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Redefining the role of government as it
affects the lives of people with disabilities
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P.O. Box 77
Boston MA 02133
617 499-6957

July 05, 2008
Focus Groups
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DPC Emergency Preparedness
Consumer Involvement Opportunities

The DPC has two contracts from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to work on Emergency Planning.  Both projects offer an opportunity for people with disabilities to influence emergency preparedness planning.

Employer & PCA Training


The Disability Policy Consortium (DPC) is recruiting people with disabilities who use Personal Care Attendants and PCAs to work with us to develop training materials that will facilitate individuals and family planning for emergencies as well as communication between consumer and PCA staff.

Please use one of these forms to express your interest in participating in a Personal Emergency Preparedness Training Development Group.

Employer Registration Form 
 

PCA Registration Form

Registry Development


The Disability Policy Consortium is recruiting people with disabilities to discuss options for a Registry that is similar to the 911 Disability Indicator that is tied to some people’s phone numbers.  We have already conducted similar focus groups with emergency planners, first responders and other local officials with experience in emergencies or with experience with registries as part of disaster planning. 
 

          Registry Focus Group Registration

 

 

You may also participate in the Registry development by taking a few minutes and answering questions from our survey.
 
         Registry Survey 
 
 

 
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DPC Wins 2 Project Awards from the Department of Public Health
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The Department of Public Health issued two Requests for a Response (proposals) in November, 2007.  The DPC was notified on December 19 that we were awarded both projects.

The first was to develop a training program targeted toward Personal Care Attendants and consumers.  You may download our proposal here: ScopePCA

The second propsal submitted on December 17, was for focus group research leading to recommendations for a Registry data collection template as well as marketing recommendations.  ScopeRegistry

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Selection from Shelter Best Practices
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What you may not know:

I.             In Massachusetts there are 352 communities each with their own Emergency Management Director (EMD), Fire Chief, Police Chief, etc. Few than 45 communities have full time paid EMDs. The duties of the EMD are usually assigned to someone who:

a.       already holds a full time 1st Responder job within the community - or

b.      is a volunteer who is paid a small stipend (generally $2000 to $3000 a year)

II.          EMDs have finite resources to do their jobs while supporting all the NIMS/ICS disciplines in their community. Local emergency management funding is local. It is not supported with ear-marked dollars from the state budget. 

III.        EMDs are best described as Stage Managers and Producers. EMDs pull together the resources identified by principal actors and then set they stage for the actors on large scale operations. EMDs do not run the fire scene, terrorist response, public health mass prophylaxis, or even a large scale special event like a marathon. EMDs manage resources and support the Responders. It’s not glamorous in the rear with the gear but if the show is going to be successful somebody has to set the stage.

Open to read more from Shelter Best Practices

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Publications
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DPC Discussion Papers 17- 36
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DPC Discussion Papers
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DPC Discussion Papers 37 -
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Emergency Preparedness and People with Disabilities
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It is six years after the attack on the World Trade Center and one year after the New Orleans Katrina disaster and our governments have yet to put into practice most the recommendations made after each tragedy.  Massachusetts, working through the Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, has yet to involve people with disabilities in a working relationship to plan for any of the potential next disasters.   

  • In July, a new director of emergency planning in Plymouth, MA, found the only substantive example of disability-readiness was a list of 100 people with disabilities in his community of 59,000.  
  • The work plan submitted by the Department of Public Health for continued CDC funding identifies 1.2 million people (20%) as the “special populations” target.  However, the definition of special population is extremely broad – pregnant women, the elderly, foreign speaking citizens, etc.  People with disabilities constitute 19% of the Massachusetts population, so the planners don’t even have a handle on the number of people they are dealing with.    
  • Analysis by a Massachusetts disability organization of the Massachusetts Department of Public health projects funded for “special populations” revealed a scatter-shot approach that did not document a plan for meeting the complex needs of people with disabilities.                                                                       

Massachusetts should devote a significant portion of its federal resources to brining people with disabilities into the planning processes at all levels.  Massachusetts (and the federal government) should develop best practices so every community does not have to invent the best way to decontaminate a person in a power wheelchair,

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A Note on Public Document Requests
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Massachusetts has a law similar to what is known on the federal level as a Freedom of Information Act request (FOIA).  In Massachusetts you may file what is called a Public Document Request of any public agency.  It is often best to address the request to the Legal Counsel.
 
The agency has 10 calendar days to either product the documents, tell you that they are working on the request, or deny you request.  The agency can charge for search time and copying costs.
 
If your request is denied you may appeal to the Supervisor of Public Records in the Secretary of State’s Office.  This guide answers more questions.
 
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