113 Disaster Basics
Course Overview:
This
is a new course in our series of short courses for REACT members to train to
perform communications duties in emergencies. A key part of communications
in major emergencies and disasters is understanding what a disaster is and
the types of impacts it has. This gives the radio operator a better
appreciation of the types of things that drive the communications needs of
the organizations we support. This course provides an overview of what
disasters are, what types of impacts they have, and how we categorize
them. A later course will examine the specific impacts of disasters on your job
as a communicator.
Our Disaster
Basics covers:
The course manual is 30
pages in length and should take approximately 2 hours to
complete. There is a detailed final examination – when you are
ready, contact our training staff at Training@REACTIntl.org to obtain the web
address and password for our online testing system. Continuing
education units are awarded for course completion. Completing a
course on the basics of disasters does not make you an expert. You can improve your
knowledge by participating in disaster exercises, online with REACT’s
quarterly ALERTEX series, and in exercises in your community. Read your
city’s newspaper and watch the evening news to get an idea of how
frequently major emergencies and disasters occur. Learn the disaster history
of your community – your local emergency management agency is a
good starting point. And when you have an idea of the local history spend
some time browsing the Internet to increase your knowledge of the specific
types of events you may encounter. If you need more information,
contact Training@REACTIntl.org for suggested
sources.