Image of DCAB acronym with ISA in the letter B
Disability and Communication Access Board
State of Hawaii

Emergency Preparedness E-News
for Individuals with Disabilities and Special Health Needs
 
May 2010                                                                                    Issue 8

    Image of Hurricane icon    Image of Flood icon    Image of Earthquake icon    Image of Tsunami icon
 
Images used here are from the Homeowner's Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards by Dennis J. Hwang and Darren K. Okimoto from the University of Hawaii's Sea Grant College Program.

In this issue
DCAB PSA and DVD
FEMA Administrator Addresses Conference
Disaster Planning to Address Needs of People with Disabilities
Presidential Proclamation & Local Activities

Greetings!

We only have until June 1, 2010 to prepare for hurricane season. Remember to gather all of your supplies and emergency kit and place them in a convenient place, in case of an emergency. If you prepared your kit last year, remember to double check it and rotate items from your kit so all of your batteries and medications are fresh for this year. We should all check our kits every six months to rotate items.

Thank you to those who sent me information for this issue. Keep the information coming so we can present you with the most current information possible. Please e-mail items to me at [email protected]. Your feedback and comments are also appreciated!
 
Aloha,
Debbie Jackson
Planner

DCAB PSA AND DVD
 
Image of DVD
Hurricane season begins on June 1, 2010 and continues through November. State Civil Defense is conducting its annual interagency hurricane exercise, Makani Pahili, beginning May 24, 2010. DCAB began running a Public Service Announcement (PSA) on television about preparing hurricane kits and sheltering in place for people with disabilities. The PSAs began airing on May 12th and will continue until the end of May. Channels broadcasting the PSA are Oxygen, SyFy, Fox Sports West, and the SOAP Net. It will be aired on May 24th during the Harry Potter movie at 4:00 and 10:00 pm. An effort is also being made to contact public educational channels in all counties to air both videos, in lieu of only the 30 second PSA.
 
The Department of Health (DOH) issued a press release about the videos that included free copies are available from DCAB upon request. The response has been excellent! Many of the DOH offices providing direct services to clients have requested and been sent a copy of the DVD along with emergency kit checklists to assist clients assemble kits.
 
A few copies of the DVD are still available, so if you are a direct service providing agency for people with disabilities and conduct emergency preparedness workshops to help clients assemble emergency preparedness kits, please contact us at to obtain a copy of the video. If you are on a neighbor island, toll free numbers are listed at the end of the E-News. You may also e-mail DCAB to request a copy at [email protected].

FEMA ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSES CONFERENCE 
 
Image of FEMA Logo On April 29, 2010, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) administrator, Craig Fugate, addressed the Inclusive Hurricane Preparedness Conference on the importance of interagency cooperation between all levels of government with the private sector, private non-profit organizations and the general public, in preparing for the upcoming hurricane season. Mr. Fugate discussed ways FEMA is working with partners to ensure the full integration of people with disabilities, access and functional needs in all aspects of disaster preparedness, response and recover activities.
 
FEMA is leading the change in the way the emergency management community addresses the needs of the underserved disability community. The Office of Disability Integration and Coordination (ODIC) was created by FEMA to provide guidance, tools, methods and strategies to integrate and coordinate emergency management efforts to meet the needs of everyone, including children and adults with disabilities and others with functional needs.
 
The Inclusive Hurricane Preparedness Conference was sponsored by EnableUS and the Community Emergency Information Network (CEPIN) and brought together emergency management and disability stakeholders from hurricane prone states to discuss the latest issues in preparing and responding to vulnerable populations during hurricanes.
 
Information on preparedness resources for people with disabilities can be found at www.fema.gov/about/odic/preparedness.shtm and www.Ready.gov.
 
Exerpted from FEMA News Release April 29, 2010, No. HQ-10-084.

DISASTER PLANNING TO ADDRESS NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
 
Image of State of California A lawsuit was filed in 2007 by the Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) against the City of Oakland to correct the lack of consideration of people with disabilities in its emergency preparation plan. The DRA represented the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC), Californians for Disability Rights, Inc. (CDR), and Marian Gray (Oakland taxpayer), and is a non-profit law center specializing in civil rights cases on behalf of persons with disabilities in Berkeley, CA.
 
After the suit was filed, the City of Oakland immediately began working with DRA by hiring a consultant to evaluate existing plans and to recommend improvements that would make the City more responsive to its disabled and elderly residents. These recommendations became the foundation of the new plan known as the Functional Needs Annex for Mass Care and Shelter.
 
The recommendations resulted in a sweeping legal settlement between DRA and the City of Oakland. The City has agreed to adopt an emergency plan which incorporates the needs of people with all types of disabilities.
 
Excerpted from the Pacific Update, Spring 2010, Pacific ADA Center Newsletter.

PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION & LOCAL ACTIVITIES 
 
Image of Department of Emergency Management logo On Thursday, May 20, 2010, President Barack Obama signed a proclamation declaring that May 23 - May 29, 2010 to be National Hurricane Preparedness Week. In the proclamation, all Americans, especially those in hurricane prone areas, were called upon to learn more about protecting themselves against hurricanes and to work together to respond to them.
 
Since 1999 three hurricanes have impacted Hawaii. Of the three, Hurricane Iniki was the most powerful and caused more than $2.4 billion worth of damage and claimed three lives in 1992. Although the National Weather Service (NWS) Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) is forecasting a below normal hurricane season for Hawaii this year, all residents need to be prepared and aware of the hazards and disruptions that these intense tropical cyclones can create.
 
During the week, the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Emergency Management and the NWS CPHC conducted several workshops that covered preparedness activities and weather information resources. For more information about activities, contact John M. Cummings III at (808) 723-8960 or e-mail him at [email protected]
 
Excerpted from e-mail sent on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 from the City and County of Honolulu.

Contact Information
 Image of State Seal of Hawaii              
 Disability and Communication Access Board
 919 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 101
 Honolulu, HI 96814
 Phone:  (808) 586-8121 (V/TTY)
 Fax:      (808) 586-8129
 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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