Members of Boy Scout Troop 1115 sponsored an informational event at the Fairfax Village Community Center on Monday to help inform people about emergency preparation.

Isaac Bartolomei, troop member, led the planning for the "Be Prepared Day" project as the culmination of his Eagle Scout ambitions. Eagle Scout is the highest rank within the Boy Scouts of America program. Issac lives on post and decided to set up the event after watching the local area's response to a recent hurricane and derecho.

Fort Belvoir's Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security set up a table featuring all of the items that should be included in a full shelter-in-place kit.

"They have been so great and helpful," Isaac said of DPTMS. "I could not have done this project without their support."

The Scout program helps young people learn citizenship, build character, and develop personal fitness. Scouts also participate in swimming, biking, camping trips and fishing. Boy Scout Troop 1115 is located in Springfield, Va. and is chartered by Immanuel Bible Church.

The Scouts set up a station that featured food that does not spoil easily, which is great for emergency situations, including canned potatoes, tuna and canned pears. There were also stations that provided informational pamphlets about preparing for emergencies. A kiosk was also set up to give residents the opportunity to sign up for Fairfax County's Community Emergency Alert Network.

Belvoir Federal Credit Union gave away water, ice picks and hand sanitizer at the event. These items are also important to have on hand during an emergency, said Sharon Leake, membership development officer for the credit union.

Leake was impressed with the informational event.

"It looks like Isaac is doing a wonderful job," she said. "He has got a lot of people involved."

His mother, Tracey Bartolomei, said it felt great to see her son give back to the community and have fun doing it.

"It is exciting," she said. "It is a group effort. It is neat to see everybody working together."

Paul Alquisa, DPTMS contingency planner, spoke to people about preparedness at a station during the event. He said Isaac performed an important duty by informing the public about preparedness. DPTMS' shelter-in-place kit included duct tape, batteries, a flashlight and water-proof matches.

Kirsten Johnson came to the event with her daughters, Sarah, 13, Rachel, 12, Rebekah, 10, and her sons, Jacob, 8, and 6-year-old Joseph. Her Family has lived on post for about two years.

Johnson said it was great to see the community become more prepared for an emergency.

"It is really neat," she said. "We often talk about getting one of these emergency kits together, with the hurricane and the derecho. You think about it at the time and you don't always get to it. You don't always think about it when the emergency is over."