Dr. Dennis Cesarotti, Assistant Professor, NIU
Dr. Cesarotti worked as an Environmental, Safety and Health (EHS) consultant prior to joining the faculty at NIU. Entering the presentation in a HAZMAT suit, he focused on the role of EHS professionals in disaster planning and response.
The presentation included discussions on the Incident Command System and the National Incident Management System (NIMS), two disaster response systems used by the government to control emergency situations. He also explained his role as an Incident Commander at a recent explosion and fire at a chemical facility. The disaster threatened response teams and area residents in catastrophic ways.