SD2S112 - Disasters and Emergencies: Resilience, Response, Rescue and Recovery 01 Sep 2024 - 31 Aug 2030 | Version 0

Associated Module Information

Module Code: SD2S112
Module Title: Disasters and Emergencies: Resilience, Response, Rescue and Recovery
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Creative Industries
Faculty Group: Leadership and Public Services
Faculty Sub Group: Leadership and Public Services
Module Leader: Laurence Blake, Mark Iggulden
Module Team: Jennifer Law, David Phillips, Emma Meredith, Hayley Jenkins, Conor Lees
First Intended Intake: SEP 2024 Final Year of Intake: 2029
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 5
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100823 - emergency and disaster management
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 0
Valid From 01 Sep 2024
Valid To 31 Aug 2030

Module Aims

To enable students to evaluate, acknowledge and analyse the concept of risk and how it is planned for and managed in the public sector. 

Develop student with practical skills experience in emergency response through simulations, field visits, and hands-on practice. 

Content Summary

Content covers different types of risks faced by public organizations and people. Students analyse various emergencies and disasters - natural, technological, manmade - and their diverse impacts on society, economies, and environments. 

Legislative frameworks like the Civil Contingencies Act governing emergency response and forums enabling local resilience coordination are reviewed. The emergency management cycle of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery is examined, including communication and collaboration best practices. 

Through UK and international case studies of major incidents, systemic gaps are investigated. Some examples include flooding theory, hydrology dynamics as well as national and local flood resilience concepts are covered. Methodologies for flood response mobilizing assets are discussed. 

Search theories for victim recovery and zoning strategies are learnt. Hands-on practice of rescue skills is enabled through exercises with regional emergency services like Severn Rescue. Students also engage in flood management simulations using Hydra virtual training tools. 

The breadth of risk assessment frameworks, disaster scenarios from floods to manmade events, policy analysis and practical skill application provides integrated learning of emergency and crisis management. 

Option for enrichment programme: offer of DEFRA Mod 1,2 & 3 Water rescue certification through Rescue 3 suite of courses: Water Awareness, Swiftwater and Flood Responder, Swiftwater Rescue Technician. 

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 6
Seminars 30
Practical Classes and Workshops 4
Independent Study 84
Directed Study (including online independent learning) 72
Active/Simulation based 4
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Critically examine the concept of risk in contemporary public services
LO2 Examine and assess how risk is managed and apply this in relevant areas of policy and practice in the public sector

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Report 1 A report drawing on a general simulation. 0 3000 100 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Report 1

Reading List

Drennan, L, 2014, Risk and Crisis Management in the Public Sector, London, Routledge 

Chisnell, C and C. Kelly 2016, Safeguarding in Social Work Practice, London, Sage 

G. Haddow, 2013, Introduction to Emergency Management, Butterworth Heinemann 

Valvcik, N and P.Tracy, 2017, Case Studies in Disaster Response and Emergency Management, London, Routledge. 

Hillson, D, 2016, The Risk Handbook, London, Kogan Page 

Koester, R (2008) Lost person behaviour: A search and rescue guide on where to look – for land, air and water. Virginia. dbS Productions LLC. 

Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2019) Flood rescue concept of operations. OGL 

Barlow,V et al (n.d.) Water rescue field guide. Rescue 3 Europe. 

Dudhnath, K et al (2019) Water and flood rescue. Rescue 3 Europe & Rescue 3 International Inc. 

National Fire Chiefs Council. (2014) Fire & rescue national resilience aide memoire. NFCC National Resilience.