[vip_committees] Preparing for an emergency
- From: "Susan Frazier" <frazier.tech@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <vip_committees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2010 09:47:30 -0400
Hello, I got this information and think it is very helpful.
Emergency Preparedness
July 18, 2006
In response to last year's historical number of natural disasters and their
impact on people with disabilities, EPI is launching a 12-month Outreach,
Awareness, and Education Series to encourage people with disabilities to
better prepare themselves for emergencies.
In 2005, EPI participated in National Preparedness Month by sending our
Partners in Preparedness materials out to over 30,000 emergency managers and
disability leaders across the nation. However, we recognize every day of
every month as an opportunity to educate people with disabilities on
personal preparedness, and acknowledge that one month designated for
preparedness is not sufficient for any citizen, and more significantly, not
for people with disabilities.
At the end of 2005, the Tallahassee, Florida chapter of the American Red
Cross developed The Twelve Days of Christmas: Preparing Families for
Disaster, however we found that disability-specific issues were not
addressed. EPI modified that information and added to it with our own 12
Days of Christmas for People with Disabilities, and is launching a 12-month
effort in 2006 to expand on each component for personal preparedness for
people with disabilities.
July is "Build Your Ready Kit and Go Bag" Month!
In July, create a comprehensive "ready kit" with the many supplies necessary
to self sustain for a period of time. Also create a "go bag" containing your
most essential items to take with you if you must leave immediately. If you
have already started compiling these items, now is a good time to check
through them, making sure batteries are still fresh, and you are not missing
anything vital! Include in your kit: Items on this list can be included in
both the ready kit and go bag. It is up to you to decide the most essential
items to include for you and your family.
* 3-day supply of non-perishable food and manual can opener. Make sure the
food meets your dietary requirements.
* 3-day supply of water. Plan for 1 gallon per person per day, but you may
need more; consult with your doctor.
* Medical equipment and assistive devices (glasses, hearing aids, catheters,
augmentative communication devices, canes, walkers). Label each with your
name and contact information. Be sure to have extra batteries and chargers.
* Medications, including a list of the prescription name, dosage, frequency,
doctor and pharmacist. Also consider if medications need to be refrigerated
and if so, bring a cooler with an ice pack or other coolant system.
* List of emergency contact information including your support network
members in and out of the region, service providers, etc.
* Copies of important documents (birth certificate, passport, licenses,
insurance information, proof of address).
* Extra set of keys.
* Flashlight and radio with extra batteries.
* Cash, credit cards, checkbook, ATM card.
* Sanitation and hygiene items, including soap, denture care, absorbent
pads, etc.
* Items for infants, such as formula, diapers, bottles, and pacifiers.
* Supplies for a service animal including food, medications, plastic bags,
disposable gloves, identification tags, favorite toy, proof of up-to-date
vaccinations, and veterinarian contact.
* Clothes, blanket, pillow.
* White distress flag or cloth, whistle, flashlights and/or glow sticks.
* Basic first aid kit.
* Identify your disability-related or health condition need by writing it
down or wearing medical alert tags or bracelets.
* Pad of paper with pens or pencils for writing notes.
* Extra batteries for tape recorders, portable TTYs, etc.
* Extra pair of dark glasses, if medically required.
* Folding mobility cane.
* Pair of heavy gloves to use while wheeling or making your way over glass
and debris.
* Extra battery for your motorized wheelchair or scooter.
* Jumper cables or specific recharging device to be connected to an
automobile's cigarette lighter.
* Patch kit or can of "seal-in-air product" to repair flat tires.
* Spare cane or walker.
* A favorite item (e.g., small videogame or book) to help you maintain focus
while waiting in lines.
June is "Create Your Communication Plan" Month
In June, you should take a closer look at your communication abilities and
limitation, and make a plan for how you will both receive and convey
life-saving information during an emergency.
1. Make sure you and your support network have each other's contact
information and alternate ways to communicate if phones are not working
(such as an assigned meeting place, using pagers, email or other technology
not reliant on phone lines). Contact information and back-up options for
service and equipment providers should be on this list as well.
2. For individuals who use telecommunications relay services, look into
different options to use as back-up including: dialing 711 (nationwide),
CapTel (captioned telephone), internet-based relay (through computer, text
pager, PDA, etc.), and/ or video relay services (through broadband).
3. If you use an augmentative communication device (e.g., laptop, word
board, or artificial larynx), try to store inexpensive back-up equipment in
the same places they keep their plan. Prepare pre-printed messages to show
to first responders: "I may have difficulty understanding what you are
telling me, so please speak slowly and use simple language." Written
instructions on how to use and safely transport your adaptive equipment can
also be useful in the time of an emergency.
4. In the event of an emergency, focus on the instructions you are given and
follow them. If you don't understand, look directly at the rescuer, and ask
that she or he repeat. Seconds count, so it's important to establish clear
communication. You are responsible for part of that communication. If the
rescuer needs to know something vital about you, concentrate on expressing
that one fact simply. Think now about how you might describe your disability
in a short, meaningful phrase in case those pre-printed messages aren't
available.
EPI's educational pamphlet Prepare Yourself: Disaster Readiness Tips for
People with Sensory Disabilities focuses on vital communication tips for
people with visual and/or hearing impairments.
May is "Identify Your Sheltering Options" Month
This month, EPI encourages you to identify your sheltering options, so that
in the case of a natural or man-made disaster which forces you to either
stay inside wherever you are, or evacuate your home for safer shelter, you
will be prepared with a plan!
In the case of many types of emergencies, the best answer to the question
"Where should I go?" will be to shelter-in-place. However, if you can leave
your community before a known threat arrives, do it. If officials order a
mandatory evacuation, your best option is to stay with family or friends. If
this is not possible, you will need to go to a public shelter.
1. Contact your local Emergency Manager and find out what the sheltering
options in your community are. You can find contact information in EPI's
Interactive Map of Disability and Emergency Preparedness Resources. Find out
which shelters have accessible accommodations. Unless you have other severe
disabilities, you should have little or no difficulty staying in a public
shelter for a short time. People with more serious needs might be directed
to use the nearest "special needs" shelter, where medical issues can receive
appropriate attention.
2. Conditions in a general shelter (usually a school building or an
auditorium) are crowded, noisy, and boring. But these facilities, operated
by the local American Red Cross chapter or faith-based agencies, can save
your life. You have a right under the Americans with Disabilities Act to use
general public shelters. You should be prepared to tell shelter operators
what your needs are, and don't forget to bring special equipment like
oxygen, mobility aids, etc.
3. For more sheltering tips, we'd suggest familiarizing yourself with EPI's
Prepare Yourself brochure series. These brochures provide tips and resources
for people with disabilities on how to prepare for disasters.
4. If sheltering in place, follow instructions from officials. These
instructions will probably come from the radio or TV.
5. Prepare a Ready Kit of supplies to have if you shelter-in-place and a Go
Bag to take with you if you need to evacuate. In the month of July, EPI will
walk you through building your Ready Kit and Go Bag.
April is "Identify Your Personal Support Network" Month
This month, EPI encourages you to continue your preparedness efforts by
identifying those close to you who can play an integral role in planning and
executing your emergency plans.
1. Make a list of family, friends, co-workers, personal attendants, service
providers and others who can be part of planning and executing your personal
emergency plans. Include people both in and out of your immediate
neighborhood or community, like a relative in another state.
2. Talk to these individuals and ask them to be part of your support
network; they will be able to assist you before, during, and after
disasters. If possible, you should have at least 3 people at each site you
frequent like home, your workplace, etc. Work with your support network to
make a plan.
3. Give them a copy of any important information, like medications you are
taking. Prepare an emergency list, detailing doctor contact information,
medications, equipment specifications, and other needs, and give this to
your personal support network as well. This way, others will have this
information in the event that it is needed but you do not have your own copy
at hand.
4. Make a communications plan. This will certainly involve exchange of one
another's phone numbers, but more than that, details on what your typical
daily schedule involves so that you know where to find one another.
Additionally, you should plan for back-up forms of communication. EPI's
monthly Education Series will describe more details of planning for
communications in the coming months.
5. Tell your network your assistance needs and how to operate equipment. If
your usual personal attendant is unable in the event of an emergency, this
will be helpful information for your support network.
6. You may even consider giving those who could assist you in your home a
spare key. But use caution doing this; only give a key to someone you know
very well and trust.
For more information on building your personal support network, check out
the Creating a Personal Support Network page on the American Red Cross'
Prepare.org website.
March is "Get Involved!" Month
This month, as part of your 12 Months of Preparedness effort, EPI encourages
you to take action in your community to better prepare yourself and the
people you live, work, and socially interact with!
1. March has been proclaimed American Red Cross Month by the President of
the United States. Each year over one million Americans serve as Red Cross
volunteers serving local community needs. The Red Cross encourages people
with disabilities and their stakeholders to join them in helping people in
emergencies, providing half the nation's blood supply, teaching first aid
and CPR courses, delivering emergency messages to members of the military,
organizing programs for the elderly, for the youth, etc. You can access your
local chapter of the American Red Cross through the EPI Interactive Map of
Disability & Emergency Preparedness Resources.
2. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program of Citizen Corps
educates people about disaster preparedness and trains them in basic
disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, and
disaster medical operations. Using their training, CERT members can assist
others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event and can take a
more active role in preparing their community. The program is administered
by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
3. Fire Corps promotes the use of citizen advocates to enhance the capacity
of resource-constrained fire and rescue departments at all levels:
volunteer, combination, and career. Citizen advocates can assist local fire
departments in a range of activities including fire safety outreach, youth
programs, and administrative support. Fire Corps provides resources to
assist fire and rescue departments in creating opportunities for citizen
advocates and promotes citizen participation. Fire Corps is funded through
DHS and is managed and implemented through a partnership between the
National Volunteer Fire Council, the International Association of Fire
Fighters, and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
4. The National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP), a Corporation for National
and Community Service (CNCS) training and technical assistance provider,
focuses on training and technical assistance needs towards the inclusion of
individuals with disabilities as active participants in national service
programs.
5. Inclusion: Creating an Inclusive Environment: This handbook for the
inclusion of people with disabilities is designed specifically for national
and community service programs. It will assist you as you work to fully and
meaningfully include individuals with disabilities in your program. You will
find specific resources to assist you in different areas of outreach,
recruitment, selection, and retention of participants with disabilities.
February is "Personal Assessment" Month
This month EPI encourages you to:
1. Familiarize yourself with EPI's Prepare Yourself brochure series. These
brochures provide tips and resources for people with disabilities on how to
prepare for disasters.
2. Evaluate your personal strengths and weaknesses.
o What are your functional capabilities and limitations?
o How do these affect your everyday activities?
o How will they affect you in an emergency?
3. In January, you learned about hazards that are most likely to occur in
your community. Now it is time to assess your personal abilities in the
context of those possible scenarios.
4. What might your experience be in a fire? In a hurricane? You need to use
your imagination. This will help you think about what you will be able to do
independently and what you might need assistance with during a disaster.
5. In January, you also gathered information about what emergency
preparedness and response plans currently exist in the places you spend most
of your time. How do your personal circumstances fit into these plans?
o Do these plans adequately address your needs?
o Are there parts of the plan which are inaccessible to you?
o Can you be of assistance to someone else in the event of an emergency at
work, and if so, is that written into your work's emergency response plan?
6. Make safety officials, employers, teachers, neighbors, building managers,
family members, etc. aware of your abilities and limitations.
January is "Get Informed!" Month
This January, we are pleased to launch our Interactive Map of Disability &
Emergency Preparedness Resources to help people with disabilities get
informed. It serves as a clearinghouse of disability-specific resources
useful for first responders, emergency managers and people with
disabilities. This month EPI encourages you to:
1. Familiarize yourself with the information found in the "Interactive Map
of Disability & Emergency Preparedness Resources."
2. Learn about the types of hazards that are most likely to affect your
community.
3. Get informed about what emergency preparedness and response plans
currently exist, and how that will impact you. Contact your local Emergency
Management Agency for more information (you can access your local EMA
through our map).
4. Find out what emergency shelters are in your community and if any are for
special/medical needs; find their locations and choose at least three that
are close by.
5. Get informed about what accessible transportation is available during
emergencies and how you will be able to access those services. Note: During
emergencies all transportation becomes limited. Get informed now and make
alternate plans!
6. Find out where to get alert and notification information. Is it from the
TV? Radio? Internet? Is this information accessible to you now? If not, you
cannot expect that it will be during an emergency.
A note for all guide dog handlers and service dog owners:
You must perform the following in order to comply with regulations and peace
of mind:
Emergency dog guide list during evacuation procedures
Graduate Services has come up with the following list of things to bring to
an emergency shelter if a Guide Dog team must evacuate from their home:
* food for several days, pre-measured in Ziploc baggies if time permits.
* a collapsible water dish (it can be used for both food and water.)
* baggies for picking up the dog's feces.
* extra water if at all possible. The shelter will most likely have enough
water.
* any medication that the dog may be taking.
* booties, if your dog has them. There may be debris on the roads and
walkways
* a favorite toy or dog rug/bed to sleep on.
* the Guide Dog's identification from its school and a copy of any
pertinent access laws.
* your cane for added security and in case the dog gets sick or hurt.
"I am accustomed to hearing malicious falsehoods about myself...but I think
I have
a right to resent, to object to, libelous statements about my dog."
Seize the day!
Susan Frazier
frazier.tech@xxxxxxxxxxx
quellavan@xxxxxxxxx
My candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night; but ah, my foes, and
oh, my friends - it gives a lovely light!
Edna St. Vincent Millay
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