Chief
William Austin
Earns Masters Degree in Homeland Security
West
Hartford Fire Chief William H. Austin graduated from the United States
Naval Postgraduate
School in Monterey, California, with a Masters Degree in Security Studies
(Defense and Homeland Security) on October 16, 2006. William Austin
is only the second fire chief in the nation to graduate from the program.
Chief Austin has been traveling to California for the past 18 months and attending
the program on a federal scholarship from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Chief Austin was a member of the fifth graduating class since the degree program
was founded in 2002.
The Masters Degree provides leaders with the knowledge and skills to: develop strategies, plans and programs to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, and reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism; build the organizational arrangements needed to strengthen homeland security, including local/state/federal, civil military and inter-agency cooperation; and help mayors and governors make improvements in homeland security preparedness, by conducting “real world” actionable policy development work.
During the program, Chief Austin studied a wide variety of homeland security related issues including asymmetric warfare, policy analysis, research methodology, intelligence, critical infrastructure protection, boarder protection and public health issues. Additional research included the psychology of fear and terrorism, legal issues and strategic planning.
“The CHDS master’s degree program in homeland security provides high-level homeland security officials who are in decision making positions at federal, state and local levels with the tools and resources necessary to develop strategy and policy to secure the homeland,” said George Foresman, Under Secretary for the Preparedness Directorate.
“This program is designed to help top homeland security professionals further develop their leadership skills and gain a deeper understanding of the issues and public policy debates affecting our national security and then implement these skills in their states and communities.”
Chief Austin currently serves on the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Advisory Council (CREPC) and is the Chairperson of the Connecticut Statewide Citizen Corps Council.
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