Emergency Preparedness for Mobility Managers and Travel Trainers

1. Emergency Preparedness for Mobility Managers and Travel Trainers Bill Baumann & Melissa Brown

2. Objective Learn how Mobility Managers and Travel Trainers can: • Create community-based emergency transportation plans • Assist transportation providers with preparedness efforts • Incorporate individual preparedness into travel training

3. Hazards common to PNW • Adverse Weather (Snow, Wind, Ice) • Earthquake • Flooding • Hazmat / Human-caused incidents • Landslides • Power Outage • Volcanic Activity Image: 25˚ and snow downtown by Oran Viriyincy is licensed under CC-BY-SA-2.0

4. Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Populations Persons who may have additional needs before, during and after an incident in functional areas, including but not limited to: • Communication • Maintaining Health • Independence • Services and Support • Transportation 1,2 ¹ FEMA National Response Framework, 3rd Edition: https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1914-25045-1246/final_national_response_framework_20130501.pdf 2U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Emergency, At-Risk Individuals https://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/abc/Pages/at-risk.aspx

5. Importance of Planning

6. Consider the Following: • Has your agencies engaged in any emergency preparedness activities with clients or transportation providers? • Have you experienced any emergency situations as a Mobility Coordinator or Travel Trainer? • Do you have a defined role? Or what do you see as your role?

7. Creating community-based emergency transportation plans

8. Connecting with your Emergency Manager • Educate emergency managers about capabilities of accessible transportation providers 3 • Assist with identifying community transportation assets • Facilitate communication between emergency managers and transportation partners • Planning assistance • Financial agreements • Understanding the roles of each agency 3http://oregontransit.com/images/downloads/2015_OPTC_Presentations/strategies_in_emergency_preparedness_for_transportation_dependent_populations_ota.pdf

9. Planning for Transportation Disadvantaged Working together with your Emergency Manager(s) and Transportation Provider(s) • Educating on best practices for AFN populations during emergency response • Identifying specialized mobility needs of AFN populations in planning process • Engaging with agencies supporting AFN populations about how to move people in an emergency • Assisted living facilities, medical providers, independent living councils • More resources - Refer to the seventh installment of the ADA Tool Kit, issued July 26, 2007

10. Community Planning Models Community Organizations Active in Disasters (COAD): the mission of a COAD is to organize and deploy community resources, in an effective and timely manner, in response to the needs of community disaster survivors. • Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD): Same as COAD, except usually operates on State or National level. Regional Alliance for Resilient and Equitable Transportation (RARET) Workgroup: increasing the critical transportation services available to access and functional needs populations in the event of an emergency in the Puget Sound region.

11. RARET February 2019 Activation • RARET assisted King County Public Health to activate Winter Weather Medical Transportation Procedures • Assessed available community transportation resources • Medicaid, Access, Search and Rescue • Mobilized Winter Weather Triage Team for life-sustaining medical transportation

12. Assisting Transportation Providers with Preparedness Efforts

13. Educating Community Transportation Providers • Importance of Emergency Preparedness / Business Continuity Plans • Potential roles during a hazard situation • Transporting individuals with critical medical needs • Assisting with evacuation efforts • Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and what to expect • Potential assistance requests • Financial reimbursement processes • Communications

14. Business Continuity Planning • Define agency “emergency mission statement” • Identify and prioritize essential agency functions, contracts • Determine resources needed to perform essential functions • Strategize how to obtain resources • Create a plan, implement, and test

15. Business Continuity Resource Page Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) For Nonprofit Human Services Providers City of Seattle: Preparing Your Workplace Guide FEMA: Working with Small Businesses to Prepare for Emergencies Ready.Gov: Business Continuity Planning Guide

16. Incorporating Individual Preparedness into Travel Training

17. Trip Planning • Adverse weather transportation planning • How transit routes will change in snow conditions • Travel with basic necessities • Identify alternative transportation plans if primary modes are unavailable • Encourage clients with medical needs to create and carry medical contact card • Encourage clients to join Community Preparedness Groups • Map Your Neighborhood, CERT

18. Discussion • Have you learned anything today that you can apply to your work? • What other activities can you do in your role that can help community members and transportation providers increase their preparedness?