Course Description
Emergency preparedness is a minor component in most people’s lives but when a disaster strikes the information taught in this course can save your life. Course is designed to introduce students to natural, chemical, and biological disasters through lectures, tabletop exercises, reading assignments, and documentaries with discussions and projects.
Athena Title
Emergency Preparedness
Non-Traditional Format
This course will be taught 95% or more online.
Semester Course Offered
Offered summer semester every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
1. Introduce emergency preparedness and describe ways in which everyone can participate on a community level. 2. Identify natural disasters with emphasis on ones that affect Georgia. 3. Identify biological disasters (both naturally occurring and intentional releases). 4. Identify chemical disasters and discuss implications for communities. 5. Determine how a pandemic occurs and ways in which communities can protect themselves. 6. Discuss ways to build resiliency in yourself and others.
Topical Outline
Introduction to emergency preparedness-personal and community • Community volunteer opportunities • General response to disasters Natural disasters • Flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, forest fires, earthquakes, winter storms, and heat emergencies • Prevention of personal or structural damage • Best practices for home and workplace • History of natural disasters Biological disasters • smallpox, monkeypox, viral hemorrhagic fevers, anthrax, plague, tularemia, SARS, COVID-19, salmonella, and e.coli O57 • Mode of transmission • Signs and symptoms, treatments, and prevention • Compare the 1918 influenza outbreak to Covid-19 • Discuss how a pandemic occurs • History of pandemics • Multi-drug resistant bacteria • History of biological agents-both intentional and naturally occurring Chemical disasters • Blister agents, pulmonary agents, cyanide agents, nerve agents, incapacitating agents • Diagnosis and treatment • History of chemical exposures-both intentional and accidental Psychological first aid • How to build a resilient population • Psychological/mental health issues with disasters • Providing services for the community including responders