Emergency Planning for People with Disability

Community Access Project 2009Community Access Project 2009Iowa Department of Public Health Iowa Department of Public Health University of Iowa Center for Disabilities and University of Iowa Center for Disabilities and Development.Development.

In the past 10 years:

- All 99 counties have been declared a national disaster

- 2 floods at the 100 and 500 year level

- Parkersburg Level 5 tornado

Annually, ~1000 home fires statewide

Why prepare and plan?

> 1/1000 EMS staff for population

Be ready to take of yourself for 3 days

Why prepare and plan?

Not an effective plan

Photo courtesy of NODPhoto courtesy of NOD

National Message

Be informedMake a

planMake a kit

National Message for everyone

Be informed Make a Plan Make a Kit

8 steps1. Know emergencies and what

to do2. Complete a personal

assessment3. Develop a personal support

team4. Make an emergency info list5. Make a medical information list6. 3-7 day supply of medications7. Make an emergency supply kit8. Make your home/school/work a

safer place

Be informed:Do you know the disasters in your community?

Photo courtesy of NODPhoto courtesy of NOD

Be informed: Do you know the hazards in our community?

Photo courtesy of NODPhoto courtesy of NOD

Home fireHome fireTornados Tornados FloodsFloodsLoss of power: cold/heatLoss of power: cold/heatPandemic illness: H1N1Pandemic illness: H1N1Toxic spillToxic spillTerrorismTerrorism

Be informed:Do you know how to respond?

Photo courtesy of NODPhoto courtesy of NOD

Home fireHome fireTornados Tornados FloodsFloodsLoss of power: cold/heatLoss of power: cold/heatPandemic illness: H1N1Pandemic illness: H1N1Toxic spillToxic spillTerrorismTerrorism

How will you:Be alerted or warned?Evacuate to safe place?Stay at home?Evacuate home

- transportation?Shelter elsewhere? Return/recover after?

2. Complete a Personal Assessment•What can you do re: disaster?

– Independently– With assistive technology– With personal assistance

•Then what will you need in a disaster?

2. Complete a Personal Assessment•How will you be alerted or warned?•How will you immediately

evacuate?•What will you need to shelter or

stay in place for ADLs?•What will you need to evacuate?•What will you need at shelter?•What help will you need to return

home and recover?

3. Develop a personal support team

•Assist you with disaster response: alert, evacuate, transportation, ADLs at home or shelter, recovery.

•Possible team members.•Ask and confirm commitment!!!!•Share plan, information, keys, and

ADL care instructions. •Set a calendar date to re-confirm

support team.

4. Make an emergency info list

•For cell phone, wallet, auto, and kit• ICE: In Case of Emergency•Personal information:

– Contact info, DOB– “Good to know information”– Service providers: case manager!– AT and medical supply information– Insurance: health, home and auto– Legal papers– Inventory of home– Important papers

5. Make medical information list

•Medical conditions

•Doctors

•Pharmacy

•Medicines: – Name and dosage – Description of the pill– Also the prescription number

6. Keep a 3-7 day supply of medications

• This can be a PROBLEM!

• Don’t let get down to zero

•Keep meds in one place –So easy to grab and go

•Rotate new with old in kit.

7. Make an emergency supply kit

•Shelter or stay at home for 3 days

•Take along to support team home or community shelter

•Ready.gov or Fema or Red Cross for list of item.

7. Make a kit >>>> Assistive Technology supplies & backup

Loss of power, lost or contaminated:

• Extra batteries, chargers

• Low tech alternatives

• Mobility

• Communication

• Hearing

• Mobility

• Independent ADL

8. Make your home/school/work a safer place

•Tornado Watch vs Warning? •Home, work, school & community:

–Know evacuation routes and safe places

–Smoke detectors–Warning systems–Clear paths & doorways

Pets and Service Animals•Service animals can go to shelter, unless

they pose a threat or undue hardship

•Pets will need to go to arranged or community shelter

•Both need:– Plan for evacuation and sheltering– Emergency kit

ADA: Pets vs Service Animals•ADA “Domesticated animal” = dog/cat

so really a dog in this case

•Shelter staff can only ask 2 questions:1.Do you need this animal due to a

disability?2.What tasks or work has this animal

been trained to perform?

•So service not therapy animals

Additional information

• Iowa Department of Public Health www.idph.state.ia.us/bh/disability_emergency_prep.asp

• U.S. Department of Homeland Security www.ready.gov

• American Red Cross www.prepare.org

• Federal Emergency Management Agency www.fema.gov/preparedness/

• National Organization on Disability www.nod.org/emergency

Do you have a plan and a kit? Photo courtesy of NODPhoto courtesy of NOD