New course will help undergrads prepare for disasters
Wonder how you’d react in an emergency?
Undergraduate students at Binghamton University have the chance to find out thanks to a new, experimental course being offered by Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences for the upcoming spring semester. NURS 115 General Emergency Preparedness aims to teach undergraduate students how to prepare for and respond to natural and man-made disasters to better sustain themselves and their communities while also learning about campus-safety procedures and resources.
The course was designed by Tiffany Kwark, a second-year graduate student in the Master of Public Administration program at the College of Community and Public Affairs who is also pursuing an advanced certificate in disaster management in Decker College. In addition to being a scholar, Kwark serves as an AmeriCorps member for the American Red Cross Southern Tier Chapter.
It’s through her work with the Red Cross that Kwark recognized the University is limited in courses that prepare students to respond to emergency scenarios.
“I realized there wasn’t a course offered on emergency preparedness, or, if there was, it was limited to nursing students or offered sporadically by Harpur’s Ferry [Binghamton University’s student-run ambulance service] to teach first aid,” said Kwark. “I hope this new course will expand how students think about emergencies and how to properly prepare for them.”
Kwark developed the course in response to student deaths that took place in 2018. She recognized that most of her fellow students have no idea what to do in emergency situations.
“I want students to get into the mindset that when an emergency occurs, you are the first responder,” she said. “I want students to realize there is something they can do to decrease the chances of the situation worsening.”
Though she isn’t teaching the course, Kwark is confident students will be well advised through instructors passionate about the course: David Hubeny and Cait Crisman.
Hubeny has 28 years’ experience in environmental health and emergency services and is executive director for Binghamton University’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM). Crisman is an emergency management coordinator for the OEM.
“Each of us is vulnerable to a variety of hazards and our level of preparedness will determine how we are impacted,” Hubeny said. “This class will provide students an opportunity to learn valuable life skills and reduce their individual risk to a variety of hazards. Students will expand their knowledge and skills in areas such as fire safety, medical emergencies, personal security and mental health awareness.”
Topics Hubeny and Crisman will present during the course include man-made and natural disasters, emergencies, use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation/automated external defibrillators and the Binghamton University campus alert system (B-ALERT).
With a variety of topics and instructors with impressive credentials, Kwark is confident the course will interest students, and she hopes they’ll learn that emergency responders aren’t the only ones who can be prepared for difficult situations.
“I want students from any background — not just healthcare — to know how to be prepared for an emergency, whether it happens while they’re in college or later on in their lives,” she said.
“After completing this course, students will have developed knowledge and confidence that will prepare them to react safely and swiftly when faced with an emergency situation,” Hubeny added.
The 2-credit course is limited to 20 students. If successful, the plan is to increase student capacity and continue running it in future semesters. Registration is open to students in all majors. There are no prerequisites.