A disaster or emergency can be even more scary when you don’t know how to respond.

National Preparedness Month wraps up this week with the final theme of teaching youth about preparedness, which can include reviewing your family emergency communications plan with kids, and learning how to help your children be ready when disaster strikes and how to help them cope afterwards. Washington County Emergency Management Coordinator Marissa Reisen says teaching children aspects like building an emergency supply kit should be just as vital as teaching stop, drop, and roll, “It’s not even just about disasters, large-scale disasters, preparedness is the small stuff too. There are simple things, just as simple as calling 911, do they know what their address is, do they know how to call 911 if they’ve only got a cell phone accessible. All these little things that make the big picture a lot better.”

Reisen says instilling preparedness in youth now can help them keep that mindset as they grow older. One of her priorities is to teach these lessons in local classrooms when COVID-19 spread diminishes. For tools on how to educate your children, visit here.