Founding and Philosophy
In its third year, this innovative leadership academy prepares teens to meet the needs of others in a disaster. Originated from the ripples of an Eagle Scout project, Operation Safeguard also teaches participants how to begin service projects that share their new knowledge and benefit their communities. We believe that if youth are equipped with the necessary skills and empowered with a contagious vision, they will become powerfully involved in emergency preparedness.
Overview
Operation Safeguard seeks to promote resilience for children and youth in disasters by training Indiana youth in essential principles of disaster response. When disasters strike, youth need to have a sense of competence and involvement. Participation in Operation Safeguard will help equip youth to be active and productive participants in disaster response and recovery, with a special focus on helping to protect children impacted by disasters.
Operation Safeguard is a free, five-day full immersion academy that will be held in central Indiana. Youth will interact with a variety of personnel with emergency response and homeland security responsibilities at local, state, and national levels. The camp culminates in a full-scale mock disaster exercise and graduation ceremony.
Curriculum
Operation Safeguard uses a modified Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training united with Project K.I.D.’s PlayCare training to create a unique experience that will equip youth through hands-on learning. Curriculum components include: emergency preparedness, developing an emergency kit and family disaster plan, introduction to survival and first aid, light search and rescue, triage, terrorism awareness, disaster child care (PlayCare), and an introduction to the Incident Command System.
However, Operation Safeguard addresses another very component of disaster preparedness. Operation Safeguard will develop the community service skills of its operatives. Community experts in communication, presentations, and organization will teach skills that will empower participants to both prepare their communities for emergencies and themselves with skills all people need to be effective adults later in life.
The academy concludes with a mock disaster, where youth perform victim search and rescue alongside professional first responders in a realistic setting and then establish a PlayCare site to help secure and protect victims. Academy graduates are equipped to bring their new skills and the message of preparedness to their families and communities.
