Dear Nevada County Youth,
My name is Zuleyka Deniz and this summer I had the opportunity to be an intern for the Nevada County Office of Emergency Services. The Office of Emergency Services wanted a youth intern because they wanted to understand why the information, they’re pushing out isn’t gaining attention from the youth of Nevada County. Being part of the youth, I know how it is. I have the insight someone older may not have. I know where the youth are and where they spend some of their time. With this connection, it makes it easier to engage with them. It also helps that because of this position I learned why it’s so important to be prepared for not just wildfires, but any type of emergency. Because I was able to learn about emergency preparedness, I can take all the information about fire readiness, heat protection, and safe recreation and produce content, like “Beat the Heat” flyers and choose OES youth-orientated swag, that will gain the attention of the youth in way that is fun and bright.
Emergency preparedness is very important for Nevada County Youth for a number of reasons. One of these reasons being that it’s always good to know what do if something were to happen. I know that a lot of people assume that nothing’s going to happen to them but that’s not always the case. Being prepared helps keep a very chaotic time somewhat efficient.
The “Summer Safety Campaign” emphasized on how the youth of Nevada County can be prepared for wildfires, stay safe while the heat continues, practice safe camping and so much more! To get this message out there I founded the first ever Youth Emergency Preparedness Week. I posted information on Facebook but also on Instagram and by doing this I was able to notice the engagement from the youth did increase. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that the content I created was bright and fun. The aesthetic of it was youth-orientated so I feel it did better grasp the youth’s attention. The reason I made the decision to post on Instagram is because I know that not a lot of people my age use Facebook. The number of kids that have Instagram though is much greater, so it made it a much more reliable source to get information out to the youth.
As the youth of Nevada County, we all have a part in being prepared in the case of an emergency. Even if it’s as little as having your Go-Bag packed. Packing your Teen Go-Bag may seem hard but really it’s super easy! Start by packing your portable charger and charging cords. Another nice thing to pack is your favorite snack and drink because during stressful times I tend to forget to eat so having it there will make it easy. Some more things to pack are a change of clothes, eyeglasses/contacts, and having some cash on you won’t hurt. Packing things like that makes such a difference when you’re in a rush trying to get out in an emergency.
To better help the youth be involved in emergency preparedness we’ve added a section to the Ready Nevada County website. This section that was made is specifically for the youth. It gives easy and fast access to information that will keep them safe and prepared. As a community, you can all help the youth be more prepared. This can happen as easily as informing the youth that they have a part in emergency preparedness as much as anyone else!
Visit ReadyNevadaCounty.org/YouthPreparedness to learn more!
Thank you,
Zuleyka Deniz