Community Resilience Exercise

Students are introduced to the concept of ‘disaster’ and ‘disaster risk reduction’. Students will be asked to consider disaster risks in their own community/region and relate this to selected disasters in the developing world.

Outline of Activity

Starting with an introduction to the threat of disasters world-wide, students will be asked to consider disaster risks in their own community and\ or region and relate this to selected disasters in the developed and developing world. Liaison with emergency planners and local councils and other public health bodies will provide an up-to-date analysis of community need in relation to local disaster risk reduction. Participation in a community disaster simulation event will form part of an educational experience that will help students increase global awareness and gain insight into the life threatening and health effects of disasters on individuals and communities worldwide.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of this activity, students will:

Understand the main types and different phases of disasters that occur nationally and internationally;
Appraise the global threat of disasters to population health worldwide;
Examine the role of healthcare professionals and community representatives in disaster mitigation and disaster response;
Prepare scenarios and contribute to the preparation and delivery of a local disaster risk assessment and set this in a global context during simulation event/s as a casualty actor;

Assessment Details

Students must complete the following reflective account

Participation should be verified by the organiser of the event or Louise McErlean.

Students should submit this account to Debbie Goode within 2 weeks of the final activity

Students must

Complete 20 hours online learning materials and discussion on blackboard learn.
Students will be responsible for course reading about disasters and sourcing local information pertaining to their local community on disaster risk reduction.
They will need to participate in a 12 hour community disaster simulation in early July.