Penelope Planner took to the stage in front of over 600 students at Muscoy Elementary School in San Bernardino. She is on a quest to defeat Calamity Dwayne, a natural disaster set to wreak havoc on the world.

It’s up to Penelope and students like second-grader Sophia, to stop him with the power of a plan.

“I like Penelope Planner because she taught me that fire is bad and if you’re alone, you can get hurt,” said Sophia. Added Bridgette, a fellow second-grade student: “I can tell my parents that wildfires can spread very fast and that we need to go outside and stay far away from the fire.”

The production, “Ready or Not: Preparing for Wildfire,” is a play put on by The National Theatre for Children that aims to teach kids the importance of being prepared for a natural disaster.

The production is sponsored by Edison International to highlight National Wildfire Awareness Month in May, a time dedicated to promoting prevention and preparedness efforts among communities that live within high fire risk areas.

“While SCE has made progress to reduce the risk of wildfires through upgrading electric infrastructure and investing in new technologies, being prepared is still a top priority,” said Alex Esparza, SCE principal manager of Corporate Philanthropy and Community Engagement. “Edison International believes in equipping our communities with important safety knowledge that will prepare them for when emergencies and wildfires occur.”

Throughout the show, students participate as Penelope Planner learns to prepare for unexpected safety situations.

“The play explained the different types of disasters and the kids learned about them in a fun, interactive way. Involving the students and having them help Penelope Planner remember how to prepare for a disaster keeps them engaged,” said second-grade teacher, Catalina Zarza.

To complete their quest and beat antagonist Calamity Dwayne, Penelope Planner teams up with a volunteer from the crowd.

Together they remind everyone of the essential steps to being prepared for a wildfire: understand the difference between a hazard, an emergency and a disaster, prepare a family communication plan, understand how wildfires start, calling 911 in the event of an emergency and look for paramedics, police officers or firefighters to help.

With the knowledge of being prepared, Calamity Dwayne is rendered powerless and the students erupt in cheers.

“It’s important for students to learn about safety and emergency preparedness,” said Dr. Dana Jamison, principal of Muscoy Elementary School. “Having flyers and workbooks in Spanish can help start that conversation at home, especially when a lot of our parents only speak Spanish.”

For more information on SCE's wildfire safety efforts, visit edison.com/wildfire-safety.