Lynda Farquharson, Mid-Michigan District Health Department’s (MMDHD) Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, recently achieved something she’s been working toward for several years: she became eligible to take and passed the Michigan State Police (Homeland Security Division) Professional Emergency Manager’s Certification course.
Much to her delight, she passed with flying colors, but not before putting in a lot of time and effort. The past four years were spent completing 17 on-line classes and 13 on-site classes, all of which were required to be successfully completed in order to take the exam, which is only offered two times per year.
In her role as MMDHD’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, it is Farquharson’s responsibility to develop and maintain response plans so that the agency is prepared should a public health emergency arise. She is also charged with maintaining partnerships with other response agencies and coordinating public health’s response in an emergency event.
“I love my position as an Emergency Preparedness Coordinator and wanted to take it to the next level,” said Farquharson. “I wanted to know and understand emergency management from all aspects, not just from a public health aspect. It’s been a goal of mine for a long time to receive this certification and now that I have, I’m just thrilled!”