Hey teenagers, have you ever wanted to know more about being prepared in an emergency? Maybe you want to be a firefighter or an EMT? Then the My Preparedness Initiative, or MyPI program, is just for you. And, it’s free.
MyPI is a youth disaster and emergency preparedness program that educates teens to not only help themselves, but also those around them in emergencies.
MyPI began in Mississippi in 2013 and has since been implemented in numerous states, with Colorado being the 18th state to adopt it. Since its inception, MyPI has received multiple national awards in youth preparedness from FEMA and other agencies.
I have recently been trained in administering this program and am looking forward to educating Archuleta County teens in disaster preparedness. The teens will receive 21 hours of both classroom and hands-on education in order to be certified.
Part of the teaching will be CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training. The areas covered include: disaster preparedness, fire safety and utility control, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, CERT organization, disaster psychology, terrorism and CERT, and other hazards. Teens will also be certified in CPR and AED usage.
Technology aspects will be covered as well, including ham radio, NOAA Weather Radio, smoke alarm maintenance, smartphone apps and the use of social media in disasters. Students will also be involved in an exercise to test what they have learned.
The final component that each student must complete in order to graduate from the program is to complete a community service project titled “Prep+6.” In this project, each participant must help prepare an emergency supply kit and an emergency communication plan for both their own family and six other households. This Prep+6 will greatly increase the number of homes in the county that are more aware and better prepared in emergency situations.
When students have completed all portions of the program, they receive a backpack filled with emergency tools such as a hard hat, work gloves, a safety vest, a first aid kit and more.
Colorado State University (CSU) Extension is partnering with the Office of Emergency Management, the Pagosa Fire Protection District, Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office and other local experts to assist in the instruction of the course.
This class will be held Jan. 18-20, 2019, at the Extension office. There is an application to fill out and space is limited, so please visit our Facebook page, CSU Extension — Archuleta County, to download the application. You can pick up an application at the Extension office, too. The deadline to turn in the applications is Jan. 9, 2019.
The more prepared a community is when the disaster strikes, the more resilient it will be when the disaster is over. Be a part of the MyPI program.
Beekeeper program
The Colorado Beekeeper Associate Program is a comprehensive seven-week course being offered on Tuesdays starting Jan. 8, 2019, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuition and fees are $300 for the non-volunteer and $120 for the volunteer track.
Visit our Facebook page at CSU Extension-Archuleta County for more information and download an application, or pick one up at the Extension office. Applications are due by Jan. 2, 2019.
CPR and first aid classes
CPR and first aid certification classes are offered monthly by the CSU Extension office on the second Monday and Wednesday of each month from 6 to 10 p.m. Anyone needing to receive or renew certification can register by calling the Extension office at 264-5931.
