No institution — however small, however well run — is ever completely beyond the reach of a disaster. That is really the starting point for taking crisis and disaster management seriously: not treating it as a remote possibility, but as a discipline organisations engage with actively, in their thinking, their awareness and their day-to-day management.

Too many leaders and decision-makers default to a day-by-day management style, absorbed in daily routine and immediate concerns, with limited knowledge, science or skill in how crises and disasters should actually be managed. Left unchecked, that gap in preparation — and the improvisation and momentary emotion it produces — only makes crises deeper, more complex and more destructive. This course works to close exactly that gap.

Who Should Attend?

• Managers of emergency department offices in governments.
• Managers of offices dealing with natural disasters in government.
• Local community organizations, municipalities and local city councils.
• Staff preparing comprehensive development plans for post-disaster cities.
• Anyone interested in European experience in dealing with disasters, during and after they occur.
• Researchers looking for contemporary methods of dealing with accidents and disasters.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the importance of strategic planning in overcoming the effects of natural disasters.
• Handle earthquakes, hurricanes and floods with greater confidence.
• Apply the basic rules of security and safety relevant to natural and non-natural disasters alike.
• Describe the mechanisms and sequential steps used in a model disaster response.
• Apply modern, advanced approaches to achieving comprehensive development after a natural disaster.

• Before You Intervene

  • Basic caveats and precautions to weigh before deciding to intervene
  • Choosing the right areas of intervention based on the age, gender and qualifications of community members

• Two Kinds of Disaster, One Set of Tools

  • The concept of natural disaster management
  • The concept of non-natural disaster management
  • Essential tools and items needed across different types of disasters

• Safety, Rehabilitation and Professional Practice

  • Basic safety and security rules in disaster intervention
  • Advanced rehabilitation programmes in the professional art of dealing with disasters and crises

• Awareness Before and After

  • Awareness programmes on limiting losses and reducing damage when disasters occur
  • Awareness programmes on how to handle the post-disaster phase