First Responder Training Programme

Module 2: The Disaster Environment

Session 2.1 – Lesson Plan

Introduction

 
The First Responder Training
Programme was developed by
the INSARAG Training
  Working Group and is intended
to help all countries and
response organisations to
develop rescue capacity and
save lives.
 
 2
 
 
Aims Objectives Learning Outcomes

• The aim of this session is to provide the
participants with an overview of the disaster
environment.
• Understand the relationship between
disasters, construction types and their
impacts on live casualty recovery.
As a result of this session, the participant will be able to:
• Understand the consequences of disaster upon the
urban environment.
• Identify the various structural collapse patterns and
indicate which offers the greatest possibilities of
casualty survival.

 
Time Content Activity Resources
10 minutes Introduction to the Disaster Instructor: Will identify single level domestic and multi-level FR-Presentation-2.1
Environment residential buildings, commercial and retail buildings as well as Presenter
• The urban environment critical infrastructure such as bridges, dams, power plants and Classroom & Facilities
• Construction types sanitation facilities.
• Infrastructure Participant: Listen and interact as necessary.
15 minutes Disasters affecting the urban Instructor: Will discuss the types of disaster that could affect FR-Presentation-2.1
environment countries and the likely impact on infrastructure. Presenter
• Natural Classroom & Facilities
Participant: Listen and interact as necessary.
• Accidental
• Deliberate actions
15 minutes Consequences of disasters Instructor: Will discuss the consequences of different types of FR-Presentation-2.1
• Structural collapse disaster on a range of infrastructure including buildings of different Presenter
• Collapse patterns construction types. Explain that buildings often collapse in Classroom & Facilities
• Hazards - dust, falling debris identifiable ways and that each of these ‘collapse patterns’ affects
• Damaged utilities – gas, the likelihood of voids and casualty survivability. List the typical
electricity etc. examples of the hazards likely to be present in structural collapse
and how they would impact on first responding rescuers. Show
samples of PPE against specific hazards.
Participant: Listen and interact as necessary. Consider how they
might mitigate these hazards by simple actions such as turning off
utilities and isolating themselves from the hazard through the use of
PPE.

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Coordination Saves Lives  |  www.unocha.org  
 3
5 minutes Summarise and Questions Instructor: Summarise main points of session.
Participant: Listen and interact as necessary, asking questions to
clarify learning points.
45 minutes

Instructor Notes:

Examples of disasters affecting the community
Ask participants to list types of disasters and emergencies – record on A1 paper sheet
Instructor to give examples in each category
Natural (earthquake, subsidence, floodwater),
Accidental (explosion, impact, fire)
Deliberate actions (terrorist attack, bomb)

Use pictures of local or regional disasters to illustrate the types and forms of collapse. Get participants to
try and recognise forms of collapse and discuss where likely survival points would be.

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Coordination Saves Lives  |  www.unocha.org