Lessons Learned from Major Urban Emergencies Course
Online 300-hour course in Lessons Learned from Major Urban Emergencies. 6 modules covering the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, ISO 22320 Emergency management: guidelines for incident management and NVivo. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Apply lessons learned analysis methodologies.
Analyse major urban emergencies from a systemic perspective.
Identify recurring organisational factors in disasters.
Compare responses across different urban contexts.
Turn identified lessons into implemented improvements.
Design systems for tracking recommendations.
Apply ethical criteria in disaster investigation.
Who it's for
- Emergency analyst wishing to specialise in Lessons Learned from Major Urban Emergencies.
- Civil protection technician wishing to specialise in Lessons Learned from Major Urban Emergencies.
- Disaster management researcher wishing to specialise in Lessons Learned from Major Urban Emergencies.
- Urban resilience consultant wishing to specialise in Lessons Learned from Major Urban Emergencies.
- Continuous improvement manager in emergency services wishing to specialise in Lessons Learned from Major Urban Emergencies.
- Crisis management trainer wishing to specialise in Lessons Learned from Major Urban Emergencies.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter civil protection.
What you'll work with
- Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030
- ISO 22320 Emergency management: guidelines for incident management
- Law 17/2015 on the National Civil Protection System
- ISO 22398 Security and resilience: guidelines for exercises
- Decision No 1313/2013/EU on the Union Civil Protection Mechanism
- ISO 30401 Knowledge management systems
- Royal Decree 393/2007 Basic Self-Protection Standard
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Difference between identified and learned lessons1.2Organisational learning cycle1.3After-action reviews (AAR)1.4Root cause analysis and the five whys technique1.5AcciMap method and systemic analysis1.6Human and organisational factors1.7Hindsight bias and just culture1.8Sources: official reports, commissions, press1.9EM-DAT and DesInventar databases1.10Practice: AcciMap of an urban emergency
2.1Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans 20052.2Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami 20112.3Lorca earthquake 20112.4Floods in Germany and Belgium 20212.5Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria 20232.6Valencia DANA 20242.7European heatwave of 20032.8Hurricane Sandy and the New York subway2.9Common response patterns2.10Case study: alert and response during the 2024 Valencia DANA
3.1Grenfell Tower fire 20173.2Beirut port explosion 20203.3Angrois railway accident 20133.4Iberian blackout of April 20253.5Morandi Bridge collapse in Genoa 20183.6Windsor Tower fire in Madrid 20053.7Water contamination in Flint3.8Service failures during storm Filomena3.9Recurring organisational factors3.10Case study: lessons from Grenfell for the construction sector
4.1COVID-19 pandemic in major cities4.2Legionnaires' disease outbreak and urban management4.3Itaewon crowd crush 20224.4Madrid Arena tragedy 20124.5Emergencies at mass gatherings4.6Hospital saturation and management of bodies4.7Impact on vulnerable populations4.8Communication and public trust4.9Management of victims and families4.10Workshop: comparative analysis of two crowd-crush tragedies
5.1Knowledge management systems in emergencies5.2EU lessons learned platform5.3Tracking commission recommendations5.4Regulatory changes arising from disasters5.5Integration into plans and training5.6Indicators for implementing improvements5.7Political and organisational barriers5.8Collective memory and remembrance of victims5.9Ethics in disaster investigation5.10Case study: traceability of recommendations after a disaster
6.1Selection of the event to study6.2Gathering documentary sources6.3Detailed chronology of the event6.4Systemic analysis of causes6.5Identification of key lessons6.6Recommendations applicable to another city6.7Recommendation monitoring plan6.8Visual synthesis of the analysis6.9Report and presentation6.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
Training 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine study with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is NVivo, Miro, Aeon Timeline, QGIS, Microsoft Power BI, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practicals are based on real procedures: systemic analysis of a major urban emergency, drawing up a chronology of a disaster response, and transferring recommendations into a municipal plan. Assessment is continuous per module, plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Apply lessons learned analysis methodologies.
Analyse major urban emergencies from a systemic perspective.
Identify recurring organisational factors in disasters.
Compare responses across different urban contexts.
Turn identified lessons into implemented improvements.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish to follow technical regulatory texts.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme comprises 300 hours in total, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
Work is carried out with NVivo, Miro, Aeon Timeline, QGIS and Microsoft Power BI. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
An SEIUM own diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. It is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are credited towards the advanced programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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