EXEMPLARY PRACTICES IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Emergency Preparedness and Safety Merit Badge Seminar
Program Description: The requirements for the Safety Merit Badge complement Racine County Emergency Management's family preparedness campaign. Topics of the 4-hour program include overviews of home safety, severe weather, fire safety, carbon monoxide poisoning, natural gas, and how to develop a home safety plan. The seminar is geared to helping youth and to informing the public about the family preparedness campaign. To make the program successful, Racine County Emergency Management partnered with Racine police and fire departments, Neighborhood Watch, the Red Cross, Wisconsin Natural Gas and Electric, and a local television station. The mayor and county executive proclaimed a "Safety Merit Badge Day."
Evaluation Information: In 1994 Racine County Emergency Management sponsored the Safety and Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge Seminar, which complements its family preparedness campaign. Fifty boys participated in 1994 and 65 in 1995. Other agencies joined the effort. Evaluations of the seminar were positive, and the boys who attended would like to attend more seminars. The program is cost effective and media attention is generated. In addition, the program fosters cooperation among agencies and provides a model for successful implementation elsewhere.
Annual Budget: N/A.
Sources of Funding: The only cost was staff time. FEMA and the American Red Cross provided all the literature at no charge. All speakers came from speakers bureaus. Wisconsin Electric provided refreshments and handouts, and made the photo identification badges.
Program Type: Boy Scout merit badge program for safety and emergency preparedness.
Target Population: Racine County area Boy Scouts.
Setting: Countywide.
Project Startup Date: 1994.
Contact:
David L. Maack, CEM
Emergency Management Coordinator
Racine County Office of Emergency Management
730 Wisconsin Avenue
Racine, WI 53403
Tel: 414-636-3515
Fax: 414-636-3505
Last Modified: Thursday, 30-Mar-2006 11:05:10 EST