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Institute for Homeland Security & Workforce Development

About the Institute for Homeland Security and Workforce Development

The Department of Criminal Justice at North Carolina Central University created the Institute for Homeland Security and Workforce Development (IHSWD) in an effort to help educate emergency personnel and engaged citizens on issues regarding terrorism and disaster management. IHSWD activity revolves around three core components; training, research and education.

Through research, colloquiums and seminars involving citizens, first responders and students; IHSWD addresses a range of topics from emergency preparedness for underserved communities to law enforcement counterterrorism education.  IHSWD staff seeks to formulate and solidify partnerships with federal, state, local, tribal, private/corporate agencies and community colleges concerned with homeland security threat mitigation.

 IHSWD engages in ongoing research to examine and provide evidence based training for law enforcement personnel while improving emergency preparedness levels of organizations across the Nation. Staff and Institute partners collaborate in the development of new and improved technology to help deter/prevent bioterrorist, nuclear, radiological or chemical attacks.  To accomplish this goal, the Institute enlists the resources and brainpower of our NCCU colleagues in the departments like criminal justice, biology, chemistry, physics; as well as collaborating with external national researchers.

NCCU and IHSWD sponsors a Community Emergency Response Team course in cooperation with Ms. Faye Stone, Deputy Executive, NC Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service. The course is unique, because it is an academic course in which students receive credit. The curriculum includes basic CERT curriculum, “Train the Trainer” curriculum and community engagement curriculum. A second community engagement course allows students to go back into their communities and coordinate CERT programs.  Upon completion of the course the students are prepared to respond to and cope with the aftermath of a natural or manmade disaster. Students learn the basic skills necessary to provide assistance, as a first responder, to persons after a disaster until emergency services arrive. In addition to disaster preparedness, students examine ways to promote public safety in the community in non-emergency situations.