The Applied Geography Research Group of the Geography Education Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Sebelas Maret University held a socialization of Disaster Safe Education Units (SPAB) and disaster mitigation simulations. The research group consists of 6 lecturers who have expertise and fields of study that are interrelated.

The activity was held on Thursday, June 20, 2024, at the Berjo Village Hall and SD Negeri 01 Berjo, Ngargoyoso District, Karanganyar Regency. The activity was attended by school principals and teacher representatives from elementary schools in the Ki Hadjar Dewantara Cluster 1 Development Area in Ngargoyoso District. In addition, the socialization and simulation activities were also attended by students from SD Negeri 01 Berjo.

The event began with remarks by the applied geography research group team led by Mr. Setya Nugraha, S.Si., M.Si. and the Ngargoyoso Subdistrict Education Coordinator, Mr. Sugeng, S.Pd., M.Hum.

According to one member of the Applied Geography Research Team, “This group research is part of community service from higher education institutions, especially Sebelas Maret University. Every lecturer is required to participate in group research. In addition, the Ngargoyoso area is blessed with beautiful natural conditions. However, it also has great potential for disasters such as landslides, forest fires, and earthquakes,” said Setya Nugraha.

At the opening of the event, Mr. Sugeng, as the Regional Coordinator for Education, said that “the socialization of the Disaster-Safe Education Unit (SPAB) and disaster mitigation simulations are very important considering that the geographical and topographical conditions of the Ngargoyoso sub-district have a high potential for disasters. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the capacity of schools to deal with these potential disasters.”

During the event, school principals, teachers, and students received education on the theory and practice of disaster mitigation simulations. The speaker at this event was Dr. Pipit Wijayanti, S.Si., M.Sc., who explained the material starting from the risk data and the occurrence of disasters and their impact on educational units in Indonesia. She then explained the Disaster-Safe Education Unit (SPAB) program from the central government, regional, to school levels. In addition, she also explained the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for disaster emergency response that must be carried out in the event of a disaster.

There are three pillars in SPAB, namely safer learning facilities, disaster management in schools and educational continuity, and risk reduction and resilience education. Furthermore, there are three main SPAB frameworks, starting from the pre-disaster stage, emergency response, to post-disaster recovery.

At the same time, elementary school students were given training on disaster knowledge. The material covers the definition of disasters, characteristics of disasters, prevention, and emergency response measures that can be taken to save oneself.

After the presentation of the material, it was followed by a disaster mitigation simulation practice. The simulation was carried out at SD Negeri 01 Berjo. The practice began with ongoing teaching and learning activities and continued with the evacuation of students and teachers to a predetermined gathering point.

Through this outreach program and simulation, it is hoped that educational institutions will be better prepared to deal with disasters and that all school members will gain knowledge, skills, and experience. This will help prevent the negative impacts of disasters.