You know what I always think of when I see terrorist attacks, hurricanes, etc. on TV? State College could be next. I mean, our geographic location makes us a prime target of hurricanes and tornadoes, and our cultural status makes us a target of terrorist attacks. I know that I want to be ready to respond if such an event were to occur.

Luckily, Centre County organizations are sponsoring a Disaster Assistance Response Training (DART) starting January 4th, 2010. The goal of the course is disaster preparation and response in the first 72 hours following a major disaster. A press release states that

DART covers basic readiness and training in disaster medical operations, teamwork, light search and rescue, terrorism awareness, disaster shelter operations, basic incident command, disaster psychology and much more.  This is a fairly intense classroom and practical course that is 48 hours long, but well worth the time and education.  We make sure all participants work within their physical capabilities and have fun while they’re doing.

What do I think are the most likely major disasters facing State College? I’m glad you asked…

• Massively destructive twister
• Hurricane
• Earthquake
• Avalanche
• Retirement of JoePa
• Post-Bowl game riots (even though we’ll all be at home)
• “The Day After Tomorrow”-like global warming related disaster
• The end of the world on December 21, 2012

As you can see, we live in a pretty scary and dangerous place. For more information on this $20 class (well worth every penny) and for registration, call 814-237-0774

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About the Author

Noah Simmons

Noah is an International Politics major minoring in French. Noah participates in the Mock Trial team, the Sailing Team, and is the president/founder of the Odyssey of the Mind club. Besides pushing the limit of what is journalistically acceptable, Noah enjoys long walks on the beach and football. In a previous lifetime he was William Wallace