CPaCE News

When Hurricane Hilary’s torrential rains and high-speed winds made landfall in August 2023, it was the first tropical storm to hit California in more than 80 years. Although the impact was much less severe than initially expected, first responders were well-prepared to deal with the storm’s effects. In San Diego, that had a lot to do with CSULB graduate and U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Pamela Ciaburri, who developed a Heavy Weather Contingency plan as part of her thesis project in the Master of Science in Emergency Services Administration (EMER) degree program.

“The EMER program allowed me to work with a department at my workplace to develop a plan that can be used in a real-life situation,” Pamela said. “The first few classes of the program completely rewired my brain and helped me think critically and write academically.”

When the hurricane was initially forecasted, the San Diego division of the Coast Guard’s Emergency Management and Force Readiness (EMFR) department shared Pamela’s step-by-step plan throughout the division for all personnel to follow for guidance. Many of the elements of the plan were implemented in periods of 72, 48, and 24 hours—before, during, and after the storm. In the aftermath, the EMFR department requested feedback on the plan and its execution so that the Coast Guard can improve their readiness for future extreme weather events.

While she was attending the EMER program from Fall 2020 through Spring 2023, Pamela appreciated that the instructors all embodied a combination of real-world experience and academic research expertise in her field. The online classes also helped balance the considerable workload with her job as an Operations Specialist in the Coast Guard.

“There were times when I needed to go on temporary duty for a training, or the case load at work was so busy that I couldn’t finish my assignments on time,” Pamela explained, “but the professors all understood and would work with me so I wouldn’t fall behind.”

Pamela also felt supported by her classmates, who came from many different locations and professional backgrounds—lifeguards, firefighters, police officers, public administrators, and healthcare workers—and progressed through the EMER program together.

“Earning a master’s degree gave me a major confidence boost,” she said. “I used this confidence to apply for Coast Guard Officer Candidate School (OCS). I believe this [Heavy Weather Contingency] work and experience is a huge reason why I have been chosen for promotion to OCS.”

As she continues to earn on-the-job experience and additional training, Pamela plans to develop her career further towards a leadership position in the Coast Guard’s EMFR department. 

“I can apply what I’ve learned in this program towards developing plans for different emergency incidents and large-scale events,” she said.

Click here to learn more about the Master of Science in Emergency Services Administration (EMER) degree program at CSULB.