Emergency planning for persons with disabilities

Emergency planning for persons with disabilitiesDigna Aviles12/12/2016

Hello Dr. Kill, Coordinator Dennis Cowgill, Deputy Coordinator Gene Padalino and Annex Directors of the Pennsauken Office of Emergency Management. There are several challenges we as emergency managers endure when providing emergency services to people with disabilities including emergency communications, evacuations and transportation as well as emergency sheltering. 1

What are disabilities?Disabilities consist of hearing, vision and mobility impairments as well as cognitive and mental health (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2014). Functional needs areas include maintain independence, communication, transportation as well as supervision and medical care (Davis & Styron, 2009, p 22).

Disabilities consist of hearing, vision and mobility impairments as well as cognitive and mental health (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2014). Functional needs areas include maintain independence, communication, transportation as well as supervision and medical care.

There are several benefits and opportunities when the disabled community is included on emergency planning therefore emergency planners should identify individuals with disabilities and their functional needs as well as educate them on realistic expectations of service during and following a disaster (Davis & Styron, 2009, 21). The goal is to improve future planning and preparedness activities by governmental and nongovernmental organizations providing assistance to the disabled population during evacuations (Gerber et al., 2010, p.4). Collaborating with this community also enables the planner to learn and gain from the knowledge, experience and nontraditional resources .

The study shows that sixty percent of households with a disabled person are somewhat prepared to travel to a designated temporary shelter, sixty-five percent have created evacuation plans and eighty-one percent have a stockpile of medications (Gerber et al., 2010). When categorized by disability individuals with cognitive or intellectual disabilities are more likely to have a designated evacuation destination (69.5%) oppose to individuals with mobility impairments (56%) and the visually impaired (56.3%). When a disaster strikes people with mobility disabilities are often left to wait for assistance to arrive during building evacuations anywhere from five to nine hours (Gerber, Norwood, & Zakour, 2010, p. 12).

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New Jersey disabled populationThe total number of persons with one or more disabilities in the state of New Jersey was 932,300 of the 8,839,500 individuals of all ages.

In Pennsauken Township the estimated population for 2015 was 35,885 of which 2,871(8%) are disabled.

In 2014 the prevalence of persons with disabilities in the state of New Jersey was 0.6% for children under 4, 5% ages 5 to 15, 5.1% ages 16-20, 8.1% ages 21-64 and as disabilities increase with age 20.9% ages 65-74 and 47.8% over 75 (Lee & Von Schrader, 2016).

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Issues in emergency managementEmergency CommunicationsEvacuations & Transportation Shelters

Past disasters such as Hurricane Katrina demonstrated that lack of preparedness of disabled residents as well as emergency responders often overlooking or completely disregarding their needs which caused the residents to be at a greater risk of injury, mortality, disease in addition to destitution and displacement.

Emergency communication needs not being fully integrated, lack of guidance available to emergency managers, continued need for outreach in addition to inaccessible emergency communications and the need for multimodal alerts and warnings.

Some of the concerns in building evacuations are inaccessible warning signs, blocked escape routes due to debris, collapsing causing injuries and death, and flooding (Hemingway & Priestly, 2014). There are two reasons local evacuation plans fail; local planners being unaware of special evacuation needs and the failure to involve this population in the planning process (Frieden, 2006, p 8).

People with disabilities were left stranded due to the lack of equipped vehicles or inaccessible bus locations.

Emergency shelters were not equipped and inadequately staffed by trained personnel to provide assistance to people with disabilities making services such as medical care, communication, restrooms, food and shuttle services inaccessible. 4

Emergency communications RegisterReadySwift911Smart911

In the state of New Jersey the special needs registry is called NJ Register Ready which will notify pre-registered disabled individuals, family and friends of an evacuation order. The registry allows residents with disabilities or access and functional needs to provide emergency response agencies with information enabling identification of specific assistance required (Office of Emergency Management, 2008,). The registries can also be utilized as a focal point for building a dialogue about emergency preparedness in addition to instituting a relationship with stakeholder groups who work with at-risk populations.

In addition to the special needs registry, Camden County residents may also register with Smart911 and Swift 911. Smart911 allows residents to create a safety profile containing useful information for 911 dispatchers during an emergency call when the person is unable to speak. This information is retrieved when the call is placed on a registered number. Swift911 is used to help keep residents informed during fires, outages, floods, hurricanes as well as evacuations, road closures and other emergency events. 5

Evacuation sheltersIn order to provide equal access advanced planning must consist of two steps; identifying the disability related needs of the community, making the necessary arrangements to accommodate those needs.

To avoid discrimination there are several modifications the ADA requires be made pertaining to service animals, food and beverage distribution and sleeping arrangements.

Service animals can generally be identified by a special harness, vest, cape, scarf or patch however when there are no visible identifiers the individual may be asked if the animal is needed due to a disability and what task is it trained to perform. These individuals may also require use if a firm mattress or bolted down bed for easy transfers into wheelchairs.

It is also important for shelters to plan and arrange for individuals to receive and emergency supply of medications and equipment in addition to providing access to refrigerators for medication storage and access to electricity for life-sustaining equipment.

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What needs to be done? Inclusion of Disabled population in the planning process First responders need to be trained utilizing the community on the specific need of disabled populations which enhances awareness.Conducting exercises for emergency responders and both disabled and nondisabled residents

Emergency managers must include community member in evacuation planning, identify the functional and access needs of residents in addition to implementing voluntary self-identification methods for community members such as registries.

Individuals with communication limitations require alternative methods of receiving and responding to information appropriate to their disability. Transportation support is required for individuals that cannot drive or do not have access to a vehicle so they are provided with accessible transportation or information of locating mass transit during an evacuation.

Conducting exercises and training for emergency responders including both disabled and nondisabled residents enables identification of functional needs and builds awareness for all parties involved as well as identifies specific need of disabled populations which enhances awareness providing residents with basic preparedness measures that must be taken in a disaster.

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Laws & policiesAmerican with Disabilities Act of 1990Stafford Act of 1988Post Katrina Emergency Reform Act of 2007 Executive Order 13347

There are several laws prohibiting discrimination in emergency programs on the basis of disability such as the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, Stafford Act of 1988, Post Katrina Emergency Reform Act of 2007 and the Telecommunications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2013, p 21). These laws pertain to preparation, exercises, notifications, evacuation and transportation in addition to temporary housing, medical services, and transition among other disaster or emergency related programs, services and activities. 8

Community resourcesPennsauken Township website http://www.twp.pennsauken.nj.us/content/office-emergency-managementNew Jersey Office of Emergency Management http://www.state.nj.us/njoem/plan/special-needs.htmlOffice of emergency Management http://ready.nj.gov/plan/special_needs5.html#topCamden County Office of Emergency Management http://www.camdencounty.com/public-safety/office-emergency-managementNJ 2-1-1 https://www.nj211.org/emergency-preparedness

I have included a few like that can be utilized to obtain further information of specific areas presented. These resources can also be provided to community residents eliminating the need to use Google.

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ReferencesFederal Emergency Management Agency. (2014) IS-0368 - Including people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs in disaster operations. Retrieved from: https://emilms.fema.gov/IS0368/DIS01summary.htmNJ Office of Emergency Management. (2010) Disaster Planning Templates For Facilities Housing Individuals With Functional Needs, Elderly Or Frail Elderly. Retrieved from: http://ready.nj.gov/plan/special_needs5.html#topPennsauken Township website http://www.twp.pennsauken.nj.us/content/office-emergency-managementNew Jersey Office of Emergency Management http://www.state.nj.us/njoem/plan/special-needs.htmlOffice of emergency Management http://ready.nj.gov/plan/special_needs5.html#topCamden County Office of Emergency Management http://www.camdencounty.com/public-safety/office-emergency-managementNJ 2-1-1 https://www.nj211.org/emergency-preparedness

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