Students investigate the emergencies most likely to affect Fort Bragg and design realistic plans, go-bags, and communication tools that teens and families could actually use when power, roads, or cell service fail. Through local hazard mapping, drills, kit testing, and critique from fire, police, health, emergency management, and district safety partners, they learn how community response systems work and how personal preparedness connects to broader public safety. The work builds CERT-aligned knowledge and practical skills in planning, first aid, communication, collaboration, and decision-making under pressure. The project culminates in a public expo where students present revised, scenario-specific solutions that can help their school and community prepare, respond, and recover.

Students will analyze local hazard maps, advisories, and mitigation plans to determine the most likely disasters affecting their community and explain how community agencies, staff, and emergency responders coordinate preparedness and response. They will design, test, and revise a realistic scenario-specific emergency plan, labeled go-bag, first-aid/survival kit, and backup communication script that could work for teens and families during earthquakes, floods, wildfires, tsunamis, and extended outages. Students will communicate clearly through public safety messages, presentations, interviews, and debriefs with fire, police, health, and district safety partners, using critique to improve feasibility and readiness. They will practice drills and simulations, assess what worked under pressure, and reflect on how supplies, safety actions, and communication needs change across different emergency scenarios.

Students will create local hazard maps, emergency message drafts, drill notes, and comparison reflections as they study risks and test what works for different disaster scenarios. Each student will develop a scenario-specific emergency readiness kit that includes a labeled go-bag, supply checklist, first-aid and survival items, backup communication plan, evacuation or shelter plan, and a family-ready version adapted for teens and households. They will also produce a clear public safety communication script or flyer designed for situations when power, cell service, or roads fail. By the end, students will present a revised final emergency plan, tested kit, and communication materials at the Ready, Set, Recover Expo for feedback from fire, police, health, and district safety partners.

Open with a Community Command Challenge co-led by the fire chief, police chief or sheriff, and Mendo Ready, where students rotate through fast stations using local risk maps, hazard data, and emergency alerts to identify the disasters most likely to affect Fort Bragg. In teams, students test a mock evacuation or shelter-in-place decision, inspect sample go-bags and first-aid kits with a nurse or paramedic, and draft a 30-second emergency message for teens and families when power or cell service is down. End with a timed scenario reveal that forces each team to adapt their plan for an earthquake, tsunami, flood, wildfire, or extended outage and explain their choices to community partners. Students finish by choosing a focus scenario and naming one question they need to answer to build a realistic plan, kit, and communication system.

Host a Ready, Set, Recover Expo where students set up walk-through stations featuring their scenario-specific go-bag, supply checklist, family emergency plan, and a short communication script for teens and families. Invite the fire chief, police chief or sheriff’s office, Mendo Ready, Adventist Health staff, and district or city safety leaders to rotate through live feedback stations, test plan feasibility, and ask students to explain how their plan would change for other local hazards. Include a brief public presentation and partner interview at each station so students can show what worked in drills, what they revised, and how their plan helps a neighbor or family stay safe when power, cell service, or roads fail. End with a community choice board or comment wall where guests leave specific next steps, resources, and affirmations for student teams.