is determined by the host agency in collaboration with CHDS and typically includes twenty-five to thirty-five senior leaders (elected officials, state/jurisdictional/agency/industry leadership). Seminar invitations are extended by the lead local executive (mayor/county executive) to senior leadership representing key agencies and departments within the designated jurisdiction.

Duration

REP Seminars are flexible in length but are typically conducted over a four-hour session to accommodate the busy schedules of local, state, and industry executives.

Location

REP Seminars are typically conducted at the local power plant facility or other local venue determined by the host agency/organization and CHDS.

COST

All costs (event/venue costs, CHDS experts, curriculum development, etc.) are covered by CHDS through its sponsor, FEMA THD.

Application

To request a REP seminar, email chds-eep@nps.edu (RE: REP Seminar)

The In-Residence REP Executive Education Program is designed for local, state, federal, tribal, territorial, and industry leaders responsible for off-site, fixed nuclear facility emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. This program is developed to accommodate the busy schedules of participating executives and does not require the workload of traditional graduate-level education programs.

COURSE DURATION & COMMITMENT

Participants spend two (2) five-day sessions in-residence over the course of a six-month period. Participants must commit to attending all days of both sessions.

LOCATION

The first in-residence week is conducted in the National Capital Region at the Bolger Center, while the second in-residence week (six months later) is conducted at CHDS on the campus of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

COST

All costs (travel, per diem, lodging, books) are covered by CHDS through its sponsor, FEMA THD.

REMOTE ASSIGNMENTS & TIME COMMITMENT

The workload outside of the two in-residence weeks is minimal, as the curriculum is designed to accommodate the demanding schedules of executive-level participants and their busy jobs. Remote assignments include:

• Required Reading: In preparation for the in-residence sessions, participants are encouraged to read one book plus several short publications/articles.
• Group Project: Group projects are assigned during the first in-residence week, and group members work together remotely, often once per month, during the six-month gap. Each group presents its project during the second in-residence week.

CRITERIA & ELIGIBILITY

The following are minimum qualifications applicants should have to be considered for admission:

• Full-time local, state, federal, tribal, territorial, or industry leaders with responsibilities in off-site, fixed nuclear facility emergency preparedness, response, and recovery.
• A demonstrated commitment to a career in public safety and emergency management.
• Applicants should have strong collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and an appreciation for continuous education and professional growth.

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Course Objectives & Curriculum

The REP Executive Education Program curriculum is constantly evolving to meet the needs of leaders within the Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) community. Sessions are a mixture of interactive and informative presentations, discussions, and group exercises. 

Overarching Objective

To educate current and future leaders by providing them with information, skills and knowledge required to identify strategic radiological emergency preparedness opportunities and problems, to think critically and strategically about those issues, and to develop potential solution paths and innovations to mitigate the challenges. The focus of this offering is to stretch the mental environment of the participants to help them embrace, and be prepared for, the emergency management challenges of the future.

The objectives also include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Developing leadership qualities that enable effective decision-making, communication, and coordination during radiological emergencies at a nuclear power plant.
• Interagency Coordination: promote the ability to collaborate with various agencies, both internally and externally, to ensure a unified and coordinated response during radiological emergencies.
• Resource allocation: enhance the ability to efficiently allocate resources such as personnel, equipment, and materials, to address radiological incidents effectively.
• Integration of Artificial Intelligence and Modern Technologies in radiological emergency planning
• Enhance communication skills to convey critical information clearly and efficiently during radiological events.
• Encourage active participation in emergency response exercises to apply leadership skills, strategic thinking, and technical expertise in simulated radiological events.

Each student will also be assigned to a group that will be tasked to research and develop a presentation regarding a specific challenge in REP that will be presented during the second week of the cohort. Each cohort will be divided into 4 groups with each group being assigned a specific problem to research between the first week (February) and the second week (August). The research and development of the group projects will be largely accomplished via virtual means.

Application Considerations & Cohort Makeup

The cohort of participants will be chosen from a national applicant pool and will reflect the variety of professional backgrounds and geographic areas that comprise the REP community. Program participant selection considers the relevancy and level of applicants’ positions, radiological emergency preparedness responsibilities, and the experience and knowledge they will bring to the program. These considerations are essential as the sessions include facilitated discussions and debates where participants learn from one another.

In addition, a significant objective of the program is to establish relationships between executives across disciplines, agencies, and levels of government so that participants can utilize their network to develop new radiological emergency preparedness policies, strategies, and plans to solve problems. Therefore, program participant selection will also consider the potential benefit of relationship building to the applicant.

Participants represent agencies such as:

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
• Department of Energy (DOE)
• Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)
• Private-sector nuclear power industries
• Radiation protection
• Private healthcare/hospitals
• Public health NGOs
• Federal/state/local public health
• State/local emergency management
• State/local law enforcement, fire, EMS

The REP Early Career Executive Education Program is designed for local, state, federal, tribal, territorial, and industry emerging leaders responsible for off-site, fixed nuclear facility emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. This program offers a unique opportunity for REP professionals who are in the early stage of their career or are seasoned professionals transitioning into a REP-focused position.

Course Duration & Commitment

Participants spend one (1) five-day session in-residence.  Participants must commit to attending all days of the session.

In addition to the innovation project mentioned above, there are typically a couple of textbooks and a handful of publications students are asked to read before the in-residence session.  The workload outside of the in-residence week is minimal as the offering is designed to accommodate the busy schedules and demands of the participants’ jobs. 

Location

In-residence sessions are typically conducted at CHDS on the campus of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. 

cost

All costs (travel, per diem, lodging, books) are covered by CHDS through its sponsor, FEMA THD.

Criteria & Eligibility

The following are minimum qualifications applicants should have to be considered for admission:

• Full-time local, state, federal, tribal, territorial, or industry professional with responsibilities in off-site, fixed nuclear facility emergency preparedness, response, and recovery.
• Preferably less than 12 years total full-time work experience (including all non-radiological emergency preparedness full-time jobs, but not counting high school, post-high school, temporary or college jobs), OR are transitioning into a REP-focused position, with at least one year (approximately) with current agency or organization.
• A demonstrated commitment to a career in radiological emergency preparedness.
• Applicants should have strong collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and an appreciation for continuous education and professional growth.
• An enjoyment of learning through interactive activities.

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Course Objectives & Curriculum

The REP Early Career curriculum is constantly evolving to meet the needs of early career leaders within the Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) community. Sessions are a mixture of interactive and informative presentations, discussions, and group exercises. 

REP Early Career Overarching Objectives:

• Enhance the next generation of Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) leaders’ understanding of the REP discipline and emerging trends.
• Broaden participants’ REP perspectives and what they view as opportunities for change and contributions their generation can make to the evolving discipline.
• Emphasize and enhance critical inquiry, analysis, and evidence-based research to understand complex problems and to develop and implement new ideas.
• Develop and explore strategies for success in a changing work environment.
• Inspire participants to a career in radiological emergency preparedness.

A significant piece of this offering’s application is submitting an innovation project by which applicants research and develop an idea for change within their organizations (e.g., new policy, approach, program, procedure, system, use of technology, etc.).  Admitted participants will build upon this project for pre-course work and will prepare to present their ideas to their cohort for feedback.  Upon completing this program, participants are encouraged to submit their ideas to their agency leadership for consideration.

Participants represent agencies such as:

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
• Department of Energy (DOE)
• Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)
• Private-sector nuclear power industries
• Radiation protection
• Private healthcare/hospitals
• Public health NGOs
• Federal/state/local public health
• State/local emergency management
• State/local law enforcement, fire, EMS

The cohort of participants will be chosen from a national applicant pool and will reflect the variety of professional backgrounds and geographic areas that comprise the REP community. Participant selection considers the relevancy and level of applicants’ positions, radiological emergency preparedness responsibilities, and the experience and knowledge they will bring to the program. These considerations are essential as the sessions include facilitated discussions and debates where participants learn from one another.

In addition, a significant objective of the program is to establish relationships across disciplines, agencies, and levels of government so that participants can utilize their network to develop new radiological emergency preparedness policies, strategies, and plans to solve problems. Therefore, participant selection will also consider the potential benefit of relationship building to the applicant.