Facilitator Introductions

Planning for Individuals with Disabilities and other Access and Functional Needs:Evacuation and Transportation

This presentation was created by Nusura, Inc. for the Orange County Sheriff’s Division of Emergency Management

Facilitator Introductions • June Kailes • Gary Gleason • Andy Neiman

Participant Introductions • Name • Title • Agency/organization • Role during an emergency • Any burning issues

Logistics • Safety • Electronics • Breaks • Contact Info • Survey feedback

Agenda • Evacuation basics • Evacuation & transportation strategies • Coordination & communications • Key AFN considerations

Evacuation Objectives • Expedited movement out of harm’s way • Access control • Safe re-entry

Evacuation and Transportation Planning • The goal is to ensure the evacuation needs of the whole community, including those with AFN, are planned for. • AFN evacuation planning must be based on an existing community evacuation plan or be a part of a larger, community evacuation planning effort.

Transportation-related Vulnerability • People who do not drive or do not have access to a personal vehicle for the purposes of evacuation, re-entry, and recovery. • When considering transportation-vulnerability, remember that some people who do not have transportation-related vulnerability in normal times may have them in a disaster. • The vast majority of transportation-related vulnerability is associated with evacuation, and planning for re-entry and recovery should also be considered.

Notice vs. No Notice Events • Notice • Intact infrastructure including roads, communications, and power • Staged/progressive evacuation • Service continuity • Excess self-evacuation of non-required individuals • No-notice • Damaged infrastructure and assets • Situational awareness difficult • Population needs less known • May be complicated by additional requirements such as decontamination

Evacuation Strategies • Support self-evacuation • Provide resources and support that make self-evacuation or evacuation with friends or family possible. • Reduces the burden and costs of facilitated evacuation.

Evacuation Strategies, continued • Two primary transportation-related evacuation strategies: • Accessible transit including, but not limited to, transit vehicles that are lift-equipped, suitable for transporting those on oxygen, etc. • Used primarily to help those with mobility-related functional needs, and features vehicles that are lift-equipped, suitable for transporting those on oxygen, etc. • Access to mass transit for the purposes of evacuation. • Used primarily to help those with transportation-related access challenges such as no access to a personal vehicle or lacking the financial means to evacuate.

Non-evacuation Related Transportation Strategies • Non-evacuation support strategies to consider: • Buses which bring people to recovery centers • Subsidizing public transit fees • Reentry busing • Providing transportation to obtain personal preparedness supplies

Evacuation-related Challenges • Loss/Separation from adaptive equipment • Loss of power • Loss/disconnection from service providers • First-time customers • Lacking resources to evacuate self

Personal Preparedness • Emphasize and support personal preparedness as part of all planning strategies. • Personal preparedness provision for people with access and functional needs to consider include: • support networks • adaptive equipment and batteries • service animals and their provisions • rendezvous locations and components • accessible transportation • medications and medical supplies • food and water • important legal documents

Planning Collaboration • Collaborate with partners already working in transportation and evacuation • Accessible transit agencies • Paratransit systems • Dial-a-Ride • Mass transit systems • Airport shuttle providers • School transit systems

AFN Planning Elements • Mutual Aid/MOUs/Contracted Support • Evacuation Intelligence: Needs & Resources • Resource Coordination • Communication

Mutual Aid/MOUs/Contracts • Asset management • Cost sharing agreement/reimbursement • Liability

Evacuation Intelligence: Need • Where are the transportation-vulnerable populations and what type of assistance will they require? • Use existing hazard vulnerability assessments, census data, etc.

Evacuation Intelligence: Resources • What transit and transportation resources are available? • Pre-disaster surveys of resources • Type by passenger capacity, fuel type, space for durable medical equipment, owner, and special considerations regarding disaster commitment • Post-disaster survey of resources • Plans should include procedures for identifying and reporting in on the status of resources (what is damaged, what is available, etc.)

Resource Coordination • Disasters result in scarce resources • Resource distribution and asset allocation must be prioritized and prioritization process documented • AFN coordinator in the EOC

Communication • With transit service providers • With individuals with disabilities and other AFN • With disability and AFN service and advocacy organizations • Include back-up and non-traditional communication strategies

A note on registries • Registries have limited utility and, often, lots of problems including: • Many don’t register • Many are afraid to self-identify with a particular limitation • Some see registry participation as commitment from community to provide services • Instead seek population statistics and other registry type information from agencies and organizations who serve individuals with access and functional needs • Collaborate with these agencies to develop process by which they will contact and/or connect individuals requiring assistance with responders during an emergency

Evacuation-Transportation Considerations • Medical triage • Non-ambulatory space • Personal care attendants • Distance to boarding location • Accessible stops, routes to stops (curb cuts) • Accessibility by service animals • Aisle and doorway widths • Space for personal property • Accessibility by service animals • Time on/in vehicle

Key AFN-related Evacuation Plan Elements • An inventory of assets by type • Clearly defined evacuation thresholds and protocols • Language detailing prioritization procedures • Procedures for scheduling emergency trips • Consideration fare waivers • Procedures for communicating evacuation-related information to people with AFN

Questions?

Discussion Question 1 • A successful evacuation often depends on availability of vehicles. • A number of interviewees reported a concern about not knowing how many accessible vehicles are available, how accessible they really are, if they are committed to more than one function, etc. • Please discuss these issues and planning strategies to solve them.

Discussion Question 2 • What evacuation/transportation concerns do you have? • What ideas and solutions does the group have?

Thank You! • Please complete the course feedback form before you leave

Facilitator Introductions