Video game prepares Airmen, families for emergencies Published July 20, 2006 By Senior Airman J.G. Buzanowski Air Force Print News WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- True or False? Tornados always have a visible funnel extending to the ground. The answer to that question and more appear in the Air Force's newest training tool designed to prepare civilians, Airmen and their families for emergencies. The difference is this teaching instrument isn't a slideshow presentation or a briefing; it's an interactive trivia video game called "Are You Ready?" "The goal was to provide information to the masses about emergencies they may encounter at their installation," said Tech. Sgt. Rob Genova, the "Are You Ready?" program manager. "The advantage with the game format is it makes learning fun and engaging." The game begins by asking players which state they live in. That way it only asks questions focusing on potential emergencies people in that area may face."For example, it won't ask someone in Oklahoma about hurricanes," said David Epstein, the Air Staff emergency management action officer. There are 14 categories that range from natural disasters to terrorism. "Are You Ready?" will be available in August through the Air Force Portal under the Learning Management System. The game breaks down into three rounds. The first two rounds have five categories with five questions in each one. In the last round, players wager the points already earned based on the final category. The game then asks a final question and the player with the most points after that is the winner. "Are You Ready?" will be offered in conjunction with the base emergency preparedness orientation when a family inprocesses to a new base. The game, however, will also be available anytime a family wants to access it. Sergeant Genova hopes people will play it more than just once. "One of the great aspects about ‘Are You Ready?' is that there is a huge list of questions per category, so folks can play multiple times and not get the exact same list of questions," he said. Knowing their families are prepared for natural disasters or other emergencies will give Airmen peace of mind knowing their family is ready, Mr. Epstein said. "If they're deployed and a hurricane or anything like that comes to their area, servicemembers know their family members have had some type of training and should know what to do." And if the tornado category comes up while playing, remember that not all tornados appear with funnels that extend to the ground. Some display funnels that extend partially to the ground, and occasionally, tornados aren't visible at all because rain or low-hanging clouds obscure them. That one's worth 20 points.