If you or a family member has a disability or special need which may make evacuation during an emergency more difficult, be sure that your emergency preparedness plan addresses those needs. Emergencies and disasters can strike quickly and without warning and can force you to evacuate your neighborhood or confine you to your home. Having a plan that addresses your situation and a survival kit will greatly reduce the chance of injury and the stress of dealing with a disaster.
Emergency Management (along with the other Health and Human Services agencies) is extremely concerned with the Special Needs population. During a disaster many unique problems may be encountered by this population; therefore, it is important to identify these individuals (in advance of an emergency) so that we may better plan and provide for their needs.
Generally speaking, special needs constitute communication, hearing, mobility, and visual impairments along with other disabilities. Special needs could also include: being 60 years of age or older, frail, oxygen dependent, medically needy, dependent on electricity, disabled, having a contagious health condition, not being served in a residential care facility, or not being served by an in-home care program. If you have a mental or physical impairment and your level of care would go beyond the normal first aid level found in a public shelter, then you should be in your local special needs registry. If you are electric-dependent, be sure to check with your local utility company in regards to how you can help minimize electrical outages to your home/facility.
If you or a relative have special needs, you should contact your local Office or Department of Emergency Services, as many cities and counties maintain a registry of special needs individuals in the event of a disaster or evacuation. In the case of an evacuation, local authorities would mobilize to evacuate those special needs individuals very early in the process to ensure their safety. A brief phone interview will readily confirm your acceptance into such a registry. Many assisted living facilities are already registered with local fire departments and emergency service offices. Should you have a relative in such a facility, contact them to ensure they are registered with local support agencies.
From Sacramento County, California to Newport News, Virginia; municipalities, cities and counties across the country have special needs registries, where people can sign up and provide their health information. Eligible candidates are required to complete and sign a Special Needs Registry Application as well as the HIPAA Disclosure of Information and HIPAA Privacy Act forms before they will be placed on the registry.
If there is a disaster, those on the registry will be called and given information about how to prepare for or respond to the disaster, given information regarding facilities or shelters, and to check on their well-being. The information may also be used to assist emergency personnel and volunteers in providing assistance. Participation in a Special Needs registry is voluntary. Individuals on the registry may decide whether to accept assistance and/or remain responsible for themselves in the event of an emergency.
Finally, if you have special needs or disabilities, it is important to be ready to evacuate when voluntary evacuation notices are given. If a special needs individual waits until mandatory evacuation is ordered, you may get caught in the confusion and heavy traffic (foot and vehicle) that sometimes accompanies evacuations and the assistance you need to move to a safer locale may be delayed.
Take the following steps if you or a family member has special needs or disabilities:
• Create a network of neighbors, relatives, friends, and coworkers that understand the special needs or disabilities of you or your family members(s). Make sure everyone knows how to operate necessary equipment.
• Discuss your special needs with your employer. If you are mobility impaired and live or work in a high-rise building, discuss escape routes with your employer.
• If you live in an apartment building or condominium, ask the management to mark accessible exits clearly and to make arrangements to help you leave the building.
• Keep specialized items ready, including extra wheelchair batteries, oxygen, catheters, medication, food for service animals, and any other items you might need.
• Be sure to make provisions for medications that require refrigeration.
• Maintain a list of the type and model numbers of the medical devices that are required.
• Know the size and weight of your wheelchair, in addition to whether or not it is collapsible, in case it has to be transported.
• Decide what you will be able to do for yourself and what assistance you may need before, during and after a disaster. This will be based on the environment after the disaster, your capabilities and your limitations.
For someone that is communication impaired:
• Determine how you will communicate with emergency personnel if you do not have your communication devices.
• Store paper, writing materials, copies of a word or letter board and pre-printed key phrases specific to anticipated emergencies in all your emergency kits, your wallet, purse, etc.
For someone that is hearing impaired:
• Store extra batteries for hearing aids, implants TTY and light phone signaler.
• Store hearing aids in a consistent, convenient and secure place, so you can quickly and easily locate them after a disaster. Consider storing them in a container attached to your night stand or bed post. Missing or damaged hearing aids will be difficult to replace or fix following a major disaster. If available, keep an extra hearing aid with your emergency supplies.
• Determine how you will communicate with emergency personnel if there is no interpreter or if you do not have your hearing aid(s). Store paper and pens.
• Consider carrying a pre-printed copy of key phrases, such as "I speak American Sign Language (ASL) and need an ASL interpreter." Determine which broadcasting systems will provide continuous news that will be captioned and/or signed.
For someone that is mobility impaired:
• Store emergency supplies in a pack or backpack that can attach to your walker, wheelchair or scooter. Store needed mobility aids (canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs) close to you in a consistent, convenient and secured location. Keep extra aids in several locations, if available.
• Keep a pair of heavy gloves in your supply kit to use while wheeling or making your way over glass and debris.
• If you do not have puncture-proof tires, keep a patch kit or can of "seal-in-air" to repair flat tires and/or keep an extra supply of inner tubes.
• Store a lightweight, manual wheelchair if available.
For someone that is visually impaired:
• If you use a cane, keep extras in strategic, consistent and secured locations at work, home, school, volunteer sites, etc. to help you maneuver around obstacles and hazards.
• Keep a spare cane in your emergency kit.
• If you have some vision, place security lights in each room to light paths of travel. These lights plug into electrical wall outlets and light up automatically if there is a loss of power. They will, depending on type, continue to operate for 1 to 6 hours and can be turned off manually to be used as a flashlight.
• Store high-powered flashlights (with wide beams) and extra batteries.
• Plan on losing the auditory clues you normally rely on following a major disaster.
Service Animals and Pets
• Make sure your service animals and pets have I.D. tags with both your cell phone number and that of your primary out-of-town contact person. Make sure your animal's license is current.
• Plan how your pets will be cared for if you have to evacuate. Although service animals should be allowed in emergency shelters, pets may not be, so have some animal shelters identified.
• Establish relationships with other animal owners in your neighborhood so in case you are not home, someone will be able to help your animal.
• Pets and service animals may become confused, panicked, frightened or disoriented during and after a disaster. Keep them confined or securely leashed or harnessed. A leash (or harness) is an important item for managing a nervous or upset animal. Be prepared to use alternative ways to negotiate your environment.
• Assemble a survival kit for your service animal that will last seven days. Place it in a pack that your animal can carry (if it is large enough to do so) in case you need to evacuate. Visit http://www.getreadygear.com/petanimalemergencyplanning.html for tips on how to assemble an emergency survival kit for your service animal or pet.
Jim Serre has over 30 years experience in the business world. He currently volunteers for local Search & Rescue and CERT Units. Additionally, he is a qualified instructor for Neighborhood Emergency Training courses sponsored by the Office of Homeland Security and Community Emergency Response Team training. His knowledge of survival and preparedness skills make him uniquely qualified to design survival kits that can save your life. For more emergency preparedness information see their website at:www.getreadygear.com.
