Dare to Prepare Community Education Program

Dare to Prepare is an educational program focused on sharing essential concepts of basic preparedness, personal resilience, disaster 101, civic engagement, community building, and leadership to residents of Larimer County.

The program's comprehensive topics aim to instill confidence and readiness in responding to and recovering from disasters that may impact our region.

2025 Winter Dare to Prepare Now Available 

Join the Larimer County Office of Emergency Management on Thursday, December 11th & 18th from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM!

This version is ONLINE VIRTUAL ONLY

THIS CLASS IS A TWO-PART SERIES; BOTH PARTS ARE NOT REQUIRED, but to get the full experience , BOTH ARE ENCOURAGED 

If you are interested, please register at the link below, before December 9th! 

Register for Dare to Prepare

2023 Dare to Prepare Graduates.

In this module, we will be exploring the stages of the disaster cycle and gaining an understanding of the critical considerations when preparing for evacuations or sheltering in place.

As we progress, we will also delve into the topic of mindfulness and its significance in dealing with the psychological effects of disasters on individuals. In this module, we will be exploring the stages of the disaster cycle and gaining an understanding of the critical considerations when preparing for evacuations or sheltering in place. 

In this module, participants will be educated on potential disasters that could affect Larimer County and the associated disruptions they may cause. The unit objectives include understanding warning signs for disasters, introducing key disaster management vocabulary, and exploring the history of significant past disasters in the county. '

Additionally, participants will learn about the local role of emergency managers, the importance of the Emergency Operations Center, and its various sections . 

In this module, Aaron Titus's How to Prepare for Everything framework will be shared to learn a simple, step-by-step method to empower yourself, your family, community, church, school, and neighbors to prepare for any disaster, disruption, emergency, adventure, or life's ups and downs.

This module also includes exploring Chaos Theory's relevance to understanding complex systems and define "wicked" and "tame" problems while emphasizing the significance of resilience at individual and community levels. Through this module, you'll discover what community resilience entails and gain practical strategies to foster a resilient culture. Furthermore, we'll delve into how resilience enhances decision-making and situational awareness, enabling a systems thinking approach to tackle challenging "wicked problems.

In this module, we will focus on the significance of social capital in fostering resilience both at the interpersonal and community levels. We'll explore how developing social capital is essential and discuss strategies to achieve this at both the smaller scale of a neighborhood and the larger scale within one's intersecting identities.

Another critical aspect we will address is building long-lasting communities by overcoming divisive polarization and learning to engage in productive deliberations with people who hold different perspectives. We will explore how individuals can create spaces that facilitate navigating difficult conversations. In a world where community polarization is on the rise, understanding the importance of a unified populace during disaster recovery becomes even more crucial.

In this module, we will focus on civic participation, empowering you to become more actively engaged in your community. Civic participation encompasses various activities, including voting, volunteering, group activities, and community gardening.

Throughout this module, you will learn about the resources and organizations available to support your civic engagement, such as the Office of Emergency Management, Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), and the Larimer Long Term Recovery Group or Larimer Recovery Collaborative Collective. Additionally, we will explore how to get involved in local and city-level government, contact your local congressperson, and understand the roles of elected officials.

You'll also discover the importance of participating in critical civic meetings and gain a general understanding of how county government operates, including the locations of vital infrastructure. Armed with this knowledge, you'll be empowered to make grassroots changes and actively contribute to the governing bodies in your community.

In this module, we will focus on cultivating leadership skills during both disaster and non-disaster times. Beyond being the loudest or most charismatic person in a crisis, effective leadership requires specific characteristics that we will explore. This module aims to challenge traditional notions of leadership tied to certain job roles and empowers individuals to attain the role of a leader, even in situations without formal authority. We will delve into emotional intelligence and provide practical ways to build this crucial aspect of leadership.

By the end of the module, participants will have the tools to practice emotional intelligence continuously throughout their lives. Additionally, we will discuss the concept of personal responsibility and its significance in fostering positive contributions to the community.