June is National Safety Month, an observance sponsored by the National Safety Council. This year’s theme,
“Safety: It Takes All of Us,” is a reminder that anyone can contribute to their
community’s safety, especially when it comes to being prepared for emergencies.
For our latest podcast, APHA’s Get Ready campaign spoke to
Alex Pasculle, a member of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Youth Preparedness Council, about how teens can be a part of their community’s emergency preparedness and
awareness.
Formed in 2012 to bring together youth leaders from across
the country who are passionate about making a difference in their communities,
FEMA’s National Youth Preparedness Council gives students an opportunity to
plan and carry out a community project during their term, as well as sharing
their perspective on FEMA initiatives and projects. This April, Pasculle worked
to put together an emergency and community preparedness fair in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.
Pasculle has a long history of involvement in emergency
preparedness, volunteering as a firefighter, life support instructor and
emergency medical technician. He also helped organize a fundraiser to raise
money for 2012 tsunami victims in Japan. He was lauded this year for the role he played in assisting students at his high school following a
stabbing attack.
Pasculle encouraged other students to get involved in
disaster and emergency preparedness.
“(They can) speak to their schools or teachers or parish or
even youth ministers and tell them that they're interested…Or they can reach
out to local fire departments and stations,” Pasculle told the Get Ready
campaign.
Part of youth leadership and engaging the public in
emergency preparedness is sharing messages through social media, Pasculle says,
particularly via tools that appeal to younger audiences. Pasculle suggests
using social media and the Internet to reach family and loved ones during an
emergency if regular means of communications aren’t available.
For more information about how youth can get involved in
emergency preparedness, listen to the podcast.
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