Disaster Preparedness: Information & Referral Services

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS For

INFORMATION & REFERRAL SERVICES

Part One ✔ Introduction ✔ Phases of disaster

Why are we here?

SCHEDULE ✔ Introduction, Objectives, Phases of Disaster ✔ Your Disaster Mission and Role ✔ Writing an Business Contingency Plan ✔ The Incident Command System (ICS) ✔ Maximizing Survivability & Effectiveness The

Community Disaster Network ✔ The Federal Response Plan ✔ Next Steps

COURSE OBJECTIVES ✔ Help you develop your organization’s disaster

mission and role ✔ Explain the phases of disaster ✔ To map the working environment of a major disaster ✔ To assist you in developing an effective Business Contingency Plan ✔ To encourage building local disaster coalitions

COURSE OBJECTIVES, cont. ✔ Strengthen your organization’s

preparedness to maximize your survivability and continuity of service ✔ Lay out the next steps towards effective disaster planning and preparation

THE PHASES OF A DISASTER EVENT! Response

Alert and Warning

Relief Planning and Mitigation Recovery

Typical Flow of Needs After A Disaster Long-term Recovery

Immediate Emotional Trauma

0

Stressrelated Needs Material Needs

6 Months

12

18

Many agencies will come to town

COMMUNITY REACTIONS At first: ✔ “We’re all in this together”, ✔ “thanks to all the heroes” Later: ✔ “Where’s all the help that was promised?” ✔ “Why does everything take so long?” ✔ The need to place blame

Your Disaster Mission & Role

✔ “Socially-created

Vulnerabilities ✔ I&R Disaster Roles ✔ Reimbursement?

“The Magnet” Disaster Impacts

SociallyCreated Vulnerabilities •Poverty •Disability •Non-English speakers •Alone •etc.

Your organization’s mission in a disaster should be based on: ✔ Your developed strengths and knowledge ✔ Your ability to help people in crisis ✔ Your knowledge of your communities and

clientele

What Is Your Organization’s Disaster Mission? SAME Population Area Type of Service

EXPANDED

NEW OR DIFFERENT

Writing Your Business Contingency Plan ✔ Based on ICS ✔ Using checklists ✔ Employee safety and

preparedness

Incident Command System

✔ A flexible organizing

concept

Pulling it together to solve problems

ICS Organization M

O

P

E

R

A

T I O

N

S

P L A N N I N G I N T E L L I G E

a n a g e m

A N

N D C E

L O

G

e n t

I S

T I C

S

F I N A N C E A N A D M I N I S T R A

Management ✔ Responsible for overall emergency policy

and coordination Public Information

✔ Liaison ✔ Public Information ✔ Establish good communications between

functions

Operations ✔ Operations - coordinates response to

emergency; assigns roles and responsibilities to staff ✔ Implements the Operational Plan

Planning and Intelligence ✔ Collects, evaluates and disseminates

information; Pre-disaster database ✔ maintains documentation; ✔ develops action plan in coordination with

operations

Logistics ✔ Logistics - provides facilities, services,

personnel, equipment, and materiel ✔ Obtains staff ✔ All in support of Operations

Finance ✔ Maintains financial records, negotiates

contracts, pays the bills ✔ All in support of Operations

ICS Organization M

O

P

E

R

A

T I O

N

S

P L A N N I N G I N T E L L I G E

a n a g e m

A N

N D C E

L O

G

e n t

I S

T I C

S

F I N A N C E A N A D M I N I S T R A

Writing Your Plan (continued)

✔ Should include how

your I&R will respond to: ✔ Acute Phase ✔ Long-term recovery

Writing Your Business Contingency Plan (continued) ✔ Data management ✔ Planning and

mitigation ✔ Safety and wellbeing of staff and families

Survivability & Effectiveness ✔ Threat assessment ✔ Building &

environment safety ✔ Staff’s well-being ✔ Training

THREAT ASSESSMENT ✔ Internal- threats to your continued

operation (building, loss of data, loss of telephones, loss of staff) ✔ External- threats to your services

BUILDING SAFETY ✔ Mitigation ✔ Evacuation plan ✔ Relocation? ✔ Building inspection

fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff

VITAL RECORDS

✔ Personnel information ✔ Client records ✔ Essential computer

and paper files

FOR OUR EMPLOYEES ✔ Life-safety concerns ✔ People’s normal

emotional responses ✔ Long-term concerns

TRAINING AND EXERCISES ✔ Personal workplace and

home preparedness ✔ For your agency ✔ Strengthening

collaborations

The Federal Response Plan ✔ Emergency Service

Functions ✔ Relationship of FEMA

to VOAD

FEDERAL FUNCTIONS ✔ ESF 1: Transportation

✔ ESF 7: Resource Support

✔ ESF 2: Communications

✔ ESF 8: Health and Medical

✔ ESF 3: Pub. Works and

✔ ESF 9: Urban Search and

Engineering ✔ ESF 4: Firefighting ✔ ESF 5: Information and plans ✔ ESF 6: Mass Care

Rescue ✔ ESF 10: Hazardous Materials ✔ ESF 11: Food ✔ ESF 12: Energy

Conclusion and Next Steps ✔ Disaster mission

statement ✔ Emergency Operations Manual ✔ Work in/build coalition ✔ Disaster database ✔ Exercise

Coordination of Efforts ✔ Identifying the

primary organizations ✔ VOAD ✔ Committees ✔ Mutual aid

Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD)

State VOAD

County VOADs

Other state VOADS

Local organizations

City VOADs

AIRS DISASTER COMMITMENTS ✔Statement of Understanding –

American Red Cross ✔NVOAD membership

VOADS Representatives ✔ Adventist Community Services (clothing) ✔ American Second Harvest (food) ✔ American Red Cross ✔ Catholic Charities ✔ Church of the Brethren

VOAD Continued ✔ Episcopal Relief & Development ✔ Humane Society (pet shelter, large animal

removal) ✔ Points of Light Foundation ✔ The Salvation Army ✔ United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)

VOAD Continued ✔Many more organizations that

assist ✔See www.nvoad.org

LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ✔ Look for Office of Emergency Management

in a mid to large municipality ✔ In small towns, look at Fire or Police Chief, maybe Mayor ✔ Ask American Red Cross

FEMA’s Role ✔ Only in Federally declared disasters

START COLLABORATING ✔ Think through what your community might

need to respond to ✔ Determine the role other agencies have already agreed to play ✔ Define your role ✔ Bring everyone together and plan together ✔ Talk to American Red Cross

WHY PARTICIPATE ? ✔Efficiency ✔Effectiveness ✔Reimbursement

MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS ✔Between you and other I&Rs ✔Between you and other

organizations (United Way, Volunteer Center, Red Cross)