BOTHELL, Wash. – Two teens from Idaho have been selected to be part of the inaugural Region 10 Youth Preparedness Council (YPC), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Idaho Office of Emergency Management (IOEM) announced Wednesday. The YPC currently has nine members representing the four states of Region 10 – Idaho, Alaska, Oregon and Washington.
The 2018 Idaho selectees are DevRee-Jayden (DJ) Rapp and Amber Blake, both of Meridian, Idaho.
FEMA created the National YPC in 2012 to bring together young leaders from across the nation who are interested in supporting and promoting disaster preparedness in their communities. By developing and implementing disaster preparedness projects to fit their community’s needs, YPC members help build a culture of preparedness and develop habits early. Each year, young people grades 8-11 apply to be part of FEMA’s YPC. This year marks the kick-off of Region 10’s council, coinciding with FEMA’s National Preparedness Month (September) and Back to School safety campaigns throughout the Region.
“In order for communities to become more resilient in responding and recovering from emergencies and disasters, we must find opportunities to build local capacity and a more inclusive culture of preparedness across the region, starting with empowering youth to lead amongst their peers, neighborhoods and networks,” said FEMA Region 10 Federal Preparedness Coordinator Scott Zaffram. “I am excited at the prospect of these brilliant youth being invited to the table, representing their states and working side-by-side with emergency management officials, elected officials and citizens in finding the best approach at motivating people to take action and to actively prepare for rainy days.”
Region 10 selected the nine members based on their dedication to public service, community involvement and potential to expand the impact of youth preparedness in their community. Members of the Regional YPC will give a voice to the young people who could be impacted by disasters in the region.
The other 2018 FEMA Region 10 selectees are:
- Shruthi Ananth of Portland, Oregon
- Gokul Srinivasan of Salem, Oregon
- Gabrielle Karber of Vancouver, Washington
- Teagan Grabish of Blaine, Washington
- Ritusha Samal of Redmond, Washington
- Taya Warren of Sitka, Alaska
- Blake Rogers of Big Lake, Alaska
“We are proud to recognize these young leaders for their dedication to service and commitment to helping communities become more prepared for emergencies,” IOEM Director Brad Richy said.
Rapp has completed over 30 hours of Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training in basic disaster response skills, which includes fire safety, search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. She has organized community outreach projects in conjunction with the Idaho Emergency Preparedness Coalition and the Idaho Medical Reserve Corps. She co-founded her school’s Junior Medical Reserve Corps three years ago. Blake has learned how to use an Amateur Radio. Living in New Jersey in 2012, she is a survivor of Hurricane Irene. Because her family was prepared, they were able to offer support to their neighbors.
“I’m impressed with the knowledge and energy that these young adults bring to the FEMA Region 10 YPC and we are proud to work alongside them,” Zaffram said. “Additionally, we are pleased to announce that two National YPC representatives from Washington, Lathan Chatfield and Nicole Muñoz-Casalduc, will serve as mentors to our newly appointed council members.”
The council supports FEMA’s commitment to involve America’s youth in preparedness-related activities. It also provides an avenue to engage young people by taking into account their perspectives, feedback and opinions. Council members will meet with FEMA Region 10 and IOEM staff throughout their term to provide input on strategies, initiatives and projects, and will also facilitate their introduction to their state and local emergency managers.
Each council member participated in the Regional Youth Preparedness Council meeting, August 14–15, 2018, at the Region 10 office in Bothell, Wash. The meeting gave members the opportunity to share their ideas and questions with invited state and federal preparedness partners; planned their culmination project; and met with FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness staff, who will serve as their ongoing support and mentors.
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FEMA's mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.
The Idaho Office of Emergency Management is a Division of the Idaho Military Division. The services we provide are to facilitate emergency management in Idaho, and to assist neighboring states. The men and women of this Division are dedicated to their mission of protecting the lives and property of the people of Idaho, as well as preserving the environmental and the economic health of Idaho.