Don't Kid About Disasters
After the floods in 1996 in Quebec's Saguenay region, Canadian Red Cross found that many children in the area were disturbed by the disaster and needed help in coping with the aftermath. Red Cross developed educational materials that could be easily integrated into the class curriculum. The program was implemented in 141 schools to 30,000 students and 900 teachers. This program was also delivered in Manitoba, following the 1997 floods.
Since May 2000, Royal & SunAlliance has been one of the 13 Canadian corporations that is a Red Cross Disaster Services Partner. Shortly afterwards, Royal & SunAlliance began supporting a five-year innovative emergency preparedness program for school-aged children. The program, in partnership with the Red Cross, teaches children how to be safe and personally prepare for a disaster. This partnership, valued at $500,000, aims to reach thousands of children across the country.
"Both Royal & SunAlliance and Canadian Red Cross are involved in risk prevention and helping people affected by disasters around the world," says Larry Simmons, President, Royal & SunAlliance. "Following major catastrophes, we provide assistance during both the emergency relief and long-term rehabilitation phases."
After a cross-country consultation in 2000-2001, the program was revised and a new Canadian version has been pilot tested in five provinces across the country, involving 12 School Boards.
The program has now been finalized and is called "Expect the Unexpected". The three components of the programs are: "It Can Happen, Be Ready" geared to ages 7 to 8, "Facing the Unexpected, Be Prepared" for 10 to 11 year-olds and "Be Ready, Be Safe" for youth aged 12 to 13. Students learn about disaster preparedness through the use of videos, questionnaires, experiments, research and simulation exercises. Red Cross provides facilitators' guides for teachers, overheads, brochures for parents, activity booklets, videos, posters and participation certificates. Last year, the program reached more than 4,000 children in communities such as Brandon, Manitoba; St. John's, Newfoundland; Laval, Quebec; Sudbury, Ontario; and Pine Lake, Alberta. During the summer of 2000, Pine Lake was the location of a devastating tornado.
"In Brandon, Manitoba, this program is part of our emergency preparedness program," says Brian Kayes, Emergency Coordinator, City of Brandon. "Since children are the future, we believe in preparing them for whatever may come their way. The Brandon Emergency Support Team has seen the benefit of this program and plans to expand its implementation within our community."
In recent years, disasters have been on the rise in Canada. They have forced more than four million Canadians from their homes - and caused billions of dollars in damage. Payments by governments and insurers have been doubling every five to 10 years.
Red Cross has played a major role in responding to large-scale disasters in Canada - including floods in the Saguenay region of Quebec and Manitoba. The Society was also very active in response to the Ice Storm that paralyzed much of eastern Canada and the crash of Swissair flight 111 off the coast of Nova Scotia.
"Long after the destructive Saguenay flood and the Ice Storm, many children still talk about their experiences," says Don Shropshire, National Director, Disaster Services, Canadian Red Cross. "They had been evacuated from their homes and many did not understand the reason. We know that our emergency preparedness program can help alleviate worries that occur during an emergency and can also lessen the impact of future disasters."
It is through educating young people that the impact of disasters can be minimized. By expecting the unexpected, young people will play a role in building communities that are better prepared to face emergencies and disasters.
