Ohio University will offer a course in the spring to prepare students to assist in disaster relief efforts around the world.
The course, which is only the second of its kind in the United States, is actually a series of Red Cross training programs, said Bryan Randolph, an OU senior who will be teaching the class. At the end, students will be Red Cross certified in disaster relief and will be ready to go on Red Cross disaster-relief missions anywhere in the world.
"It is a chance for students to travel to exotic places and build their resumes, all while staying in school," Randolph said.
Students will learn to actively deal with all aspects of a disaster, including care for a large group of people, communications and logistics, Randolph said. For the final project, students will respond to a mock disaster.
After the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, Randolph took 60 OU students to ground zero in New York to assist with the relief efforts.
"I saw a lot of unique opportunities for college students while in New York," Randolph said. "A journalism major could have been writing press releases for the New York Times or networking with people from CNN."
Students who wish to take the class must receive their certification in CPR and first aid before or during the course. This can be done at the local Red Cross chapter, Randolph said.
The course, which is listed only online as HLTH 369D, is worth four credits, and will be held Mondays and Wednesdays from 4 to 6 p.m. in Grover Center.
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