With earthquakes and tsunamis always a threat in the Caribbean, the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency wants high school students across the territory to come up with a public service announcement warning about the danger.

The deadline to confirm participation for VITEMA’s ReadyYOUTH-VI Earthquake and Tsunami Public Service Announcement Competition is Jan. 30. Entries must be submitted by Feb. 20.

VITEMA will debut the winning video on its website and social media channels during National Tsunami Awareness Week, set for March 24 to 30. The winning school will have its announcement professionally-produced and aired across major networks on cable television for one year.

According to VITEMA’s Friday press release, the competition is designed to engage and empower high school students to raise awareness about earthquakes and tsunamis by a developing the concept for and videotaping a public service announcement.

“One of VITEMA’s ongoing goals is outreach to the youth of the Virgin Islands,” VITEMA Director Elton Lewis said. “In disasters, we find that kids of all ages are often moved and inspired to do their part in the recovery effort and in helping the community be better prepared.”

Lewis said the competition is a win-win because it gets the schools and students thinking about ways to be better prepared and it also gives VITEMA a fresh perspective on how to get the message out.

The Virgin Islands is in a seismically active region and a major earthquake can occur at any time. A major earthquake within the region could also generate a deadly tsunami that can reach the territory’s shores within minutes, leaving thousands of residents and visitors along the coastline little time to act. Information is the key to saving lives, Lewis said.

Further information is available online at www.VITEMA.gov or by calling VITEMA spokesman Christine Lett at 773-2244.