The American Red Cross of Northern Nevada staff and volunteers will present its youth emergency preparedness program, Prepare with Pedro, to nearly 500 Kindergarten and first graders at Churchill County’s Lahontan Elementary School, on Thursday, April 27. The program is designed to teach young children the skills they need to help themselves and their families in case of a home emergency.
Prepare with Pedro is a free half-hour collaborative presentation that provides K-2 students an introduction to the concept of emergency preparedness in a fun and educational way. “Our goal is to ensure Northern and Rural Nevada’s kids are better prepared for an emergency, such as a home fire.” said Mary Powell, Executive Director of the American Red Cross Northern Nevada Chapter. “Teaching children how to react in an emergency gives them critical skills and confidence.”
Specially trained local Red Cross volunteers will present the program, starting with the introduction of Pedro the Penguin. “By reading about Pedro’s adventures and participating in some training exercises, the kids will learn basic preparedness concepts,” Powell said. Preparedness training includes:
- Knowing what a smoke alarm sounds like
- Important things to remember in case of a home fire
- Practicing deep breathing to remain calm during an emergency
- How to talk with adults about your feelings after a stressful experience
“By using storytelling and hands-on activities, students learn to prepare for -- and cope – in the event of an emergency,” Powell explained. “The kids realize they have an important, active role to play in household safety, and we encourage them to share what they’ve leaned with their parents.”
Be Red Cross Ready
After learning about preparedness from Prepare with Pedro, students can share the information with their family to get the household Red Cross Ready. Learn more about the three easy steps – get an emergency kit, make an emergency plan and be informed – to be Red Cross Ready at redcross.org/prepare.
Join the Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers
These specially training volunteers provide emotional support, access to financial assistance and valuable information to help families begin to recover. Northern and Rural Nevada needs more volunteers to ensure there is always someone ready to answer the call when a disaster strikes. To learn more, visit redcross.org/DAT.
After initial training, volunteers can take shifts that may include responding to emergencies within two hours, night or day, rain or shine, either on the scene or coordinating remotely to provide immediate compassion and care. With experience and further training, volunteers can take on leadership and coordination roles to have a wider impact and be eligible for deployment to large scale emergencies/disasters in Nevada and other parts of the U.S.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds, and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
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