Some disasters can strike without much warning, some disasters are just waiting to happen, and some disasters cause an agonizing wait until they strike. But no matter how disasters happen, they lead to the same crises of human suffering.
Disasters are the source of intense stress for families and individuals.
They put extraordinary strain on our resources and workforce. We have learned, most recently with Hurricane Floyd, that there were important roles for public health social workers to take in times of disaster, but many were excluded from helping because public health social workers were not included in the county s emergency plan. Others were exempted due to lack of American Red Cross credentials. The purpose of this training is to provide the information and certification needed by public health social workers to respond in times of disaster. Fires, floods, heat waves, hurricanes, ice and snowstorms, tornadoes and toxic spills are among the disaster scenarios, which often occur with surprising regularity in North Carolina.