Salvation Army offers online disaster preparedness course

The Salvation Army is introducing a new online disaster preparedness course. The Army has recently created an online version of the introductory course, Introduction to Emergency Disaster Services, for those interested in becoming a Salvation Army volunteer when a disaster strikes.

The intro course is a prerequisite for advanced disaster training classes as well as becoming a volunteer for the Army during a disaster.

The course offers a basic understanding of how The Salvation Army responds to disasters at both the local and national level. Topics include the different phases of disaster response, how you can respond in your community and how to care for yourself and others in a crisis. This introductory class provides participants with an overview of the Army’s mission and its role within disaster work. The course also covers teaching volunteers how to prepare and equip themselves for a disaster deployment with The Salvation Army.

This training will be available from today through Dec. 31, 2014. Once registered, you will need to complete the training before Dec. 31. If you do not complete it, then you will need to re-register for the next online Intro class by notifying Emergency Disaster Services Director Stephanie Nicklas at Stephanie.nicklas@use.salvationarmy.org.

The training is self-paced and your progress will be saved if you need to step away from the training program. You will have 90 minutes to complete the final exam once you begin and will need to score at least 75 percent on the exam in order to receive your certificate of completion. Your certificate will be available to you immediately.

There is no cost for this class.

To get started and register, you’ll need to create an account on the Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services website, at http://disaster.salvationarmyusa.org/.

At the site, click on “Create an Account” in the upper right hand corner to begin. The registration process takes about 15 minutes.

Once your profile is created, you may register for the class. The online class will also be offered quarterly in 2015.

For more information, email Ms. Nicklas at Stephanie.nicklas@use.salvationarmy.org.