It was like a scene from a disaster film – blood-covered victims, shattered buildings and panic everywhere. Fortunately, this scene was only an exercise, but a large-scale earthquake is something that could easily happen here.
“This program was very visual and influential,” said Shivani Tailor, during Friday’s final drill of the City’s Teen Emergency Preparedness Academy (CEPA). “It taught me a lot about what I didn’t know.”
Tailor was one of several teens in the community who joined with the City of Mission Viejo to host the mock disaster scene that simulated a 7.6-magnitude earthquake. Volunteer “victims” were made up to look bloodied and injured at the disaster scene staged in the Kershaw Garden and Civic Center parking lot. Participants in the Teen CEPA program used the skills they had been taught during the two-week course to tend to the victims in the mock earthquake. They used triage to prioritize and manage the disaster scene and treated the badly injured with first aid.
The academy, which is similar to the City’s adult CEPA, is designed to teach residents ages 14-18 the basic skills necessary to save lives and protect property when emergency services are not immediately available in the aftermath of a major disaster. Teens learn about the community’s resources and emergency agency procedures to assist the City, police and fire during and after a disaster. They learn about earthquake and fire safety, first aid, CPR, basic crisis intervention and receive an overview of terrorism.
“With this kind of preparation, the neighborhoods will stay civilized during a disaster,” said participant Deion Pagaduan.
After demonstrating their skills during the mock disaster, students received a graduation certificate and were critiqued on their response efforts by City, Orange County Fire Authority and Orange County Sheriff’s Department personnel. Parents who acted as victims said they are considering taking the course for adults.
“I feel very motivated to get my neighbors involved in preparedness,” Lindsay Oberny said.
