FEMA Basic Academy L102: Science for Disasters

Course Description

This course provides the participants with an overview of scientific principles and concepts that shape our increasingly dangerous world. The contents of the course include the following:

• Introduction to Science of Disaster provides a definition and benefits of science.
• Earth Science describes how the Earth's design sets the stage for the world's natural hazards including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and landslides/sinkholes.
• Climatology describes the scientific basis of common atmospheric hazards including convective storms, tropical cyclones, and other hazardous weather.
• Chemical and biological basics identifies the scientific basis of chemical and biological threats.
• Explosive, radiological, and nuclear fundamentals identifies the scientific basis of those threats.

Course Objectives

• Indicate how earth science principles and processes influence natural hazards, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, ground failures, and floods.
• Indicate how climatological principles and processes influence natural hazards, including convective storms, tropical cyclones, nor’easters, winter storms, temperature extremes, and droughts.
• Indicate how chemical and biological principles and processes influence natural and human-caused hazards and impact society.
• Indicate the scientific basis for explosive, radiological, and nuclear hazards and their impact on society.
• Indicate how scientific understanding can improve emergency preparedness.

Prerequisites

Recommended:

• IS 0100.b, Introduction to the Incident Command System,
• ICS 120.a., An Introduction to Exercise; IS 0200.b.,
• ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents;-
• IS 0230.d, Fundamentals of Emergency Management;
• IS 0700.a, National Incident Management System, An Introduction; and
• IS 0800.b, National Response Framework, An Introduction