Fugate, Glover Join with IRSC to Bolster Public Safety Education Programs

Fugate, Glover Join with IRSC to Bolster Public Safety Education Programs

April 26, 2021 Suzanne Seldes

FORT PIERCE, FL— Two internationally recognized authorities in homeland security—former FEMA Administrator William “Craig” Fugate and explosives expert Rod Glover—have joined with Indian River State College (IRSC) to expand and enhance the College’s offerings in emergency management, planning, and threat assessment. These key additions to the IRSC Team come at a time when IRSC is shoring up its efforts to build a comprehensive emergency management and continuing operations program for students and emergency professionals across the nation.

As a Strategic Consultant in the area of emergency management, Fugate will assess IRSC’s current program offerings; suggest and/or enhance content for basic and advanced emergency management program offerings; support practical exercises; identify best practices and new curriculum models; provide support on grant development and community engagement and more. The uniquely qualified Fugate brings decades of experience, including posts as Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

Fugate is a published author on risk mitigation and disaster response for extreme weather events and climate change and a sought-after guest lecturer on defense support and disaster response. He is also a Senior Instructor and Advisor with the U.S. Army Civilian Emergency Management Program on roles of emergency management in support of the U.S. Army’s mission. He recently served as a volunteer member of President Joe Biden’s Transition Agency Review Team to support transition efforts related to the Department of Homeland Security. In recognition of his expertise and leadership, Fugate has earned the National Hurricane Conference “Neil Frank” Award, the Florida National Guide Hall of Fame Award, and the National Emergency Management Association’s “Lacy E. Suiter Distinguished Service Award.”

“Craig Fugate is the foremost expert on emergency management, and he brings an incredible opportunity to Indian River State College, our students, and our community partners,” says Joan Rivera, Assistant Professor, Emergency Administration and Management. “With his knowledge and expertise available here on our campus, there’s no limit to what we can do to prepare our students, our communities and our nation’s first responders.”

Rod Glover comes to IRSC with more than 34 years of experience in law enforcement, counter-terrorism and explosives. He has worked with numerous agencies, including the F.B.I., U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center for Domestic Preparedness and the U.S. State Department. Glover is Program Manager for law enforcement and explosive-related training programs of the Alabama Fire College where, among other initiatives, he developed advanced investigations programs to investigate suspicious fires and explosions and an Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response (A.S.H.E.R.) Training Program for first responders. Earlier this year, Glover presented sessions at IRSC on international IED trends to area law enforcement and fire personnel and leadership, IRSC students and IRSC Safety and Security officers. He will develop and lead the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Counter Threat Awareness Training Initiatives for IRSC.

“In today’s world, our fast and full response to disasters—manmade and natural—and their aftermath is critical,” says IRSC President Dr. Timothy Moore. “The role of the emergency manager cannot be underestimated. For many corporations, it has evolved to a C-suite position. Bringing Craig and Rod on board to enhance IRSC’s programming is essential to achieve our goal to become the leading educational provider for this crucial and growing segment of the workforce.”

IRSC currently offers degree programs in emergency management: an Associate in Science in Emergency Administration and Management and a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration Emergency Planning and Management Concentration. Additionally, through its National Preparedness Institute, it delivers community-wide emergency response training to public and private partners in areas that include Incident Command System, Business Continuity, and Disaster Operations. Also, it designs and facilitates exercises that address partners’ specific needs. These programs are housed at IRSC’s Treasure Coast Public Safety Training Complex in Fort Pierce, one of the most comprehensive, technologically advanced public safety training facilities in the nation.