STEP Program Helps Wisconsin 4th & 5th Graders Prepare for Emergencies

Monday, February 6th, 2023 -- 9:01 AM

(Bob Hague, WRN) -The Student Tools for Emergency Planning program offers fourth and fifth grade students in Wisconsin a chance to learn how to prepare for emergencies.

Andrew Beckett is with Wisconsin Emergency Management, which administers the program. “It teaches them very basic skills in regards to dealing with common severe weather threats, fires, other disasters, and really encourages them to talk with their family about coming up with an emergency plan and building an emergency kit for their family.”

“It really provides the information in an easy to relate to way in order to help them you know, grasp these concepts so that they're not as scary as they might be if you approach them a little bit more from an adult way.”

Beckett says students can get free materials to make emergency kits. "A backpack to store the kid in and a flashlight to get them started. Really, it's encouraging them to think about what important things they would need to make sure that they have available to them if there were an emergency. And if they needed to leave home quickly.”

Schools interested in offering the STEP program this spring can register at ready wisconsin.wi.gov.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.