If you’re planning on earning the Emergency Preparedness merit badge, you’re in the right place! In this guide, I’ll be providing you with all of the information that you’ll need to be prepared for any disaster. Afterward, you’ll be able to answer each question on your merit badge worksheet and earn the Emergency Preparedness merit badge!
This is part 2 of my ultimate guide to the Emergency Preparedness merit badge. You should first check out part 1 if you haven’t seen it yet. There, we’ll be reviewing the answers to requirements 1-3 of the Emergency Preparedness badge!
If you’ve just come over from part one then, congratulations! You’ve already learned a ton of useful info, and you’re about to learn so much more! Give yourself a big pat on the back. 🙂
Let’s get back into it! This section will mainly focus on using emergency preparedness methods within society and throughout your everyday life. Now, take the time to closely review and think through requirements 4-9 of the E-Prep merit badge!
What Are The Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge Answers?
- Show three ways of attracting and communicating with rescue planes/aircraft.
- With another person, show a good way to transport an injured person out of a remote and/or rugged area, conserving the energy of rescuers while ensuring the well-being and protection of the injured person.
- Do the following:
- 6a. Describe the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS)
- 6b. Identify the local government or community agencies that normally handle and prepare for emergency services similar to those of the NIMS or ICS. Explain to your counselor:
- 6b I. How the NIMS/ICS can assist a Boy Scout troop when responding in a disaster
6b II. How a group of Scouts could volunteer to help in the event of these types of emergencies.
- 6b I. How the NIMS/ICS can assist a Boy Scout troop when responding in a disaster
- 6c. Find out who is your community’s emergency management director and learn what this person does to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond to, and recover from emergency situations in your community. Discuss this information with your counselor, utilizing the information you learned from requirement 2b.
- Do the following:
- 7a. Take part in an emergency service project, either a real one or a practice drill, with a Scouting unit or a community agency.
7b. Prepare a written plan for mobilizing your troop when needed to do emergency service. If there is already a plan, explain it. Tell your part in making it work.
- 7a. Take part in an emergency service project, either a real one or a practice drill, with a Scouting unit or a community agency.
- Do the following:
- 8a. Tell the things a group of Scouts should be prepared to do, the training they need , and the safety precautions they should take for the following emergency services:
- 8a I. Crowd and traffic control
8a II. Messenger service and communication.
8a III. Collection and distribution services.
8a IV. Group feeding, shelter, and sanitation.
- 8a I. Crowd and traffic control
- 8b. Prepare a personal emergency service pack for a mobilization call. Prepare a family kit (suitcase or waterproof box) for use by your family in case an emergency evacuation is needed. Explain the needs and uses of the contents.
- 8a. Tell the things a group of Scouts should be prepared to do, the training they need , and the safety precautions they should take for the following emergency services:
- Do ONE of the following:
- 9a. Using a safety checklist approved by your counselor, inspect your home for potential hazards. Explain the hazards you find and how they can be corrected.
9b. Review or develop a plan of escape for your family in case of fire in your home.
9c. Develop an accident prevention program for five family activities outside the home (such as taking a picnic or seeing a movie) that includes an analysis of possible hazards, a proposed plan to correct those hazards, and the reasons for the corrections you propose.
- 9a. Using a safety checklist approved by your counselor, inspect your home for potential hazards. Explain the hazards you find and how they can be corrected.
4) Show three ways of attracting and communicating with rescue planes/aircraft.
There are many different ways you can attract the attention of a passing aircraft when lost in the wilderness. Some of these methods include signal fires, mirrors to reflect light, and large distress signals drawn on the ground.
The following video (5:20) will show you various ways to signal a rescue aircraft, regardless of what gear you have on hand.
5) With another person, show a good way to transport an injured person out of a remote and/or rugged area, conserving the energy of rescuers while ensuring the well-being and protection of the injured person.
You should never attempt to move a person with neck or spinal injuries. However, in many cases, it’ll be appropriate to transport an injured or unconscious person out of a remote area.
Watch the following short video (2:29) for eight methods of transporting an injured person with and without the aid of a partner:
By switching positions when you become tired, you’ll be able to conserve your energy and transport the injured person a greater distance. Ideally, you should be able to perform at least three of these carries.
- The Piggyback Carry: Used alone when rescuing a conscious person.
- The Fireman Carry: Used alone when rescuing an unconscious person.
- The Double Human Crutch: Used with a partner when rescuing a conscious person who can walk with assistance.
When carrying an unconscious person with the aid of a partner, you could use a single-carry method such as the Cradle, Fireman, or Packstrap carry. Switching off when one of you becomes tired is a great way to conserve energy. However, the easiest way for you and your partner to carry an unconscious person is by using a stretcher.
Every Scout should know how to make an improvised stretcher to carry an unconscious person. The middle portion of a stretcher can be made using a sleeping bag, tarp, tent fly, sheets, and even a long length of rope using the method below. Remember, when setting a stretcher down, the victim’s feet go down first.
Watch the following video (1:35) to learn the quick and easy method of making an emergency stretcher:
6a) Describe the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS)
NIMS:
The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is an organization tasked with improving the USA’s national response to emergencies. The main purpose of NIMS is to develop a coordinated system between different organizations to handle large-scale disasters.
The Scouting methodology of prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery was first advocated by NIMS as a repeatable way to manage threats. Thousands of workers involved in emergency management, from agency officials to law-enforcement officers and even medical personnel, take the NIMS training program each year to improve their incident response skills.
ICS:
The Incident Command System (ICS) is a system that efficiently manages emergency personnel during disasters. Its main purpose is to develop a consistent chain of command that includes a diverse range of government and non-governmental organizations.
For instance, healthcare employees don’t normally work with firefighters. However, in an emergency, the ICS put a system in place where many different types of personnel can quickly begin work under the same command.
NIMS trains all emergency response personnel in using the ICS method. By using the standardized and coordinated framework that the ICS provides, different agencies can work together to manage disasters effectively.
6b) Identify the local government or community agencies that normally handle and prepare for emergency services similar to those of the NIMS or ICS. Explain to your counselor:
—6b I) How the NIMS/ICS can assist a Boy Scout troop when responding in a disaster
–6b II) How a group of Scouts could volunteer to help in the event of these types of emergencies.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an organization in charge of preparing for and responding to, disasters. Created under the department of homeland security, FEMA operates sub-agencies in all 50 states. You can view FEMA’s official website to locate the FEMA agencies and offices within your own state.
In 2003, FEMA established a partnership with Scouts BSA to operate under NIMS and ICS protocol in the case of an emergency. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2006, Scouts living in the Gulf Coast region worked with local agencies to distribute resources and provide hurricane relief efforts.
By coordinating with law enforcement and emergency response personnel, Scout troops can mobilize during disasters to help their communities. During an emergency, troops can contact the NIMS to ask where in their area they can provide the most assistance. In that way, Scouts can volunteer their aid in times of need.
6c) Find out who is your community’s emergency management director and learn what this person does to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond to, and recover from emergency situations in your community. Discuss this information with your counselor, utilizing the information you learned from requirement 2b.
With your parents’ permission, go online to identify your local emergency management director. To access your community’s emergency management website, Google “emergency management director” followed by the name of your city. For example, “emergency management director San Diego.“
After finding your community’s official website, look for the section identifying your emergency management council members. The director should be towards the top of that page. If you’re unable to find a page of council members, you can also check the online agendas from previous meetings.
The role of an emergency management director is to prepare plans and processes to contain disasters. These individuals lead response efforts during and after emergencies, using the ICS method to coordinate elected officials, medical teams, government agencies, and safety personnel.
Emergency management directors must assess hazards and create contingency plans beforehand, coordinate teams during an emergency, streamline efforts to reduce potential casualties, and later, review response efforts. That’s a lot! To be successful, emergency management directors must have a thorough understanding of the preparedness principles: prevent, protect, mitigate, respond, and recover.
7a) Take part in an emergency service project, either a real one or a practice drill, with a Scouting unit or a community agency.
Most troops have a few emergency drills each year. If you have one coming up, I’d recommend you volunteer to assist in leading it by using the knowledge you’ve gained from this badge! There’s no better way to learn than by teaching. Plus, leading events is one of the best ways to become your troop’s next Senior Patrol Leader!
If your troop doesn’t have any emergency service projects planned, with your parent’s permission, you can also Google, “emergency service project (your city)” to find a local government event to take part in.
7b) Prepare a written plan for mobilizing your troop when needed to do emergency service. If there is already a plan, explain it. Tell your part in making it work.
A troop mobilization plan is basically an organized way to account for all Scouts, should a widespread disaster occur. Once a Scout troop mobilizes, their next goal is to work together with local authorities and aid their community.
Without a system, it’d be impossible to keep track of an entire troop. To contact every member, typically a ‘phone tree’ system is used. In this case, a Scoutmaster will call their SPL and inform them of the emergency. From there, the SPL will call their patrol leaders. Then, the patrol leaders will need to call each of their patrol members to make sure that everyone is safe and accounted for.
Your troop most likely already has an emergency mobilization plan that you could ask to look over. However, if you’d like to see an awesome example plan right now, check out Troop 370’s mobilization plan.
8a) Tell the things a group of Scouts should be prepared to do, the training they need , and the safety precautions they should take for the following emergency services:
8a I) Crowd and traffic control
In my 6+ years of Scouting, I’ve only ever helped with traffic control once, and have never done crowd control. You probably won’t do much of this either. From what I’ve heard, your responsibilities doing both of these services will heavily depend on the situation. Pay very close attention when listening to the instructions given beforehand.
Generally, when helping control traffic, you’ll be directing cars that are parking in a crowded area. Your main goals should be to keep the vehicles moving along slowly and to prevent accidents.
- A front-facing palm out is the universal sign for ‘stop’.
- To tell a vehicle to ‘go,’ gesture to where they should go with an open palm while nodding — sort of like a karate chop motion.
In both crowd and traffic control, your main concern should be to keep yourself safe. Take precautions like wearing a fluorescent vest or brightly colored clothing, and be on alert at all times. Often, in these situations, you’ll work with a buddy and ensure each other’s safety.
(Fun fact: The BSA actually made this requirement because FEMA created modules like the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) traffic and crowd management training. You can check them out, but they’re each four hours long :O )
8a II) Messenger service and communication.
For the next three requirements, assume there is an emergency occurring in your community. To help with messenger and communication services, you should first find a map of the area you’re working in.
You might need to pass along messages if the phone lines are down. Identify routes to and from key locations so that you can quickly get from one place to another. Use the buddy system and move carefully as safety precautions.
8a III) Collection and distribution services.
After a disaster, many people could be without resources like food, water, and clothing. Your Scout troop could work with local officials to help distribute resources to people in need.
In this case, you’ll be assigned an area and given specific directions to follow when handing out resources. Again, your main priority is to stay safe. Travel with an adult and try to find a reliable method to keep in touch with your troop.
8a IV) Group feeding, shelter, and sanitation.
During disasters, people are often forced to evacuate their homes and may end up becoming homeless. Shelters exist to temporarily house and feed these people. In some cases, your Scout troop might even help to run a shelter.
It’s important to keep a shelter well-sanitized and free of food/human waste, as people in close proximity tend to quickly spread disease. There are many different jobs within a shelter. Make sure to follow all of the instructions you’re given, and you’ll be fine.
8b) Prepare a personal emergency service pack for a mobilization call. Prepare a family kit (suitcase or waterproof box) for use by your family in case an emergency evacuation is needed. Explain the needs and uses of the contents.
In requirement 2c you should have already learned how to make a family emergency kit. A personal emergency service pack should serve the same purpose, but be lightweight, portable, and intended for one person only.
Often called a ‘bug out bag’, a personal emergency service pack should be prepped beforehand and easily transported. Many of the items that you’ll pack in your own kit will overlap with the supplies you take to scout camps. Do you know the 21 scout camping gear essentials?
For help preparing your own emergency service pack, watch the following video (8:59):
Do ONE of the following:
9a) Using a safety checklist approved by your counselor, inspect your home for potential hazards. Explain the hazards you find and how they can be corrected.
9b) Review or develop a plan of escape for your family in case of fire in your home.
9c) Develop an accident prevention program for five family activities outside the home (such as taking a picnic or seeing a movie) that includes an analysis of possible hazards, a proposed plan to correct those hazards, and the reasons for the corrections you propose.
Now it’s time to take everything you’ve already learned and apply it to your own household! I’d recommend inspecting your home for potential hazards, which is why I’ll be covering requirement 9a. However, you should definitely complete the other requirements too if you get the chance.
Fire safety is one of the most important, yet underrated skills in our society. You can’t be fully prepared for every emergency unless you’re ready to respond to an unexpected fire. That’s why I’d highly recommend checking out my guide to help you earn the Fire Safety merit badge.
In earning Fire Safety, you’ll create a full home escape plan for your own family (Emergency Preparedness requirement 9b!), you’ll learn the science behind how fires spread, and you’ll even practice using the tools that keep our communities safe from fires. What are you waiting for? This could be your next badge! You can open my Fire Safety merit badge guide in a new tab, here.
You can use the home safety checklist provided by NY.gov to inspect your own home for possible risks. This awesome resource has a checklist for almost every type of room a house could have! Use the relevant lists to inspect your own household. Careful routine inspections will make your family much safer in the long run.
Conclusion
Great work making it this far! Emergency preparedness may be a difficult skill to learn, but if you ever need to respond to a disaster, you’ll be glad you’ve earned this worthwhile badge! By preparing ahead of time, creating response plans, and learning useful first-aid skills, you’ll be able to handle any emergency that life throws at you.
Thanks for improving our planet through your involvement in Scouting! If you’ve found this guide helpful, I’ve also written other merit badge walkthroughs that you can check out here. Check ScoutSmarts often, because I’m constantly uploading new content for Scouts like you. Until next time, best of luck on your Scouting journey!