After its unveiling at the Youth Preparedness Council Summit in July 2018, the Ready 2 Help card game is now ready to launch. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) developed Ready 2 Help in response to requests for a version of You are the Help Until Help Arrives for younger audiences. Until Help Arrives focuses on five simple steps that may save a life. Ready 2 Help builds on this model by teaching kids ages 8-12 five simple steps to stay safe and make a difference until help arrives. These five steps are:

• Stay safe,
• Stay calm,
• Get help,
• Give info, and
• Give care.

Ready 2 Help is a card game where children work together and talk about what they would do in a real emergency. Ready 2 Help gives children the chance to practice communicating effectively in an emergency. With this practice, they can be confident and empowered to act.

Ready 2 Help was designed for afterschool programs, extracurricular youth groups, and home play. In this way, Ready 2 Help sparks preparedness conversations among classes, youth groups, and families. However, anyone can play the game and learn what to do in emergencies.

In addition to players, a facilitator leads the game and puts the five skills in context. Facilitators also encourage discussion about emergency preparedness. After reading the companion book, anyone can be a facilitator for Ready 2 Help. This includes parents, teachers, and even other young people.

The card game and companion book are available to download for free at www.ready.gov/game.

With the Ready 2 Help card game, FEMA adds to a large collection of youth preparedness programs and resources. These include the Prepare with Pedro: Disaster Preparedness Activity Book, Student Tools for Emergency Planning and Ready Kids. For more information on these programs and additional youth preparedness resources, visit www.ready.gov/youth-preparedness.

BOTHELL, Wash. – Three teens from Washington have been selected to be part of the inaugural FEMA Region 10 Youth Preparedness Council (YPC), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Washington Emergency Management Division (EMD) announced August 29, 2018. The Region 10 YPC currently has nine members representing the four states in the FEMA Region—Washington, Alaska, Oregon, and Idaho.

The 2018 Washington selectees are Gabrielle Karber of Vancouver, Teagan Grabish of Blaine, and Ritusha Samal of Redmond.

FEMA created the National YPC in 2012 to bring together young leaders from across the nation who are interested in supporting and promoting disaster preparedness in their communities. By developing and implementing disaster preparedness projects to fit their communities’ needs, YPC members help build a culture of preparedness and develop habits early. Each year, young people in grades 8-11 apply to be part of FEMA’s National YPC. This year marks the kickoff of FEMA Region 10’s council, coinciding with National Preparedness Month (September) and Back to School safety campaigns throughout the Region.

“In order for communities to become more resilient in responding and recovering from emergencies and disasters, we must find opportunities to build local capacity and a more inclusive culture of preparedness across the region, starting with empowering youth to lead amongst their peers, neighborhoods, and networks,” said FEMA Region 10 Federal Preparedness Coordinator Scott Zaffram. “I am excited at the prospect of these brilliant youth being invited to the table, representing their states and working side-by-side with emergency management officials, elected officials, and citizens in finding the best approach at motivating people to take action and to actively prepare for [disasters].”

Region 10 selected the nine members based on their dedication to public service, community involvement, and potential to expand the impact of youth preparedness in their communities. Members of the FEMA Region 10 YPC will give a voice to the young people who could be impacted by disasters in the region.

The other 2018 FEMA Region 10 selectees are:

• Shruthi Ananth of Portland, Oregon
• Gokul Srinivasan of Salem, Oregon
• DevRee-Jayden “DJ” Rapp of Meridian, Idaho
• Amber Blake of Meridian, Idaho
• Taya Warren of Sitka, Alaska
• Blake Rogers of Big Lake, Alaska

“I’m pleased to see our state’s youth take personal preparedness so seriously,” said Washington Emergency Management Division Director Robert Ezelle. “Building resilient communities requires all of us. It’s exciting to see our future leaders take on this important challenge, and I thank them for their commitment to developing a safer, more prepared state.”

All three of the council members from Washington have completed over 30 hours of Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training in basic disaster response skills, which includes fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Karber volunteered with the Red Cross and helped families affected by an apartment fire. Grabish has completed over 90 hours of nursing assistant training and has participated in the Map Your Neighborhood program. Samal has been instrumental in promoting Washington’s My Preparedness Initiative (MyPI) pilot program, educating her peers and delivering preparedness presentations to 12 additional households.

“I’m impressed with the knowledge and energy that these young adults bring to the FEMA Region 10 YPC, and we are proud to work alongside them,” Zaffram said. “Additionally, we are pleased to announce that two National YPC representatives from Washington, Lathan Chatfield and Nicole Muñoz-Casalduc, will serve as mentors to our newly appointed council members.”

The council reflects FEMA’s commitment to involve America’s youth in preparedness-related activities. It also provides an avenue to engage young people by taking into account their perspectives, feedback, and opinions. Council members will meet with FEMA Region 10 staff throughout their term to provide input on strategies, initiatives, and projects.

Council members participated in the recent inaugural Region 10 YPC meeting at the FEMA office in Bothell. The meeting gave members the opportunity to share their preparedness ideas with state and federal partners, plan their culmination project, and meet with FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness staff who will serve as their mentors.