[tabi] Emergency Preparedness Self-Help Resources

From: Steve Howells [mailto:showells@xxxxxxxxx]
FYI:  Just in time for hurricane season, which starts June 1st –
November 30th.



Got A Plan?

Emergency Preparedness Self-Help Resources

May 2011



The Atlantic hurricane season is June 1st through November 30th and
fires, floods,

and other natural disasters and emergencies can strike at any time throughout

the year. All Floridians need to prepare in advance for disasters. This document

provides links to helpful websites, videos, articles, and other
information about

emergency preparedness for individuals with disabilities.



1. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) advises preplanning.

“Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan how
you will contact

one another. Think about how you will communicate in different situations.

Complete a contact card for each family member. Have family members keep these

cards handy in a wallet, purse, backpack, etc. You may want to send
one to school with

each child to keep on file. Pick a friend or relative who lives
out-of-state for household

members to notify they are safe.

Family Communications Plan which should be completed and posted so the contact

information is readily accessible to all family members. A copy should
also be included

in your family disaster supplies kit.”

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/areyouready/appendix_c.pdf

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has important information

regarding emergency management preparedness for individuals with
disabilities at:

http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/specialplans.shtm.

Are you Ready? provides a step-by-step approach to disaster preparedness by

walking the reader through how to get informed about local emergency
plans, how to

identify hazards that affect their local area, and how to develop and
maintain an

emergency communications plan and disaster supplies kit.

http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/index.shtm

Telephone: 1 (800) 621-FEMA (3362) / TTY (800) 462-7585

3333 West Pensacola Street

Suite 140

Tallahassee, FL 32304

www.faast.org

Voice (850) 487-3278

TDD (877) 506-2723

Toll-Free (888) 788-9216

Fax (850) 575-4216





2. Disaster Ready

For a comprehensive 83 page planning guide for persons with disabilities, go to:

http://www.fddc.org/sites/default/files/file/publications/Disaster%20Preparedness%20%2

0Guide.pdf.



3. ADA Guide for Local Governments

Making Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs Accessible to

People with Disabilities: http://www.ada.gov/emergencyprep.htm



4. To contact the Florida Division of Emergency Management go to:

http://www.floridadisaster.org.

Emergencies Only: 1-800-320-0519 / (850) 413-9911

Non-Emergencies: (850) 413-9900

The Florida Division of Emergency Management website offers resources and

information specifically tailored for individuals with
disabilities/special needs and their

families to help prepare for emergencies, protect themselves and survive. For

information, go to: http://www.floridadisaster.org/disability/index.html

To find the Emergency Preparedness Management office closest to you within your

county go to: http://www.floridadisaster.org/fl_county_em.asp.



5. Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about

disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and
trains them in basic

disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team

organization, and disaster medical operations. For more information, go to:

http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/.



6. What is the FCC’s Emergency Alert System (EAS)?

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designed the Emergency Alert

System (EAS) (http://www.fcc.gov/eb/eas/) so officials can quickly
send out important

emergency information targeted to a specific area. After conducting
extensive tests of

competing technologies, the FCC ruled that the EAS would be a digital-based

automated system and use coding protocols similar to NOAA Weather Radio (NWR)

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/ Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME)

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/nwrsame.htm.

EAS sends out alerts not just to broadcast media but also to cable
television, satellites,

pagers, Direct Broadcast Satellite, High Definition Television, and
Video Dial Tone.

EAS also accounts for the needs of special populations such as the
deaf and those with

special language requirements. In 1996, EAS replaced the Emergency Broadcast

System (EBS).



7. General information on how NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) can be an alerting tool

for individuals who are hard of hearing or deaf can be found at:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/special_need.htm.

To find the latest weather forecasts around the USA, track storms through NOAA

weather satellites, get the latest weather maps and learn how to
protect yourself and

your community from severe weather go to: http://www.noaawatch.gov/.



8. The American Red Cross has information on their website regarding emergency

disaster response and preparedness. Go to: http://www.redcross.org/.

Toll-Free Phone: 1 800 RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767)

To view a Red Cross video on people with disabilities and disaster
preparation, go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJQr40wJ5MA&feature=related



9. To find the Florida Department of Health’s information on emergency

preparedness, go to their website at http://www.doh.state.fl.us/.
Select the search

function and type “emergency preparedness.”



10. The Florida Courts website has a Guide on the Special Needs of People with

Disabilities for Emergency Managers, Planners & Responders. To view this guide,

to go:

http://www.flcourts.org/gen_public/emergency/bin/epiguide2004.pdf#xml=http://search.f

lcourts.org/texis/search/pdfhi.txt?query=emergency+preparedness&pr=external&prox=

page&rorder=500&rprox=500&rdfreq=500&rwfreq=500&rlead=500&rdepth=0&sufs=0&

order=r&cq=&id=4b719405778



11. Video conference services for individuals with deafness in
hurricane shelters

http://cilsfla.blogspot.com/2008/05/videoconferencing-services-available.html

Deaf Link’s website: http://www.deaflink.com/


12. Westcot Portable Emergency Beds for Individuals with Disabilities

http://www.emergencyresources.com/westcot400.html



13. Software for police, fire departments, and officials manning shelters to

communicate with individuals with deafness

http://www.vcom3d.com/index.php?id=ssstudio



14. For a suggested list of items to bring to Special Needs Shelters, go to

http://www.bradford-co-fla.org/emergency%20man/What%20to%20Bring.pdf.



15. Go to www.ready.gov to learn more about what you can do to protect
yourself and

your families in case of an emergency.



16. For comprehensive emergency management planning criteria for Hospice, go to

www.doh.state.fl.us/PHNursing/SpNS/FAC58A-2.026.doc.



17. What should I know about pets?

According to the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act (PETS) of 2006

(http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-3858) state and
local emergency

preparedness operational plans must address the needs of individuals
with household

pets and service animals following a major disaster or emergency if
they want to qualify

for grant money from FEMA. The Act gives FEMA authority to help communities

develop pet-friendly shelter facilities and practical assistance for
individuals with pets

and service animals, and the animals themselves, following a major disaster. The

PETS Act does away with all the excuses from county and city governments without

pet-friendly disaster plans. For more information, go to:

http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusfd2006pl109_308.htm.

Go to http://www.floridapets.net/petfriendlyshelters.html for a
county-by-county list of

pet-friendly motels and hotels. This site also gives updates about
pet-friendly shelters.

Remember, your service animal is not a pet and is allowed in all shelters.



18. Go to www.myflorida.com for information on emergency preparedness

management in general. In the search function of this website, type “emergency

preparedness.”
Check out the TABI resource web page at http://acorange.home.comcast.net/TABI
and please make suggestions for new material.



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