BOARD: Ontario prepares students for potential emergencies - Westview Centennial Seconday School, Toronto
BOARD: Dave Levac - Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services
Today at Westview Centennial School in York West, we're experiencing at the student level a 24-hour crisis on an emergency that is taking place in the school.
(Male Student)
"In the side pocket here we have... let's see - we have a flashlight..."
"We're kind of who everybody depends on, and when we get older, it's like passing on the knowledge as well."
(Dave Levac - Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services)
"The kids are going to have to find themselves with kits, and working with the Red Cross, and working with emergency response team to let the students experience the Emergency Preparedness Week, and what it actually feels like to be stuck in the middle of an emergency."
(Male student)
"I just wanted to prepare myself in case there's an emergency in Toronto or anywhere else. I can help my parents..."
(Female student)
"For me to be here, it might help me, my family, and probably my neighbours, too."
BOARD: Dan Hefkey - Chief, Emergency Management Ontario
"Well those emergencies could be, for example, from a flood. Or, as we're going to find out very shortly, a power outage."
(Emergency Response Team supervisor)
"... But in very small amounts, you can actually use a normal bleach..."
BOARD: Randy Palermo - Principal, Westview Centennial Secondary School
I think our students tend to be very socially-oriented and aware, and they give back in many different ways in their commmunity, so I can very much see some of our students being involved with emergency management Ontario."
(Male student)
"... Yo, who's got the granola bars?"
(Male student)
"Natural disasters can happen, and you and your family should always be prepared."
(Male student)
"... Chef Boyardee, Chocolate Chip cookies, which now belong to me..."
(Male student)
"No one knows what tomorrow might bring and anything can happen so this is a good experience."
(Female student)
"So when the is an emergency you can help out other people - you don't have to only help out yourself."
(Female student)
"In case it happens to our family, we will know what to do, and we'll be prepared."
Dave Levac - Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services
"We count on our young leaders in our communities such as high school students to understand what happens during an emergency, and not to panic, and to be able to show people they know what to do, and to also bring to sense what it is in a family of how they can help in the family's response to an emergency that's declared in their community"
(Male student)
"... You wrap this right around - make sure it's putting pressure all the time..."
"You have the opportunity to say 'Yeah, I saved his life.' Why, because I came to this program and I lerned how to do it."
BOARD: For more information visit: Ontario.ca/emo