Proactive preparedness
Post Falls High School senior Miles Butler has spent the past few months gathering supplies to create emergency preparedness kits, which he will distribute to community members between 5 and 7 p.m. Monday at the Post Falls Library.
Photo courtesy of Joe and Miles Butler
POST FALLS — Participation in an emergency preparedness program has prompted 18-year-old Miles Butler to help his community be ready when calamity strikes.
The Post Falls High School senior, who attended a Federal Emergency Management Agency Emergency Preparedness Camp in 2019 and spent two years serving on FEMA's Youth Preparedness Council, will distribute free emergency preparedness kits between 5 and 7 p.m. Monday at the Post Falls Library, at 821 N. Spokane St.
The drawstring bag preparedness kits contain items Butler has collected: gloves, hand sanitizer, bottled water, snacks, utensils, flashlights, duct tape, matches, first aid supplies and dental hygiene. The packs are designed to be easily accessible in case of emergency or evacuation.
The kits will be distributed first come, first served.
“I hadn’t thought much about emergency preparedness before the camp,” Butler said. “I discovered a whole new world and how I could get involved with the community. It opened my eyes and made me want to be more involved.”
The FEMA Youth Preparedness Council brings together youth leaders interested in disaster preparedness and conducting national and local preparedness projects.
The experience also sparked an interest in environmental restoration for Butler, as well as rebuilding habitats following natural disasters like the California wildfires, he said.
“I am fascinated with nature, with experiencing it,” Butler said. “I want to protect and preserve it.”
Butler just completed the general studies associate degree program at North Idaho College. He plans to spend the summer as an AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps intern in the Summer of Service program. Following a few weeks of training in Colorado, he and a team will work on environmental restoration somewhere in the United States.
“I don’t know exactly where,” Butler said. “Previous groups have planted trees or cleaned up parks and trail systems.”
In the fall, Butler will head to Western Washington University to study environmental science.
“It’s such a big field,” Butler said. “Before this I wanted to go into economics, but I realized that wasn’t for me.”
In the Pacific Northwest, common potential disasters are wind storms, floods, wildfires and winter storms. Butler said he would like to see more public messaging about these catastrophes.