Emergency Management Students Teach Third Graders About Emergency Preparedness

Omaha – Recently, a group of students of emergency management and disaster science from Tyler Davis’ Fall 2018 Preparedness, Planning, and Risk Mitigation course presented valuable emergency preparedness information to a group of third graders at Seymour Elementary School in Omaha.

The students broke into three groups to teach the third graders about tornado safety, fire safety, and disaster preparedness kits.

Tornado safety was taught by CiCi Robinson and Alyssa Sparks. They taught the third graders what to do if they hear tornado sirens, whether they are at home or at school, and about where to go in case of a tornado. The third graders also learned about how to care for a pet if a tornado strikes.

Fire Safety was taught by Jacob Lichter and Chase Hayden. They discussed fire detectors, how often to change the batteries, and what to do in case of a fire in their home. They also discussed escape plans and using escape ladders and the third graders were advised to talk with their parents about a meeting place and a family plan.

Disaster preparedness kits was taught by Matthew Norrie and Rafael Schaffner. The third graders were given a drawstring bag and suggestions for items they can place in the bag, such as flashlights, batteries, first aid kits, blankets, water, and noise makers. The third graders were also given other items to put in their bag, including pens, whistles, UNO folders, and candy, along with information from ready.gov, a website that teaches kids how to be disaster masters.

This was a great event for both the third grade students and the college students. The presentations were interactive and kid friendly. During each, the third grade students were asked whether they had ever talked with their parents about what to do in case of a fire or tornado and they were given questions to help get the conversation started. The college students commented on how much the third graders already knew and how much fun everyone had learning about emergency kits.

The college students hope to bring their presentations to more elementary school students in the future.