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Emergency Planning for At-Risk Groups

Emergency Planning for At-Risk Groups. How your agency can be involved. Outline. Importance of planning for at-risk groups Personal preparedness Organizational preparedness Community and county preparedness How your organization can be involved. Who is at Risk During an Emergency?.

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Emergency Planning for At-Risk Groups

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  1. Emergency Planning for At-Risk Groups How your agency can be involved

  2. Outline • Importance of planning for at-risk groups • Personal preparedness • Organizational preparedness • Community and county preparedness • How your organization can be involved

  3. Who is at Risk During an Emergency? Anyone with increased risk of severe disaster-related consequences Economic disadvantage Absence of a support network Needing support to be independent in daily activities Difficulty reading, speaking, or understanding English

  4. Esther • 89 years old • Lives alone • Has no car, family lives out of state • History of heart disease • Laura • 5 years old • Parents are undocumented immigrants • James • 35 years old • Blind • Lives with fiancée

  5. Hurricane Katrina - 2005 • 73% of Hurricane Katrina-related deaths in New Orleans area were among persons age 60 and over, although they comprised only 15 percent of the population in New Orleans • Most had medical conditions and functional or sensory disabilities that made them more vulnerable • AARP, We Can Do Better: Lessons Learned for Protecting Older Persons in Disasters, 2006

  6. Issues Facing At-Risk Groups • Maintaining independence • Communication • Transportation • Supervision • Medical care

  7. Emergency Preparedness County, State, & National Preparedness Community Preparedness Organizational Preparedness Personal Preparedness

  8. Personal Preparedness What Can You Do?

  9. Who Needs to be Prepared? • You • Your family • Employees at your organization • People served by your organization

  10. Personal Preparedness • Think ahead…make an emergency plan • Evacuation from your home • Communication during emergency • Plans for pets • Make an emergency kit • Does not need to be complicated or expensive • Stay informed • Local emergency plans and services • Get involved • Know your neighbors and check on those at-risk • Join Community Emergency Response Teams

  11. Personal Preparedness for At-Risk Individuals • Learn basic homecare skills • Work with providers and social support networks to develop contingency plans for an emergency • Develop food and fluid supply lists for special dietary needs • Carry a wallet card with a list of medications • Maintain food and supplies for the health and well-being of service animals and pets

  12. Organizational Preparedness Is Your Organization Ready?

  13. Preparing your Organization • Make an emergency plan • Encourage personal preparedness for employees and clients • Determine how to continue services during an emergency

  14. Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) • Making sure your organization can continue to operate during an emergency • Under stressful conditions • With fewer staff and other resources • With increased demand for services

  15. COOP Objectives • Ensure safety of employees • Ensure continuous performance of essential operations • Protect essential equipment, records, and other assets • Reduce disruption of operations • Minimize damage and losses • Achieve a timely and orderly recovery

  16. Ensuring Safety • Shelter in Place • Safe area • Food and water • Evacuation • “Go Kits” • Transportation • Destination

  17. Continuing Essential Operations • Prioritize key functions • Identify minimum staff, equipment, and procedures necessary to operate • Plan what to do if your building is not available • Plan for payroll continuity • Train people for emergency functions • Create/update contact list

  18. Community & County Preparedness How Can Your Organization Get Involved?

  19. [COUNTY NAME] County Special Needs Advisory Panel (SNAP) • A small advisory group of [social service providers] representing various at-risk populations.

  20. SNAP Purpose • To ensure that the concerns and needs of [older adults, persons with disabilities, persons who are economically disadvantaged, and/or persons with limited English proficiency] are appropriately considered and addressed in public health emergency planning and response in [COUNTY NAME] County.

  21. SNAP Activities • Provide information and guidance to [LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT &/OR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT] about how to plan for and communicate with at-risk populations before, during, and after emergencies • Provide feedback on creating a Community Communications Network to share messages with agencies serving at-risk populations

  22. Why get involved? • You know the people your organization serves • You are in a unique position to advocate for them • Planning before an emergency can save lives, reduce illness and injury, and speed recovery • Doing something NOW is better than hoping for assistance during an emergency

  23. What are the benefits? You can: • Identify strategies that empower at-risk individuals to prepare for emergencies • Share ideas and resources with other agencies • Reduce duplication of efforts across agencies • Influence public policy

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