Amy Sebring: On behalf of Avagene Moore and myself, welcome to the EIIP Virtual Forum! Today's topic is the National Organization on Disability's Emergency Preparedness Initiative (EPI), focusing on preparedness for people with disabilities. Amy Sebring: Our session is especially timely, since a conference on this topic was held just last week and we will hear about the outcomes today, as well as the history of the Initiative, and resources available to emergency preparedness planners. Amy Sebring: First, for the benefit of any first-timers, we will go over the order of business. We will begin with a presentation and then we will proceed to your questions and comments. Amy Sebring: We will provide further instructions just before we begin the Q&A section, but you may wish to jot down your questions or comments as we go along. Amy Sebring: Please do not send private messages to our speaker or the moderator, as we will be busy with the presentation. If you need assistance, you may send a private message to Avagene. Amy Sebring: An edited transcript of today's session will be available by later this afternoon -- just check back on our home page or the background page (refresh the pages as needed). Amy Sebring: Now, it is my pleasure to introduce Elizabeth Davis, Director of the Emergency Preparedness Initiative. Ms. Davis brings extensive experience in both disability policy and emergency management work. Amy Sebring: She provided emergency assistance at ground zero at the World Trade Center during and after Sept. 11. She has worked since then with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the New York City Office of Emergency Management as the Special Needs Advisor. Amy Sebring: Prior to opening her special needs consultancy, EAD & Associates, LLC, Ms. Davis was for more than four years Special Needs Advisor: Emergency Management Planner with the New York City Mayor s Office of Emergency Management, where she incorporated disability access standards into the city s emergency contingency plans, drills and outreach programs. Amy Sebring: Please note that the Background Page for today's session has further biographical information, as well as links to some relevant resources on today's topic. Amy Sebring: Elizabeth, welcome to the Virtual Forum, and I now turn the floor over to you to start us off please. Elizabeth Davis: Good afternoon. I am pleased to be with my colleagues from the local emergency management community as you afford me an opportunity to share with you information about emergency preparedness efforts and people with disabilities and other special needs. Elizabeth Davis: The first thing I need to do is define the terms we might use today. I will use a traditional and somewhat narrow definition of "Special Needs" (SN) today and that will simply include people with disabilities (PwD), the age spectrum (pediatric to geriatric), and medically managed persons. Elizabeth Davis: I will usually make statements about persons within a community even with some level of services but if I refer to institutional services (i.e. skilled nursing homes, assisted living facilities, group homes, etc.) I will set that apart. Elizabeth Davis: When I use the term "Emergency Management Community" (EM) I will mean first responders, planners, and managers - all those who make up the community of professional emergency services. Elizabeth Davis: While I do run my own emergency management and special needs consultancy, I am with you today representing one of my clients, The National Organization on Disability (NOD) for whom I am privileged to Direct their Emergency Preparedness Initiative (EPI). Elizabeth Davis: To find out more information about NOD and/or its EPI, I invite you to visit www.nod.org/emergency . I understand that a number of links have been provided on the background page for today's session. Elizabeth Davis: Now I would like to briefly outline the evolution of EPI and what it has available to you as EM professionals as you start, or continue, or validate your efforts to include SN populations in all levels of your efforts. Elizabeth Davis: I will then list but a few good resources I would recommend to you. I will point out a few highlights from the first "Conference on Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities" just concluded in DC last week. And finally I would like to open a dialog with you as we move ahead. Elizabeth Davis: The tragic events of September 11, 2001 prompted N.O.D. to immediately form a task force comprised of U.S. government officials, disability community leaders and disaster relief groups to identify the special needs of people with disabilities during emergencies and to recommend action. Elizabeth Davis: The initial findings of the task force were supported by the results of a Harris Poll commissioned in November 2001 by N.O.D. that showed people with disabilities to be less prepared for their own survival in the event of a disaster. Elizabeth Davis: The poll also found people with disabilities to be more anxious about this gap than their counterparts in the general population. Armed with this preliminary information, N.O.D. sent letters to every governor, mayor and federal agency head as well as to the White House urging the inclusion of the disaster-related needs of people with disabilities in all levels of emergency planning. Elizabeth Davis: From this task force grew the realization that as tragic as September 11th was for this entire nation, natural and technological disasters can occur somewhere on a daily basis and that preparedness for people with disabilities, just like for the general population, needs to be continuous and ongoing. Elizabeth Davis: Thus, funds generously provided by the Mott Foundation and others enabled N.O.D. to formally establish the Emergency Preparedness Initiative as a full program. Elizabeth Davis: Simply, the purpose of the Emergency Preparedness Initiative is two-fold. First, to ensure that people with disabilities are included in the planning process at all levels to offer their insights, direct knowledge and resourcefulness, thereby contributing to the overall effectiveness in all four phases of emergency management. Elizabeth Davis: Second, to ensure that the emergency-related special needs of people with disabilities are addressed in order to minimize the impact of disasters on them and to enable response entities to make proper decisions and make the best use of available resources. Elizabeth Davis: EPI, therefore, acts as a repository of information for both members of the disability community and the emergency management community but also functions as a "matchmaker," putting the two groups in contact as they partner in their important preparedness efforts. Elizabeth Davis: It is important to realize that people with disabilities, even more than other demographic segments of the population, are not a homogeneous group. While for one individual with a disability a particular emergency may not generate any disaster-related special need... Elizabeth Davis: for another, the particular emergency might aggravate an existing condition or a reliance on a greater level of assistance from others might occur. There is no single answer to the question what do we need to do for the SN community. Elizabeth Davis: Each individual, their needs and their abilities are different and emergency conditions are different. Location may also make a difference. EPI points out that the disaster message for people with disabilities is exactly the same as that for the general population: be prepared. Elizabeth Davis: The difference is that an individual with a disability is in the best position to know his or her level of ability and the gap that needs to be filled during an emergency, and that more preparedness steps and/or assistance levels might be necessary during the response and recovery phases. Elizabeth Davis: While many emergency authorities have already recognized that if their bottom line is to save lives then all people's needs must be accounted for, others are just now embarking on making that a reality in their planning efforts. EPI encourages this continued effort. Elizabeth Davis: EPI, as mentioned, is a repository of information on the subject. We did not wish to reinvent the wheel as there is really good material available already so when you visit the EPI website, you can find the information best suited for your needs or based on your perspective. Elizabeth Davis: We have labored to list information in useful categories (e.g. for the general population, for professionals, etc.). We did notice early on, however, there was an articulated need from within the EM community for basic information that could be the basis from which planning began. Elizabeth Davis: This was a desire to "speak the same language" so from that we published the EPI "Guide On The Special Needs Of People With Disabilities for Emergency Managers, Planners & Responders". A copy is available online at: http://www.nod.org/pdffiles/epiguide2004.pdf Elizabeth Davis: We recognize that there is a lot of information available to the general public about disaster preparedness and emergency planning. We point out to individuals with disabilities that our responsibility to ourselves and the communities in which we live and work must include our commitment to preparedness. Elizabeth Davis: We also make the point that people with disabilities may find some disability-specific information and we can look at the general messages and instructions and adapt them to our abilities and needs. EPI pulls together preparedness information from a variety of sources and makes it available to those who need it. Elizabeth Davis: We knew that while there were examples of great efforts and programs across the country, some authorities responsible for their local emergency planning and response efforts weren't equipped to extend those services to include people with disabilities. Elizabeth Davis: After September 11th, we were inundated with calls and e-mails from jurisdictions just embarking on emergency planning efforts, some seeking direction to maximize their outcomes with strained staff and resources. In response to this very obvious need, EPI drafted and published its first guide in 2002. Elizabeth Davis: We decided to offer a publication that highlights key disability concerns and assists for emergency personnel with general planning guidelines. We also wanted to provide a resource list that would lead them to more detailed information. Elizabeth Davis: In the most immediate way, EPI felt a guide developed for those in a position to implement change in their community would have the most impact. This is why in the Guide and in all our communications we advocate for the partnership between the emergency management and di Elizabeth Davis: disability community so both can bring their strength, knowledge and resources to the table. Elizabeth Davis: Since this first guide was developed primarily for members of the emergency management community, our distribution plan focused on that target audience of end-users. We printed 35,000 copies on the first run and a box of 100 was sent to ... Elizabeth Davis: the director of every State Emergency Management Office with instructions suggesting dissemination to county and other local Emergency Management Offices within their state or territory. Since then, we have updated and reprinted the Guide and we are embarking shortly on what will be the third reprint! Elizabeth Davis: The Guide really is a great starting point for planning efforts in this area but there are notable other important documents and materials to be highlighted. These include but are not limited to: ... Elizabeth Davis: * Emergency Procedures for Employees with Disabilities in Office Occupancies (FA 154) and its companion piece Orientation Manual for First Responders on the Evacuation of People with Disabilities (FA 235) both from FEMA/USFA; Elizabeth Davis: * a state training course from FEMA "Emergency Planning and Special Needs Populations" (G197); and Elizabeth Davis: * Emergency Evacuation Preparedness: Taking Responsibility for Your Safety" from the Center for Disability Issues and the Health Professional. Elizabeth Davis: And additionally, the US Department of Justice just issued a very important guidance document "An ADA Guide for Local Governments: Making Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs Accessible to People with Disabilities". Elizabeth Davis: All these materials and documents can be located and or linked from the EPI website for your convenience. Elizabeth Davis: Last week, NOD/EPI was honored to be allowed to organize on behalf of the National Capital Region and the US Department of Homeland Security the first "Conference on Emergency Preparedness and People with Disabilities". The conference registration was closed early at the 400 cap and still we, unfortunately, turned away an additional 300 people. Elizabeth Davis: With standing room only in several sessions and an audience of attendees from local EM, federal agencies, the business community as well as the system networks within the disability community, the message was loud and clear: this is an important area of interest that is finally drawing attention. Elizabeth Davis: Now that the conference has concluded, we are tasked with pulling all the materials, presentations, references, and other documents together in a "virtual binder" so that in the next few months all the benefits of this gathering will be available as a resource tool to not only those who attended but importantly to anyone interested and working on these efforts. Elizabeth Davis: For now, please visit the EPI website to link directly to a web archive of all the general sessions and most of the workshop sessions. We hope this will be of immediate use to you. Elizabeth Davis: Having said all this, the true measure of success will be seen over time when every jurisdiction's emergency plan incorporates the unique disaster-related needs of people with disabilities within their comprehensive emergency plan and, should it ever be acted upon, the time put in before the use actually has a positive impact on life safety. Elizabeth Davis: Thank you for this opportunity to share this information with you today, and I will be happy to address your questions. For that purpose, I will now turn the session back over to our Moderator. Amy Sebring: Thank you very much Elizabeth. Our protocol for audience questions is to enter a question mark ? to indicate you wish to ask a question or make a comment. Amy Sebring: Then go ahead and compose your question or comment to have it ready, but do NOT hit your Enter key or click on the Send button until you are recognized by name. Please WAIT your turn. We will take questions in the order the question marks are sent to the screen. Amy Sebring: ONE QUESTION AT A TIME please. There is a system limitation on length of one entry, so please keep them reasonable in length. If you have a follow up, please get back on line with another ? Amy Sebring: We are ready to begin now. Amy Sebring: Any time, please put in your question mark ... Burt Wallrich: ? Amy Sebring: Burt, when you are ready please. Burt Wallrich: Elizabeth, do your materials talk about the need for emergency managers to work with disability organizations like Independent Living Centers as a way of reaching the individual SN person? Darla Chafin: ? Avagene Moore: ? Hilary Styron: ? ray pena: ? Elizabeth Davis: Yes. Not only the Guide itself and all other materials but when an EM is visiting the site itself for information, they are directed to find SN and PwD within their community. This is started with a contact to their local ILC as a great resource. Jennifer Mincin: Is there information on how public agencies can access grants and funds to support the development of special needs emergency planning? Amy Sebring: Jennifer, you are supposed to get online ... Elizabeth Davis: Great question!... Amy Sebring: but since the question is up there ... Amy Sebring: please go ahead Elizabeth. Elizabeth Davis: Every effort needs funding and this is no different... Elizabeth Davis: At the conference last week the Disability Funders Network... Elizabeth Davis: moderated a panel on this issue and we will make all the findings available... Elizabeth Davis: but the other important point is that the government be encouraged to... Elizabeth Davis: include a mandate for emergency preparedness efforts for PwD and SN in ALL their contracts, RFP, etc... Elizabeth Davis: so that it is not a second thought but part of every effort. Amy Sebring: Darla next please. Darla Chafin: Alerting is a major concern in our state and with the diversity of needs a complicated one. Ideas for from deaf community to others with deversified needs that may find EAS messages not easily accessible ? Elizabeth Davis: Ok this is a true statement but I might add... Elizabeth Davis: this is why redundant and alternative means must always be included in all notification and alert systems... Elizabeth Davis: The most obvious reason to the general population and EM is due to power or system failures but... Elizabeth Davis: for many members of the disability community it is access to information. And that access will... Elizabeth Davis: enable someone to often make a valuable life saving decission about their own safety... Elizabeth Davis: Botton line is that many technologies exist but can be used in new ways, many systems exist but are still too expensive... Elizabeth Davis: and still low tech networks among individuals will have to be part of any plan... A-M Jones: ? Elizabeth Davis: We need to encourage research, regulations that keep up with techology, basic sharing of information, and ah yes even more funding to find better answers to meet all needs. Amy Sebring: Ava next please. Avagene Moore: Elizabeth, you said the measure of success will be when everyone's emergency plan incorporates the unique needs of disaster-related needs of people with disabilities .... Avagene Moore: Do you have any idea how many plans now incorporate this or are lacking in this planning component? Elizabeth Davis: Interesting time to ask that question... Elizabeth Davis: EPI just closed another survey with Harris funded by DHS to in part... Elizabeth Davis: get an idea of that answer. I am right now awaiting the tally and will be reporting shortly the findings... Elizabeth Davis: so to that I want to say "stay tuned"! Amy Sebring: Hilary next please. Hilary Styron: Is there a tracking mechanism in place for SN during disasters? How can we or the EOC on the ground monitor their response/recovery efforts to SN during disasters? Elizabeth Davis: A formal system wide mechanism. No not at this time. But... Elizabeth Davis: many EOC, as you know, now have a sub-function within the ESF Human Services role... Elizabeth Davis: and/or through their VOAD to identify and respond to and then track these issues... Elizabeth Davis: Beyond that, I would say that I have been privy to much of the on the ground type situations as I am in contact with many in the field... Elizabeth Davis: it is when they come up for air and can report back and codify the experiences that we all can learn from them... Elizabeth Davis: I would just add that I know DHS and FEMA are very interested in this and looking at it more closely now than in the past. Amy Sebring: Ray next please. ray pena: Dane County (Madison WI) has had a Special Populations Emergency Planning Committee for years and has done great work. Our biggest problem has been involving agencies that serve SN people. Very few participate in preparedness activities; they have litttle time for anything but eveyday work. Any ideas on how to make this enough of a priority for SN agencies so that they will participate in greater numbers? Hilary Styron: ? Elizabeth Davis: Great point and here is how I addressed the same things over a decade ago in NYC when with OEM... Elizabeth Davis: but I am sure many of you would say the same... Elizabeth Davis: 1. EM must make the first step and effort to reach out to the disability community... Elizabeth Davis: 2. EM must set the stage and explain why participation IS part of their daily business... Elizabeth Davis: 3. look to a business continuity model if nothing else along with... Elizabeth Davis: the post disaster stats all too familiar... Elizabeth Davis: that is if the agency (ILC or whatever) can't plan to survive itself... Elizabeth Davis: then what service will be there after a disaster for the clients and constituants?... Elizabeth Davis: so keep your own house in order in order to provide the ongoing good work you do... Elizabeth Davis: now let's work together to make that happen... Elizabeth Davis: if these groups come to the planning table with EM both sides will know eachother, the needs, the resources, etc beforehand... Elizabeth Davis: and everyone is better served... Elizabeth Davis: without giving names (smile) it was post 9/11 at a community townhall meeting... Elizabeth Davis: in the Bronx when a director of a disability group i had invited years before to join our task force stood up... Elizabeth Davis: and stated to the whole audience...well, now I understand why she invited me, I wish I had taken her up on the offer. And that group joined the task force right then... Elizabeth Davis: but let's not be in a better late than never situation again. Please. Amy Sebring: A-M next please. A-M Jones: In the California Bay Area we've had several organizations focus on this since the 1989 Loma Prieta quake (PrepareNow.org). We've found success with standardized planning for agencies serving PWD (a special curriculum) and cities building these agencies into their response, making response skills a grant deliverable, etc. Was this addressed at the conference? Elizabeth Davis: Yes in several of the working sessions this theme came up... Amy Sebring: ? Elizabeth Davis: and it will now be our job as we enter the deliverable phase of the conference... Elizabeth Davis: to identify this model for replication. We will do that in the report systems now being worked on. Amy Sebring: Hilary next please. Hilary Styron: Are there any national standards for EAP equipment, SOPs, terminiology? If so, are these being incorporated into the ODP programs for TT&Es and UASI funding? Amy Sebring: (More questions, comments? Input your ? at any time please) Elizabeth Davis: No and no. That is the simple answer.... Elizabeth Davis: It is often hard, and we can all appreciate this... Elizabeth Davis: to set standards when "one size fits all" doesn't work for this community... Darla Chafin: / Elizabeth Davis: having said that, there can be national guides or parameters... Hilary Styron: ? Elizabeth Davis: from which a) an area can adjust for their regional or local hazard and b) the disability community can adjust... Elizabeth Davis: based on its make up, needs, and culture... Elizabeth Davis: As to the equipment and funding, etc....well, we talked about the funding support already and to ... Darla Chafin: We are working with advisory councils, etc and inviting discussions and round tables at pertinent conferences, but it's a slow hard climb, particularly in the present economic situation. They are thinking daily survival and just worrying about worse. Elizabeth Davis: actual devices I stand on a soap box along with folks like Peg at the Access Board and June... Elizabeth Davis: who point out that we need national safety and performance standards and reviews. Amy Sebring: I gather that based on Secretary Ridge's remarks at your conference, that a key component of the DHS/FEMA strategy is to focus some efforts through Citizen Corps? What is your opinion of this approach? Elizabeth Davis: Citizen Corps will be a partner at the table, as I have been told... Elizabeth Davis: this is important as several CERT teams made up of PwD are now in formation in WA state and Long Island, etc... Elizabeth Davis: but their message also must be... Elizabeth Davis: understand the unique emergency related needs of PwD as well as identify ways to incorporate and actively use... Elizabeth Davis: PwD in a meaningful way like as trained response members... Elizabeth Davis: I know the Director of Citizen Corps agrees and that was evident at their most recent national... Elizabeth Davis: meeting where I was honored to speak and this issue is on the top of their minds. Amy Sebring: Hilary next please. (We will have time for one or two more questions.) Hilary Styron: for the workplace do you recommend an Area of Refuge or that PwD evacuated simultaneously Amy Sebring: ? Elizabeth Davis: Hard and complicated question to answer because folks want an easy answer... Elizabeth Davis: There will be situations when a building evaculation is called for and times when shelter in place (for all persons) is safer... Elizabeth Davis: and if leaving is what is called for how that is done must be planned... Elizabeth Davis: I would direct everyone to the Dept of Justice as they are interpreting both Titles II and III of the ADA to support this... Elizabeth Davis: but an area of rescue assistance might be the only solution under certain situations... Elizabeth Davis: if that is so then it must have certain supports in place (see much of the Access Board material and USFA material)... Hilary Styron: ? Elizabeth Davis: I still think a good plan can have an area but ALSO have many other options as well... Elizabeth Davis: sorry this is vague but it is very hard to give a quick answer and I continue to work with many businesses, firms, facility managers, etc on this one. Amy Sebring: I know it is early yet, but are you hearing anything positive out of the Florida hurricanes? Elizabeth Davis: Smile. Well, usually the first things we hear are the negatives... Elizabeth Davis: and some of these stories are starting to bubble up... Elizabeth Davis: we need to remember two things when we have the chance to review the Florida experiences... Elizabeth Davis: first, Florida (along with CA and a few others) is the grand- daddy of SN emergency planning especially post-Andrew so even what fails is far ahead of many... Elizabeth Davis: the trick is to fix it fast and on the ground and then be sure to get it corrected system wide before the next time... Elizabeth Davis: and that gets to the second point... Elizabeth Davis: this has been a very hard hurricane session even by Florida's standards so ... Elizabeth Davis: there has been little time between hits to learn and correct... Elizabeth Davis: I have asked folks I know on the ground there to document the positive and negative experiences as best they can... Elizabeth Davis: so we can all review them as soon as the dust settles (so to speak). Amy Sebring: That's all we have time for today. Thank you very much Elizabeth for taking the time to share this valuable information with us today. We wish you continued success in your efforts. Please stand by a moment while we make some quick announcements .... Amy Sebring: We have two new partners to announce, District of Columbia Emergency Management Agency, URL: http://dcema.dc.gov/dcema/site/default.asp , POC: Barbara Childs-Pair, Director and (speaking of Long Island) ... Amy Sebring: Nassau County (NY) Office of Emergency Management, URL: http://www.co.nassau.ny.us/oem/home.html , POC: Terrence J. Winters, Director Amy Sebring: We are very pleased to welcome both organizations. If your organization is interested in becoming an EIIP Partner, please see the link on our home page, Partnership for You. Amy Sebring: Again, the transcript will be posted late this afternoon and you will be able to access it from our home page or the background page. We also have a great archive of transcripts which you can access by topic from the home page. Amy Sebring: If you are not currently on our mailing list, and would like to get program announcements and notices of transcript availability, please see the Subscribe link on our home page. Amy Sebring: Thanks to everyone for participating today. Great questions and comments. We stand adjourned but before you go, please help me show our appreciation to Elizabeth for a fine job. //gavel