Emergency Preparedness for Farmers, Ranchers and other Rural Residents with Disabilities

1. Emergency Preparedness for Farmers, Ranchers and other Rural Residents with Disabilities AgrAbility Webinar Series February 24, 2011

2. Basic Webinar Instructions • Need speakers or headphones to hear the presentation • Meeting > Manage My Settings > My Connection Speed • Dial-up not recommended • Questions about presentation – type into chat window and hit arrow, and they’ll be addressed at the end. Complete summary sent to all participants. • Problems: use chat window or email cookke@purdue.edu • 4 quick survey questions • Session recorded and archived with PowerPoint file at www.agrability.orgOnline Training link

3. AgrAbility: USDA-sponsored program that assists farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural workers with disabilities. • Partners land grant universities with disability services organizations • Currently 23 projects covering 25 states • More information available at www.agrability.org

4. Overwhelming response to this topic. • Won’t be able to address everyone’s interests and needs in one session. • Web survey on future topics to address available at end of webinar sent with webinar notes. • Community of interest on emergency preparedness for agricultural workers and other rural residents.

5. Participants and Contributors • Paul Jones, Manager, National AgrAbility Project • Bill Field, Professor, Purdue University • Steve Wettschurack, Agricultural Rescue Training Specialist, Purdue University • Gail Deboy, Project Engineer, National AgrAbility Project • Kate Cook, Writer/Editor, Purdue University • Cliff Racz, IT Specialist, National AgrAbility Project Produced by: National AgrAbility Project Under USDA/NIFS Agreement No. 2008-41590-04796

6. Purpose The purpose of this Webinar will be to begin a dialogue on the topic of emergency management for farm and ranch families and other rural residents who may have greater vulnerabilities during natural or manmade disasters due to physical or mental/behavioral health issues. This session will cover the first component of basic emergency management, preparedness. weatherstock.com

7. Purpose It is hoped that this session will be the first in a series that will explore the application of current emergency management strategies to meeting the needs of individuals with disabilities living in rural America. weatherstock.com

8. Desired Outcomes At the completion of this Webinar, participants should be able to: • Explain the importance of the agricultural sector and rural communities to the national well-being. • Describe the scope and nature of disability within the farm, ranch, and rural population. • Identify the most common threats and consequences to the security of persons with disabilities living in rural communities.

9. Desired Outcomes 4. Describe the unique characteristics of rural life that may present vulnerabilities to residents with physical or mental health issues. • Identify the assets of rural life that may enhance the security of persons with disabilities living in rural communities. • Identify the basic emergency management issues that may develop for individuals with disabilities living in rural communities.

10. Desired Outcomes • Describe basic emergency preparedness measures needed to enhance the resiliency of persons with disabilities living in rural communities. • Apply emergency management principles to specific case studies. • Identify key resources that would benefit persons with disabilities living in rural communities.

11. Basic Assumptions • The audience online today is highly diverse, including many emergency management professionals working in the field and many rural residents with no emergency management background. We will try to limit the use of terms and acronyms that may be familiar to many in emergency management, but new to those outside the profession. • Many of you know more about the specifics of emergency management at a state or national level than we do. Your contributions are welcome.

12. Basic Assumptions • Some issues related to providing emergency management services to underserved rural citizens goes beyond the scope of this session. There will never be enough money, personnel, or motivation to meet everyone’s needs during times of disaster. • Everyone is vulnerable to risk or the potential of being impacted by natural or man-made disasters. There are no safe places, leaders, or policies that can ensure absolute security.

13. Basic Assumptions • Disasters are not partial to or respecters of persons, even if part of protected classes, such as persons with disabilities. • Homeland security begins at home and every individual and family, to the extent possible, is responsible to contribute to their resiliency during times of disaster. • No one should assume the government can solve everyone’s problems.

14. Content • Agriculture is identified as the first of 18 sectors of the National Critical Infrastructure Protection Plan in Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7 1.1 Almost entirely under private ownership. 1.2 Composed of about 2.1 million individually owned farms, ranches, and other sites. 1.3 Accounts for one-fifth of the nation’s economic activity. 1.4 Highly dispersed with low population density. 1.5 Highly decentralized with respect to governmental and regulatory control and emergency services. 1.6 Located in areas that historically have had few medical and emergency response services. FEMA/Michael Rieger

15. 2. Incidents of disability within the farm, ranch, and rural population are the same or possibly higher than urban settings 2.1 An estimated 1.04-2.23 million individuals with disabilities live or work on farms and ranches. 2.2 Some studies show up to 24% of the farm population have physical disabilities. 2.3 Approximately 19% are unable to perform certain daily essential tasks.

16. 2.4 The average age of farm operators is 59. 2.5 Over 17% of farmers and ranchers are over 65 years of age. 2.6 Frequency of traumatic injury is higher than the general population. 2.7 There is a higher percentage of mental/ behavioral health-related disabilities. 2.8 Rural communities, in general, have a disproportionate share of individuals who are older, affected by disability, and have fewer economic resources.

17. 3. Placing rural disability issues within the risk management framework—determining asset risks (threats, consequences, vulnerabilities) 3.1 Most common threats • Tornados • Floods • Winter storms (cold, snow, high winds) • Wildfires • Temperature extremes • Dust storms • Criminal activity/Agroterrorism • Crop and livestock diseases FEMA/Leif Skoogfors

18. Tornados FEMA/Win Henderson

19. Floods FEMA/Andrea Booher

20. Winter Storms FEMA/Liz Roll

21. Wildfires FEMA/Bryan Dahlberg

22. 3.2 Consequences • Loss of livelihoods (crops and livestock) • Loss of communications • Loss of basic services (water, electricity) • Deterioration of existing health conditions • Inability to travel • Loss of housing • Secondary conditions FEMA/Bryan Dahlberg

23. 4. Characteristics of rural life that may increase vulnerabilities 4.1 Isolation 4.2 Travel/response time 4.3 Quantity and quality of emergency services 4.4 Limited emergency management planning 4.5 Lack of resources 4.6 Lack of accessible services and facilities 4.7 Almost complete absence of mental/behavioral health services 4.8 Lower awareness and sensitivity concerning disability issues FEMA/Ed Edahl

24. 5. Unique assets of rural life that may enhance resiliency during times of crisis 5.1 Fewer high profile targets (everyone loves farmers) 5.2 Historical emphasis on preparedness because of necessity (backup power, snowmobiles, food stocks, boats, snow removal equipment) 5.3 Enhanced networking in place (volunteer/paid fire departments and EMS, existing farm and rural organizations, rural churches) 5.4 Volunteer spirit may be more present 5.5 Overall there may be a higher level of natural resiliency in many rural communities

25. 6. Emergency management issues that may arise for persons with disabilities living in rural communities 6.1 Emergency services becoming inaccessible 6.2 Loss of essential services (life support system, dialysis services, accessible communications) 6.3 Low participation in peer support activities 6.4 Lack of recovery services 6.5 Few sources of replacement assistive technology 6.6 Overly independent character/reluctant to seek assistance FEMA/Patsy Lynch

26. 7. Basic emergency management preparedness measures 7.1 Developing an emergency management plan • Pre-identified meeting place • Evacuation plan • External contact point 7.2 Stock pile seven days of essential supplies • Medications • Special diet needs 7.3 Utilize E-911 or Reverse 911 if available • Identify special needs • Medical identification bracelets 7.4 Form a peer support network if there are special needs 7.5 Establish special needs, medical, warming/cooling shelters 7.6 Develop a Neighborhood Watch and other connections • Meals on Wheels • Postal service alerts • Utility company alerts FEMA/Jocelyn Augustino

27. 8. Applications of emergency management principles to specific case studies 8.1 Surrounded by a wild fire 8.2 Caught in a snow storm 8.3 For the birds FEMA/Andrea Booher

28. 9. Key Resources 9.1 Rural resources • County Extension Services • Local Emergency Planning Agencies • Peer support groups • Area Agencies on Aging • Churches • Other Non-Governmental Organizations FEMA/Michael Rieger

29. 9.2 Web-based resources • National AgrAbility Project: agrability.org • Rural Caregivers: ruralcare.info • Federal Disability Resource: disability.gov • County Extension Service: eden.lsu.edu • American Red Cross: redcross.org • National Organization on Disability: nod.org • Federal Emergency Management: fema.gov • U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security: ready.gov • Independent Living Resource Center: ilrcsf.org • National Fire Protection Association: nfpa.org • Survey link for future events on this topic https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_eOS5uvmowu0PIag FEMA/Michael Rieger

30. Questions FEMA/Jocelyn Augustino