A Proven Path: Scouts and the Operational Value of Prepared Youth

For over a century, Scouting has served as an enduring and versatile youth development program in the United States. At its core lies a single, timeless imperative: Be Prepared. More than a motto, these two words represent a philosophy of readiness that shapes the skills, mindset, and sense of duty instilled in every Scout. While the uniform and merit badges are often what the public sees, the deeper legacy of Scouting is its ability to cultivate capable individuals who know how to stay calm under pressure, take meaningful action in moments of uncertainty, and support others in times of crisis.

While most youth may not don turnout gear like firefighters or deploy alongside first responders, their contribution during an emergency response should not be underestimated. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), children make up about 25% of the population of the United States. Although they face unique vulnerabilities, they can play an important role during emergencies. Youth who are trained to manage their own safety and support those around them can transform the emergency landscape.

The prepared youth’s function in an emergency is best understood with three overlapping capabilities. They are equipped to be non-victims, to act as stabilizers within their immediate environments, and to bring mental readiness to situations where their peers may panic. These qualities are core tenets of Scouting. By ingraining them into the youth of America, the program yields citizen responders who may not be commissioned by a department but are no less essential when minutes matter.

Being a Non-Victim

Emergency response is built on triage. When resources are stretched thin, responders must direct their efforts to the most urgent needs—those who cannot help themselves. In this context, every person who is capable of remaining safe, stable, and self-sufficient during a crisis becomes an asset rather than a victim. Prepared youth, even if not responders themselves, can reduce the strain on emergency services simply by not becoming additional casualties. By staying calm, avoiding preventable harm, and following basic safety procedures, they remove themselves from the pool of those needing immediate assistance.

Beyond protecting themselves, prepared youth can ease the burden on emergency responders in meaningful ways. Young people who understand how to follow protocols, assist with family-level logistics, and carry out simple preparedness tasks can improve outcomes for those around them. In large-scale emergencies, these small contributions add up. A population of youth trained to act calmly and independently can help reduce confusion, support family stability, and allow professional responders to focus on the most critical situations. Scouting in particular has proven to be an effective way to foster this kind of readiness.

Few indicators speak louder than the clear gap in preparedness between those who complete the program and those who do not. A 2012 study by Baylor University found that adult Eagle Scouts are 124% more likely to have a disaster supply kit in their homes, 81% more likely to keep emergency supplies in their cars, 100% more likely to have a designated family emergency meeting place, and 90% more likely to be CPR-certified than non-Scouts.​ The reason for this is clear: Scouting teaches preparedness and integrates it into a way of life. From Cub Scouts to Eagle Scouts, youths who are part of Scouting develop preparedness through repeated exposure to real-world scenarios, hands-on training, and peer-led instruction. Youth who develop these habits over the course of the program are more likely to mitigate risk proactively and, when the moment comes, avoid becoming a victim.

Having a Tangible Impact

Prepared youth can do more than stay out of harm’s way. These individuals are often responsible for shaping how their communities prepare, react, and recover. While they are not responders, trained youth like Scouts can bring readiness, structure, and workforce to environments that lack all three. A 2022 scoping review of youth around the world found that they play key roles in post-disaster relief efforts, coordination, and infrastructure support. These findings underscore how structured youth engagement can serve as a crucial resource for local emergency management efforts. Such contributions have been documented in training scenarios and in real-world disasters.

A famous example was in 1997 during the 500-year Fort Collins flood in Colorado. Even before official help arrived, local Scout leaders activated an emergency plan and mobilized troops to assist. They filled sandbags, helped locate victims, and coordinated with city officials using troop-level phone trees and preassigned responsibilities. This was just one instance that demonstrated how the planning and communication infrastructure within a Scout district allows for a rapid, organized turnout that could directly support a city’s emergency management efforts.

This model has been witnessed across the country and even internationally at larger scales. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Scout councils nationwide mobilized to collect and distribute relief supplies. In some communities, troops worked directly with the Red Cross, supporting shelter operations and logistics. In more recent years, World Scouting has been assisting with disaster relief across the globe. In Sudan, Scouts delivered food, shelter materials, and other life-saving aid to communities across 15 flood-affected states. In Central Europe, Scouts helped rebuild homes and distribute relief supplies after widespread damage caused by Storm Boris. In Bangladesh, Scouts supported evacuation efforts and provided assistance to over 500,000 people displaced by flash floods.

These coordinated youth efforts measurably impact response and recovery. It shows that trained youth are not just symbolic participants. They are operational assets. From streamlining volunteer coordination to accelerating supply distribution, Scouts often fill real logistical gaps that would otherwise drain professional resources. The structure and ethos of Scouting make its impact not only possible, but repeatable—disaster after disaster, year after year.

Developing Mental Readiness

In an emergency, tangible readiness is only part of the equation. Equally vital—and often overlooked—is mental readiness: the ability to stay calm, think clearly, and follow instructions under stress. For youth, this skill may be the most important tool in their belt, but also the most difficult to acquire. Disasters are chaotic and traumatic, and young people, especially those without prior exposure to crisis situations, are at risk of becoming overwhelmed or paralyzed by fear. But when youth are armed not only with instruction but also mental preparedness, they are far more likely to act with composure.

Youth are inundated with fire, tornado, and active-assailant drills in school, but that does not mean they are truly prepared for these scenarios. Actual readiness means being mentally prepared to make the right decision when it counts. A young person who can regulate their emotions, recall a practiced plan, and assist others without panicking becomes a source of stability rather than escalation. In family or community settings, that presence alone can de-escalate confusion, calm younger children, and even help guide untrained adults toward safer outcomes.

Programs like Scouting, which emphasize being “mentally awake and morally straight,” are particularly effective at building this type of readiness. In one notable example, a teenager in Wisconsin credited a Scout-led tornado simulation with giving him the clarity to respond during a real tornado, guiding his brother and a friend to safety. Stories like this are not flukes. The many examples of Scouts’ heroic efforts reflect what experts have long observed. Youth who engage in practice-based training gain more than just procedural knowledge. They develop self-efficacy, or a belief in their ability to manage real challenges. FEMA’s own research supports this, noting that experiential learning, realistic risk communication, and repetition all help youth “develop the self-confidence necessary to ultimately change behavior.”

Application

Racine County, Wisconsin, serves as a model of youth integration into community preparedness. There, emergency officials partnered with Scout units for nearly two decades, running joint exercises that culminate in an annual disaster “camporee.” Scouts act as both victims and responders, practicing search-and-rescue, treating injuries, and executing mock incident command operations, shoulder to shoulder with professionals. FEMA encourages involvement of this sort: “A youth preparedness program is a great way to enhance a community’s resilience and help develop future generations of prepared adults.” FEMA also provides resources on their website for those interested in starting or getting involved with youth preparedness programs.

These partnerships reveal that youth preparedness does not have to remain a perfunctory item to be crossed off the list. It can be a force multiplier. Communities that invest in their young people are not just training tomorrow’s responders. They are building readiness today, from the bottom up. Prepared youth are one of the many forms of grassroots response that are valuable in today’s world of emergency management. Recognizing and investing in this resource means embracing a vision of preparedness that begins at the community level, takes root in youth, and matures through programs that have already proven their worth. All preparedness professionals should recognize their local Scouts as a valuable resource in emergency plans. Integrating youth into preparedness efforts is not just wise—it is essential for building resilient communities.