MADISON, Wis. — September is Preparedness Month in Wisconsin. It’s also back to school month for students across the state. Many of those students will be learning about emergency preparedness this school year thanks to STEP — Student Tools for Emergency Planning.
The statewide program teaches 5th graders how to be prepared for various emergencies and disasters, including blizzards, tornadoes, flooding, and fires. The program also shows students how to put together an emergency kit and develop an emergency plan with their families.
“Emergencies and disasters can happen at any time to anyone with little to no warning, and that’s why we think it is so important to prepare our children,” said Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, Wisconsin’s adjutant general and Homeland Security advisor. “STEP gives students and their families the tools they need to have confidence and respond appropriately in an emergency situation.”
Since 2010, more than 50,000 students from various public, private, charter and home schools have participated in this youth preparedness program across Wisconsin. Teachers are provided with all STEP materials at no cost to the schools, including instructor guides, videos, and student handouts. All students participating in the program also receive a starter emergency kit to take home. The basic lesson is only one hour of instruction, but teachers can expand the lessons to cover eight hours of materials.
Public, private, home schools, and others can register for STEP at:
https://www.readywisconsin.wi.gov/STEP
Each week this September, ReadyWisconsin will highlight easy and inexpensive ways for you and your family to prepare for emergency situations. You can visit https://readywisconsin.wi.gov for more information. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
