Immersive training to help prepare NYS for natural disaster

On May 28, various locations on Cornell's campus will be transformed by natural disaster, in a three-day, immersive simulation that will put students and community members in the role of emergency responders.

"Because people working in this space wear so many hats, they may be thrown into these situations," said Danielle Eiseman, associate director of the Cornell Health Impacts Core in the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). "We want to build confidence in our students and community members that they can handle a high-stress situation."

The disaster response training, called Atlantic Hope and co-hosted with the nonprofit Consortium for Humanitarian Service and Education (CHSE), will simulate an international humanitarian crisis in the wake of a natural disaster, unfolding at multiple sites across campus. Nearly 50 college students and community members from across the state will execute search and rescue operations, perform triage for survivors (played by volunteers), set up shelters, provide first aid, and navigate the coordination and communications required to effectively respond to crisis. Participants will work in assigned teams with specific missions and will sleep in Barton and Teagle halls on American Red Cross cots.

The training is part of a broad effort to better prepare New York state communities for natural disasters, including those caused by climate change, as emergency managers and public health workers express waning confidence in their ability to respond to the extreme weather that's hitting the state with greater frequency. New York has seen increases in the number and severity of storms and flooding events, as well as high wind and extreme heat events.

While Atlantic Hope will simulate an international crisis, Eiseman said the skills gained will apply to natural disasters closer to home.

"It's all about preparedness," she said. "These events fit into the broader state initiatives of making sure individuals and communities and the workforce are well-prepared for whatever may come."

In a recent survey, Eiseman and her team found that New York state emergency managers and public health workers don't feel prepared for a slew of natural disasters. Respondents named extreme heat, flooding and wind, and any event that causes power outages, as their top areas of vulnerability and concern. Of the 147 respondents across all 62 New York counties, many also expressed doubt in their ability to locate and identify vulnerable populations during extreme weather. Nearly 70% said more workforce training is needed. The survey results are forthcoming in the Journal of Emergency Management.

"The survey really pointed to a lot of challenges we've been hearing about anecdotally, but now gives us the data," Eiseman said.

The survey, taken in 2024, informed the development of a number of public resources related to extreme weather by a CVM team including Alistair Hayden, assistant professor of practice, and Gen Meredith, professor of practice and director of Cornell Health Impacts Core, often in collaboration with communities and government agencies. The team has created an Extreme Heat Toolkit, a Heat Vulnerability Map, a database of heat action plans, and various online trainings for risk and emergency management. The resources complement outreach and extension efforts; in Ithaca and surrounding towns, Eiseman has been leading storytelling workshops, where residents share firsthand accounts of flooding.

"There are a lot of approaches to getting more of the public involved and understanding and being aware of these risks and how to prepare for them," Eiseman said. "It's been incredible in this work, to see this desire to come together as a community."

Eiseman hopes the immersive training will become an annual opportunity. CHSE has offered the event at different locations since the early 2000s, but Cornell will be hosting it for the first time. CHSE regularly runs a similar event, New York Hope, at the New York State Preparedness Training Center in Oriskany, New York.

Eiseman said the extensive preparation for Atlantic Hope - in coordination with CHSE and many volunteers from federal and state agencies - has been heartening.

"It's just so amazing to see how much these people care about others and want to protect them," she said. "My whole reasoning for getting a Ph.D. was because I wanted to help people. I work at Cornell, but I live here, too, and I want to give back to my community. At this point, that means helping people prepare for any public health or emergency challenges our community may face."