In response to expected demand in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States and incidents of Anthrax-tainted mail, Rochester Institute of Technology's civil engineering technology/environmental management and safety department is expanding its offering of the course, Terrorism, which will be taught in both winter and spring quarters this academic year.

The course, one of six required to earn a certificate in emergency management, examines the history and patterns of terrorism, reviews specific terrorist incidents and how they were handled by local and federal organizations, discusses the role of the news media, and explores planning for and responding to potential terrorist threats.

Introduced in 1990, the 24-hour certificate program was created primarily for emergency-response professionals such as firefighters, police officers, emergency medical workers, and city and town planners responsible for crisis-response plans related to man-made and natural disasters. Other courses include Emergency Operations, Emergency Planning and Methodology, Emergency Preparedness Laws and Regulations, Man-made Hazards, and Earth Science.