A Disaster Project Talk

With the weather as unpredictable as ever, gaining knowledge on the topic of disaster preparedness is a good idea.

At 6 p.m. Thursday in Room 8 (by the cafeteria) Castle High School will host a National Disaster Preparedness Training Center presentation in conjunction with student Michael Brandt’s senior project.

Brandt originally picked aviation as his topic, but after meeting with his mentor, a Marine Corps captain, he learned about variables that can have an effect on aviators. “One of those topics was disaster relief, which piqued my interest as Hawaii had some false alarms concerning tsunamis that I had witnessed,” he said, so he switched focus.

“I learned a lot about the formation of storms and things to do that I had not learned before,” he added. “That is when I decided to pursue a natural disaster-related topic.”

His desire to spread awareness stems from a basic belief that most people know they should be taking the proper steps to prepare, but they don’t always follow through with proper planning. “Although most people know it is their duty to prepare, few do, and that is a big problem,” Brandt said.

The session will cover what to expect when disaster strikes, where to go for help, how to prepare properly and what you can do to prepare now. “They need to realize it will never be the highest priority until the moment that the disaster strikes,” he explained, “and then it’s too late to prepare.”

For those who cannot attend, Brandt recommends contacting the Red Cross. He also suggests that families take time out of their busy schedules to create an emergency plan.

“The most important thing is to have that initial preparation, because any preparation is better than nothing.”

To reserve a place, email Brandt at srprojectdisaster@gmail.com. Seating is limited.