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Emergency Procedures for Individuals with disabilities. Why Do We Need It?. You may have students or staff with special needs Mobility issues Sight issues Hearing impairment Breathing Should we provide planning assistance? Do we have emergency planning experience?
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Why Do We Need It? • You may have students or staff with special needs • Mobility issues • Sight issues • Hearing impairment • Breathing • Should we provide planning assistance? • Do we have emergency planning experience? • Do we have tools that can be of assistance?
University Collaboration • UGA Equal Opportunity Office • UGA Disability Resource Center • UGA Human Resources • UGA Office of Emergency Preparedness
Resources We Used • Georgia Emergency Management Agency • Georgia Emergency Preparedness Coalition for Individuals with Disabilities & Older Adults • Georgia Department of Public Health • Red Cross • Center for Disability Issues and the Health Professions • Swarthmore College
New Program • First e-mail sent Oct. 2013 • We are learning as we go • Obtained training from the state on planning for people with disabilities during an emergency • No magic bullet or cure • Each situation is unique • I am not the expert
Forms/Tools • Guidelines • E-mail Example • Referral Forms • Checklist • Self Assessment • Preparedness Toolkit
Overview of Guidelines • Define Roles/Responsibilities • Create a Mechanism for Any Student, Faculty, Staff Member or Visitor to Self-Identify • Assistance with a Personal Emergency Plan
Division of Responsibility • Emergency Preparedness (OEP): • Coordinating with person about the plan • EOO • Helping to inform people about the program • Assistance with non-emergency issues • Student Disability Resource Center • Help to inform students about program • Work with OEP in creating plans
Message Dissemination • Send out e-mail twice/semester • Responses are electronic or hand written • Recorded in database
What is Included in Referral • Identifying Information (name, e-mail, etc) • Functional Limitation Questions • Mobility, Auditory, Visual, Other • A place to list their specific concerns • Notes field for our actions
Database • Referrals can be made on paper or electronically • Kept in a database along with our outreach and responses
What is a Personal Emergency Plan? • Methods for Alerting • Procedures for Evacuation • Procedures for Shelter-in-Place • Identification of Volunteer Emergency Assistants • Coordination with BSSRs and Academic personnel
Resources • OEP – Technical Assistance • UGAAlert Desktop Software • UGA Emergency Response Guidebook • Home Emergency Plan/supply list • Checklist of Actions • Self-Assessment Guide • Flashlight/Whistle • CAD System
Common Responses So Far • Very Appreciative • Don’t want much done • Have already thought about it • Some don’t want to meet • Would rather talk to people at work themselves • Like the flashlight/whistle • Don’t want to be forgotten
Examples • Male researcher in a lab with a degenerative muscle disorder • Cannot walk quickly, has trouble standing, can be knocked down by a strong breeze • Small building, small staff • Has concerns about opening doors in the future
Response • Reviewed what to do in common emergencies (used checklist) • Discussed how to get alerts quickly • He wanted to coordinate evacuation assistants • Referral to EOO for future needs • Already on ground floor • Update building emergency plan • Listed in CAD
Example • Part-time employee • Concerned about evacuating down stairs • Works in side office where easy to forget she is there • Walks with a cane and takes steps slowly • Office on the first floor – but one exit requies going down stairs
Response • Met with BSSR and made sure she was included in their plan • Provided her with whistle/flashlight • Gave her personal emergency plan template and home kit • Had her listed in CAD system as needing evacuation assistance • Offered to practice stair evacuation • Followed up after meeting.
Example • Ph.D. Student in Psychology • Works on the 7th floor of a building • Uses a wheelchair • Has her own office • Was left when fire alarm went off on one occasion
Response • Discussed evacuation procedures • Informed her of the location of evacuation chairs in her building • Gave her same resources as others • Offered to practice use of evacuation chairs • Followed up after meeting to see if needs we being met.
Office of Emergency Preparedness Hodgson Oil Building 286 Oconee Street, Suite 200 S Athens, Ga. 30602 706-542-5845 prepare@uga.edu www.prepare.uga.edu www.ugaalert.uga.edu Contact Information