Fire departments have Sparky the Fire Dog as their national spokesman for fire safety; the national D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program has the D.A.R.E. Lion and the National Crime Prevention Council has a Great Dane to take a bite out of crime in the form of McGruff the Crime Dog.
Not to be outdone, the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security has Ready Raccoon as their new mascot. Ready Raccoon represents the emergency preparedness and readiness program at various West Point and community events throughout the year.
Though a bit shy-he's only appeared at the Special Olympics and the Month of the Military Child picnic so far -he's beginning to make a name for himself as the emergency preparedness mascot.
Ready is a charming critter that always has one hand out to greet people while handing out coloring books and activity sheets to children and brochures to adults on how to prepare for emergencies.
"We have an emergency preparedness fair each year, and we are always trying to figure out ways to entice people to understand what it is we are talking about in preparing for emergencies," Joe Colombo, DPTMS plans and operations specialist, said. "Last year, there were about 500 people that attended the fair. This year, we will have 25-30 vendors, active and interactive activities, and emergency responders from Orange County, the Red Cross and the Department of Homeland Security."
The emergency preparedness program personnel have gone to the West Point schools and given out coloring books, but they didn't have any symbol or mascot that children or adults could relate to.
Ready Raccoon is the brainchild of Chris Hennen, plans officer at DPTMS, and is a part of Ready Army emergency management programs, which is a proactive communications campaign to increase the Army community's preparedness by informing the Army community, civilians, contractors and Soldiers of relevant emergencies and encouraging them to get an emergency kit, be informed and make a plan, according to www.acism.army.mil/readyarmy.
DPTMS went to work on a mascot by talking to the Red Cross and writing a justification for a grant, which helped DPTMS obtain funding for the mascot costume and educational materials.
"The Red Cross thought it was a great idea and sponsored us by buying the costume through a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency," Colombo said.
The DPTMS emergency management program provides community members with information about how to prepare in case of emergencies such as power outages caused by storms and floods.
"Getting information out to people is part of our strategic communication plan to educate individuals on what to do during any kind of emergency," he said. "By knowing what to do in an emergency, individuals are empowered, become self -reliant and responsible, which helps us by allowing us to take care of (those who have difficulty in taking care of themselves) such as the elderly, children and the infirm."
Colombo feels it is in the American culture that people don't get involved unless it affects them as individuals and it is a challenge to remind people that emergency situations can happen to anyone at anytime.
"Most people have a spare tire in their vehicle," he said. "That is preparation. So why not prepare for emergencies by making a kit, becoming informed and make a plan'"
To keep emergency preparedness at the forefront of people's minds, an emergency preparedness fair is planned from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Post Exchange and will coincide with the Bike Rodeo.
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