Emergency Prep Event 10-27-14
Joseph V. Sowmick - October 29, 2014
In an effort to provide bonus coverage, Team Observer joins with Nimkee Public Health Emergency Preparedness, Seventh Generation and the Nimkee Healthy Start Program in support of their Oct 27 event held at the Elijah Elk Cultural Center. The Community Emergency Preparedness Event was a huge success.
“Emergency preparedness for the family does not have to be a difficult task, you can have fun and learn how to be ready should disaster happen,” Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Helen Williams explains. . The event started inside with Nimkee Nurses Twila Schrot and Sue Sowmick along with Dr. Kissoondial informing the audience of the importance of immunizations and preventative measures to keep a family healthy. Sue Sowmick provided free flu shots to Tribal members in attendance.
Williams discussed the new SCIT Emergency preparedness booklet and answered questions for the community related to preparedness and Lee Ruffino and Quinn Pelcher of Seventh Generation presented Edible Plants in our back yard demonstration. They also gave a tour of the Seventh Generation greenhouse.
The action moved outside when Seventh Generation Cultural Representative Lacey Mandoka was teaching life surviving skills in the outdoors. Lacey demonstrated the building of the shelter in the wilderness with supplies found in the woods, How to start a campfire using material found in nature with a spark, and filtering and purifying water.
The group did have a bit of fun with the kids because when Lacey was teaching how to start and build a fire, Helen took the water that was filtered and on the fire boiling and replaced it with hot cocoa. When the kids came back to the camp fire to taste the purified water the comments were “hey … running the water through the blue jeans, sand and gravel filter made the water taste like hot cocoa.” For more outdoor survival skills, some hotdogs and toasted marshmallows over the campfire were offered to the eager participants.
Williams thanked the Soaring Eagle Waterpark for providing the grand prizes for the evening (an overnight stay at the water park with four waterpark passes, a pro golf gift certificate for $50 and an $80 dollar value spa visit at the Soaring Eagle Spa.