Teach Anne Arundel County Youth How To Respond To Disasters

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD – A national effort is underway in Anne Arundel County to help teach youth to prepare for disasters during September’s National Emergency Preparedness Month.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), fewer than half of
American families have an emergency plan. But families with home preparedness resources are
75 percent more likely to have a plan. Anne Arundel County officials encourage schools, group leaders and families to help youth know what to do in the event of an emergency or disaster by engaging in the following activities.

Elementary Age

• Design artwork to decorate the outside of an emergency kit
• Create and illustrate flash cards to learn about emergency preparedness words and definitions (tornado, plan, flashlight, hurricane, water) and discuss how they relate to emergency preparedness
• Educate children on how and when to dial 9-1-1
• Conduct a scavenger hunt for items that would be in an emergency kit such as: flashlight, batteries, battery operated-radio, water, first aid kit, non-perishable foods
• Make a fun snack and watch a short video on emergency preparedness

Middle School Age

• Write and perform a skit on emergency preparedness. The skit should have a problem (for example someone is not sure how to prepare for an emergency) and a solution (a friend tells them how to build an emergency preparedness kit)
• Hold a poster contest with a theme such as; helping others prepare for emergencies or building an emergency preparedness kit
• Create a video contest where children develop commercials on how to prepare for an emergency and have a viewing party
• Turn computer time into emergency preparedness learning

High School Age

• Volunteer with an older adult in the neighborhood or from church to help them prepare an emergency plan and emergency kit
• Develop emergency preparedness articles for high school newspaper or newsletter
• Create an emergency preparedness kit for their car
• Brainstorm on community services projects to help others become prepared for emergencies

Also, be sure to attend the Anne Arundel County's Office of Emergency Management’s Emergency Preparedness Expo on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Marley Station Mall.