Keeping Young People Safe and Prepared in an Emergency

EMERGENCY MEASURES ORGANIZATION--Keeping Young People Safe and Prepared in an Emergency

Do I dial 911 if grandma falls or should I call my mother at work? What do I do if there's another hurricane and our power goes out? What will happen if a world crisis happens close to home?

Children of all ages have questions like these. With the help of the Nova Scotia Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) and the Canadian Red Cross, educators and parents throughout Nova Scotia can help find the answers they need.

Teachers, families and children may also Prepare Now! and Learn How! during this week, Emergency Preparedness Week (May 1 to May 7).

The 911 Activity Pack, available on the province's EMO website, is used to help teach younger children about the 911 service and how they can properly identify an emergency.

Nova Scotia's 911 service is one of EMO's key programs. This provincewide service is the first of its kind in Canada.

"Having guides like the 911 Activity Pack in the classroom and at home is an important step toward improving emergency preparedness among all Nova Scotians," said Mike Myette, manager of the province's 911 service.

Activities like field trips and role-playing exercises give students the opportunity to learn about emergency preparedness in a fun and interactive way. The activities in the 911 Activity Pack are also designed to help reassure students that emergency help is available when they need it, even if a parent isn't nearby.

The pack also contains simple household chores and activities that parents can complete with their youngsters at home. The activities-- which include things like preparing a family emergency kit and making a list of emergency phone numbers and addresses -- are only some of the many ways parents can help their children prepare for the unexpected.

"The 911 Activity Pack fits in well with the curriculum and learning objectives for my students and can be easily taught by parents as well," said Mary Osborne, who teaches grades two and three at Sir Charles Tupper Elementary School in Halifax. "You never know when a child will have to be the one to make a 911 call and this pack is very helpful in teaching young people what they need to know in order to feel comfortable making that call." The Canadian Red Cross is also doing its part to encourage emergency preparedness among students, teachers, and families.

Children between the ages of five and 16, for example, can benefit from the Expect the Unexpected and the Facing Fear programs. Available on the Canadian Red Cross website, these programs are filled with lesson plans, videos and other tools that help students prepare for and cope with emergencies like terrorist attacks and natural disasters.

The Expect the Unexpected program focuses on helping youths and families learn disaster preparedness techniques and deal with unexpected natural disasters, like Hurricane Juan, which struck Nova Scotia on Sept. 29, 2003 as one of the most powerful and damaging storms in Canada.

But children not only need to be prepared for an emergency, they need to know how to cope with one. The Facing Fear program, the most recent emergency preparedness program offered by the Canadian Red Cross, helps young people deal with the aftermath of a tragic event. It encourages teachers to talk to their students about managing their feelings. It also deals with the role of the media and their impact on public opinion, and with international humanitarian law.

"Our programs help teach young people how to be prepared for emergencies and how to cope with them as well," said Joanne Lawlor, manager of community development for the Canadian Red Cross. "These programs give teachers the opportunity to prepare children for emergencies, build their confidence in their own skills and give them the techniques to deal with an emergency."

For more information on the Expect the Unexpected and Facing Fear programs, see the Canadian Red Cross website at www.redcross.ca . For more information on the 911 Activity Pack and emergency preparedness, see the province's EMO website at www.gov.ns.ca/emo .