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Be Ready for Disaster Is your child prepared for a disaster? By Maggie BeidelmanPublished: October, 2007

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Is your child prepared for a disaster? Do you know what to do in an emergency? How about your kids? If there’s something this era has taught us, it’s that being prepared for disasters is crucial. And your kids need to know how, too. ReadyOC Kids is the new family-focused extension of the ReadyOC emergency preparedness campaign. It aims at teaching children about preparedness for natural and man-made disasters. The division teamed up with entertainment company Platinum Studios to create the “ReadyOC Emergency Preparedness Activity Book” for children. “Children are looking for parents to become involved,” says John Nicoletti, a member of the management team for ReadyOC Kids. Nicoletti recommends starting emergency preparedness with children at a very young age. The “engaging, colorful and fun” activity book and mascots of the program can help young children understand the importance of disaster preparedness. “The activity book is one thing the child and parent can go through together,” he says. “Start with the basics: conversation,” says Nicoletti. He suggests taking the things that kids encounter on a daily basis, like pictures of disasters from a newspaper, and explaining them as a way of preparing children for what could happen in an emergency situation. “Awareness is key.” Parents can also prepare emergency kits to travel with their kids; these should include non-perishable food, water and games to keep children occupied. The ReadyOC “family emergency plan” recommends choosing places to meet in case of a disaster, discussing the types of disasters that are most likely to happen with your children, having a long-distance family contact and creating emergency contact cards for children to keep with them at all times. For more information on emergency preparedness for your family, including a checklist to ensure your preparedness, go to readyoc.org. Maggie Beidelman is an intern at Churm Media.

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