The advent of spring brings about a special type of activity in the Midwest, the training and retraining of weather spotters and a heightened awareness of being prepared in the event of an emergency.
Girl Scouts is no different in being prepared. A unique series of programs has been brought to the region this year by Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois in an effort to prepare girls for emergencies, disasters, severe weather and climate change. The series of programs, which started earlier this year, has been well received by audiences of girls and their parents.
The first set of programs held in January taught girls and their families who attended information about recognizing severe weather threats and trends, learning about the basics of weather and forecasting, looking at a weather map and how to protect your family in bad weather.
For almost 100 years, Girl Scouts has been at the forefront of preparing girls to be leaders. "Be Prepared" has been the motto of Girl Scouts since 1917, and this series of sessions helps girls to be better prepared in their households and communities. There are any number of types of emergencies to be prepared for, including natural hazards such as floods, tornadoes, fires and winter storms; technological hazards such as hazardous materials incidents or nuclear power plant emergencies; and terrorism from explosions and chemical threats. Recovering from disasters includes following health and safety guidelines, seeking disaster assistance, coping with the disaster and helping others.
The Girl Scouts disaster preparedness series is being presented by Eddy Weiss, a storm chaser, through the weather education organization, Chasing 4 Life. The program he presents gives girls in grades 2-12 the skills needed to be prepared in the event of disaster and weather emergencies. Girls and parents say they love Weiss' interactive speaking style as well as the way he relates to young people.
A series of program across Eastern Iowa this week and next week and also in April and May will take home Eddy Weiss' message to girls and their families on a variety of preparedness topics. This week and next week, Weiss talks about emergency preparedness, especially helping girls and their families become prepared in case of an emergency and to tell them how to make a disaster preparedness kit for the home.
In April, the program offered is on climate change and helps girls understand the past, present and future of climate change and how it affects everyone. Weiss' May program is about animal safety and how disasters affect not only humans, but also our pets. He helps girls make a plan for their pets during disasters and other emergencies.
Ensuring that your family is prepared in the event of a disaster or emergency is essential to getting through the event. Families should know how to receive warnings about impending disasters and have a plan to respond to those. It's also helpful to catalog the types of disasters and emergencies that might happen in your community in an effort to become prepared for each type of event.
By identifying the types of emergencies and disasters to be prepared for, a plan can be created by families, especially in knowing where to meet outside the home and perhaps elsewhere in the community in case of a widespread disaster. An out-of-state family member or friend can be a contact for those to coordinate where everyone is located.
The April sessions by Weiss talk about climate change and how the past, present and future affects all of us. Earth has warmed by about 1 degree Fahrenheit over the past 100 years, but scientists aren't sure why and how that has occurred. Earth could be getting warmer on its own, but many of the world's leading climate scientists think that things people are doing are helping to make the earth warmer. Weiss' presentation in April will help girls understand the importance of global warming.
The May sessions presented for Girl Scouts by Chasing 4 Life address the issues of pets in the home and how disasters force us to plan for them, too. Only in recent years has the Federal Emergency Management Agency recognized the importance of planning for pets in disasters. FEMA says on its website that pets should not be left behind in a disaster because they cannot survive on their own during an evacuation and families may not be able to find their pets when they return home.
While many emergency shelters may not be able to accept pets, some hotels and motels may be able to. It's a good idea to call in advance and identify possible locations you may be able to go with your pet in the event of a disaster situation. Pets also have needs during an evacuation, including food, safe drinking water, leashes or pet carriers, cat litter and medications. Being prepared with a checklist will assist in a speedy evacuation with your family and pet.
The emergency preparedness sessions presented over the next week by Weiss will occur at these locations on these dates:
Emergency and disaster preparedness: 6-7:30 p.m., Friday, March 11, First United Methodist Church, Mount Pleasant; 10-11 a.m., Saturday, March 12, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Dubuque; 3-4:30 p.m., Saturday, March 12, Our Savior Lutheran Church, Bettendorf; 6-7:30 p.m., Monday, March 14, Taft Middle School, Cedar Rapids; and 6-7:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 15, Kaplan University, Cedar Falls.
Climate change: 5:30-7 p.m., April 27, Our Savior Lutheran Church, Bettendorf; 6-7:30 p.m., April 28, First United Methodist Church, Mount Pleasant; 6-7 p.m., April 29, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Dubuque; 2-3:15 p.m., April 30, Hope Lutheran Church, Cedar Rapids; and 10-11:30 a.m., April 30, First United Methodist Church, Cedar Falls.
Pet safety during emergencies and disasters: 6-7:30 p.m., May 19, Highland Elementary School, Waterloo; 6-7 p.m., May 20, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Dubuque; 5:30-7 p.m., May 23, Our Savior Lutheran Church, Bettendorf; 6-7:30 p.m., May 24, Aldo Leopold Middle School auditorium, Burlington; 6-7:30 p.m., May 25, Jefferson High School auditorium, Cedar Rapids.
Cost of each event is $7 per girl and $5 per adult, and includes a Chasing 4 Life patch for girls. Seating is limited and is expected to fill up fast for each event. Register by going to GirlScoutsToday.com or call 800-798-0833. For more information about the event, including an online video, visit GirlScoutsToday.com and click on the link from the rotating billboard on the home page. Girls who are not current Girl Scouts may attend the sessions by becoming a member; dues are only $1 a month.
Girl Scouts is the premier leadership development program for girls where girls can have fun, make new friends and learn new things in a safe all-girl setting. For more information, visit GirlScoutsToday.com or call your local Girl Scout Leadership Center at 800-798-0833.
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