Venturing Crew 911
About Crew 911
Venturing Crew 911 is part of the NBO Scout Training Team, a chartered Texas not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing American Red Cross training for registered Scouts, Venturers, and their adult leaders.
What began in 1990 with the ambitious goal of teaching 30 Scouts basic CPR skills each year now trains over 1,200 youth and adult Scouters annually.
Our History
The program began as in-house merit badge training for the members of Boy Scout Troop 777 in The Woodlands, Texas. As demand grew, so did the program — soon the team was providing training for Scout units across the region, requiring an aggressive instructor development program to keep pace.
Canoeing and kayaking classes were added, followed by a full aquatic program including Lifeguarding and Small Craft Safety. Emergency Response training for older youth members was introduced in 1997. What started as a single troop's training program has grown into one of the most comprehensive Scout-focused emergency response programs in the Sam Houston Area Council.
The crew's work has been recognized nationally — featured in Scouting Magazine and the NESA Eagletter, and recognized at the BSA University of Scouting.
When It Counts
Crew 911 training is not theoretical. When Hurricane Rita struck in 2005, the members of Crew 911 served as American Red Cross Shelter Manager, Assistant Shelter Manager, and Volunteer Coordinators for the McCullough Junior High School shelter in The Woodlands.
What began as a trickle of evacuees Thursday afternoon became over 500 stranded people — far exceeding the shelter's intended capacity. With primary Red Cross resources already deployed elsewhere, Crew 911's teenage First Responders provided initial medical support and, with help from area Scout units, got the shelter open and the kitchen operational.
By Sunday morning, the team had served over 2,000 meals and assisted nearly 600 senior citizens, men and women, boys and girls, kids and babies.... plus numerous dogs and cats, two ferrets, an exotic bird and one turtle through an ordeal none of them had planned for. The crew's EMR-trained youth also staff American Red Cross First Aid Stations at the annual Council Scout Fair and other council events.
The Training Team
Our all-volunteer staff consists of authorized American Red Cross instructors, both youth and adult. Adult members bring decades of combined experience in emergency medicine and Scout training, developing and delivering curriculum aligned with American Red Cross standards.
One of the distinguishing features of Crew 911 is our youth instructor pipeline. As members develop their skills and accumulate experience, the most dedicated progress into instructor roles — teaching the same courses they once took as students. This gives advanced members meaningful leadership experience while providing newer students with instructors who remember what it was like to learn these skills for the first time.
What We Value
Readiness
Being prepared to act in real emergencies with confidence and skill, not just theoretical knowledge.
Responsibility
Taking ownership of your training, your growth, and your obligation to the people around you.
Service
Using the skills you've built to support your community — in emergencies and beyond.
Affiliations & Standards
Boy Scouts of America
Chartered as a Venturing Crew under the BSA Sam Houston Area Council, following Scouting's values of leadership, service, and outdoor preparedness.
American Red Cross
All certifications are issued through the American Red Cross, Greater Houston Area Chapter, a nationally recognized standard in emergency response training.
BSA Wilderness First Aid Curriculum
Our WaRFA program adheres to the BSA Wilderness First Aid Curriculum and Doctrine of Understanding.
Join the Team
We are always looking for new instructors, students, and supporters. Reach out to learn how to get involved.
Get in Touch