Members of the Yorkton Zion 8thScouting group were recently on hand a regular meeting of Yorkton City Council to promote Emergency Preparedness Week and request the support of council.
May 4-10 is Emergency Preparedness Week in the City of Yorkton, an annual event that takes place each May in collaboration with Public Safety Canada. The initiative encourages Canadians to take three simple steps to become better prepared to face an emergency. The steps are: know the risks; make a plan; and get an emergency kit.
"While governments at all levels are working hard to keep Canada safe, everyone has a role to play in being prepared for an emergency. Building awareness is a great first step. By taking an active role in our community, we are helping to build a culture of preparedness in Canada," says Dean Rugland, Area Commissioner Good Spirit Area, Yorkton Zion 8th Scouting Group. "As a part of Scouts Canada, we take this seriously. 'Be Prepared,' that's Scouting's Motto!"
Rugland says a good scout would never be caught unprepared in an emergency.
"Do you have a kit at home that provides food and drinking water for 72 hours? Have you considered what you would do with your pets in the event of an emergency? What skills learned in Scouting may be useful in times of emergency? These are all reasons Scouts Canada has an Emergency Preparedness Badge. The purpose of the badge is to demonstrate knowledge of how to prepare for an emergency."
Rugland says there are six requirements in order for a scout to earn the badge. They must:
Describe three situations that would lead to a community emergency. as well as describe who an emergency could affect the community and its residents.
Create or update a Family Emergency Plan and discuss it with family. As a patrol, create a troop plan and present it to the troop.
Create an emergency survival kit for home use to support the family for 72 hours.
Identify a person in the community who would possibly require help in an emergency and describe how you could help them.
List three emergencies that are created by climate/weather and describe how you would prepare for and react.
Earn the First Aid Badge.
"As a group we want to be prepared and we want our community to be prepared." The scout group encourages all residents to get involved and to learn more.
