Disability and Communication Access Board
State of Hawaii
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Emergency Preparedness E-News
for Individuals with Disabilities and Special Health Needs
September 2009 Issue 1
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Greetings!
Welcome to the first issue of DCAB's Emergency Preparedness E-News for Individuals with Disabilities and Special Health Needs. The E-News will provide periodic emergency preparedness information of interest to people with disabilities and special health needs and professionals working in a related field.
You are included on the mailing list for the E-News because you are or have been affiliated with DCAB in some fashion. To remain on the list you don't have to do anything. To unsubscribe, there is an unsubscribe option at the bottom of the page.
If you know anyone who ought to be on the mailing list, please encourage him or her to subscribe. Individuals may join our mailing list using the option on the Emergency Preparedness page of the DCAB web site to receive a copy of the E-News. If you are just visiting this page and wish to subscribe, click on the option at the bottom of the page to be added to the E-News mailing list.
For future editions, if you have any information you would like featured in the E-News, please e-mail it to me at debbra.jackson@doh.hawaii.gov. Your feedback and comments are also welcome!
Aloha,
Debbie Jackson
Planner
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NCD Report Available
 On August 12, 2009, the National Council on Disability (NCD) released a report entitled Effective Emergency Management: Making Improvements for Communities and People with Disabilities. NCD promotes policies and practices that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities to empower them to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living and integration into all aspects of society.
It was made clear in past events such as September 11, Hurricane Katrina, and Hurricane Rita that individuals with disabilities face challenges during times of disasters. Problems were apparent in the areas of notification and receipt of information, evacuation, sheltering, and long-term recovery.
This report offers information and advice to assist all levels of government to establish policies, programs and practices for various types of disasters. Examples of effective community efforts as they relate to people with disabilities included in this report are emergency preparedness, disaster relief and Homeland Security Programs.
Future issues of the E-News will feature information from this report such as recommendations and intervention strategies designed to reduce the impact of disasters for people with disabilities.
The full report is available at the NCD Website.
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2009 Action Plan
DCAB recently revised the Interagency Action Plan for the Emergency Preparedness of Persons with Disabilities and Special Health Needs. The Interagency Working Group convened in October 2005, and developed an Action Plan to ensure emergency preparedness efforts at the State and County levels included individuals with disabilities and special health needs.
In the updated version, the seven goals remain the same: ensure accessibility of public emergency shelters; increase capacity to shelter-in-place; increase number of Level II shelters; develop personal evacuation plans; educate all licensed health care providers about emergency guidelines; ensure accessibility of notification systems; and include transportation in personal emergency evacuation plans. The objectives have been updated, and the format of the Action Plan has changed. The appendices list accomplishments for each goal with bullet points to simplify reading.
The 2009 Action Plan can be viewed on the DCAB Website. If you are an individual with a disability and do not have a computer, contact DCAB for a copy of the plan. For more information, contact Debbie Jackson at (808) 586-8121 or by e-mail.
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School Emergency Readiness Conference
 The Department of Education (DOE) was awarded a grant under the Readiness and Emergency Managment for Schools (REMS) program in 2008. The Oahu School Emergency Readiness Conference conducted on September 10, 2009 was sponsored by the REMS grant.
The Koolau Ballroom at the Koolau Golf Course in Kaneohe was the conference venue, and "sustainable partnerships with first responders for all hazards" was the overall conference theme. The audience was composed of principals, vice principals, and security personnel from public schools on Oahu, as well as representatives from private schools. The conference covered a broad range of topics including police active shooter, hazardous material incidents, civil defense issues, and pandemic in schools.
Bill Patterson, coordinator of the Medically Fragile Program in the DOE, is a Registered Nurse with a Masters Degree in Public Administration. He presented a segment about "Hazards Planning for Special Needs Populations in School Settings." He emphasized planning ahead for various type of emergencies, having supplies on hand if students or teachers with disabilities must stay in school during an emergency, being aware of what the plan and school procedures are for an emergency, practicing the plan, and communicating between all parties during an emergency. Another conference is being planned for DOE personnel from Neighbor Islands. More information will be available as plans progress.
For more information about the REMS grant contact Mark Behrens at 586-3457.
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H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Provider Registration
The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) has extended the deadline for healthcare providers to pre-register to be pandemic vaccination providers until September 18, 2009. DOH expects to begin receiving the state's first supplies of the 2009 H1N1 vaccine this fall and is planning for immediate distribution.
"To help prevent the spread of the virus, one of the objectives of the H1N1 vaccination campaign is to vaccinate as many people who want to be vaccinated as possible," stated Sarah Y. Park, M.D., state epidemiologist "We are counting on Hawai'i's healthcare community to come together to help accomplish this huge undertaking, and are thankful for their kokua."
Private primary care providers (pediatricians, internists, obstetricians/gynecologists, family physicians) and community vaccinators (retail pharmacies, community health centers, large medical groups, colleges/universities, etc.) should pre-register to become authorized vaccination providers. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities will be offering vaccinations to their staff and patients. Students in grades K-8 attending participating schools will also have the option of receiving H1N1 vaccination in school-located vaccination clinics.
Earliest supplies of H1N1 vaccine will be delivered in limited quantities, with continuing shipments eventually supplying sufficient doses for all who wish to be vaccinated. Initial priority groups for 2009 H1N1 vaccination, as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will be:
- Pregnant women
- Household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age
- Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel
- All people from 6 months through 24 years of age
- Persons aged 25 through 64 years who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza
To pre-register visit the DOH website at h1n1vax.doh.hawaii.gov/welcome.html, or if you have questions, you can e-mail h1n1vax@doh.hawaii.gov or call 586-6300.
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Contact Information
Disability and Communication Access Board
919 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 101
Honolulu, HI 96814
Phone: (808) 586-8121 (V/TTY)
Fax: (808) 586-8121
E-mail: DCAB General Delivery
Website: DCAB Home Page County of Hawaii: 974-4000, ext. 6-8121# Couny of Kauai: 274-3141, ext. 6-8121# County of Maui: 984-2400, ext. 6-8121# Molokai & Lanai: 1-800-468-4644, ext. 6-8121# | |
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