Emergency and disaster-related challenges impact individuals, families, businesses, and governments around the globe. Our Emergency Management and Homeland Security (EMHS) program equips students with the knowledge and skills needed for careers in both the public and private sectors—including federal, state, and local government, law enforcement, fire services, and the military. The curriculum emphasizes the four key phases of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Students also have the option to pursue a minor in Homeland Security.
Our curriculum recognizes that classroom instruction must be complemented by practical and hands-on learning opportunities. We partner with communities and agencies throughout Massachusetts and neighboring states to support exercises and volunteer activities related to Emergency Management and Homeland Security. All first-year students are required to participate in a two-week experiential learning trip led by our faculty. This service-learning program integrates students with volunteer organizations that help communities prepare for and recover from disasters and improve resiliency. Previous partnerships have included Habitat for Humanity in Florida and Team Rubicon in California. This year’s freshmen will be travelling to Asheville, North Carolina to help with Hurricane Helene recovery efforts. Experiential learning destinations are subject to change annually as we adjust to real-world events, but meaningful work, camaraderie, and team-building remain the pillars of each trip. In addition, as cadets advance through the curriculum, they are required to complete at least two cooperative education (co-op) placements, gaining real-world experience in the field. To further prepare for professional success, cadets may earn certifications such as: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) – Massachusetts, Firefighter I and II (in partnership with the Onset Fire Department), and Paramedic Certification (in partnership with the Comprehensive Medical Training Institute).
Latest Emergency Management Updates:
- Day 4
Thursday morning started out with some excitement. Tropical Storm Arthur finally made its way across Texas and western Louisiana, arriving in New Orleans overnight. We were awoken to flood and tornado warnings. Luckily, the tornado was several miles away from us and caused relatively minor damage. Still, it was an opportunity for the students to… Read more: Day 4 - Day 3
Today we met up with one of our favorite nonprofits in the city – the Louisiana Bucket Brigade! We headed back out of the city to Norco, Louisiana which is located in Cancer Alley. Cancer Alley is the 85 miles stretch of land along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans where there are over 200… Read more: Day 3 - Day 2
Our second day in New Orleans was all about learning the geography, history, and disaster history of the city. Indigenous populations found the area that became New Orleans to be ideal for trading as Bayou St. John could be used to cross between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain. The first Europeans arrived in 1519,… Read more: Day 2 - Day 1
The 2026 New Orleans Experiential Learning Trip has officially begun! This summer we have an unprecedented 18 students, plus an emergency management rate, here with us in New Orleans. This speaks to the interest of Mass Maritime students in learning about Gulf Coast disasters! Our first full day in New Orleans was spent…. not in… Read more: Day 1 - EM Newsletter April 2026
We’re ending the academic year in style! Check out everything MMA has been up to… including the newest member of our team: a robot dog! - Spring Career Fair 2026
Last Thursday’s career fair was truly impressive, with a wide range of public and private employers eager to meet EMHS cadets. It was clear how much effort went into making the event a meaningful opportunity for our students—kudos to Nancy Vanesse and Maryanne Richards for organizing such a strong lineup. The employers had nothing but… Read more: Spring Career Fair 2026 - Team Rubicon Partnership
This year, we partnered with Team Rubicon to provide disaster response training to our freshman class. In this session, students are participating in Team Rubicon’s Core Operations course, Debris Management & Muck-Outs, where they gain hands-on, practical skills directly applicable to post-disaster response and recovery. - Senior Capstone Project- Tabletop Program
During their senior year at MMA, Emergency Management students are required to take Exercise Planning, a capstone-style course that builds on the knowledge, skills, experiences, and internships they’ve gained throughout the EM program. In this course, students learn to plan, design, and develop emergency exercises using the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). They practice the… Read more: Senior Capstone Project- Tabletop Program - Spring Edition of Newsletter is out!Welcome back to campus cadets! Check out our newsletter to see what everyone has been up to over sea term. Enjoy your spring semester!
- Final Blog PostWNC Final BlogWritten by: Dr. Samantha Montano Our first ever experiential learning trip to Western North Carolina has come to a successful end!Hurricane Helene affected communities from Florida to the mid-Atlantic. Among the most severelyimpacted was Western North Carolina (WNC). As a department we always are looking for ways tohelp students gain hands on experience… Read more: Final Blog Post
- Farewell to Guatemala
Hello again, and with mixed emotions, for the last time. The two seniors on the Guatemala 2026 experience, Olivia Coffren and I, Jonathan Isabelle, were tasked with wrapping up this unforgettable journey so that friends and family of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy could briefly experience both the beauty and hardships of Guatemala. By combining our… Read more: Farewell to Guatemala - Day 8Written By: Skylar Coakley Today we got to go to Marshall for our last day of volunteer work. I went to Trish’s studio to help with some of the smaller tasks she needed done. I had a few different tasks during the time we had at Trish’s today, my main task was painting a slab… Read more: Day 8
- Day 7Written By: Samuel Racine Today’s adventure truly lived up to its name. Dr. Cheek was kind enough to take us to one of his old hiking spots, where we were able to fully enjoy the outdoors and embrace the beauty of North Carolina. The view at the top of our hike was extraordinary. I had… Read more: Day 7
- Day 6 (1/31/2026)Written By: 3/C Seamus Rudolph Today was another snow day, but with a bit more structure than yesterday. We began the day with some quiche for breakfast made by Mr Smith. We then moved onto our TTX, in which the scenario was a disease outbreak with zombie-like symptoms. My role was Planning Section Chief, the… Read more: Day 6 (1/31/2026)
- Day 5 (1/30/2026)Written by 4/C Natalie Frasca Today, Friday January 30th we started the day by visiting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). At FEMA we had the opportunity to listen to a presentation from FEMA’s Interagency Recovery Coordination (IRC) team. We also got the opportunity to listen in on two briefings to show the recovery progress on… Read more: Day 5 (1/30/2026)
- Day 3 (1/29/2026)
Written by: 3/C Boden Poirier Today, we went into Marshall, where Seamus, Sam, and I helped put up lights in the Marshall High art studio with the guidance of Mr. Herrera. We also assisted with cleaning up part of a site that Demo Group A had worked on. It was an old bar. At first,… Read more: Day 3 (1/29/2026) - Day 2 (1/28/2026)
Written by: 4/C Thomas Richardson Today (1/28), we drove into downtown Marshall, NC along the French Broad River. This area that was deeply affected by Hurricane Helene. While in the area, we met Rachel Bennett, a Community Relations Liaison for the Marshall Relief Alliance, a local non-profit organization. She walked us around town and told us various stories… Read more: Day 2 (1/28/2026) - Day 1 (1/27/2026)
Written by: 4/C Matthew Holton Today, January 7th, we have finally arrived in Asheville, NC after a 3 day delay due to the winter weather crossing through the United states. We arrived at Logan Airport at 7:00 am for our 9:45am flight. We boarded around 9:20. Before we took off they had to de-ice the… Read more: Day 1 (1/27/2026) - Day #24 – Last day in Antigua – Friday 30 January 2026
Post by David Krise Today marked the final chapter of this unforgettable journey. My day began like so many others here in Antigua —a 0620 wake-up call and a short walk to Violetta’s for breakfast. After discussing our plans for the day, we met our mentors outside and split off to our sites. My group… Read more: Day #24 – Last day in Antigua – Friday 30 January 2026 - Day #23 – Thursday 29 January 2026
Editor’s note: Today we are offering our dear readers a reward for their loyalty – two blog entries for the price of one. The first is from 1/C Olivia Coffren. The second is from 2/C Nicholas Paolini. Blog Post # 1 – Olivia Coffren At the start of the day, my group headed back to… Read more: Day #23 – Thursday 29 January 2026