Certificate Program in Emergency Response Aviation Safety Management
Based at Sacramento's McClellan Park
Concerns about the structural health of U.S. public use firefighting aircraft have led to the development of a new certificate program to educate emergency response personnel about the critical factors involved in aircraft health management, as well as the decision-making processes and communication skills and technology required for coordination and cooperation during emergency response situations.
This program focuses on aircraft health monitoring for condition-based maintenance and was developed by a consortium that combines the expertise and resources of NASA, the University of California, Davis College of Engineering, the U.S. Forest Service, UC Davis Extension and private corporations. All courses are held at the U.S. Forest Service Wildland Fire Training & Conference Center at McClellan Park, Sacramento. The McClellan facility is a unique resource that contains large aircraft hangars, structural and repair shops, a 10-megawatt nuclear reactor, a robotic X-ray system and ultrasonic laser equipment-all useful in determining and repairing structural problems in aircraft. A fire and emergency response aviation simulator is also available on site.
Program objectives and requirements
This certificate program is designed to provide students with a firm foundation in aviation safety principles and practices underlying emergency response aviation. Through the values of leadership, teamwork and ethics, learn current and emerging aviation safety management principles and technologies.
Gain the knowledge needed to create an aviation environment that encourages crew member and management involvement leading to safe aviation practices and operations.
Who will benefit
- Aviation safety officers
- Emergency services pilots
- Forest fire fighter aviators
- Border patrol aviators
- Medical-air transport personnel
- Law enforcement and homeland security aviators
- Aviation services contracting officers
- Aviation specialists and consultants
- Those involved with the retrofitting, operation and maintenance of aging aircraft
- Anyone involved in the field of aviation emergency response
Requirements to earn the certificate
This is a six-course certificate program whose focus is to provide you with a firm foundation in aviation safety principles and practices underlying emergency response aviation. You learn the practical application of advanced methods for inspection, maintenance, repair and overhaul of emergency response aircraft. Utilizing leading technologies, learn to extend the operational service life of aircraft as well as methods and techniques for successful emergency response situations.
This program is structured to allow you to complete the entire program in just five weeks, during two quarter sessions. Since most classes are limited to 30 students, we encourage you to enroll early.
| UNITS | F | W | ||||
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| REQUIRED COURSES | Aircraft Health Management | 3 | 
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| Communications: Operations Management | 2 |
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| Communications: Program Management | 1.5 |
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| Human Factors and Operational Risk Management | 3 |
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| Aviation Leadership | 3 |
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| Safety Program Management | 3 |
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Classroom format |
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Required Courses
Aircraft Health Management
3 quarter units academic credit, X435.1. .
Discover the full range of issues affecting and supporting aircraft health management. Gain insights into the critical features facing aging aircraft—both fixed-wing and rotorcraft—particularly aircraft engaged in emergency response aviation.
Through
academic and field-related topics, examine the function of airframe
structural systems, failure mechanisms of airframe materials,
non-destructive
inspection methodologies and flight-monitoring and
instrumentation. Learn about
FAA-certification requirements related to maintenance and operations as
well as
maintenance program strategies and aircraft modification and
re-engineering.
Guest
lecturers join the instructor to provide additional depth to course
material.
Sections of this course open for enrollment:
- Aircraft Health Management starts October 28
Communications: Operations Management
2 quarter units academic credit, X435.5. .
Learn
to develop and enhance your ability to become a strong, effective
communicator
in the high-pressure environment of emergency response aviation. Clear,
concise
and effective communication is essential to efficient, safe and
successful
emergency aviation operations. Explore practical emergency situation
communications management. Examine functional
interagency/interoperability
issues, new communication technology tools and interpersonal and
organizational behavior. Improve your communication processes and
problem
solving, group dynamics, workload management and situational awareness
skills.
Discover strategies and techniques for emergency management planning
and information
dissemination with the public and media.
Case studies detail communication failures that became causal factors in aircraft incidents and mishaps during emergency operations. Develop procedures for your organization in accordance with the most current best established practices.
Guest lecturers join the instructor
to provide
additional depth to course materials.
Sections of this course open for enrollment:
- Communications: Operations Management starts November 5
Communications: Program Management
1.5 quarter units academic credit, X435.4. .
Efficient communication is a key component in aviation management. Learn techniques to identify and evaluate communication issues and options required to develop effective communication strategies. Enhance communication and cooperation skills within your emergency aviation service organization. Discover methods of communicating major policy decisions during frontline, emergency situations and to incorporate effective communication techniques into your own communication style based on models for efficient/inefficient, effective/ineffective and professional/unprofessional communication usage.
Learn to identify situations in which effective communication is critical and to distinguish the strengths and weaknesses of various styles of communication. Recognize opportunities to strengthen your own communication style and improve your understanding of personality and behavioral styles through communication analysis.
Sections of this course open for enrollment:
- Communications: Program Management starts November 3
Human Factors and Operational Risk Management
3 quarter units academic credit, X435.8. .
Examine the influence of human behavior on the safety of emergency response aviation operations and the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to identify, assess and eliminate or reduce risk. Explore the human and operational factors that affect decision-making processes during critical aviation operations, using case studies that highlight various elements of each.
Gain an understanding of how to reduce or eliminate aircraft accidents, incidents and mishaps due to poor or ineffective operational risk decisions as well as how to develop the consistent risk management skills and positive attitudes that safe aviation operations require.
Guest lecturers join
the instructor
to provide
additional depth to course materials.
This course is not currently scheduled.
Aviation Leadership
3 quarter units academic credit, X435.6. .
Situational
leadership techniques center on managing unanticipated situations,
assessing
capabilities for assured performance, and decision-making techniques
for high
stress, time-critical environments. Learn to manage people
effectively and resolve internal and external conflicts. Case studies
highlight
key aspects of aviation psychology, personality types and basic human
factors
affecting performance.
Guest
lecturers join the instructor to provide additional depth to course
materials.
This course is not currently scheduled.
Safety Program Management
3 quarter units academic credit, X435.7. .
Learn
to create, maintain and continuously improve aviation safety programs.
Discover
the most current best practices and theoretical models of excellence
that
readily transfer to the workplace. Examine the significance of culture
and,
working within the existing cultural framework of your organization,
develop a
program with a regulatory compliant infrastructure. Your own course
project will
help to develop your incident tracking system as well as your
investigative
skills.
Explore
safety training modules that emphasize how the relevance and style of
training
is vital to effectiveness. Experts bring a spectrum of experience,
options and
opinions to your safety program management.
Guest
lecturers join the instructor to provide additional depth to course
materials.
This course is not currently scheduled.
Advisory Board
- William R. Broadwell, Assistant Executive Director, American Helicopter Services and Aerial Firefighting Association
- Dennis Brown, Regional Aviation Safety Officer, U.S. Forest Service
- Mike Hill, Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, UC Davis
- Dennis Hulbert, Regional Aviation Officer, U.S. Forest Service
- Bill Larsen, FAA/NASA (ret.)
- Frederick J. Leonelli, President, FJ Leonelli Group, Inc.
- David McGee, Director, Technology Transfer Center, Office of Research, UC Davis
Housing options
Please note that numerous housing options are available including use of McClellan Park's barracks at $50 per night. For more information, visit their website at http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/fire/mcclellan, then click on WFTC Dormitory Request.
For More Information
Download an Aviation Safety Management Certificate Program brochure for a list of current quarter courses and enrollment information. 
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