When a disaster or major emergency occurs, damage assessment must be done quickly and accurately, to reduce the impact on people and identify resource needs. This information enables the direction of emergency response personnel and resources to the most appropriate areas and helps identify the need for additional resources.

The purpose of this course is to build local capacity for damage assessment by enabling you to develop or refine a damage assessment program for your community. In this course, you will acquire the knowledge and skills you need to be able to conduct rapid and effective damage assessments in order to save lives, to protect property and the environment, and to begin the process of recovery and mitigation.