Harris County School Kids, Rodeo Visitors Learn Disaster Tips
Release Date: March 16, 2009
Release Number: 1791-443
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AUSTIN, Texas -- Elementary students learned how to take care of pets in a disaster and first aid while visitors to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo consulted with mitigation specialists about protecting homes from disasters, all part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) outreach activities in Harris County.
Almost 200 fourth-grade students at the E.J. Scott Elementary School in Houston and College Park Elementary School in Deer Park spent part of their school day recently learning how to prepare disaster kits for their families and participating in other activities. The hands-on, two-hour classroom program is called FEMA for Kids and teaches emergency preparedness to grade school students.
Red Cross workers demonstrated First Aid techniques. Other instructors showed the items that go into an emergency supply kit and taught students how to care for pets during a disaster. Local firefighters taught students about the importance of smoke detectors and how to respond when confronted with fires. The students also played an online game called Ready Kids about disaster preparedness.
"These kids really took to emergency preparedness planning, and we hope they'll share it with their friends and families," said Roxie Crawford, a FEMA disaster assistance employee who helped coordinate the school program. More FEMA for Kids programs will be presented at schools in Galveston and Chambers counties this month.
FEMA mitigation specialists are staying busy at the Houston rodeo providing information to homeowners rebuilding from Hurricane Ike and giving advice on how to help protect homes from future disasters. The mitigation specialists are located in Reliant Center adjacent to Reliant Arena, where the rodeo is being held.
For information about FEMA programs for children, visit Ready Kids Web at www.ready.gov/kids and FEMA's Web site for children at www.fema.gov/kids/. For information about FEMA and Hurricane Ike recovery, visit www.fema.gov/ike.
FEMA leads and supports the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation, to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the nation from all hazards including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.
Last Modified: Monday, 16-Mar-2009 11:43:33