Calling all community and faith-based organizations; youth development leaders; educators; leaders of after-school, extracurricular, weekend, and camp programs; and, emergency management and preparedness professionals interested in youth programs! FEMA Region X and the American Red Cross (ARC), Western Washington Chapters, will be co-sponsoring free workshops in May on how your organization can easily incorporate emergency readiness into your programs.

To be a part of this exciting opportunity, register for an Emergency Readiness Workshop at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/readinesswkshp. There are two workshops available to choose from: Wednesday, May 1 from 4-8 pm in Seattle and Saturday, May 11 from 10-2 pm in DuPont. Please register ASAP, as seats are filling quickly!

As committed leaders for youth emergency preparedness, FEMA and ARC developed the Emergency Readiness Workshops focused on engaging youth-serving organizations in emergency preparedness. These workshops are coordinated through multiple partners, including: Washington Emergency Management Division, Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Seattle Office of Emergency Management, Pierce County Department of Emergency Management, and Radio Disney AM 1250.

Nearly one million youth call the Puget Sound home, which is a region that is highly susceptible to a wide range of natural hazards and threats. Therefore, this youth outreach effort is essential to building a more resilient community. Research shows that households with children who bring home preparedness materials are significantly more likely to be prepared for an emergency (ready.gov).

“Engaging and preparing our youth is a critical part of Whole Community emergency preparation because youth have a unique ability to influence their peers and families to be more ready and resilient,” said Ken Murphy, FEMA Region X Administrator. “Youth play important roles in disaster preparedness during and after a crisis.”