K.A.P.S.: A Disaster Training Approach for High-Risk Communities

Communities along the US Gulf Coast are at high risk of natural and human-caused hazards. We developed a disaster training designed to increase Knowledge, Attitude, Preparedness, and Skills (K.A.P.S). We held a series of six identical training sessions in Geismar, Louisiana, a community that faces multiple hazards. Residents (n = 34) were trained using a community-tailored approach that combined constructivist (hands-on) and traditional (lecture) methods of instruction. Pre-test and post-test surveys demonstrated that the instructional content was effective (p < .01), and that individual preparedness knowledge increased significantly because of the constructivist teaching approach (p < .05). The results indicate that this high-hazard setting called for more extensive instructional content, constructivist teaching methods, and the inclusion of residents at all education levels.