Sunday, October 5, 2014

Chesapeake Girl Scouts Learn Emergency Preparedness

A group of Girl Scout Brownies are now some of Chesapeake’s youngest residents prepared to deal with natural disasters and emergencies. In September, Girl Scout Troop 37 welcomed a representative from the American Red Cross for the Pillowcase Project, a preparedness education program funded by the Walt Disney Company. The girls learned about creating a fire escape plan for their home, how to prepare for a hurricane, what they can do to cope during emergency situations and more. The girls also received booklets with information, as well as fillable emergency contact cards to have as a resource.

Girl Scout Troop 37
Through the Pillowcase Project, each girl was given a pillowcase that lists all of the important things girls could fill it with, including a flashlight, water and batteries, in the event of an evacuation due to a natural disaster. As the girls learned about important things to take along during an evacuation, they also had the chance to decorate and personalize their pillowcases.

Girl Scout Troop 37 is also in the process of earning the First Aid badge. During their meeting on September 30, the girls learned about what constitutes an emergency, when to call 911 and what to do if they are in an emergency situation through a variety of games and activities. The girls also each put together a first aid kit and learned about the function of each item in the first aid kit.

The Pillowcase Project was an opportunity for Troop 37 to live the Girl Scout motto, “Be prepared.” For over 100 years, Girl Scouts have been learning how to help out wherever they are needed, even during an emergency.

Read more about the American Red Cross Pillowcase Project here.