Texas Youth Preparedness Camp to train students proper response during times of crisis

SAN MARCOS – The Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC) at Texas State University will teach nearly 100 students how to be decision-makers in times of crisis during the Texas Youth Preparedness Camp June 9-13.

The Texas Youth Preparedness Camp is designed to increase emergency preparedness in Texas communities by providing youth with emergency response, action planning and leadership skills that enhance their capacity to assist local communities in creating a culture of preparedness.

Media coverage is invited. Opportunities for on-site footage are available June 13 at 9:35 a.m. during the final exercise, and 2 p.m. during the graduation ceremony. 

Throughout the week, students and their sponsors will receive full 20-hour Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) basic training, develop a community action plan and acquire the leadership skills to address emergency preparedness when they return home by implementing their action plan. 

Skills learned during camp will include light search and rescue, fire safety and suppression, disaster medical triage and treatment, disaster psychology and situational awareness. These skills will be tested in a live drill that presents participants with a simulated disaster scene. Working together under the Incident Command System, students will establish control of the situation; locate, triage and treat wounded victims; and safely extract victims to a secure location. San Marcos Emergency Management Coordinator, Rachel Ingle, will speak at the closing graduation ceremony after participants receive their certificates of completion for the CERT Basic Training Course.

This year’s camp will feature representatives from Aransas Pass Police Explorer Post 347, Dickinson High School, Brooks Collegiate Academy, Lopez Early College High School, Canyon High School, Bethesda Christian School, Alice High School AFJROTC, Waskom ISD and Texas Youth Preparedness Council members. 

To learn more about Texas School Safety Center and the Texas Youth Preparedness Camp, visit www.txssc.txstate.edu/events/youth-preparedness-camp.   

For more information, contact Cynthia J. Arredondo at cj19@txstate.edu or Celina Bley at celina.bley@txstate.edu