Emergency Management
Emergency Management News
Tuesday, May 7, 2024: Today marks our fifth to last day in Guatemala. As our time here starts to wind down, we have come to have a deep appreciation for the people and culture of Guatemala. Spending almost a full month in this amazing country has allowed us to immerse ourselves in the everyday work and lifestyle of Mayan and Guatemalan people.
Today, we started the second day of our final week of work at all of our worksites. In Brillo De Sol, we prepped and primed the exterior walls to prepare them for a final coat of paint. Two of the students in the group and CAPT Lennon went to the empty lot that will eventually become the school's new campus where they installed a fence. The children were at the school today, and it was nice to interact with them and explain what we were doing at their school for the week.
The second group was in San Antonio where they helped a local family rebuild their outdoor kitchen. They cemented a group of cinderblocks together to create a proper foundation for the kitchen, enabling a dry space during the rainy season. This will allow the family to prepare proper meals in the upcoming months.
The last group was at Santa Maria de Jesus. They spent the work day chiseling out the subfloor and pulling up floor tiles which will help the school repair the cracked foundation and install new flooring. During break time, they played a large group soccer game, creating a closer bonding experience with the staff and the students.
During Spanish class, some students and their teachers enjoyed a hike up to the Cerro de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross). Thanks for reading! We will see you tomorrow for another daily update. -Matilda Laux
homemade comfort food in the form of breakfast burritos. After fueling up, the three teams set off to their weekly worksites. One team, comprised of DJ, Reece, Victoria, and Shayla, began the noble task of
rebuilding a storage shed for a low-income family in San Antonio. Meanwhile, another group consisting of Alex, Ryan, Zack, and Chris, journeyed to Santa Maria De Jesus to tackle the remaining floor removal left unfinished by a previous group. Lastly, Jacob, Matilda, Jenny, Aidan, and Will headed to Brillo De Sol to focus on fencing the new property and painting. Throughout the day, there were memorable moments aplenty. Reece couldn't resist breaking into song and dance, serenading the worksite with some country tunes. Ryan's powerful hammer swing ended up breaking the tool's head, and he later engaged in an intense soccer match between twelve students from Jardin De Amor and four MMA students.
Later, the team reconvened for Spanish school, coinciding with Ixchel Spanish School's 25th-anniversary celebration. Everyone received complementary shirts to mark the occasion. As the day wound down, team members pursued various activities, such as shopping for gifts, resting at the hostel, and indulging in two-for-one burgers at Door Eleven. A particularly amusing moment unfolded at the restaurant when the team claimed two birthdays, leading to an unsuspecting duo of Jacob Nutter and Aidan Weir receiving a surprise cheesecake and a rendition of the birthday song in Spanish. Afterward, the team regrouped at the hostel, enjoying each other's company while watching the Bruins game and sharing stories from the day's adventures. -Alex Barbour-
Saturday May 4, 2024: Hola from Lake Atitlán!
Today’s forecast was sunny and 80 degrees, perfect for exploring the Lake. The lake has 9 small towns and today we explored two of them; San Marcos and Santa Cruz.
Our day started at 0900 with a buffet breakfast including eggs, fruit, beans and toast. Shortly after, our guide Tania took us all to San Juan. San Juan was founded in the early 1500s and consists of mainly a Tzutujil ethnicity. This is only one of the 22 Mayan ethnic groups with a total population of about 100,000. In San Juan, we visited Kaqasiiwaan Viewpoint. After a 15-20min walk, we were able to see all of San Juan and other neighboring towns from above.
Some of the students ventured off in the local town and stopped by Kemo textil where they learned how natural dye and waist looms are used to create handmade textiles.
Our last stop before heading back to the hostel was San Marcos La Laguna. We had lunch, checked out the local Tienda’s (stores) and went cliff jumping.
We finished our night at Santa Cruz with a BBQ dinner provided by our Hostel and a costume party.
-Christopher Ely-
Friday, May 3rd-- Today we went to Violetta’s for breakfast and she served waffles with fruit. Muy delicioso. We had a long trek to Lake Atitlán. It took about 3 hours to drive to the lake.
Lake Atitlán is in the Sierra Mountain range of Guatemala and is the deepest lake in Central America. It sits in a caldera formed by a volcano that erupted 84,000 years ago. It is 5,125 feet above sea level, over 50 square miles in surface area, and 1,125 feet deep at its deepest point. There are several Mayan villages along the outside of the lake that we can go to by water taxi.
We entered in the town of Panajachel in which we took a water taxi to Santa Cruz. This is the village we’ll be staying at and we are sleeping in the La Iguana Perdida hostel (https://laiguanaperdida.com/).
Once we settled in, we went for a swim in the lake, played some pool, and sat down for a family style dinner at the hostel. For dinner, we had zucchini soup, estofado (a Guatemalan dish), and a fruit tart for dessert. In the evening, a game night was hosted by the hostel. We all had a blast and rested for the rest of the night. 2/C Jennifer Verrilli
Thursday, May 2: Hola from Antigua, Guatemala! Today was our last workday for week two. Group 1 finished tearing up and tiling classroom floors at the Jardin De Amor school in Santa Maria de Jesus. They also played with the students in the schoolyard.
Group 2 was in San Antonio today continuing work on projects in support of the Community Center. Today, we worked at a local family’s house that was in need of our help. We started repairing the roof of their kitchen as it had many leaks, and with the rainy season approaching in Guatemala it needed an upgrade. The rainy season typically lasts from the middle of May to October, so having their roof ready to go for the rainy season was a priority. We also removed a tree stump that the family wanted gone.
Group 3 made great progress at Brillo de Sol in San Pedro Las Huertos this week! Today, they finished spreading gravel around the playground which created a walkway for students to use. They also sorted through some scrap wood which will eventually be used for a fence that will outline a plot of land a few blocks away from Brillo. Building this fence will be our project next week. The plot of land was donated to Brillo de Sol which will eventually be the location of a new school building. Students at Brillo thanked Group 3 by making them cards, which shows how much the work we are doing means to their community.
We split up for dinner tonight. Some of us went out for pizza, while others and I went to Monoloco, where we were able to watch some of the Bruins' game. Also, we had a surprise encounter at the local supermarket as Matilda and a few others ran into Violetta.
We head out to Lake Atitlán tomorrow morning, all of us are excited to explore the lake and relax this weekend! - Aidan Weir
Tuesday, May 1, 2024: Hola! Today was Labor Day in Guatemala, so San Antonio was closed, but SMJ and Brillo del Sol were both still open. Group 2, who was originally supposed to go to San Antonio, tagged along with Group 1 at Brillo del Sol and combined for a group of 9 cadets. With no distractions from the niños, we were able to get a lot of work done. We fully repaired a bench that was in very rough shape, and it passed the Nutter and Professor Cadwalader stress test. Another small group worked on digging out and laying a foundation for our gravel and cinder block outline for the play area. During Spanish class at the Ixchel Spanish School, there was a mini celebration for the school's 25th anniversary. We all got matching shirts to celebrate and plan to wear them on Monday for a nice group photo. After doing some review on vocabulary and other various things, everyone broke off into groups and we played Spanish games. My group played “Basta!” which is a game that involves writing a verb, name, fruit/vegetable, and thing based on a randomly selected letter. After this, a large group of students went to Pappy's BBQ, which is conveniently down the street and was voted as a Top 50 certified Angus beef vendor in the entire world. Overall, it was another great day. Thank you for reading, and we will continue to update you as the trip goes on.
--Luke Tedstone--
Tuesday, April 30: ¡Hola! Today is day 14 of our stay in Guatemala. The diversity and culture in this wonderful country are eye-opening in the best way!
As you read these blogs, you most likely already know that we visit Violeta each morning and afternoon for food. Today was special because, for lunch, we had slow-cooked pork and rice, which was super tasty. To shine a light on the work that each group is doing, a highlight of our work days is provided below!
Group one (my group) is spending the week in San Antonio, where we are building furniture for local schools. We caught a chicken bus this morning, which is a privately owned public form of transportation. Because of this, the families that own the buses can decorate them and play any music they want! We were accompanied by Spanish pop music today, and I added a few songs to my playlist! It’s always nice to be engulfed in the Guatemalan culture without feeling too much like a tourist.
We are working at a warehouse-type building on the property of a beautiful home nestled on a hill behind a small garden of shrubbery in San Antonio. Today, we built bookcases for schools in San Antonio with the wood planks we sanded and insect-treated yesterday. We put up four bookcases with three shelves each that should hold enough books and textbooks for one class each. That project took up most of the morning, so we called it a day with plans to start a new project on the next workday.
Group two continues working at Santa María De Jesús at Jardín de Amor school. They finished tiling one of the classroom floors and started demolition work on another classroom floor to make way for new floor replacements. Putting in new tile will help protect the school's second floor, saving the school resources and money. The group also played with the children at the school during their recess time and it’s heartwarming to see the gratitude the children and teachers have for the work being put into the school.
Group three is at Brio De Sol where they are engaged in outdoor earthwork projects to improve drainage in the schoolyard. This included building a gravel walkway with a brick retaining wall and spreading several yards of gravel in low areas. In Guatemala, there are only two seasons, wet and dry. With the dry season coming to an end and the heavy rains coming soon, this work is very timely. Group three also removed some of the rotting wood accumulating at the school and worked on building a waterproof roof for a storage shed.
Most of the students got two-for-one tacos at Tacorazon for dinner, a great deal if you ask me! For dessert, we went to a local restaurant called Cafe Boheme, which has a hidden-away terrace with the best brownie and ice cream combinations. The terrace is filled with different plants and flowers, and the liveliness of the restaurant was captivating! For 25 quetzales, we will definitely be going back.
If you are a future student interested in this amazing trip, I highly suggest this hidden gem!
As this trip comes to a mid-point, it’s important that I take a minute to reflect on the beauty of Guatemala and how fortunate we are to be given the opportunity to help communities in need.
¡Hasta Luego! -Matilda Laux
Monday, April 29th - Hola everyone today we started our second week of working meaning each group has switched locations. Group 1 (my group) who consists of Victoria Boss, DJ Faivre, Reece Gannon, John Hagan, and Shayla Narodowg finished up at Brillo de Sol last week and are now working at Jardin De Amor in Santa Maria de Jesus. Group 2 consisting of Matilda Laux, Jacob Nutter, Will Tedstone, Jenny Verrilli, and Aidan Weir moved from Santa Maria de Jesus to San Antonio. Group 3 consisting of Zachary Bohnet, Christopher Ely, Ryan Hunt, and Alex Barbour switched from San Antonio to Brillo de Sol where I was working last week.
Up at Jardin De Amor in Santa Maria de Jesus Group 1 continued tiling the floor from last week and have very few tiles left to do. We also started sanding the front gate getting it ready to be painted later this week. Luckily it wasn’t all work out there and we were able to interact with the kids who go to school there. I also got to talk to one of the teachers there who had graduated from the school in 2005 and came back to teach. The Jardin De Amor is a non-profit, privately-funded, and non-affiliated school that hopes to help the poor get out of poverty through education. They also provide classes for pregnant women to teach them how to provide the necessary vitamins and nutrients (which they provide) for the child up to 5 years old. You can find all of their information here as well as a great video about the school. https://www.jardindeamorschool.com/
Group 2 out at San Antonio sanded and stained a bunch of wood all morning for a future project that we’ll hopefully learn more about as the week progresses.
Group 3 who have the pleasure of working at Brillio de Sol this week started spreading gravel around to build a walkway.
Once everyone was back from their worksites and lunch we headed over to our Spanish lessons. Since it’s a new week the seating arrangement in the school switched causing a few of us to sit at the wrong tables though luckily we all ended up where we needed to be very quickly. At school, we also learned that it’s their 25th anniversary this week so we are all getting T-shirts to celebrate.
We had another great day working at the sights and we can’t wait for our experience to continue.
Hasta la mañana, John Hagan
Saturday, April 27, 2024: Today marks day 11 of our trip. We ate pancakes and pineapple at 0715 for breakfast before we got on a bus at 0800 to take us to our two-day adventure at Volcan Acatenanago. We arrived around 0930 and embarked on our long journey up the volcano.
Just a little background of Acatenango. Acatenango is part of the Sierra Madre mountain chain that runs through Central America. It is a dormant volcano that sits next to its active partner, Volcan Fuego. We began in farmland and crossed through a cloud forest and a high alpine forest before clearing the treeline and reaching volcanic terrain. The trails were often straight up with few switchbacks. The volcano is over 13,000 feet high. The base area is at approximately 7,000 feet so we gained about 6,000 feet of altitude.
It was around 85 degrees Fahrenheit on our walk up to the campsite, so trying to stay hydrated was more difficult. We took breaks along the way and took our time getting to the top. About halfway up we stopped and had lunch. Lunch consisted of chicken burritos, rice, cucumbers, Oreos, and juice boxes. It was just the fuel we needed to keep pushing our way to the top.
We had three guides that spread out throughout our group to make sure we all made it up okay. One was at the front, one in the middle, and one at the back. They were all very encouraging and allowed us to go at our own pace. Some of us never saw a guide because we were in between the one in the front and the one in the middle, but they all made sure that if they saw us they asked if we were okay and motivated us to keep going. There were times when we wanted to quit, but we all pushed each other to make it to the finish line. In total, it took us about 6 hours to get to our campsite.
Once at the campsite, tents were set up, and distributed among the group. We were provided with pads that went underneath our sleeping bags, for a little extra cushion. Hot chocolate and banana bread were passed around as a snack before dinner to warm us up. The temperature dropped significantly at the top, down to about 50 degrees, but it felt nice nonetheless after the long hike up.
We could see Fuego across as it erupted smoke and, at some points, even lava. Experiencing these sights was one of the most unique experiences you can imagine, and probably one that some of us won’t see again. As we were walking up, we could hear the rumble from Volcan Fuego erupting, but being able to see it was breathtaking. We weren’t able to see any of the lava until it started to get darker, but once we were able to view it, we were all excited and wanted to see more. We were up above the clouds. We were so high up that we couldn’t see the towns down below. The clouds just covered them up.
A campfire was started, and dinner was distributed, which consisted of more hot chocolate, chicken, rice, and mixed vegetables. Once dinner was done, we all just sat around the fire talking and slowly started making our way to our tents to get some much-needed rest. By the time we were going to sleep, the temperature was about 40 degrees, but it made for one of the best nights' sleep that some of us had got all trip.
-3/C Shayla Narodowg
Sunday, April 28, 2024: After a long night of enjoying each other's company by the fire, the group was supposed to wake up at 0400 to climb to the summit and get a better view of El Fuego and the sunrise. We could not do this due to inclement weather so we slept in until about 6:15 AM. We cleaned up camp and enjoyed some more once-in-a-lifetime views of the volcano. We all concluded that we may never see something of this magnitude again. Knowing this, the experience became much more precious.
At 0800, we began our descent down the volcano. Some of us walked and enjoyed the scenery of the volcano, which had taken us five-plus hours to hike the day prior. In contrast, others sprinted down the side of the volcano as quickly as possible, racing to the bus that would bring us back to our beds at the Purpose Hostel. Many of those speedsters said this event was one of the most fun moments on the trip. They ran down the trail, carved off speed at the turns, slid in the volcanic ash and soil, and even jumped off trees to keep on the trails. Along the way, the group suffered minor collisions with barbed wire, trees, and ravines; although no one was severely injured, most were just dirtier than they would have liked.
The bus ride back was quiet. Everyone was exhausted from the trek up the volcano the day before and the following run down, except for Mr. Tedstone and Mr. Weir. They led the pack each day and never stopped making the group laugh while venturing up and down the Volcano. We are confident those two will never run out of gas or jokes.
In the afternoon, we all had free time to do what we pleased. Many stayed in the hostel beds, catching up on the needed sleep for the rigorous work week ahead. Others tanned and did yoga on the hostel's roof. All in all, the group wasted no time with self-care.
Lastly, Captain Lennon, Professor Cadwalader, and Smitty bought us dinner: pizza, which was quickly devoured. As we ate, we watched the Sunday fireworks display over the beautiful night sky of Antigua to finish our day.
Hike Data Picture Caption: This screenshot shows a map of the hike down the volcano. The ascent is listed as only 223 feet because we were going down most of the way. It took us two hours and twelve minutes, with breaks. From the campsite to the bus, it was about 3.73 miles.
-1/C Zackery Bohnet
April 25, 2024 - Thursday- Today marked the fourth day of our working experience here in Guatemala. We had breakfast at Violetta’s, which consisted of an omelet, watermelon, and black berries. Violetta is a very generous lady who always makes sure we are full before we leave. After breakfast we separated back into our groups and headed off to our respective work sites.
My Group, Group 3 headed off to San Antonio. Today we were lucky enough to receive a ride from Professor Cadwalader and Captain Lennon. For this day our task was to chop wood. At first we only had small tools, but eventually found axes which made the job easier. The reason we are splitting wood is to use the materials to create furniture for the San Antonio school.
Group 2 was at a local Mayan village called Santa Maria de Jesus. Today they helped retile the floor of a classroom in the local school. They also finished up painting one of the schools railing on their ladder well. The group had a great time hanging out with the students as well as the work they completed.
Group 1 at Brillo de Sol had been tasked with building a fence for a garden, planting trees, and pulling weeds. Group 1 got the pleasure of eating authentic Guatemalan oranges, which are apparently green. The feedback we received was that they tasted great.
After work we headed back to Violeta’s for lunch. Lunch was excellent, we had pasta and fried hamburger patties. With a full stomach we headed to Spanish class and were ready to learn. Everyone in the group seems to be making great progress with their understanding of Spanish.
After our evening meeting, three members of our group climbed the "Cerro de la Cruz" (Hill of the Cross) that marks the north side of Antigua. The hill offers a spectacular view of the city and the dormant Volcan Agua.
The rest of us went our separate ways to get dinner. Within Guatemala there are deals on dinner, so whenever we find a two for one special we try our best to save a little extra money.
Overall it was another successful day in Guatemala. 2/C Hunt, Ryan
April 24, 2024: Day 8: We went to breakfast at Violetta’s at 0700. Breakfast today was delicious French toast topped with papaya and banana and some optional orange juice. Each group worked from 0800 to 1200 and then went to our Spanish lessons from1330 to 1630.
We broke up into our three groups and left for work right after breakfast. My group, group 1, set off in the chicken bus to Brillo de Sol to meet Captain Lennon, Smitty and Professor Cadwalader. So far, the work here has consisted of unpacking and reorganizing all of the storage units. Professor Lennon and DJ began working on fixing the roof of one of the units while the rest of us put together shelving units and organized all of the school supplies and much more into bags and bins. Group two continued their work on laying tiles in the school in Santa Maria de Jesus and painting while group three painted walls and moved a bunch of school equipment in San Antonio.
After work we headed to Violetta’s for lunch which consisted of chicken, carrots, rice, and potatoes.
Then we headed back to the hostel to prepare for Spanish class. At class, we broke out with our teachers and continued working on increasing our knowledge of the language. Many of us played games like Scrabble, memory and matching to keep the learning fun.
We ended the night by separating into a few groups. One group went out for burgers while a group of us went to the market to get some ingredients for a homemade pasta dinner. I was in charge of the sauce, Jenny made a killer guacamole, Shayla made delicious garlic bread and Matilda did a great job with the pasta! After dinner we socialized with a few newcomers to the hostel and just enjoyed each other's company. 1/C Victoria Boss
April 23, 2024: Day 7: Today was our second day working and taking Spanish classes. At 0700,
we started the day at Violetta's for some delicious waffles and fruits for breakfast.
After breakfast was over, my group (Group 2) took a chicken bus up to Santa Maria de Jesus to work at the school. Today, we focused on sanding and painting the staircases and railings. In between working, we all got to play with the little niños (or children in Spanish) outside in their courtyard.
Group 1 returned to Brillo de Sol. Their job continued to focus on organizing the schoolyard. The school is for children with a wide and varied range of special needs, and it recently moved to a new facility. Because of this disruption, the premises are still in need of organization. Group 1 emptied and reorganized another storage shed and then started the process of waterproofing the shed roof in anticipation of the rainy season.
Group 3 returned to San Antonio on a chicken bus. They put concrete on the school's walls to prevent water damage, sealed off wooden furniture from water damage, and painted some more.
We all returned to lunch at Violetta's for some fantastic chicken and vegetables with soup on the side. Then, we had to get ready for our Spanish lesson. The first half of class was a one-on-one session with our instructors, and the second half was group work with other students and their instructors. Afterward, we had our group meeting to discuss the day's events, and then we all went out to Antigua to enjoy liberty and have dinner at various locations.
Today was a super successful day for all of us in the great country of Guatemala. Hasta Mañana!
April 22, 2024: Day 6: Day six was our first work day and our first day of Spanish classes. We went to breakfast at Violetta’s at 0700. Breakfast today was eggs with salsa, refried beans, ham, and plantains. The work day lasted from 0800 until 1200 and Spanish class took place from 1330-1630.
Following breakfast, we split into our groups, met our guides, and departed Antigua. My group, group 3, consisted of Zachary Bohnet, Christopher Ely, Ryan Hunt, and Alex Barbour. We caught a chicken bus to San Antonio and met some of the staff at the school where we would be working. Unfortunately, the project manager for this work site fell ill so we sealed and painted a bedroom for one of the women in the meantime. From our understanding, this worksite will be focused on preparing the school for the rainy season and some pest control.
Group 1 went to a school called Brillo de Sol. This group consisted of Victoria Boss, DJ Faivre, Reece Gannon, John Hagan, and Shayla Narodowg. At Brillo, the team cleaned out and organized a storage unit at a special needs school. They also brought nine bags of dirt to the site in preparation for the planting they will be doing tomorrow.
Finally, group 2 went to Santa Maria de Jesus to work at a school. This group consisted of Matilda Laux, Jacob Nutter, Will Tedstone, Jenny Verrilli, and Aidan Weir. They had two primary tasks today. Half of the team removed tiles while another group sanded and painted a staircase.
After work, we returned to Antigua and had lunch at Violetta’s which consisted of cucumber, mashed potatoes, and ham. Following lunch, we went to Spanish class. Each student was paired with a teacher based on our score on the Spanish pretest we took before this trip. We all learned the extent of our Spanish knowledge leading up to this experience for better or worse.
We ended the night with a team meeting after class and liberty from 1630 until 2100. Many students decided to explore the markets and other sites around town while some decided to take the evening to relax and do Spanish homework. Some students even tried a salsa dancing class at the Spanish school. We all tried new restaurants in town as this was the first night that we were able to choose our dinner and break into smaller groups.
Overall, today was a very eventful day and a good introduction to the remainder of our weekdays in Guatemala.
April 22, 2024: Day 5: On day five, we woke up at 0730. We all then prepared for our day and had breakfast at Violetta’s Tienda. Breakfast consisted of local fresh fruit and a delicious breakfast burrito. An excellent thing about Guatemala is that you can not go wrong with the food.
Today the team was given a free day to explore the city with others. DJ Faivre, Matilda Laux, Alex Barbour and Victoria Boss all went to the local open market. This is where thousands of vendors sell various products and nothing goes for the posted price. This group was extremely successful in learning bartering and were able to get shirts for less than half the price. The total per person was about $7 USD for 3 work shirts and $30 USD for two handcrafted mayan shirts.
Jennifer Verilli, Reece Gannon, Shayla Narodowg, and Jacob Nutter went to Hobbitenango. This is a hobbit themed area with activities included. At this facility, there was a swing, axe throwing, mini golf, archery, and more. It’s a fun place for local families and tourists. Getting there is not for the faint of heart as It is a really steep road to take by shuttle.
Aidan Weir, Luke Tedstone, Zack Bohnet and Chris Ely went shopping, had lunch at Violettas and explored the town of Antigua. They were also able to catch the Celtics vs. Miami Heat game at a local shop! The Celtics won!
Another great thing about Guatemala is the haircuts. Both DJ Faivre and Zack Bohnet were able to get haircuts that included a massage, shampooing and ear hair cleaning for way cheaper than a normal haircut in the United States.
The entire team then all came together and had dinner at Captain Lennon, Professor Cadwalader and Smitty’s home. This consisted of pasta, bread, soda and Guatemalan Oreos. All prepared by Celebrity Chef Lennon. He should really open an Italian restaurant in Buzzards Bay. We then discussed our work groups and our schedule for tomorrow.
After the delicious pasta dinner, the team headed back to the hostel and all enjoyed each other's company on the roof and watched some fireworks before heading to bed.
April 21, 2024: Hola from Antigua Guatemala! Today’s weather was about 70 degrees and partly cloudy. Our 8:00 breakfast at Violetta’s consisted of pancakes and watermelon, with a choice of water, tea or coffee for our drink. We then took a bus ride to Iximche Park to see the Mayan ruins. This bus ride took about an hour and 30 minutes. Upon arriving, we met Vinny, our amazing tour guide for the day, who had tons of experience with Mayan culture, customs, and language. He taught us what life was like for the Mayans before and after Spanish conquest. At the end of our tour, we participated in a Mayan Fire Ceremony, which is a powerful prayer that’s used to find clarity and manifest our well-beings as well as that of others. Learning about Mayan culture has helped prepare us for our work weeks which start on Monday. Our work sites are all located in areas with a high Mayan population, and we’re all looking forward to connecting what we learned with the people that we will be fortunate enough to work with. As the day came to an end, we ate dinner at Pollo Campero, visited the Santa Catalina Arch of Antigua, and enjoyed some helado (ice cream). We are all anticipating a wonderful trip, and look forward to continuing to provide updates!
April 19, 2024: Day 3: This morning was our last day in the Quetzalroo hostel. We ate pancakes and fruits for breakfast and made our way to CONRED. CONRED stands for Coordinadora Nacional Para La Reducción De Desatres. In translation, that is national coordinator for disaster reduction. This is Guatemala’s version of what FEMA is in the U.S. We toured their facility and they showed us their EOC and the GIS system that they use with all their data. They also showed us a stockpile garage of all the resources they give out when a disaster strikes.
Following our visit, we traveled about an hour and a half to Antigua where we’ll be staying for the majority of the trip. We checked into our new hostel, The Purpose Hostel and were greeted by our host, Tatianna. We ate lunch at Violeta’s tienda and had a bit of time to relax afterwards. Later, Professor Lennon gave us a quick tour of Antigua and gave us tips on where to get some good eats. For dinner, we ate at Tacorozon for burritos and tacos and then called it a night. Hasta Luego!
April 18, 2024: Day 2: ¡Hola! Breakfast this morning was at 0615 before we made our way to the US Embassy in Guatemala City. The Embassy building is new and a state of the art facility. At the Embassy we were briefed by representatives from the State Department, USAID, HSI, and the DOD. The USAID briefing discussed their goals of preventing human suffering and making communities more resilient. They also talked about the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance which Professor Lennon described as very important for his International Relief class that we will take next year as seniors.
After the Embassy we made our way to the Mayan History Museum in Guatemala City. We were able to see close up artifacts from Mayan culture. This was to prepare us for the Mayan ruins that we will be traveling to this weekend. Pictures below: a group pic at the museum, El Jierto where we got some of the best coffee and cappuccino around, back to the hostel to relax and freshen up before heading back out for pizza tonight. It turned out to be a great day, our group is gelling well together! We are all excited to head to Antigua!
April 17, 2024: Hola from Guatemala City! Today was a day full of travel, going from Boston, to Miami, and eventually reaching our destination of Guatemala City. After around 6 hours of being miles above the earth and full of anticipation, we have finally touched down in Guatemala. A stress free travel day was a perfect start to our 25 day adventure in this new country. We got to our hostel at around 1930 local time (2 hours earlier than back home). After settling in for about an hour, we were served dinner: a taco salad full of local farm fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as a breaded chicken and scrambled eggs. Our fantastic hostel host gave us a great run down of the recent election of Guatemala and the history of the country's coffee production, as well as the impacts of the civil war, which ended in 1997. The new president was a massive underdog, and part of a party that was not expected to win the election. He also told us about the troubles that are faced by the new president and how they plan to overcome it and create a better country for everyone. As the day comes to a close, we are all taking a couple minutes to relax and take in the beautiful weather on the open roof of the hostel. We are looking forward to a great trip, and keeping everyone updated!
April 3, 2024: The April edition of the EM Newsletter has been released! Read what our cadets have been up to!
April 2024 Emergency Management Newsletter
March 31, 2024: This past month, the IAEM Student Chapter toured two bunkers- MEMA HQ in Framingham and FEMA Region 1 in Maynard. Students met with agency representatives and learned about the history of each agency (including bunker history!).
March 7, 2024: Every spring, local police departments and law enforcement councils prepare for the Boston Marathon by training with DHS's Surveillance Detection Course. On March 7th, 10 cadets role played as "suspicious persons" at Natick Mall, trying to avoid detection.
March 8, 2024: The March EM Newsletter has been released. See below for important updates!
March 2024 Emergency Management Newsletter
Tuesday, March 5: We have officially kicked off our tabletop exercise program! 1/C Jack Mulligan, 1/C Dane Carraccio, and 1/c Dimitri Georgoulopoulos facilitated a tabletop in the Town of Concord, where the town tested their response capabilities from heavy rain and flooding. For more information, check out the press release from the town.
February 27, 2024: The Massachusetts Maritime Academy Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) class graduated 50 cadets in the emergency management undergraduate program. The cadets attended 6 weeks of training. The program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may occur where they live. CERT also trains volunteers in basic disaster response skills, such as: fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.
Front row left to right: 1/C Ethan Rego, 1/C Jack Mulligan, Dr. Joseph Gordon, Major James Anglin, and MMA Emergency Management Department Chair Professor Thomas Lennon.
February 13, 2024: This month's EM newsletter has been released! Check out what the EM cadets have been up to!
February 2024 Emergency Management Newsletter
January 17, 2024: Congratulations to 2C Jenna Klemp! Jenna Klemp has been selected for a paid internship in the White House. Jenna will be working with the Executive Office of the President to fulfill critical emergency management functions. Jenna is the epitome of an aspiring emergency management professional and her hard work and dedication is now paying dividends. This is an amazing accomplishment that the faculty and staff are proud of. Congrats to 2C Jenna Klemp!
EM News Archive
December 19, 2023: December's EM newsletter has been released!
December 2023 Emergency Management Newsletter
November 7, 2023: November's EM newsletter has been released!
November 2023 Emergency Management Newsletter
November 2, 2023: Cadets have been invited to a weekly training opportunity with the regional Rescue Task Force. Students receive moulage and wait for medical assistance and rescue.
October 11, 2023: Check out the October EM newsletter!
October 2023 Emergency Management Newsletter
October 2, 2023: Providence Emergency Management invited MMA EM cadets to participate in a full scale active shooter event as role players. See them in action below!
September 19, 2023: The next release of the EM newsletter has been released! See below.
September 2023 Emergency Management Bulletin
September 5, 2023: This fall the Exercise Design class is partnering with towns and cities across Massachusetts, as well as some new partners in the healthcare setting. We look forward to working with them across the fall and spring semester to help design tabletop exercises that will test their response plans. Thank you to our partners!
- 2023-2024 Partners: American Red Cross, Chatham, Clean Harbors & Braintree, Community Health Center of Cape Cod, Concord, Duffy Health Center, Eastham, Falmouth, Franklin, Hanson, HealthFirst Family Care Center, Lakeville, Lowell, Manet Community Health Center, New Bedford, Orleans, Pembroke, Plymouth, Sandwich, and Weymouth.
June 17, 2023: Congratulations to all the EM Seniors! And some words of advice passed on from Dr. Valla- "Do. Or do not. There is no try." —Yoda
Pictured below: Instructor Samantha Coonan and Marine Sergeant Michael Ortiz
June 5, 2023: Emergency Management students created the major’s first newsletter, highlighting upcoming events, classes, and activities for the summer. Come check out what the students are up to!!
Emergency Management Summer Bulletin
May 23, 2023: Congratulations to our EM students who completed the Massachusetts Fire Academy! This program helps provide the practical skills and certifications to our students interested in entering the fire service.
May 16, 2023: Congratulations to John Haxton for being selected as the new Battalion Commander for the Cadet Fire Program at the Onset Fire Department. Haxton has shown dedication and hard work through his time with the department and will continue to do so as the new Battalion Commander. Haxton will take over the position on June 9th.
Emergency Management
Undergraduate Degree
Emergency Management (EMHS) and disaster-related issues are faced by individuals, families, businesses, and governments worldwide. The Emergency Management program prepares graduates for careers in the private and public sectors, including federal, state, and local government, law enforcement, fire service, and the Military.
Learning focuses on the four phases of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Cadets may also pursue a minor in Homeland Security. The program requires cadets to complete at least two co-ops. First-year cadets participate in a Habitat for Humanity public service experiential learning trip at the Domestic Global Village in Eustis, Florida.
Certificate options include Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Massachusetts Firefighter I and II certification through Onset Fire Department.
What Will You Study?
The EM Program integrates academics with professional work experience and skills. It allows student opportunities to apply their classroom knowledge to the real-world in government, industry and non-governmental organizations. Students participate in exercises with EM professionals, students in their senior year, develop discussion based exercises for towns, cities and agencies throughout the Commonwealth, and utilize or Emergency Operations Training Center. As an Emergency Management major, you will:
- Help support communities
- Work alongside EM professionals in the field
- Learn cutting-edge and legacy EM technologies
- Develop an understanding of EM policy, practice and protocols
- Learn about the Incident Command Structure, inherent in all EM incidents and events.
Emergency Management Career Paths
A Bachelor of Science degree in Emergency Management affords graduates a broad array of professional opportunities upon graduation. Our recent graduates have joined state and local emergency management agencies, hospital emergency preparedness programs, and fire and law enforcement departments. Others have joined the military services as commissioned officers and enlisted members. Many graduates join private companies and non-governmental agencies as emergency preparedness specialists, planners, humanitarian aid workers, and more. Areas in which our graduates work include:
- Local, State, and Federal Emergency Management
- Homeland Security
- Public Safety sector, including Fire, Police, EMS
- Military
- Humanitarian Aid/NGOs
- Environmental Health & Safety
- Public Health Emergency Management
- Consulting
- Communications
- Cyber Security
- Business Continuity
- Hazardous Materials/Safety
Hands-on Learning
As an Emergency Management major, you will be tasked with managing simulated emergencies and hands-on tasks. Your studying will be put to the test with our state-of-the-art EM Simulation Center, applying apply both legacy and emerging technologies in a near real-world environment.
Experiential Learning
The Emergency Management program requires students to complete two co-ops (summer/winter break) and one experiential learning trip (winter break). Many students complete several co-ops. Freshmen EM students will participate in one of the following Experiential Learning Trips: Guatemala, New Orleans, or Team Rubicon in sunny California. Participation is required for all EM cadets who are freshmen or who transferred to Mass Maritime in the Spring.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the four phases of Emergency Management; mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery, applied across an All Hazards/Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management.
- Identify the scientific principles involved in the development of mitigation and preparedness policies, strategies and tactics.
- Understand scientific principles involved in the development of multi-level response and recovery policies, strategies, and tactics.
- Evaluate the social science components of Emergency Management related to government, the private sector, to nongovernmental organizations, communities, and to individuals.
- Apply the Incident Command System and analyze its relationship to national preparedness goals.
- Apply new and emerging emergency management technologies across phases of Emergency Management.
Fire Academy Program
Emergency Management cadets with an interest in pursuing careers as fire-fighters may apply for the firefighting program during the spring semester of their freshman year. The program is conducted in partnership with the Onset Fire Department and provides the opportunity for those selected to be trained and certified as firefighters and gain real-world, practical experience responding to emergencies with the Onset Fire Department.
Under the guidance of Fire Chief Jeffrey R. Osswald, cadets will attend a recruit training program consisting of 240 hours of classroom and practical skills instruction over several months of their sophomore year. The program culminates with the cadets taking the National Board on Firefighting’s Professional Qualifications Firefighter I/II Certification examination. Cadets spend the remainder of their time at the Academy responding to a wide range of emergency incidents, including, structure fires, motor vehicle accidents, emergency medical incidents, hazardous materials incidents, water rescues, and brush fires, to name a few.
Cadets will train regularly and spend duty shifts at the station throughout their time in the program. Many graduates of the program, in combination with their B.S. in Emergency Management, have gone on to secure full-time employment in the fire service, law enforcement, the Armed Forces, and other rewarding occupations.
The Emergency Management Department’s liaison with the Onset Fire Department is Dr. Edward J. Valla. evalla@maritime.edu.
Paramedic Program
Beginning in the Fall 2024 Semester, MMA will partner with the Comprehensive Medical Teaching Institute (CMTI) to offer paramedic training on campus. Preliminary details are listed in the FAQ sheet below.
The EM Department liaison with CMTI is Dr. Edward J. Valla, evalla@maritime.edu.
Certifications Available through the Degree
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Basic Firefighting
- Firefighter Program, (On-Call)
- Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 40
- Some of our EM courses require certifications through EMI's independent studies. These certifications include, but are not limited to:
- IS 64.A: DHS Common Operating Picture Application
- IS-120.C: An Introduction to Exercises
- IS-700.B: An Introduction to National Incident Management System
- IS-800.D: National Response Framework, An Introduction
- IS-922: Applications of GIS for Emergency Management
International Association of Emergency Managers Massachusetts Maritime Academy Undergraduate Student Chapter
Our Organization
This chapter was created with the intent of providing the emergency management undergraduate students at Massachusetts Maritime Academy with opportunities for networking and enhancement in their emergency management careers. Club members will need to register as student members through the IAEM website. The cost for student membership is $55 per year.
Benefits of IAEM Membership
- Access to the largest network of top emergency management experts who can offer solutions, guidance, and assistance.
- Access to IAEM conferences, webinars, workshops, and other educational opportunities.
- Scholarship opportunities.
- Access to the IAEM Jobs Board for internships and job opportunities.
- Advanced Emergency Manager (AEM) or Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) certification reduced cost and application access.
- Membership to IAEM committees & caucuses.
Benefits of being a Student Chapter Member
- Webinars
- Trainings
- Full-Scale Exercises
- Workshops
- Conferences (Local & National)
- Table-Top Exercises
- EOC Site Visits
- Guest Speakers
Chapter Officers
- Ethan Rego - President
- Shane McNamara - Vice President
Faculty Advisor
- Dr. Mike Gutierrez - Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Management
Social Media
- LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/mmaiaem
- Instagram - @mmaiaem
- X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/mmaiaem
Pictured: IAEM MMA Chapter students and faculty at the IAEM Annual Conference in Long Beach, CA, in November 2023.
Pictured: IAEM MMA Chapter students and faculty touring the Providence Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) in November 2023.