FEAR The Walking Dead was on AMC last night and that got me to remembering that in response to growing demand—driven in part by apocalypse-themed television shows and movies—Universities across the Nation have started offering classes in disaster preparedness and emergency management.
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For instance, in Maryland, Frostburg State University students learn survival tactics for hazards like chemical spills and winter storms. A course entitled Doomsday Preppers and Surviving the Unexpected Emergency, analyzes the psychological and physical effects of disasters. Students learn to build and maintain an emergency kit, use communication tools such as weather radios, and design an underground shelter suitable for both a tornado and a nuclear blast.
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At Arkansas State University, the Regional Center for Disaster Preparedness Education offers online and classroom-based courses and training opportunities with professional emergency responders. Sessions focus on actions like responding to chemical and electrical emergencies, providing advanced disaster life support, and performing CPR.
- In Florida, Nova Southeastern University’s Institute for Disaster and Emergency Preparedness has joined with state, national, and international agencies to provide all-hazards preparedness education and training for students and emergency management professionals.
