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Emergency Preparedness
News & Information
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Disability Policy Consortium Hurricane Irene Update
Dear Bill,
We're mailing this in case you are one of the 13 people in Massachusetts who haven't heard that there is a hurricane coming this weekend.
The DPC firmly believes that Emergency Preparedness is YOUR responsibility. We hold the government accountable for the general welfare - communications, assistance, emergency transport...thing we can not do on our own when all hell breaks loose.
Included in this issue are information from both MEMA and the DPC on things your need to consider before the hurricane hits this weekend. The Personal Preparedness Guide can be downloaded here.
You, on the other hand, need a Plan. You are responsible for your medications, personal evacuation, having food and water supplies available for 3 - 5 days, having a flash light (no candles please) and a portable radio in case power goes out.
The complications come:
- you live in a high rise and the Commonwealth,local governments & building managers haven't devoted one iota of planning to evacuating big buildings.
- you live in a flood plain and are in a heavy power wheel chair.
- your medications supplies are at the end of the month and not due to be refilled until Monday
- you depend on a personal care attendant.
- you have a service animal
- you are Deaf and can't hear bullhorns used to warn of evacuation procedures or other calamities.
These are only some of the potential problems that, as far as we know, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, Public Health, and local governments don't have a plan for dealing with.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has made "Planning for Real" the new watchword. The scenarios mentioned above are potentially real complications for people needing assistance in time of an emergency. "Inclusion" is suppose to be the model for planning.
It's time for Massachusetts to Get Real Two. We need your assistance, too. See the last block of text for a list of ways of which you can assist the DPC in monitoring hurricane response.
Bill Allan
Disability Policy Consortium
wfallan@dpcma.org| 617-542-3822
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Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency
Hurricane Challenges for people requiring additional assistance
For many of the citizens in Massachusetts who have physical, medical, sensory or cognitive disabilities, as well as the elderly and others requiring additional assistance, emergencies such as hurricanes present real challenges. Therefore, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) offers a number of important steps to help ensure the safety of yourself and all of our friends, neighbors, and family members.
"MEMA has listed a number of tips, covering a variety of issues which those individuals who require additional assistance should consider, as they prepare for the hurricane season," stated MEMA Director Kurt Schwartz. "This planning is important, not just in preparation for hurricanes, but year-round, for any type of emergency."
- Create a 'Personal Support Network' or 'Self-Help Team'. They can help you identify and acquire resources; as well as assist you before, during and after the hurricane has passed. Your Team should include roommates, relatives, friends, neighbors and co-workers because disasters might strike at any time, when you are at home, school, the workplace, a volunteer site, or wherever you spend a lot of time.
- Complete a Personal Assessment of what you can do for yourself and what assistance you may need to respond to the challenges of a hurricane, based on the environment during and after the storm, your capabilities, and your limitations.
- Become informed. From your local Emergency Management Director, learn your area's vulnerabilities in a hurricane, as well as your community's Emergency Management Plans, including potential evacuation routes and shelter locations.
- Find out about your community's Alerting/Warning Systems. Learn what methods are utilized in your community. They could include: outdoor sirens or horns, the Emergency Alert System (EAS) which provides information over the radio and television, the NOAA Weather Alert Radio, one of a number of automated telephoning system for sending recorded messages such as 'All Call', 'Reverse 911' or 'Code Red', commercial News Media, Residential Route Alerting, which dispatches Public Safety vehicles through neighborhoods announcing messages with public address systems or literally 'knocking on doors', U.S. Coast Guard Marine Broadcast, and Teletypewriters (TTY).
- Contact your local Emergency Management Director to learn of potential 'Special Needs' Notification, Transportation and/or Assistance Programs in your community. Your specific information will be treated with confidentiality.
- Develop the standard Disaster Supply Kit for your home, with supplies to accommodate you for up to 3-5 days. Also, from that you can pull key items for a 'Portable Kit' if asked to evacuate. Depending upon your needs, you may want to include extra eyeglasses, hearing aid batteries, wheel chair batteries, oxygen, the style and serial number of your medical devices, a list of your medications including dosage, a list of your allergies, medical insurance information and medical cards, and if you utilize a wheelchair include heavy gloves to help make your way over glass and debris.
- Make an Emergency Plan. As part of your overall planning, include a Family Communication Plan to best inform others of your condition and whereabouts. If you receive regular services, make a plan with each provider about their disaster plans and how to contact them. Work with them to identify back-up services.
- Wear medical alert tags or bracelets to help identify your disability.
- Teach others on your Team to operate any special equipment you might utilize, as well as where you keep your emergency supplies.
- Label with your contact information any special equipment including wheel chairs, walkers or canes.
- If asked to evacuate, inform your Team where you are staying, because it may not always be the first choice in your Plan. (a public shelter, relative, friend, hotel)
- Find the location of the main utility cutoff valves and switches in your home, and how and when to safely disconnect them during an emergency, either by yourself or a Team member.
- Prepare an Emergency Kit for your service animal and pets; include collars & leashes, a three-day supply of food, a manual can opener, plenty of water, bowls, litter boxes, photographs, and a week's supply of your pets' medications and instructions in case you and your animals are separated.
- Service animals may become frightened or confused during or after a hurricane. Be prepared to calm your animal and keep it confined or on a leash or harness. Make sure your service animal is familiar with your Team members, who may be asked to help care for them following the storm.
- Keep pictures of you with your pets or service animals for identification purposes, in case you are separated.
- In case your service animal is unable to assist you, be prepared to use alternative ways to negotiate your environment.
- Most people should be able to function well at a regular public shelter, although people with more serious needs might be directed to an 'additional assistance' shelter where medical issues can receive appropriate attention.
- When needed, be sure to ask for an accommodation from disaster personnel.
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Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Subject: Hurricane Irene - Situation Awareness Statement #3
Date: August 25, 2011
Time: 11:30AM
Situation:
Irene's projected track has shifted significantly westward since yesterday; it now shows the center of Irene passing over the Outer Banks on Saturday, making landfall on western Long Island Sunday evening, and passing through central and western Massachusetts Sunday night and Monday morning as a Category 1 or 2 storm, or possibly a weak Category 3. Irene is still several days out, however, and the projected track could potentially be off by as much as 200 miles and the projected timing by 6 to 8 hours.
Weather Forecast:
There is a risk of severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening, with associated damaging winds, rain, and hail, as well as a small chance of isolated tornado activity.
Precipitation: Rains associated with Irene may begin as early as Saturday afternoon, with the bulk of precipitation coming Saturday night through Sunday night. As much as 6 to 12 inches of rain are possible to the left of Irene's track. There is a significant risk of stream and river flooding left of Irene's track, but it is too early at this time to identify which basins are most at risk.
Winds: The most damaging winds will be located to the right of Irene's track. Winds in Massachusetts are currently forecast to be Category 1 (74-95mph) or Category 2 (95-110mph) but Category 3 (110-130mph) winds are not out of the question. If Irene takes a more westerly track and weakens as it passes over land, wind intensity will decrease. Exact timing of the arrival of damaging winds is highly dependent on Irene's forward speed; Sunday through Sunday night are most likely, but an increase in Irene's speed could bring significant winds as early as Saturday night. There is also a risk that Irene may spawn tornadoes Saturday night into Sunday, especially in its northeastern quadrant; if Irene takes a more westerly track, the risk of tornadoes will increase.
Coastal Flooding: The magnitude of coastal flooding will depend on Irene's exact track, speed, and intensity as well as its timing with respect to high tide. The high tide cycles occurring on Sunday and Sunday night are of particular concern due to the astronomical high tide. The most severe flooding will occur along south-facing coasts, but some flooding is also possible on east-facing coasts if Irene arrives near high tide.
Marine/Beaches: There is a moderate risk of rip currents today. Risk will increase starting Friday and is expected to remain high through the beginning of next week. Depending on Irene's forward speed, seas may begin building Saturday night and by Sunday could reach 25-35 feet near shore and 40 feet further out to sea, with the highest seas being to the right of Irene's track.
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Personal Emergency Contacts:
1st Personal contact locally:
Name:
Address:
Phone number
Email:
2nd personal contact locally:
Name :
Address:
Number:
Email:
Person to contact far away:
Name:
Address:
Number:
email:
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My personal items for evacuation:
Medications List: (make a list of the ones you need to take with you)
Important Documents: (make a list of the ones you need to take with you)
Medical Supplies (make a list of what you need to take with you)
Other Things to Take
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Emergency Transportation: (What companies can you call or is there private transportation you can rely on?)
Phone:
Emergency Evacuation Shelter
Location:
Phone number:
Access at the shelter: (Describe exactly what you need)
Communication assistance
Accessible location
Accessible bathroom & showers
Assistance with personal care
Blankets and clothing that will work for me
Food that I can eat (specify dietary needs)
Supplies for pets or Service animals
Other things I need:
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Emergency Monitoring
Please takes notes on any of the following. We'll need date, time, place and if appropriate, TV station, radio station, other details.
Did the TV station have live, closed captioning?
Did the Public Official have an american Sign Language Interpreter by his/her side
Did the TV station keep the interpreter in the picture the complete broadcast.
Did local officials use Reverse 911 calls to issue warnings?
Did local officials use Text messaging to issue warnings?
Did local officials use Bullhorns or other Speaker Systems to issue warnings?
If supplies were distributed, were they accessible to ALL?
Please send use your monitoring results to
wfallan@dpcma.org
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