|  | Public Health Safety | Emergency Preparedness

How to Participate in a Disaster Preparedness Course

Being prepared for a fire, flood, earthquake or other emergency can help save lives and prevent property damage. If you participate in a disaster preparedness course, you may keep calm during an emergency situation.

Things You'll Need

  • Pen
  • Notebook
Show More

Instructions

  1. Participate in a Class at the Fire Department

    • 1

      Locate the website for the fire department in your community.

    • 2

      Review the various disaster preparedness programs available. For example, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) offers disaster preparedness courses, such as Community Response Team Certification, Earthquake Preparedness and Flood and Sandbagging training.

    • 3

      Call or email the disaster preparedness unit of the fire department to register in advance for the course. These city-council scheduled courses are often free of charge.

    • 4

      Inform the fire department of any special needs you have when you register. Accommodations for most special needs can be made.

    Learn to Care for Your Pets in a Disaster

    • 5

      Enroll in a pet disaster preparation course with the Red Cross. You can find local offices on the Red Cross website (see Resources below).

    • 6

      Click on your state on the map of America.

    • 7

      Write down the name, location and phone numbers for Red Cross offices nearest you. All offices listed on this page offer pet-focused disaster training courses.

    • 8

      Contact your local Red Cross office to register for a course.

    Run Your Own Disaster Preparedness Course

    • 9

      Choose a location for your meeting. Public school rooms and church recreation rooms are excellent choices. Be sure that your location is open to the public.

    • 10

      Select at least two different dates, so you can coordinate your course with a professional disaster preparedness instructor.

    • 11

      Contact the disaster preparedness unit in your fire department for a specialist to speak at your course. The fire department will probably be glad to participate.

    Go to College

    • 12

      Participate in a disaster preparedness class at your local community college or university.

    • 13

      Some schools offer a series of disaster preparedness related courses and award certificates to those who complete them

Emergency Preparedness - Related Articles