The Greater New York Chapter ran a successful Youth Emergency Simulation on Friday, April 18th, for members of the Chapter's Youth Group and Youth Disaster Corps (YDC).

The evening's scenario involved a 5.4 magnitude earthquake centered in Quebec, Canada that hit at 5:30 p.m. and affected surrounding areas, including New York City. In this scenario, a local Manhattan high school experienced serious damage and a Reception Center was opened in a nearby house of worship to assist those affected by the earthquake.

The simulation gave 10 Safety & Preparedness Instructor Aides (IAs), 8 Youth Disaster Corps (YDC) members and more than 15 Youth Group members the opportunity to test the skills they’d learned in Red Cross training courses. This was the first time Instructor Aides (IA) and the Youth Disaster Corps (YDC) members participated in a team challenge together.

The first half of the evening, IAs split into two teams. As one team tested its skills administering first aid and CPR to those in the school affected by the quake (played by YDC members), the other team took part in a team-building exercise. Teams then switched tasks. Each team was evaluated on its skills and a winner was determined.

The second half of the evening, the Reception Center opened and three stations were set up to allow the YDC members to further test their skills. Registration, feeding and dormitory stations were staffed by an experienced disaster volunteer or employee. IAs now played Red Cross clients and were given specific injects, or character roles, to play to test YDC members’ problem-solving skills.

A simulation is not meant to run perfectly if it’s to be used a teaching tool and reveal where improvements should be made.  Youth volunteers experienced the chaos that may occur in an emergency situation, and were pressed to apply their skills in this stressful atmosphere. They took away valuable lessons that can be applied later in a real-world situation.