Have you ever viewed a news report depicting the aftermath of a devastating natural disaster? The damage to human life and property are both staggering and heartbreaking. All parts of the world face the possibility of floods, hurricanes, tornados, fires, landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural phenomena. Are you prepared if disaster would strike you? This course will help you prepare!
The course is appropriate for any learner who is proactive about developing the core competencies of disaster readiness and survival planning. It is especially useful if you are seeking techniques that can ensure your personal protection, as well as the safety of your family, property, and belongings, during a natural disaster. In addition, it offers essential preparation for a variety of emergency situations and inconveniences, even if you do not live in major tornado, flood, hurricane, tsunami, or earthquake zone. For instance, could you and your loved ones manage without access to potable water, electricity, fuel, and banking facilities? If you are unsure of your ability to respond in any of these possible scenarios, this course is for you!
Throughout the course, you will be introduced to the Disaster Cycle, specifically the Mitigation and Recovery phases, and will create an extensive personal preparedness plan for survival in the absence of common amenities, such as food and water, shelter, and communication. You will also acquire practical, easy-to-apply strategies for maintaining a healthy attitude during disaster which can allow you to remain calm, avoid panic, and draw upon inner and outer resources in dire circumstances. Although death may be an inevitable outcome of extreme circumstances, a balanced outlook can provide comfort for all parties involved. Finally, issues of how institutions and governments can aid in disaster are also discussed.
If you are interested in this topic you may be interested in other online programs at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Learn more about those programs by visiting our website: http://www.online.pitt.edu/programs/school-of-nursing/
Disaster Preparedness
Offered By
University of Pittsburgh
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
1Introduction & Disaster Cycle
A disaster can be defined in several ways, but in all cases is a destructive event that overwhelms all available resources. A disaster may originate as natural or manmade and may be intentional or accidental. A natural disaster is caused by the forces of nature such as a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake. A manmade disaster may be the result of a terrorist act or industrial accident. Depending on the scope of the disaster, the available resources may be local, state, federal, or multinational. In this module, I will introduce the phases of the disaster cycle. The disaster cycle is a process that we constantly review and strive to improve for the future. It is important for you to understand each phase because clear expectations will enable you to develop an effective plan to keep you and your family safe. At the end of the module, be sure to complete the quiz.
7 videos (Total 68 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
7 videos
Introduction 2m
Introduction to Disaster Cycle and Mitigation Part 1 12m
Disaster Cycle - Mitigation Part 2 13m
Disaster Cycle - Response and Recovery 10m
Disaster Response Panel Discussion Part 1 (optional)15m
Disaster Response Panel Discussion Part 2 (optional)11m
2 readings
Learning Objectives10m
Syllabus10m
1 practice exercise
Introduction & Disaster Cycle20m
Week
2Personal Preparedness Basics
There are a few extreme circumstances such as a 30 foot wall of water during a tsunami or a 10-point Richter scale earthquake that are so severe it is impossible to prepare for the disaster. However, in most cases people can take a few steps to ensure their survivability during a disaster. Personal preparedness involves being both physically and mentally prepared to meet basic needs for at least three days without outside help. Last module, we talked about the disaster cycle including mitigation, response, and recovery. In this module, our focus centers on the response phase. The disaster has hit and you are taking steps to survive and to be as safe and comfortable as possible. In the lectures, I will focus on food, shelter, water, and light in a disaster situation. In addition, we have on-site instructional videos that highlight survival skills such as fire-building and water purification. Do we have any campers in the class? For those of you who are campers, these skills will be a familiar review of basic wilderness survival techniques. The lectures will also give you ideas of supplies that you might want to include in your disaster kit. Take notes during the lectures to prepare for the discussion and quiz.
5 videos (Total 53 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
2 readings
Learning Objectives10m
Readings10m
1 practice exercise
Personal Preparedness Basics20m
Week
3Personal Preparedness Safety
As we have discussed, disasters significantly overwhelm community resources and it is critical that you have a plan. In the last module, we considered the basics of food, shelter, and water in your personal preparedness plan. In this module, we move on to the topics of security, first aid, and tools. Safety is a major concern for you and your family in post-disaster situations. Use common precautions such as drinking plenty of water, wearing protective gloves and shoes, washing your hands often, and avoiding exhaustion. Depending on the situation, you may have to deal with washed out roads, broken glass, contaminated water, downed power lines, or serious gas leaks.
7 videos (Total 78 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
7 videos
Introduction 54s
Communication 11m
Security 11m
Authority 12m
First Aid 13m
Environmental Concerns 4m
Tools 24m
2 readings
Learning Objectives10m
Readings10m
1 practice exercise
Personal Preparedness Safety20m
Week
4Attitudes and Awareness
Disasters are understandably stressful situations that trigger panic, fear, confusion, and uncertainty. During a disaster, you lose control of many aspects of your life. Your family may not be together. You may not be able to access food, water, shelter, transportation, or communication. Since we do not have control of many variables, there is no point in worrying about possible disasters; however, having a clear, detailed plan in place will lessen anxiety and strengthen our ability to make timely, rational decisions if a disaster occurs. Disaster planning takes us “back to basics” and what is most important to our survival.
A positive attitude and heightened awareness will help you cope with an emergency situation. In this module's lesson, we focus on attitude and awareness, discuss an awareness-building activity, and submit your disaster preparedness plans. In the next module, you will peer-review the plans and provide feedback to you classmates.
6 videos (Total 81 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes
6 videos
Introduction 59s
Awareness 17m
Attitude and Awareness - Part 1 8m
Attitude and Awareness - Part 2 15m
Attitude and Awareness - Part 3 10m
Nancy Vickroy - Guest Speaker (optional)26m
2 readings
Learning Objectives10m
Readings10m
1 practice exercise
Attitudes and Awareness 20m
4.6
89 ReviewsTop Reviews
By CH•Jan 31st 2017
Really great course that's paced well. I believe this is a course everyone should and CAN take! These things are important to know especially if you live in an area where disasters are prone.
By EB•Oct 5th 2015
Excellent course, logically put together and well presented. It raises multiple issues, some of which we were aware of but had not addressed and others which we had not even considered.
Instructor
Michael Beach
Assistant ProfessorSchool of Nursing
About University of Pittsburgh
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
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