(Washington, DC) Forty youth participating in the TEAM DC summer employment program are teaching other youth and senior citizens what to do in case of a terrorist attack or natural disaster. TEAM DC is a special initiative funded by the DC Emergency Management Agency through the Department of Employment Services’ Passport-to-Work Summer Youth Employment Program.
This summer, approximately 40 young adults, aged 16-21, are being trained by emergency management professionals to prepare for events of natural disaster and catastrophic situations caused by outside agents. A major component of the six-week summer employment program, which began on June 28, includes the delivery of emergency preparedness presentations to some of the District’s most vulnerable populations -- children and the elderly.
“As a community, we are very lucky to have young adults trained and ready to assist the city should a crisis arise,” said Gregg Irish, Director of the Department of Employment Services. “It is also encouraging to know that their outreach efforts will inform hundreds of citizens how to protect themselves during a disaster.”
During the first three weeks of the program, TEAM DC received training from the DC Emergency Management Agency and the Certification Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program at George Washington University. Youth teams will conduct workshops at local parks and recreation day camps, YMCAs, Boys and Girls Clubs, and senior citizen centers through August 6, 2004.
For more information and to request a workshop, contact TEAM DC at (202) 671-1411.