MONTGOMERY– Serve Alabama is excited to announce the ninth annual Be Ready Camp. The application
process is underway! Camp will be held Tuesday, March 24 to Saturday March 28, 2015 at
the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. Students who are currently in the sixth grade, residents
of Alabama, and interested in attending are asked to write an essay to compete for one of 96
camp slots.
The essay should be 300 to 500 words answering the question, “What impact can a disaster have on my
community, and what can I do to prepare for and respond to a disaster?” Submissions should include
the student’s name, address, telephone number, school and county. Applicants are also asked to include
a note from their parent/guardian permitting the child to attend. Essay’s are due by January 31, 2015
and selections will be made by February 15, 2015. Those who wish to be considered should send
their essay to bereadycamp@servealabama.gov or mail to Be Ready Camp 8 Commerce Street,
Suite 1000, Montgomery, AL 36104. Once selected, registration is $75 which includes lodging,
meals and a CERT backpack.
Be Ready Camp is an innovative program that promotes citizen preparedness and participation using
multiple approaches to learning. Be Ready Camp utilizes a modified Community Emergency Response
Team (CERT) training as its foundation and broadened to include additional lessons. Be Ready
Camp curriculum includes: emergency preparedness, introduction to survival and first aid, 
developing
an emergency kit, creating a family disaster plan, water survival, light search and rescue, disaster psychology,
triage, career exploration, and terrorism awareness. Throughout each lesson, the participants
have the ability to demonstrate their knowledge with hands-on demonstrations in addition to traditional
assessment. The camp concludes with a mock disaster, where the youth perform victim search and rescue
alongside professional responders in a realistic setting. The participants are tasked with bringing
the message of preparedness and what they have learned to their families and their communities.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule and interview please contact Ashley Whittle Tiedt
at ashley.tiedt@servealabama.gov or 334-328-5971.
MEDIA RELEASE/GOVERNOR’S OFFICE FOR FAITH-BASED AND VOLUNTEER SERVICES/ASHLEY WHITTLE TIEDT, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER
