Objectives

This learning activity provides the opportunity for persons to:

• experience some of the dimensions and issues of rescue operations;
• practice planning, problem solving and decision-making
• experience the roles of rescuer and survivor, of helping and being helped.
• have fun.

Equipment

12 feet of rope, roll of masking tape, 3x5 ft. rug or paper (approximate), colored paper or ribbon, kitchen timer or stopwatch. If the game is played at night of in a room that can be darkened, you will need a flashlight.

Preparation

Place a rope or strip of masking tape on the floor at one end of the room about three feet away from the wall. Place the rug or paper on the floor five or six feet away from the line and tape it in place. Prepare armbands made from ribbons or strips of colored paper with masking tape.

Instructions

Scenario: There has been a terrible flood in our town and you are all waiting on the roof of a garage to be rescued. Only four people including the rescuers can fit into the boat each trip. The others will have to wait for another boat or helicopter. The water is rising rapidly, and it is getting dark.

These instructions are appropriate for groups of 10-20 participants. If you group is smaller than ten you may want to shorten the amount of time available before the flood waters rise or make a smaller boat (one that hold only 3 people). If you group is larger than twenty, try dividing into smaller groups for the game.

Step 1.

Leader select two persons to be "rescuers" and have them stand on the paper in the center of the room. (If it is a mixed up group, select one male and one female.) Instruct the remaining members of the group to stand behind the line next to the wall. They are on the "roof". If possible, turn the lights off. The game is effective with or without lights on, but the challenge is greater with the lights off, using only a flashlight. The flashlight remains with the group on the roof. Explain the instructions to the group and when everyone is ready, set the timer for ten minuets and say "GO"

Step 2.

The group must decide quickly who will get into the boat first and who will stay behind. Remind the group that planning ahead is important. The group must make the decision collectively and be in agreement and then place the armbands on the people to be rescued.

Step 3.

The rescuers and the group must assist those people wearing the armbands into the "boat" without losing anyone in the "water". If anyone falls or gets both feet into the "water" (space between the roof and the boat), that person is considered "lost". Lost persons must sit quietly on the sidelines. Leader times the rescue operation with the stopwatch or timer. When the first boat loaded is rescued, time is announced, and those rescued go quietly to another part of the room.

The process of decision-making, arm banding, and rescue continues until all are rescued or the time runs out and the remaining people are lost.

Step 4.

When all are rescued, bring the "lost" souls back to life and everyone back into the big circle. Discuss the experience using the following discussion questions from the Activity Guide.

Discussion Questions

1. How did your group decide who would be rescued first?
   
2. How did it feel to be one of those being rescued?
   
3. How did it feel to stay behind?
   
4. How did it feel to be "lost" or lose a member of your group?

Potential learning for you young people might be:

1. Refraining from acting on impulse and taking time to plan ahead may make the difference between life and death in a disaster.
   
2. Making decisions about another person's life and safety is a heavy responsibility.
   
3. Most people really want to help others. Rescuer risk injury and death while helping others.

Objective

Warm-up - a fun energizer!

Equipment

• construction paper of half sheets of newspaper.
• A whistle or chime or an audio-cassette player and upbeat music.
• A pack of lifesavers

Preparation

In a large room, place several sheets of 9"x 12" construction paper on the floor in a circle with about five feet between them. Make sure that there are as many pieces of paper as players.

Instructions

Each player stand on one "island" facing in a counterclockwise direction. When the music starts or the leader says "GO". players move forward, stepping on each island as they come to it. They must keep moving. No standing on islands until music stops! leader removes one "island" and after about 30 seconds, blows a whistle or ring a chime to stop. (Note: catchy music can be played and stopped instead of a whistle.)

Players can share an island, if that is possible, ad long as no feet are in the "sea"! Anyone standing in the sea, is out of the game. Leader starts the movement again and removes another "island". Start and stop until all but one is out of the game. The winner gets a pack of lifesavers.

Objective

Participants will increase their awareness of potential dangers in their environment.

Equipment

• Notebooks and pencils
• Camcorder or Polaroid camera (optional)
  

Preparation

Before sending people out, have a brief discussion about what is a "hazard". (Something potentially dangerous, an accident waiting to happen.) Brainstorm in the group what kinds of hazards might present themselves in a hurricane, a tornado, an earthquake.

Instructions

Step 1.

Awareness - Have group members look around the room they are in and identify anything that might be dangerous to a small child. Look for objects that could fall if there was a tremor. Look for objects that might be hazardous to elderly people with disabilities. Report these out verbally.

Step 2.

Divide up in teams of two with notebooks (and camcorders or polaroid cameras, if this is an option). Instruct teams to spend 15 minutes investigating the building and grounds of your church with instructions to record potentially hazardous objects or dangerous areas that could be a problem if there were a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake in the area. For an extended activity, teams could spend 30 minutes out in the neighborhood and report back hazards they have found.

Adapted from FEMA Tremor Troops "Preparedness for Schools curriculum.

Objectives

Participants will:

• experience group collaboration while having fun
• understand the concept of sending and receiving complete message for effective communication
  

Equipment

Bean-bags, one for each player. (hackysacks will work, bouncing balls will not work for this game. Simple bean bags can be made out of socks and lentils. Fill the toe of the sock with lentils. Tie the top like a balloon and fold the sock back over the part. No Sewing!)

Space

You will need a fairly large open space outdoors of in a room where nothing can get broken by a misdirected bean bag.

Instructions

Step 1.

Start with a group of 8-12 players, standing in a circle, with elbow room between. Do not distribute the bean bags to players.

Step 2.

Tell players that the bean bag represents a "message" and that you will be practicing sending and receiving messages. Together you will create an "organizational plan" (plan A) in which each person has a part. The organization will only work if each person communicates clearly - sends and receives messages successfully.

Step 3.

Leaders begin by first calling the name of a person across the circle and then toss (underhand, please) one bean bag to that person. The receiver says "Thank you." Then the receiver calls out the name of a different person across the circle and tosses the bean bag. The process continues until each person has received the "message" once and sent it to one other person. No one should receive the bean bag more than once.

Step 4.

When the "organization" is complete, call a huddle. Ask everyone to greet their two partners (the one they sent the message to, and the one they received the message from). Ask every one to agree to follow the pattern the group has developed. The measure of success is based on sending and receiving messages with no "drops". Practice the game three times with one bean bag.

Step 5.

Remind players that the game is not about throwing bean bags. It is about successful teamwork and communication. Therefore, the game will be stopped if it is not going well. Give the rules. The leader starts the game again. Then, as the first bean bag is well on it's way, sends another bean bag, using exactly the same "organization". Add bean bags to the game until several are being sent and received at the same time.

Step 6.

As the communication becomes more complex (more bean bags), more will be dropped. Stop the game by saying "Huddle". Bring the group close together in a huddle. Ask the players to meet with each of their partners briefly to adjust their communication and give support and affirmation for a job well done. This feedback time is very important as it puts the responsibility for team success on each individual player.

Step 7.

Resume the game until the group is quite successful (no bean bags dropped).

Processing

Call a huddle. Sit down and discuss the game using the following questions.

• Why is teamwork important to disaster response work?
• What kinds of circumstances make teamwork difficult?
• What kinds of behavior makes decision making difficult?
• What helps with decision making?

Variations

There are endless variation on this game. Some easy ones are:

Plan B
Assuming the original pattern of throwing "plan A", tell the group to reverse the pattern. Throw to the one from whom they had been receiving and receive from the one to whom they had been throwing. Give them a minute to think it through and then call "plan B!" You can go back and forth between plan A and plan B. This adds another challenge.

Disaster
Tell the group that you group is rescuing people in a disaster. (Name it a flood, earthquake, burning building or whatever.) Each time they drop a bean bag, a person dies. In processing this variation, have players talk about qualities of caution, care, patience, thoroughness, and perseverance that are necessary in emergency situations.

Earthquake
To add a challenge to "Disaster" variation. Inform the group that when you yell "earthquake" they will continue to send and receive messages (according to either plan A or "Plan B, which ever is operable) but...they may not stand in one place for more than two seconds. They must change their positions and keep moving anywhere in the room until you call "All clear" Then call a huddle. Use same processing questions as plan A.

Rules

1. Each player agrees to follow the pattern as established and only change the pattern if the leader calls out a different plan.
   
2. If a person leaves the game or a new person enters the game, a huddle is called to determine how best to adjust the "organization".
   
3. Any player can say "slow down" in order to slow the pace of throws.
   
4. Leader can call huddle anytime it is necessary in order for learning to occur or to stop harmful behavior.
   
5. No throwing at anyone else. Remember, the purpose is to send and receive message.
   
6. Persons who choose not to collaborate in the agreed manner, may sit out the game.