The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency has unveiled a new, interactive Web-based board game for children as part of the agency's ongoing commitment to educating young people about disaster preparedness and risk reduction. The board game, called Disaster Discovery, is located on the agency's FEMA for Kids Web site.

"The more prepared and knowledgeable children are about disasters, the safer they are and it's easier for them and their families to recover," said Michael D. Brown, under secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response. "Our FEMA for Kids Web site is a novel approach to disaster information and the new game will help keep children's interest and enhance the likelihood they'll retain what they've learned."

The game, at www.fema.gov/kids/games/board, can be played online or downloaded and played on a home or school computer. It can also be printed out and played in "hard copy." Macromedia's Flash player is required to play the online version of the game; the free software can be downloaded through the site.

The board game includes different sections, including Tornado Alley and Quake Country. A player is moved forward when correctly answering disaster-related questions, all of which are based on information from the site. Hazard! cards also send a player forward or backward depending on different disaster scenarios.

The FEMA for Kids Web site debuted in 1997 as part of a strategy to involve children in helping families, schools and communities become better prepared for and more knowledgeable about disasters. It was one of the first government sites created specifically for youngsters.

FEMA for Kids has been a successful site, garnering millions of visitors and dozens of awards. Games were included on the site from the onset in order to retain child visitors for as long as possible. Strong colors and interesting graphics were also employed to lure youngsters to the site. The site was created for fourth- through sixth-graders, with some sections suitable for younger children. Many older children - and even adults - have also found the site useful. A separate section for parents and teachers provides classroom activities, disaster-related curriculum and relevant links.

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.