FEMA Zoom Meeting 11/20/2023 - student CERT, utilizing Boy Scouts and other youth groups.

[RememberSchiff 3680]

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has begun working with the Boy Scouts of America in a new program to prepare youth for a preparedness role to help communities across the country be more resilient and prepared should the need arise.

This has been facilitate in some BSA troops nationwide and there is a movement to bring it to the local Walton County (Georgia) area. Arlene Magoon, with the Spirit of Adventure Scout Council in Massachusetts, has worked with her local Scout leaders, the state Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to work within the Council. She has been advising local CERT (Citizen Emergency Response Team) member John Alderman, who has been attempting to bring the program to local Scout troops in Walton County.

“In 2021, the Council created a mission to help communities build on the Scout motto “Be Prepared”. They partnered with local Scout leaders, the State EMA, and FEMA to offer three preparedness programs to Scout troops. The programs are ‘Ready Cub,’ ‘Student Tools for Emergency Planning, STEP,’ ‘Student Tools for Emergency Planning’ | Ready.gov and ‘Community Emergency Response Team, CERT; Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) | FEMA.gov.,” Magoon said.

She outlined plans that a local group can do to implement a similar local program.

1. Align Scouts with partners in preparedness such as the local/county emergency manager, State emergency management agency and FEMA.

2. Scout leaders and teens would participate in the Hybrid Basic CERT program. The program is taught in two parts and allows students to learn at their own pace.

3. Leaders and Scouts that complete the 2-part hybrid CERT training can remain in their Troops or join local CERT teams if their town/city has one. CERTS participate in a variety of community events to assist in managing events as the local emergency organization needs. This includes light search activities, crowd organizing and others.

Alderman said he has hit obstacles because Scouts cannot participate in search and rescue. However, he believes that learning the basis of Search and Rescue through the program would prepare them as adults to be in a leadership role or significantly contributing members of such organizations.

“CERT has difficulties with membership because people don’t meet every week like Scouts do and they are not typically as close nit a group as the Scouts are,” Alderman said. “But the training they get as youths in the Scout / CERT program would prepare them to be leaders when they become adults.”

 

More at source:

https://news.monroelocal.org/fema-to-host-zoom-meeting-monday-for-boy-scouts-other-youth-leadership-groups-on-student-cert/

 

Edited November 16, 2023 by RememberSchiff
source mispelled Arlene Magoon

[RememberSchiff 3680]

Spirirt of Adventure Council (MA):

https://www.scoutspirit.org/fema/

July 21, 2023 Spirit of Adventure (Council) Newsletter, Spirit of Adventure Community Emergency Response Team Train the Trainer Course Completed

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/This-Week-at-Camp--Membership-Kickoffs---FEMA-CERT-Training.html?soid=1139808170475&aid=VyyvRshSVoQ

FEMA:

April 4, 2023:

https://community.fema.gov/PreparednessConnect/s/article/Partnership-with-Scouts-Promotes-Preparedness

[Armymutt 217]

I was at a veterinary conference early in November.  One of my areas of interest is disaster response.  The state has a group of volunteer vets that respond to emergencies.  One of the roles I thought of that would be great for Scouts is operating a temporary pet housing facility.  The owners are responsible for the care and feeding of their pets.  The facility operators simply establish it from a trailer provided by the state (sounds like a troop going camping) and process pets into the facility.  At the end, everything get cleaned up and the trailer is returned to the owning entity.  

[RememberSchiff 3680]

32 minutes ago, Armymutt said:

I was at a veterinary conference early in November.  One of my areas of interest is disaster response.  The state has a group of volunteer vets that respond to emergencies.  One of the roles I thought of that would be great for Scouts is operating a temporary pet housing facility.  The owners are responsible for the care and feeding of their pets.  The facility operators simply establish it from a trailer provided by the state (sounds like a troop going camping) and process pets into the facility.  At the end, everything get cleaned up and the trailer is returned to the owning entity.  

Perhaps instead of problematic trailers, how about Scouts helping (exercising animals!) at a designated emergency network of existing brick and mortar animal boarders, shelters, and vet clinics? 

Somewhat related, a pet food pantry challenged Scout troops to collect donations.

On Nov. 18, Golden Wings Mobile Pet Food Pantry launched its first pet food drive that continues through Dec. 8. In typical Tony Blount fashion, he decided to make it fun and use the drive to help an additional cause – Boy Scouts.

Scout troops from Cheney, Rosalia and Spokane’s South Hill are competing to see which troop can bring in the most pet food by weight.

At a fundraiser at the Harvester Restaurant on Dec. 9, the winner will be announced with $1,000 going to first place, $500 to second and $300 awarded to third.

Justin Fuchs, scoutmaster of Troop 588 in Rosalia, is delighted to have his troop participate. He said the mission of the pet food pantry aligns with the values of Boy Scouts with the added perk of a cash incentive.

“Anything to help our scouts get to camp this summer,” he said.

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/nov/30/call-for-help-gives-nonprofit-a-new-direction/

My $0.02

[yknot 1338]

I don't know that you could have kids under 18 do much of anything that is actually hands on with animals because of liability issues but maybe if there was some kind of certification program that could qualify them or it could become an aspect of the pet care merit badge. I know the VMAT personnel generally have some specialized training in their roles. It's more likely that youth could assist with set up/custodial/close up type tasks. It's also not just small animals, many regions need to identify large animal facilities and a lot of help is required to prepare those more sprawling facilities during a disaster or event. 

[Armymutt 217]

23 hours ago, RememberSchiff said:

Perhaps instead of problematic trailers, how about Scouts helping (exercising animals!) at a designated emergency network of existing brick and mortar animal boarders, shelters, and vet clinics? 

 

As yknot said, it's a liability thing, both on the side of the volunteer and the owner.  As a person operating a facility, I wouldn't want to take responsibility if Fluffy slips her collar and runs off while I'm walking her.  As a pet owner, I wouldn't want to be responsible if Fluffy bites some volunteer.  It's safer for everyone if Disaster Response volunteers stick to disaster response operations and let the owners take care of their pets.  These aren't rescue shelters for unowned or lost animals.  They are places for people to house their animals while they are living in a shelter.  

[skeptic 997]

And of course, there is much of the issue in our society, liability based on a warped legal system that allows these suits, most settled due to the exorbitant cost of fighting the case.  Add to that, illogical jurors who too often allow common sense to fly away when confronted with a sympathetic situation.  

[Armymutt 217]

25 minutes ago, skeptic said:

And of course, there is much of the issue in our society, liability based on a warped legal system that allows these suits, most settled due to the exorbitant cost of fighting the case.  Add to that, illogical jurors who too often allow common sense to fly away when confronted with a sympathetic situation.  

There are other factors.  For example, it gives a sheltered person something to do besides sit on their cot all day.  Adds a little bit of their normal routine back to their life and gives them the opportunity to practice the human-animal bond.  The animals get to see and interact with their owners, reducing stress.  Most of the people running these facilities are far too busy to be engaging in routine pet care.  The intake, examinations, sanitation, and other operations take up enough time.