On July 23, 2012, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the creation of the Youth Preparedness Council. On August 6-7, 2012, the Council held its inaugural meeting in Washington, DC with the goal of discussing steps to strengthen the nation’s resiliency against all types of disasters.

The Council is comprised of 14 youth leaders (13-17 years of age) drawn from each of FEMA’s ten regions (Region VI has two representatives and Region IX has three representatives) with one member assuming the role of Council Chair. Members of the Council are eligible to serve for two years.

“This has been an opportunity for members of the Youth Preparedness Council to share their ideas, experiences, solutions and questions on youth disaster preparedness with FEMA, other federal agencies and national organizations,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate in a FEMA press release. “Engaging youth is critical to including the whole community in national preparedness. The Youth Preparedness Council is contributing to set a national agenda for how young people play a role in emergency management.”