edu4DRR

Effective Education for Disaster Risk Reduction - Learning Matters.

Communications

One of the first things to fail in any disaster is communications.

Schools should support amateur radio as a backup communications source.

These volunteers often invest in their own radios to help during disasters.

Contact the American Radio Relay League to see if there is an amateur radio group nearby.

Test materials are also available.

Really WANT to make friends with the hams? Invite them to use the facility for their club meetings. There is an opportunity to include amateur radio in the curriculum and talk to the International Space Station.

http://www.arrl.org

For international interests, each country has a point of contact. To learn the local contact, use the link above.

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Permalink Reply by Justin Sharpe on December 19, 2008 at 9:06

Welcome to edu4drr Lloyd! An excellent contribution related to school safety. We want schools to be prepared, but thsi sincludes getting students involved in planning, drills and debriefing following a drill or exercise so that they learn what worked and what didn't! I was recently at with a school as it undertook the SOCAL shake-out exercise and although students were used as 'runners' or 'casualties' in the exercise this was where their participation ended. The staff debriefed but the children did not. In fact the children had not had any curriculum based learning before the drill or after. The drill was therefore an abstract exercise, not tied into the students learning in any way and with limited impact! I just had a look at the website that you mentioned and clicked on education and thought that this link would be a good place for teachers and curriculum planners to start! We need to get children involved far more as they often have excellent ideas for preparedness and want to be involved!

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Permalink Reply by Lloyd Colston on December 19, 2008 at 12:15

Thank you, Justin!

One site the Federal Emergency Management Agency has is for Children. If one clicks the link at the top, for Parents and Teachers, there's curriculum available to support exactly what you are suggesting.

I bet the curriculum could be modified to the local situation.

Have a blessed weekend!