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4-H Seasons of Service (SOS) Team Celebrates First Anniversary

TAVERNIER, Fla. (795 words) – With one named hurricane already past this season, Florida Keys residents and visitors can be thankful to know a young crew is trained and ready to serve in disasters. Team members are from the Middle and Upper Keys and have an average of 100 instruction hours per person. These hours range in a combination of leadership, Red Cross Disaster, Health & Safety, and International Services training during their first year as members of the 4-H Seasons of Service (SOS) Team.

Additionally, SOS members also averaged 50 hours of community service through projects in the first 8 months of operation. Part of the time was spent voluntarily raising more than $1000 for the Red Cross’ Stockings For Troops and Measles Initiative projects.

In June of last year, the Monroe County 4-H Extension Agent, Kim Coldicott received funding from the Florida 4-H Foundation, Inc. to implement the 4-H SOS Team program in collaboration with Monroe Youth Challenge Program led by MYCP District Prevention Coordinator Michele Sutter. The original funding source came from the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management/Department of Community Affairs. Therefore, the programming focused on emergency management and disaster preparedness utilizing teen leaders. Coldicott said, “I knew Michele was working with some great kids and that we could pull together an incredible training program they would benefit from for the rest of their lives.”

“This was a partnership between 4-H, University of Florida Extension Services, The American Red Cross (ARC), and Monroe Youth Challenge Program (MYCP),” said Sutter. She added, “This team met all of our combined missions by giving valuable leadership opportunities and skills to youth through community service.” The SOS Team first met at a three-day, two-night retreat held at the Boy Scout Seabase on Lower Matecumbe last year where they were signed up as both 4-H and Red Cross Volunteers. After completing mandatory training on disaster preparation, leadership/teaching/team building and response/recovery planning and mobilization, they established a plan of work for each of the team’s three areas of focus; the Upper, Middle and Lower Keys.

After a full year of training, the 4-H SOS Team is prepared to provide outreach education in the areas of hurricane awareness/preparation, lightning/thunder storm safety and flood/flash flood awareness and serve their communities in the event that response and recovery efforts are needed. “This team met everything they set out to do in their plan of work and more. They had an outstanding year,” Sutter said.

One of the first certifications each student earned was the ARC Intro to Disaster; Intro to Mass Care followed by CPR/First Aid certification. Then some members were certified in; Disaster Assessment and Small Craft Safety. Many members also took the International Humanitarian Law Peer Education program that teaches youth to teach other youth about the rules of war and life saving operations during armed conflict. They also completed these other peer education courses: Facing Fear and Masters of Disaster. Leadership and Interpersonal Communication; and Intro to Emergency Management. Grace Connors, Branch Office Coordinator with the Upper Keys Chapter of the American Red Cross said, “This is an excellent group of youth who, by far, have the most knowledge gained in one year over any other youth program we’ve seen. Our community is blessed to have these young people ready to serve in the need of a disaster.”

In addition, the Monroe County Emergency Management Department provided information regarding the county’s response and recovery plan. This plan was used to develop youth response/recovery volunteer teams in the event they are needed. The Monroe County Emergency Management Department also hosted the 4-H SOS team at their Emergency Operation Center in Key West for a mock hurricane management simulation in March. “Jerry O’Cathy was the key to this impressive event for the students. We’re grateful for his wisdom and energy,” said Sunny Booker, Monroe County School District Safe School Administrator who heads MYCP.

As part of their community service, the youth SOS team disseminated information and educational material from 4-H, the ARC, and Monroe County Emergency Management to the general public as part of their outreach effort. The written publications/fact sheets were provided to citizens in English and Spanish about storm awareness, safety and preparedness from the students at community events like The Upper Keys Rotary Club Gigantic Nautical Flea Market, The Island Christian School Christmas Festival, Island Jubilee, and a health fair in Marathon.

“For a first-year partnership of this magnitude, we are very pleased with the outcomes and the service these students provided,” said Sutter.

Monroe Youth Challenge Program is a project of the Monroe County Education Foundation to foster acceptance, respect, and success in the youth of Monroe County. For more information call MYCP District Prevention Coordinator Michele Sutter at (305) 852-1664 or go to www.keysschools.com