Alumnus wins annual award for achievements in health care
Former student receives the Canadian Emergency Management Award for work in health care
Norman Ferrier will be receiving the Canadian Emergency Management Award for his contributions to the development of emergency management in Canadian healthcare. Norman's increasing interest in the world of health care, particularly in the practice of emergency management, has also led him to publish a university level textbook called 'Fundamentals of Emergency Management: Preparedness'.
Norman obtained an MSc in Emergency Planning and Disaster Management (2005) from the University of Hertfordshire, as this was unavailable in Canada at the time. 'The coursework was presented as a series of two week 'intensive'. Classes were all day, every day, for two weeks, with dinner in the Ele House and the evening spent in the LRC.
'Exams were done at a distance, proctored by a local university and I even stayed an extra couple of weeks to complete my thesis, so that I would have access to the library. All of this whilst holding down a full-time job! It was a LOT of work, but worth it! At a time when no professional degree was available to me in Canada, the University not only admitted me, but provided me with a world-class education in my field which has served me brilliantly ever since.'
In addition to Norman's academic credentials, he has real-life experience in the management of disasters and has been working on emergency and risk management projects for a wide range of hospitals. Working across Ontario and beyond, he has been involved in large, small, urban and rural facilities, encompassing most points across the health care continuum.
This prestigious award is presented annually by the Canadian Emergency Management and Public Safety Institute. The award ceremony took place on June 24, 2013 at the World Conference on Disaster Management, in Toronto, Canada.