Prepare youth for natural disasters

The recent natural disasters that hit our country, including hurricane Sandy and the earthquake in Virginia, have shown us that disasters can happen anywhere. After the earthquake, my oldest grandson, who is 13 years old, put together survival kits for his younger brother and sisters — something he learned from being a Boy Scout.

There are a few youth-friendly websites that provide education on how to prepare for natural disasters; they are www.fema.gov and www.ready.gov. There are also YouTube videos on how to prepare a survival kit and even on how to react in a terrorist situation. Additionally, these educational tools are in place for us to teach Legion family members and youth in our community.

As members of The American Legion family, we have a chance to become teachers, and we owe it to our young people to pass on the knowledge that we are able to obtain. They are the future of this country, and we need to educate and prepare them for any situation that the future may hold for them.

Robert M. Borkovich

Homeland Security and Civil Defense Committee

Virginia