Get Hands-on Experience with Disaster Response

NY Hope Disaster Response Field Experience—Summer 2025

As seen during the last hurricane season, climate change is causing more frequent and destructive weather catastrophes, putting more communities at risk. Given the interconnectedness of our society, effective disaster response requires multidisciplinary collaboration between emergency managers, first responders, medical professionals, and government representatives. To be successful, these partners must have the skills to understand and operate in these complex situations.

To provide students with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in this new environment, every summer Immaculata University participates in the NY Hope Field Training Exercise which is held at the New York State Preparedness Training Center (SPTC). Over the four days of the exercise, students rotate through scenarios that recreate the challenges and conditions faced when humanitarian organizations respond to a disaster. The training includes mass casualty incidents, triage and treatment, water rescue operations, wilderness search and rescue, and emergency operations management.

Students from any major can participate this summer. Register for EPM 205 Disaster Response Field Experience. The course is variable (1 to 3) credit to fit student budgets, and there are no additional fees – transportation to and from the SPTC, meals, and lodging are provided.  For more information about the NY Hope Exercise and EPM 205, contact Dr. George Schwartz (GSchwartz@Immaculata.edu).