Avagene Moore: Welcome to the EIIP Virtual Forum Round Table! Avagene Moore: Before we introduce today's Partner/Speaker, I would like to remind you that any URLs used in the discussion are live links and you can view them in your browser window by clicking on them. For example, the HELPU Web site may be viewed at http://members.spree.com/sip/helpu/ . Avagene Moore: Also, please refrain from sending Direct Messages to the Speaker or Moderator. They are very distracting. Avagene Moore: We keep order in the Round Table by letting the Moderator know we have question or comment when we come to the Q&A segment of our session. When our Speaker is ready for your questions, I will briefly review the protocol for asking your questions. Avagene Moore: Today's Round Table is led by a new Partner in the EIIP -- the HELPU Advocacy & Consulting Fire and Life Safety. The acronym, HELPU, stands for How Eliminating Limited Perceptions Unifies Us. Avagene Moore: It is a pleasure to introduce the Director of HELPU, Leslie Little. Leslie, thank you for being with us today to tell us about HELPU. I turn the floor to you now. Leslie Little HELPU: Thank you for asking HELPU to be a part of the Round Table Forum. We began HELPU in January of 1999. We are 3 disabled citizens, former and present representatives of state appointed Committees and Boards. Leslie Little HELPU: I am the former Chairwoman of the Peninsula Disability Services Board in Virginia, responsible for implementing Disaster Services Grant proposals for several jurisdictions in working with the disabled populations and their respective Fire and EMS Departments. Leslie Little HELPU: Our other 2 members are Mr. Bob Barnaby, a former volunteer fire fighter and EMT for the Virginia Beach Va. Fire Departments, and Ms. Marian Saunders. Ms. Saunders is the Chairwoman of a Mayor's Committee and a member of the National Federation of the Blind. Leslie Little HELPU: We view HELPU as a Peer Advisory for Fire Educators, Disaster Services and the disabled to come together and work jointly to develop training programs that are compatible for all involved. Leslie Little HELPU: We are not for profit. Our informational brochures and manuals can be viewed and accessed via our Website free of charge. We encourage duplication and reproduction of all of our materials. Leslie Little HELPU: Though we charge nothing for our services, we do accept donations. To date we have funded HELPU by ourselves. Leslie Little HELPU: We maintain our materials in Standard word, ASCII, MS DOS, RTF and Standard Text having any of the requested materials available in large print format, Braille or floppy disk. Leslie Little HELPU: This enables the Fire and Disaster Educators using the programs to have them available via floppy disk for access to their low vision or blind citizen. Leslie Little HELPU: We have found that many disabled citizens have a belief that all Fire/EMS and Disaster Services know exactly how to respond to their needs, Leslie Little HELPU: yet in contacting selected 911 Centers throughout Virginia and other states we have found that a 911 database of their disabled residents is not always kept, up to date, or the Dispatchers have trouble gaining the disabled populations trust to have that information available. Leslie Little HELPU: This is a very common problem. Many older disabled citizens especially deaf and hard of hearing citizens do not wish to have their impairments known to any persons with the exception of their immediate families. Leslie Little HELPU: There is also a common problem with Home Health Agencies being the main care attendant services for disabled home bound residents and though their databases are up to date (most times) they are not willing to share this information due to confidentiality rules. Leslie Little HELPU: A sampling of statistics from the US Census Bureau from the 1994 report gives a very real reason for cooperative efforts between the non disabled and the disabled populations in working towards a safer America - Leslie Little HELPU: Of these 1.8 million use a wheelchair, 5.2 million use another form of mobility aid, 8.8 million had vision impairments, and roughly 10.1 million had hearing impairments. Leslie Little HELPU: This information can be accessed at: Leslie Little HELPU: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/disable/sipp/disab9495/asc9495.html Leslie Little HELPU: These numbers will only increase with an aging population. Because of these sobering facts our main focus is in helping to bridge the gap between Fire/EMS and Disaster Services in working and implementing programs for the disabled populations. Leslie Little HELPU: To date we were Instructors with the 1999 VTI Training session for the American Red Cross for special needs sheltering. I was also a participant with Solutions 2000 sponsored by NFPA on the Engineering Committee for new technologies for fire safety equipment for disabled populations. Leslie Little HELPU: I am also the first (to our knowledge) disabled woman to receive certification as a fully trained C.E.R.T. member. I have also been accepted to NETC in March of 2000 for the VIP course Community Education Leadership. Leslie Little HELPU: To gain a better understanding of Emergency Services, I have enrolled in the FEMA EMI Independent Study courses and have completed 12 to date. Leslie Little HELPU: HELPU was asked to develop a Training Manual for instructing Fire Safety to disabled citizens and we have that available online on our Website. Leslie Little HELPU: That can be accessed at http://members.spree.com/sip/helpu/guidelines.html Leslie Little HELPU: We have also per request developed Training Guides for segments of disabled populations for Fire Educators. Leslie Little HELPU: We have developed a Disaster Planning Guide which is currently being distributed by Home Health Agencies in Virginia to their Care Attendants working in citizens homes to help guide and develop and to also maintain a disaster plan for the residents. Leslie Little HELPU: It is in language that the disabled can readily identify with, written by their peers. Leslie Little HELPU: We have several brochures available online regarding Fire Safety, Evacuation Techniques, Attendant Services i.e. working assistance dogs and disaster sheltering, and a section especially for disabled children on home safety. Leslie Little HELPU: HELPU was instrumental in the design and development of an adapted fire extinguisher for mobility, low-vision and cognitively impaired citizens. Leslie Little HELPU: It is at U.L. as of this date having the Standards and Codes written for it. Leslie Little HELPU: http://members.spree.com/technology/extingfire. Leslie Little HELPU: We recently sent our portfolio and proposal to a fire equipment technology developer for new/revised design and development of a portable visual smoke alarm unit with a vibration pillow unit for the deaf and hard of hearing. Leslie Little HELPU: Our long range hopes for HELPU are to some 'unrealistic' yet we have broken many barriers since our beginnings so we are hopeful to be able to have within the decade fire safety equipment for the disabled populations that the citizens can readily afford, use and believe in for their homes and businesses. Leslie Little HELPU: We also hope to continue working with Agencies to implement fire and disaster safety training guides that are a cooperative effort and not geared towards one specific disabling condition and ignoring other impairments. Leslie Little HELPU: We are hoping to get funding for developing a training video on evacuation techniques for disabled citizens. Leslie Little HELPU: Thank you. Leslie Little HELPU: I will take questions now. Amy Sebring: Thank you Leslie ... Amy Sebring: Avagene is still having connection problems ... Amy Sebring: so I will pitch in ... Amy Sebring: please enter a question mark to indicate you have a question .... Amy Sebring: like so Amy Sebring: ? Amy Sebring: then compose your question but hold it until you are recognized. Amy Sebring: Ok, questions for Leslie? Russell Coile: ? Amy Sebring: Russell please. Jim Acosta: ? Russell Coile: We have a problem in our Fire Dept in getting the names... Russell Coile: of folks who we should check on after an earthquake.. Russell Coile: How can we persuade them to come out of the woodwork? Leslie Little HELPU: That is a very common though serious problem for many Fire Departments. We suggest working with your local Independent Living Center and hosting an educational forum for their clients... Leslie Little HELPU: That will bring a few of the more adventurous citizens in and with encouragement more will follow. Amy Sebring: Jim next please. Russell Coile: Thank you. Your whole presentation has been great. Jim Acosta: Russell covered it, thanks. Amy Sebring: Ok, other questions? Ava Moore: ? DBertrand LizHicks: ? Amy Sebring: Avagene. Ava Moore: I learned a lot from your presentation, Leslie; I had no idea there are so many disabled citizens ... Ava Moore: Do you find that many communities have not made arrangements to reach that population and ensure their safety and welfare during times of disaster? Leslie Little HELPU: Yes, that is a very serious concern. In the city where I live they were shocked to find they had a disabled citizen even though I have lived here 18+ years and have been very active and a former Instructor with the Public Schools. Amy Sebring: DBertrand Liz, please. DBertrand LizHicks: I would think your work would fold into Red Cross perfectly. Funding, training and materials would be perfectly suited to your providing them for national consumption. Does Red Cross contract these services? Are they increasing their attention in this area? Leslie Little HELPU: Yes, I am currently now on their DAT responses team and have been instructing disaster services for the local members... Leslie Little HELPU: They are having their next VTI in March and are adding to the schedule the training we hosted last year Amy Sebring: ? Amy Sebring: Leslie, I have been concerned with warning needs for some of these populations ... Amy Sebring: are current systems adequate, or are there improvements needed do you think? Leslie Little HELPU: Improvements are needed especially regarding PSA on public television... Leslie Little HELPU: newspaper announcements and via the warning alerting system for the Nuclear plant... Leslie Little HELPU: Many regions now have a much older population base that are hard of hearing and they do not bother to listen to TV thus eliminating them from receiving the warnings. Amy Sebring: Other questions for Leslie? Jim Acosta: ? Amy Sebring: Jim please. Ava Moore: ? Jim Acosta: I see transportation in disasters as especially difficult for the mobility-impaired... Jim Acosta: Have you seen any workable community plans? Leslie Little HELPU: That was recently proven to be a major problem during Hurricane Floyd... Russell Coile: ? Leslie Little HELPU: Most regions in the affected areas relied on Army transport yet the problem existed of the necessary equipment for the mobility impaired use... Leslie Little HELPU: They then attempted to have family members responsible which also proved insufficient. Amy Sebring: Second part of Jim's question Leslie ... Amy Sebring: are you aware of any GOOD examples? Leslie Little HELPU: At this time, we have many ideas but no tried and proven quality examples of a working solution... Leslie Little HELPU: Mass transit busing and para transits are mandated to stay off roads that may be impassable or during high winds, our problems are in early warnings and evacuations. Amy Sebring: Avagene next please. Ava Moore: Leslie, I would think that organizations such as the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) would be a good place promote what you are doing. Have you sent news releases or articles to their newsletter editor and other similar news sources? IAEM's fall conference program would be a good place for a program from HELPU as well. Amy Sebring: ? Leslie Little HELPU: I was referred to IAEM and have not yet had an opportunity to contact them. Amy Sebring: Russell next please. Russell Coile: The new Emergency Alerting system which replaced the... Russell Coile: old civil defense EBS has VISUAL PSA messages on TV. Leslie Little HELPU: That can still be a bit inadequate as many public service TV stations use visual backgrounds which are hard for low vision and hard of hearing combined individuals to read... Leslie Little HELPU: We have contacted stations in our regions to use plain backgrounds with larger print text and a voice over reading which is now more helpful to the communities. Amy Sebring: Leslie, can you give us a few of the agencies that one might find at the local or regional level, that might be a good point of contact or resource on these issues? Russell Coile: Right. Thanks for your links. Leslie Little HELPU: The best sources of contact would be your local State Dept. of Rehabilitation or Vocational Rehabilitation Center. The national database is listed on our Resources page link. Amy Sebring: Thank you Leslie. Other questions, comments? Amy Sebring: While you are thinking ... Amy Sebring: I have successfully rigged up the Radio Shack SAME enabled NOAA radio ... Amy Sebring: to flash a lamp when a warning goes off ... Amy Sebring: the same principle can be used to trigger other types of devices or appliances. Amy Sebring: Leslie, I believe 911 centers are required to have TTY devices. My question is are they being used? Leslie Little HELPU: Yes most of the time they are. The concern many of the deaf have is the training for the Dispatchers on them. We recommend having a Deaf consumer work with any new dispatchers. Amy Sebring: Yes, that is exactly my concern as well. Leslie Little HELPU: Many deaf consumers also have a fear that their information is spread around and not kept confidential due to the printing on the TTY. Amy Sebring: Leslie, we thank you for persevering today and sharing this information with us ... Amy Sebring: this is an important area ... Amy Sebring: and as you point out, is very likely to be a growing one. Leslie Little HELPU: Thank you for asking HELPU to be on the Forum. We work for all of you. Amy Sebring: If you can stay connected for just a little longer... Amy Sebring: we will get some announcements out of the way ... Amy Sebring: Tomorrow in our Library, we are pleased to present John Laye, President of Contingency Management Consultants in a discussion of involving the private sector in community planning. Amy Sebring: Next week our Round Table features a fairly recent partner, the Marasco Newton Group Ltd., represented by Kim Fletcher, to talk about emergency management and Alternative Dispute Resolution. Amy Sebring: I would also like to report that last Friday night's WEBEX was a success, with good attendance and enthusiastic participation. We now have the exercise events and transcripts posted on the WEBEX ii page, which you can get to under Quick Picks on our home page. Amy Sebring: Thanks to our EIIP friends that helped make it a success. We could not have done it without them. Amy Sebring: A reminder that we are having a shortened schedule this month ... Amy Sebring: due to the holidays ... Amy Sebring: so please join us for the ones we do have! Amy Sebring: One new pledge to acknowledge, Joseph Toscano from the Brewster Fire Dept. Thanks Joe! //bell http://www.emforum.org/pledge.wav Amy Sebring: Our time is up for today and we will adjourn the session.