By Isiah REYES

To complete its Bronze Community Project, Girl Scouts troop 16451 set up an earthquake preparedness and first aid drill at Two Strike Park on Sunday with help from CV Boy Scouts.

The event had 10 booths, each with a different focus. The first was about earthquake preparedness and the items to have before an earthquake strikes. The second was an earthquake simulator that had guests ducking for cover as cereal boxes and other household items toppled over them. Other booths taught people how to check victims, how to deal with bleeding, shock, wounds, nosebleeds, burns, dislocations, sprains, open fractures and concussions.

Girl Scout troop leader Christina Hawes said when deciding what Bronze Community Project to work on, she realized there was a need for a first aid event for the whole community and people of all ages.

“We know there’s an earthquake that is going to happen and we know there are going to be massive injuries and that hospitals will probably be too overloaded. Learning some very basic first aid is truly going to save a lot of lives,” said Hawes.

Hawes’ daughter Cambria is a member of the Girl Scout troop. She said that schools do teach students where to meet during lockdowns but they don’t teach how to be careful when things are falling down or how to perform any first aid.

“Schools don’t really teach first aid, they just teach you basically where to go and I think it should be more in depth,” said Cambria. “This event is important because the community needs to know how to be prepared because a lot of schools don’t always teach kids how to treat an open wound or how to handle a concussion or how to be prepared during an earthquake. My mom really wanted to do this because she thought it was really important.”

As visitors stopped at the different booths, they received a quick lesson followed by a quiz after which stickers were placed on Team Earthquake passports that were handed out. The girls received help from CV Boy Scouts who assisted in demonstrations at the booths.

“In my opinion, there isn’t too much of a difference between Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. [Coming] together and helping do this event is really good,” said Boy Scout Christian Martin.

Most attendees agreed that the event was fun and informative. Hawes thinks it should be held at least once a season to keep the lessons fresh on earthquake preparedness and first aid.

“People brought their children here and I really appreciate that because it can get a little bit scary to introduce a child to something of a very serious nature,” said Hawes. “But because we have children teaching children it kind of takes the scariness out of it.”

  Isiah REYES