January 2016 - ISSUE 1
Join the FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Division for a webinar focused on engaging the public on disaster preparedness and resilience efforts serving youth. Date: Thursday, February 4, 2016 Time: 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. (ET) Register: https://icpd.adobeconnect.com/pidibdyouth1/event/registration.html Featured Speakers: Bruce Lockwood, Acting Captain, Emergency Management Division, East Hartford Fire Department, CT; Former Commissioner, National Commission on Children and Disasters Hilary Palotay, American Red Cross Jane Shovlin, AzHOSA Sarah Thompson, Save the Children Captain Rob Tosatto, Medical Reserve Corps The National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University carries out research and develops resources to help the Nation prepare for, respond to, and recover from large-scale disasters. Each month, NCDP publishes a Children & Disasters Bulletin. The bulletin highlights news, tools, and best practices in children's disaster preparedness, response, and recovery for clinicians, public health practitioners, emergency managers, researchers, and educators. To read the latest issue, visit http://ncdp.columbia.edu/library/children-and-disasters-news-tools-science. Other NCDP resources include: - The Resilient Children/Resilient Communities Initiative, developed in partnership with GSK and Save the Children®, which aims to analyze, recommend, and implement procedures, training, and guidance to help communities protect children after disasters.
- Children & Disasters: Top 10 Things to Know, a list of tips for helping children cope with the psychological effects of a disaster before, during, and after a potentially traumatic event occurs.
- The Preparedness Wizard online tool, which explains five key steps families can take to better prepare for disasters.
- Common Stress Reactions Experienced by Children (1–18 Years) after a Disaster, a fact sheet that explains how and why children respond to stress following a traumatic event, as well as how practitioners can help them through their reactions in healthy, positive ways.
Schools, institutions of higher education, and houses of worship can play a key role in taking preventative and protective measures to stop an emergency from occurring or reduce the impact of an incident. To help school officials and congregation leaders plan for emergencies, the U.S. Department of Education, FEMA, and partners offer the following guides: These guides walk readers through forming a planning team, identifying threats and assessing risks, and developing, reviewing, and implementing a plan. These guides also provide training information and exercises to help readers understand and practice their roles to protect the people around them during a crisis. | |  |
 From coloring worksheets and puzzles to online games and mobile apps, Sparky the Fire Dog®, the official mascot of the National Fire Protection Association, helps to keep children engaged and excited to prepare for disasters. On Sparky's homepage, children and their parents can interact with Sparky and friends through games and activities. Check out Sparky E-cards to send some cheer and fire safety messages with just a click, or download worksheets to do at home, including Kitchen Safety Hidden Pics, Sparky's Home Safety Checklist, and a grid to map out a family escape plan. For preparedness activities on the go, kids can download mobile apps, including the Case of the Missing Smoke Alarms; Sparky's Match Game; and Rescue Dogs, Firefighting Heroes, and Science Facts. |
 Three school campuses on the Morongo Indian Reservation in Cabazon, CA recently partnered with local agencies to practice responding to a wildfire. More than 125 students and 150 staff and reservation personnel took part in the drill, including Morongo School administrators and teachers, and representatives from state and local security and emergency services organizations. On the morning of the drill, the Morongo Fire Department received a simulated call that a welder had accidentally caused a wildfire. Morongo and county fire firefighters arrived to secure the area and issued an evacuation order. Students and staff quickly boarded school busses that whisked them to the Morongo Community Center a safe distance away. Administrators conducted a room-by-room walkthrough at each school to make sure no student or staff member had been left behind. Within an hour and a half, participants completed the drill and returned to their respective classrooms. According to the Morongo Nation website, Lisa Santos Tabarez, Morongo Education Administrator, was very pleased with how students and teachers performed during the drill: "Everyone realizes the importance of practicing like this, including our students and parents. Having a well-designed emergency plan in place and knowing how to use that plan gives us peace of mind that we are all well-prepared to react should something unexpected ever occur." For more information on how your school can plan a disaster drill, access resources from FEMA, Great ShakeOut!, and the U.S. Department of Education's Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools website. |
 Since 1980, certified volunteers with the Church of the Brethren's Children's Disaster Services (CDS) have been caring for children and families following disasters. To become certified, volunteers are required to complete a test and a 27-hour overnight training workshop that simulates a shelter situation and covers subjects related to children's and family needs following disaster. Leadership training is also offered for experienced volunteers. Anyone age 18 or older can become a certified CDS caregiver after successfully completing the training and background check. Youth age 16 or older may also participate in the training, and they become eligible for certification when they turn 18. Once CDS caregivers complete certification, all expenses are paid for disaster responses. Workshops currently scheduled in 2016 include: - Sebring, FL, Sebring Church of the Brethren, January 29–30
- Orange, CA, Soda Fountain Pavilion Irvine Regional Park, February 29–March 1
- Jacksonville, FL, Florida Christian Center, March 18–19
- Windham, ME, Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency, April 1–2
- LaVerne, CA, LaVerne Church of the Brethren, April 16–17
For more information and to register, visit www.brethren.org/cds/training/dates.html. |
 Natural disasters and emergencies often result in highly stressful situations that can increase the possibility of violence. Stressors can include families being separated; lack of food, water, and shelter; economic loss; as well as disruptions in health and law enforcement services. Strategies for preventing violence after disasters should focus on providing assistance to individuals in need and developing supportive networks for managing daily tasks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emergency Preparedness and Response Division has developed helpful educational materials for preventing violence after a natural disaster. Visit their website for more information on managing stress and relationships, and preventing shaken baby syndrome, sexual violence, suicide, and youth violence. |
FEMA offers a free, interactive independent study course online, IS-366: Planning for the Needs of Children in Disasters. This four-hour course teaches emergency managers and program implementers how to help children mitigate, prepare, respond, and recover from disasters. Participants will also learn how to create, update, or revise an emergency operations plan for their community or organization to effectively address the unique needs of children in disasters. | |  |
Get ready to join the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes for the 2016 FLASH Conference – The Next Generation of Resilience, on January 27–29, 2016 at the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort – Bonnet Creek. The conference will feature an all hazards agenda that includes the latest research and information from experts on building codes, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires. Attendees will also enjoy a tour of the award-winning edutainment experience StormStruck: A Tale of Two Homes® at Epcot® Theme Park. In addition to keynote speakers and networking opportunities, this year's program will include a special tribute luncheon honoring the 2016 National Weatherperson of the Year. This award celebrates the critical role meteorologists play in advancing disaster safety and resilience. Past distinguished award recipients Jim Cantore of The Weather Channel and former National Hurricane Center Director/WPLG Hurricane Specialist Max Mayfield are scheduled to present the award. Don't miss this opportunity to bolster your preparedness. To receive the discounted rate code, email zoe@flash.org and mention the "National Strategy for Youth Preparedness." PROMOTING PREPAREDNESSIn honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on January 18, we asked FEMA's Youth Preparedness Council members to share ideas for a service activity that promotes preparedness. "I would set up an emergency preparedness kit awareness event with my friends where people would learn what goes into a kit and how to make one. We would provide lists of recommended materials to go into the kits so that the attendees would be able to go home and make their own. We would also ask if they could donate materials for families in need of preparedness kits who don't have the funds to prepare them."—Bridget Smith, Region I | | |
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"With the Youth Preparedness Council members at my school, I will lead a service project to paint household numbers on the curbside. During a major disaster, these painted house numbers can serve to identify the location and address of buildings." —Divakar Saini, Region IX |
"I could make a preparedness video about getting ready for winter storms. We have a lot of wind and ice storms here in Western Washington. Then, I could post the video on YouTube." —Hailey Starr, Region X | |  |
To find a place to serve your community on January 18 or register your own event, visit www.nationalservice.gov/mlkday. DISASTER PREP CLUB GETS FOCUSED ON FIRE SAFETY Youth Preparedness Council Member Angelo DeGraff launched an after school club at St. Mary's School in Bryantown, MD that teaches middle school students about the importance of disaster preparedness. The PREP Club has more than 20 members. To help teach members how to prepare for multiple hazards, Angelo has partnered with the Hughesville Fire Department; FEMA Corps; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; and parents and students from the community. Recently, three firefighters taught members about preventing house fires and how to properly operate a fire extinguisher. |
To encourage participation in the club, Angelo has spoken at school assemblies about the importance of being prepared, and he plans to submit an editorial on the club to his local newspaper. | |  |
CONTACT USEmail: FEMA-Youth-Preparedness@fema.dhs.gov Online: www.ready.gov/youth-preparedness |
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