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December 2016 Issue 12YOUTH SPOTLIGHTFROM THE FIELDRESOURCES
Winter is Coming – #MakeaPlan
Across the nation, winter weather is quickly approaching.According to the 2015 FEMA National Household Survey*,only 40% have developed a household emergency plan.Many students will see winter weather as a reason tocelebrate school closures, but it’s also a critical time tomake sure your families, schools, and communities have aplan in place for when a winter storm hits. Be safe thiswinter – click here to make a plan for your family, and helpus motivate others to prepare BEFORE the storm hits.
*Those surveyed who live in winter storm hazard areas
YOUTH SPOTLIGHT
First Statelevel Youth Preparedness Council ConvenesThe Arkansas Department of Emergency Management created the Nation’s firstever statelevelYouth Preparedness Council (YPC).
The Arkansas YPC is made up of 12 high school juniors and seniors who promote disasterpreparedness awareness throughout the state and develop community projects focused on gettingready for events from tornadoes and ice storms to flooding and earthquakes.
At the Youth Council Workshop put on by the Department of Emergency Management, ArkansasYPC members saw presentations from the host agency, Arkansas State Police Bomb Unit, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Little Rock SpecialWeapons and Tactics team with its K9 units, the NationalWeather Service, and Urban Search and Rescue.
Council members also attended training sessions anddiscussed careers in emergency management withrepresentatives from Arkansas State University and ArkansasTech University.
Arkansas YPC members are planning to bring their newfoundknowledge and a variety of programs to their communities.Programs include the Federal Emergency ManagementAgency’s (FEMA) Student Tools for EmergencyPlanning, Save the Children’s Prep Rally, CommunityEmergency Response Team training, The Red CrossPillowcase Project, and the National Fire Protection Association’s Firewise program, among manyothers.
For more information about the Arkansas YPC, contact Gary Ragen.
Are You Ready for Tomorrow?The FEMA YPC is back with a newvideo to discuss the importance oftaking proactive steps before adisaster hits.
“It doesn’t matter who you are, whatwalk of life you come from,” said DavidBedard, Region III. “Any disaster, it
doesn’t discriminate. It affects everyone in the community.”
Check out the Ready for Tomorrow video today, and don’t miss the Council’s previous video, “Don’tWait. Communicate,” which encourages families to make a family emergency communication plan.
FROM THE FIELD
Michigan State Police Officers Help Students Get Ready
Michigan elementary schools have the opportunity to enroll fifthgraders in a national emergencypreparedness program from FEMA called Student Tools for Emergency Planning (STEP). It teachesstudents how to prepare for tornadoes, floods, severe weather, and other emergencies.
The Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division(MSP/EMHSD) provides the program at no cost to the school. Materials include instructor guides,student handouts, and starter emergency supply kits for each student. While the curriculum is
directed toward fourth and fifthgraders, the material can be easily customized for other ageranges.
“Fifth graders who participate in the STEP program learn important and potentially lifesavingknowledge about emergency preparedness,” said Capt. Chris A. Kelenske, Deputy State Director ofEmergency Management and Homeland Security and commander of the MSP/EMHSD. “Studentsthen take that knowledge home and share it with family and friends, making their communities betterprepared for an emergency or a disaster.”
For more information, visit FEMA’s STEP website. To request free STEP materials for your school,email femayouth[email protected].
Georgia Middle School Students Learn How to PrepareDuring National Preparedness Month, theGeorgia Emergency Management andHomeland Security Agency prioritizedhelping schoolaged children prepare fordisasters. Danielle Graham, a school safetycoordinator for the agency, traveled to sevenschools in one day, including Henderson
Middle School in Jackson, GA. She used a bucket filled with various critical items to help nearly twodozen eighth graders understand what they might need during an emergency.
Graham also covered the importance of being informed about risks, emergency communications,and supply kits—the three basic elements of the Ready Georgia campaign to increase emergencyawareness.
“Your emergency kit can be in a book bag,” Graham explained to students. She suggested creatingkits for the family as a whole as well as for each individual family member, and also keeping one ineach vehicle. She also explained that cell phones to make calls might be useless during anemergency, so students should send text messages and use social media or landlines to updatefriends and family about their status. To get more information about Ready Georgia’s efforts, go tohttp://ready.ga.gov.
RESOURCES
Disaster Preparedness Workbooks for ChildrenAudience: Elementary school students Topics: Earthquakes, Extreme heat, Fire safety, Floods, General preparedness, Hurricanes,Lightning, Severe weather, Terrorism, Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, Tsunamis, Winter weatherDescription: Activity and coloring books are great resources for children to learn about and copewith disasters. Check out some of the options available online:
Be Ready. Be Safe Activity Book Disaster Preparedness Coloring Book Ready Kids Activity Book Ready … Set … Prepare! Activity Book Ready Wrigley Sam the Disaster Horse: Tornado Safety, Lightning Safety, Flood Safety, and TerrorismAwarenessSesame Street and U.S. Fire Administration Fire Safety Coloring Book Shakey the Squirrel Earthquake Preparedness Coloring BookThe Be Ready Book
Tsunami Safety Booklet
Bring the Great ShakeOut to Your SchoolOrganization: Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Centerand Southern California Earthquake CenterWebsite: http://rems.ed.gov/Docs/Earthquake_Podcast_REMS_Music_V2.mp3 Audience: School administratorsTopics: EarthquakesDescription: This podcasts explains how to bring the Great ShakeOut, an earthquake preparednesseffort, to your school.
Improve Pediatric Disaster PreparednessOrganization: National Pediatric Disaster Coalition (NPDC)Website: http://www.npdcoalition.org/ Audience: Medical professionals, Parents, School administrators Topics: General preparedness, Health, Recovery, ResilienceDescription: The NPDC harnesses collaborative ideas and technologies that promote the bestoutcomes for children in disasters by advancing community preparedness, mitigation, response,and recovery for infants, children, and their families.
Take a Course on Family PreparednessOrganization: Extension Disaster Education NetworkWebsite: http://eden.lsu.edu/EDENCourses/FamilyPreparedness/Pages/default.aspxAudience: Young adults and older Topics: General preparednessDescription: This program teaches people how to make family disaster kits, develop a familydisaster plan, and be informed about and prepared for a variety of disasters.
CONTACT USEmail: FEMAYouth[email protected]
Online: http://www.ready.gov/youthpreparedness
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Disclaimer: The reader recognizes that the federal government provides links and informational data on variousdisaster preparedness resources and events and does not endorse any nonfederal events, entities,organizations, services or products. Please let us know about other events and services related to youthpreparedness that could be included in future newsletters by contacting FEMAYouth[email protected].
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