Training
Disaster Preparedness Training for Teens
Volunteer USA Teen disaster training is focused on making our communities safer by training youth to be capable of preparing for and responding to disasters and emergencies. The hands-on Volunteer USA Teen Disaster Training is a 16-hour program designed for young adults (ages 14 and up) and their adult advisors. Teens will learn to:
- Identify and anticipate hazards
- Establish medical treatment areas
- Apply basic medical techniques
- Conduct light search and rescue
- Extinguish small fires
- Help reduce survivor stress
- Establish an onsite Incident
- Command Plan Reduce fire hazards in the home and school
- Utilize preparedness knowledge to reduce loss in a disaster
- The role of a teen volunteer is to keep themselves and their families safe, before, during and after a disaster and to assist others in need until professional emergency responders arrive.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What do teen volunteers do in an emergency?
Under the direction of your adult Team Leader and local emergency responders, Volunteer USA Teen Volunteers help provide critical support by:
- giving immediate assistance to victims
- providing damage assessment information
- organizing other volunteers at a disaster site
- providing professional responders with a potential workforce for performing duties such as shelter support, crowd control, and evacuation.
"It's nice to know that I can help now, and really make a difference." Kaitlin, Santa Rosa County 4-H Teen CERT
2. How Does Volunteer USA Teen Disaster Training Help the Community?
- During and after an emergency incident, professional responders may not be able to reach everyone right away. Your Volunteer USA Teen Disaster Training will give you the skills to save lives, and protect property.
- In addition to supporting emergency responders during a disaster, the Volunteer USA Teen Disaster Training program builds strong working relationships between emergency responders and the people they serve. Volunteer USA Teen Volunteers also serve year-round by helping with safety issues in the community, peer mentoring, emergency management exercises, preparedness outreach, fire safety education, and home safety.
3. Who Should Get Involved with Volunteer USA Teen Disaster Training?
- Youth who want to make a difference
- Adults who work with youth and parents
- Communities of faith
- 4-H and other youth organizations and clubs
- Members of clubs and civic organizations
4. Want to get Involved With Volunteer USA Teen Disaster Training?
Volunteer USA provides Teen Trainings as well as "Train the Trainer" sessions to adults who are trained as disaster responders and are interested in training teens in their local community. Contact: To learn about training opportunities and minimal costs to cover workshop expenses, please contact jaimie.hudson@volunteerusafund.org