'Prep' rally series teaches children how to prepare for emergencies

Emergency preparedness begins with a family’s children. 

City of San Marcos Emergency Management Coordinator Rachel Ingle believes children play a key role in how prepared a family is for an emergency.  Through a series of “prep” rallies held at San Marcos CISD schools during the month of September, Ingle has been teaching kids how to prepare themselves and their families for emergencies. 

“Preparedness on the community members is absolutely paramount,” Ingle said. “When I talked to community members, when I talked to adults about preparedness, at best 10% of adults are going to change the way they think about disasters ... But the reality is it will eventually affect you. And the biggest way that it affects community members are financially, just financial impacts from a disaster that people don't anticipate. So, with that being said, I'm trying to change the culture of preparedness. And so, if I want to change the culture, and I want the community to get prepared, the best way to do that is to start with our children. Children have a huge impact on us as adults.”

SMCISD Executive Director of Communications and Community Relations Andrew Fernandez said the district partnered with the school because the safety of its students is paramount. 

"The safety of our students is our number one priority," Fernandez said. "Not only in school but outside the classroom." 

Each of these rallies includes an educational game and handouts for students with information about preparing for many different types of hazards. The program is brand new for the city. Ingle says her department has paired up with the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for these “prep” rallies. 

The Texas Department of State Health Services supplies kids with a waterproof emergency document bag with information in English and Spanish on how to create a family emergency plan and contact list, and how to create a disaster supply kit. Elementary aged kids received a FEMA produced coloring book in English and in Spanish titled “Prepare with Pedro.” Middle school aged kids receive a playing card game called “Ready to Help.”   

Ingle has held multiple rallies throughout September and she said the response has been great. 

“All of my elementary kids from the kindergarteners up to the fifth grade, they have actively participated,” Ingle said. “They want to know. Kids want a purpose, and if you give them something to do, they're excited. They just want to do it. They want to play, They want to participate.”

Ingle believes if she can teach children how to prepare for disasters now, they’ll be ready for anything when they grow up. 

“By the time they're adults, and they're out of high school and in college, they'll have their preparedness kit and they'll have that knowledge base and it will be a lot easier for them to respond,” Ingle said. “Because in a disaster, you as a community member, you're the first responder. You're the first person on scene because it affects you. And so, we need to get our community members ready.”

This is the first year the City of San Marcos has held these “prep” rallies. Ingle said plans are already being made for next year and will include private schools as well. 

“This is our biggest initiative that we've ever done in San Marcos,” Ingle said. “And it's the first time that we've integrated the schools. San Marcos is a storm ready city by the National Weather Service, and so we want to keep that up and continue with new initiatives in order to prepare our community.”