Girl Guides Ontario - Girl Guides Ontario - Emergency Preparedness Challenge - Rangers

Emergency Preparedness Challenge - Rangers

Complete the Emergency Preparedness Action Plan
The Emergency Preparedness Action Plan is an online interactive tool that will allow you to create a household emergency plan. By answering a few basic questions about your household, local hazards, pets (if applicable) and contact information, a customized plan will be developed that provides detailed steps and actions for your household to follow in order to become better prepared for an emergency.

Emergency Management Ontario will be launching the Action Plan at www.ontario.ca/beprepared. You can use this as a take-home assignment to work on with your family!

In addition to the EP Action Plan, Rangers choose one additional activity.

Emergency Preparedness Survivor Event
In 2009, Emergency Management Ontario (EMO) launched the Emergency Preparedness (EP) Survivor event. For EP Survivor, people participate in a mock emergency situation that requires them to “survive” for a period of 15-18 hours using only items from their emergency survival kits. Throughout the event, participants engage in a variety of emergency preparedness activities and exercises. Potential topics include basic first-aid skills, pets and emergencies, local hazards and risks, and wilderness survival skills.

To support this initiative, EMO has developed a comprehensive support package (Emergency Preparedness Survivor: How-to Guide) that will allow you to conduct your own event. This is available on the EMO Website at www.ontario.ca/emo (select Educators). While this event has generally been designed for high school students, the same principals and steps would be taken when developing it as a Ranger – for girls in Guiding or at your school. If you need any assistance please contact us as AskEMO@ontario.ca.

Run the Emergency Preparedness Challenge for Sparks, Brownies or Guides
Have Rangers run an all-day event where Sparks, Brownies and/or Guides can earn their badge for the Emergency Preparedness Challenge. Have the girls run Stations for each of the nine themes related to emergency preparedness and personal safety. Have the younger girls rotate through the stations. Carefully consider the layout of each station, what themes you will run and how you will run them (e.g. method of instruction could be question and answer, hands-on activities and games).

Create a Hazard Postcard/Brochure
Research a hazard that is likely to affect your area. You may wish to see if your community has a local emergency management website. Prepare a postcard/brochure that includes pictures of the hazard and safety tips. Share your findings with other branches and teach them how to be prepared for different emergencies. If you have the technology you could develop a PowerPoint presentation.

Create a Mural/Poster
Design a large visual graphic that depicts what to do in case of a hazard that can happen in your area. Presenting information visually is a great way to attract attention among the public, as well as inform people who are still developing literacy skills (younger children) or people who are just learning English. Use information found on the EMO website as well as any local websites or from local organizations. Create an eye-catching visual display using paint, marker, spray paint or other media available to you. Display your work in a community space where you can educate others about what to do in case of emergency.

Host a Career Fair
Research a potential career in the emergency management field (e.g. emergency responder, emergency management coordinator/planner, etc.). Interview someone who is currently in this position (what are their roles and responsibilities, what kind of skill set/education do they need have?). Consider holding a career fair to show the variety of jobs to those in your Unit or members of Guiding, or even at your school. Remember jobs could be at the municipal, provincial, or federal level and also through non-governmental organizations or the private sector.

Learn how to help People with Disabilities in Emergencies
Review Emergency Management Ontario’s (EMO) Emergency Preparedness Guide for People with Disabilities/Special Needs. Divide into pairs if possible and assign a particular disability to each group. Have the group review the section in the book and explain to the class what additional items they would need to include in their Emergency Survival Kit or add in their Family Emergency Plan. Consider acting out a scenario.

Develop a Facebook page/Make a YouTube Video
The recent increase in popularity of social networks is changing the way certain demographics socialize, work and network. Web 2.0 is the new generation of the internet which emphasizes interactivity and information sharing. It includes many types of social media such as blogs, videos, wikis, micro-blogging and social networking platforms (e.g. Facebook).

Consider:
• Posting pictures (e.g. from meetings, events)
• Creating a discussion board (e.g. what items do you have in your emergency survival kit?)
• Setting event reminders (Emergency Preparedness Week, fire prevention week)
• Bookmarking favourite Facebook pages (e.g. Emergency Management Ontario, Canadian Red Cross, Environment Canada, etc. with a mandate to increase emergency preparedness)
• Sending out surveys/polls (e.g. Are you prepared for an emergency?)
• Posting notes with emergency preparedness tips (appropriate to seasonal hazards)
• Linking to emergency management resources (articles, other websites)

Develop a series of short videos to post on YouTube. Consider making a YouTube Channel where you can post all of your videos in one location. You may want to develop videos where you ask girls how they are prepared for an emergency or to demonstrate safety actions for different emergencies. You could all make videos at events such as the Emergency Preparedness Survivor event.

Click here to purchase the Emergency Preparedness crest