Photos and story courtesy of Wade Newman
Boy Scout Troop 25
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) merit badge program includes a Merit Badge for Emergency Preparedness. For Boy Scouts this specific merit badge is a required badge for the Eagle Scout rank. (Check out more photos at bottom of article.)
Since the motto of the Boy Scouts is “be prepared” particular significance is given to this merit badge because it not only emphasizes preparedness, but also shows the relevance of other merit badges earned, like first aid, CPR and more.
The merit badge focuses on the following five aspects: prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery. Merit badge requirements culminate with a project, either real or a practice drill, with a Scouting Unit or a community agency.
The participants from BSA Troop 25 participated in a practice drill with the Prattville Fire Department (PFD) and Autauga County Emergency 911 Communication Center. The project was conducted at Fire Station #4 due to having the alternate 911 center co-located within the facility.
Mayor Bill Gillespie and City Councilman John Chambers were on hand to participate at the governmental level to emphasize the importance of emergency preparedness within the community.
Members of the PFD Sergeant Zach Gibbons and Captain Kyle Brock began by discussing the Incident command structure for handling an emergency situation. Additional members of PFD assisted with individual instructions for the Scouts on how to shut off service to home water and electrical, as well as how to safely mark them in a disaster situation and inform responders upon arrival.
“This event is very important to help encourage youth to understand how the community operates together to respond to emergencies when they happen. The knowledge these scouts have learned here today will hopefully translate not only into a better prepared citizen, but also one that will step in to fulfill one of these responder roles in the future,” Gillespie said.
Members of the 911 center, Emily Herring and Caleb McGowin, were on hand to explain to the Scouts what the purpose and role 911 plays during an emergency and how the process initiates, with a call to the center from an impacted member of the community, to how it is dispatched to all the emergency services needed.
Once the Scouts were given the introductory information within both areas, a simulated emergency was initiated involving a tornado. The scouts were involved in receiving the call at the 911 center which started the exercise drill. Once the 911 process was completed the scouts then moved to the training aids at the rear of the fire station and executed the proper shutoff and shutdown procedures as needed.
“The Boy Scouts here today have learned, in detail, how the process works overall from the initial call to response and recovery. This merit badge event not only helped them understand how individual families are provided help, but also how the community comes together to help each other,” Chambers said.
