By: Diana Seifert, Region X

Thursday, April 26, was ‘Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.’ Regional Administrator, Ken Murphy, and Deputy Regional Administrator, Sharon Loper, conducted a special Youth Regional Advisory Council Meeting for the children who attended work with their parents. At this meeting, children shared their thoughts on disaster preparedness and emergency management from a youth perspective.

The children shared how their schools are prepared for disasters and discussed what schools could do to better prepare students, teachers and parents. They talked about which hazards are most significant in Puget Sound area, and which risks would cause the greatest impact. They also learned about how we prioritize recovery efforts—for example, roads versus power—and talked about who sets those priorities.

Moms and dads seemed to have a good time sharing their everyday work lives with their children, while the children enjoyed being in a grown-up meeting and learning about disaster response and emergency preparedness.