14.4 - Website Exploration


Navigating the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health (NCDMPH) website was a bit difficult but focused my attention on the Earthquakes section.

Living in the Bay Area, the one thing that comes to mind in disaster preparedness is Earthquake readiness. I remember the big 1989 earthquake so well, I was only 5, and remember waking up in cold sweats because I was so afraid of another one. Since then, I have a built-in fear of earthquakes, I have anxiety about them. According to the NCDMPH website "More than one million earthquakes occur every year worldwide, and the health effects caused by them are unique and are complicated by the potential damages caused to the health infrastructure."

Luckily my father was really good about being prepared and picked up on some of his tips.
This website has helped me understand earthquakes better, and provides knowledge not only on health impacts but the psychosocial impacts as well. I was also able to locate local resources if one were to happen again.

One of my favorite PDFs in the module is the WHO's guidelines to emergency surgical care in disaster situations. It goes beyond the basic first-aid knowledge, and prepares bystanders for more serious and severe medical emergencies that may occur in an event of a major earthquake.


The Disaster Healthcare Volunteer Site is something I never knew about. People can register as volunteers to help in an event of a major disaster. Registrants will be notified and summoned if one were to occur. I think this is great resource for communities.  I will feel responsible if I register for it in my area. I will be more likely to commit to helping if I know I signed up for it.



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