AlaskaX: Crisis Ready: Personal Preparedness in the Modern World

• Identify general principles and activities associated with preparedness, and appreciate their importance.
• Identify the known hazards and emergency risks in your area.
• List the 5 action steps in thinking and planning for disasters.
• Name the two principle possibilities your emergency plan should account for.
• Describe the importance of stockpiling water; calculate daily water needs; and purifying water.
• Describe basic, essential emergency supplies for staying at home during an emergency or in the event of an evacuation.
• The best way to secure valuables, including important documents.
• How to create an emergency communication plan for your family and loved ones.
• How to decide whether to evacuate a location or shelter-in-place.

Module 1: Course Introduction & Why Do We Prepare?

• Explain the importance of emergency planning and preparation.

• Create a functioning emergency communications plan.

Module 2: Water

• Explain the critical nature of water in a survival situation

• Identify different ways to locate drinkable water

• Describe how to filter and purify water for drinking

• Review means for storing the appropriate amount of water for a survival situation

Module 3: Food

• Evaluate the importance of food storage in disaster preparedness

• Analyze the potential risks and challenges associated with obtaining food during a disaster

• Calculate the daily caloric requirements of each family member to ensure adequate food supplies are stored for short and long-term use

• Create a checklist of non-perishable food items with for a disaster stockpile

• Identify the different methods of food preservation, including canning, root cellaring, dehydration, freezing, and curing/smoking, and explain the basic principles and considerations of each method

Module 4: Hygiene and Sanitation

• Identify which items and how many you need

• Explain the different methods for cleaning and disinfecting laundry

• Describe alternatives to showering/bathing and toilets

• List the various strategies for waste disposal and pest control

Module 5: Medical & First Aid

• Recognize why first aid is critical every day, and particularly in disasters

• List the components frequently associated with a disaster first aid kit

• Explain the use of disaster first aid kit supplies

Module 6: Residential Security

• Conduct a home security audit to identify vulnerabilities and create a plan to fortify your home against potential threats

• Understand the steps for the protection of self and others within a residential setting using layers of protection

• Identify strategies for hiding valuables in case your home is ever breached

Module 7: Personal Security

• Understand the circumstances where force might be used for self defense

• Describe what to do after you have defended your self

• Recognize the advantages and disadvantages of various lethal and less-lethal weapons

Module 8: Heating & Cooling

• Identify alternate sources of heating and cooling.

• Explain the dangers associated with different heating and cooling sources.

Module 9: Cooking & Hot Water

• List fuel options that are capable of being used indoors.

• Explain the dangers associated with the operation of emergency cooking techniques.

Module 10: Lighting

• Identify the various lighting options available to you

• Explain the safety concerns associated with the variety of lighting options available

Module 11: Communications

• Create a communication plan that will work for you and those you care about

• Discuss the dynamics of communication in an emergency

Module 12: Fuel & Fuel Storage

• Identify characteristics of a given location that afford greater levels of comfort in a crisis

• Understand the considerations associated with deciding to shelter-in-place or to consider "bugging out."

• Identifying common practices associated with sheltering-in-place or evacuating a location

I loved the course, and how down-to-Earth it was. Being prepared will be of use in disasters of different scale, ranging from week-long power outages to natural disasters. It also makes me feel more empowered to know that I could be self-sufficient and possibly even helpful to others in a difficult situation. -Audit track learner

Is this a course in emergency management?

• This course focuses on some of the fundamentals of personal preparedness, which is one aspect of emergency management.

Will there be in-person training opportunities as part of this course?

• The format of this course is entirely online and web-based, but you can check if your local government or other organizations offer emergency preparedness trainings.

Will this course tell me where to buy things for my emergency supply kit?

• In this course, you’ll learn about supplies that will help you be prepared for all kinds of emergencies. While we might recommend general supplies, like a first aid kit, duct tape, extra batteries and chargers, toilet paper, etc., we do not provide specific brand recommendations or where to buy these supplies.

Where can I learn more about personal preparedness?

• There are many providers that offer resources for emergency and disaster preparedness including Ready.gov, a website run by the United States Department of Homeland Security. The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) also has many resources and provides online trainings, as does the Emergency Management Institute (EMI).

Can I get a degree in emergency preparedness or management?

• Yes! University of Alaska Fairbanks offers a fully online degrees in:

  • Bachelor of Security and Emergency Management (B.S.E.M.)

  • Online Master’s in Security and Disaster Management

• These are designed for working emergency management professionals, public safety professionals, and others in the private sector interested in pursuing further study in higher education.