Byron-Bergen Central School District

As part of National Emergency Preparedness Month, over 40 people participated in a four hour workshop titled, "Are YOU Ready? Emergency Preparedness for Senior Citizens" on September 19, 2007. The class was organized by the Byron-Bergen Emergency Response Team (BBERT), a student group that supports health, safety and disaster planning initiatives throughout the Byron-Bergen School District. Presenters included a local RSVP volunteer, district staff, and local representatives of the Red Cross, Health Department, and Emergency Management Services, as well as five Byron-Bergen High School students, Diana Bonilla, Sarah Hartman, Trevor Laurie, Molly Long and Kayleigh Puma.

BBERT students, who are trained to help staff a Red Cross emergency shelter at the Middle/High School, worked over the summer to look at utilization of the current space versus improved facilities currently being planned. "We currently can't shelter as many people as the Red Cross thought we could," said Sarah Hartman in her presentation. The planned improvements include increased gym space that would allow more cots in a better ventilated area, and improvements to the kitchen, cafeterias, and lavatories. One of the reasons people are hesitant to leave their homes during a disaster is the inability to bring pets to a Red Cross shelter. Molly Long explained the pilot project she is working on to create a pet shelter in the district's bus garage.

Evaluations from the day were universally positive. "I enjoyed the program," wrote one participant. "It's nice to know our children are available to help." Another said, "Thank you all for taking the time for all of us." As further proof of their success, a number of Byron-Bergen students were invited to Albany to give a presentation about the BBERT program to New York's First Lady Silda Wall Spitzer, New York State Education Department officials and State Farm Insurance executives to compete for additional grant money.