Moving Disaster Management Education Beyond the Classroom through Local Collaboration

Qingyu (Jason) Meng is a senior at the University of Georgia studying Risk Management and Insurance and serves as a firefighter and Emergency Services Captain in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. Recognizing the need for collaboration between academia and local government in disaster management, Jason initiated a partnership between a researcher at UGA's Institute of Disaster Management, Dr. Michelle Ritchie, and Oglethorpe County. This collaboration led to several novel initiatives, including the development and conduction of (1) a training on active shooter prevention and response tailored for a nursing home, (2) interactive emergency and disaster management field days for student learning, and (3) a county-led search and rescue exercise featuring the use of drones. All three case studies garnered positive feedback and stakeholder interest. Ultimately, we emphasize the importance of collaboration in disaster management, including through experiential learning in higher education. Indeed, undergraduate students can be powerful actors by participating in disaster risk reduction activities like disaster preparedness education and training. Looking ahead, we see the potential for further collaboration to enhance emergency and disaster management in higher education and professional practice.