Disability and Communication Access Board
State of Hawaii
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Emergency Preparedness E-News
for Individuals with Disabilities and Special Health Needs
June 2010 Issue 9
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| Greetings!
Hurricane season is upon us and will continue until November 30, 2010. A common sense approach in personal emergency readiness can be broken down into four simple steps: make a personal plan, establish a personal support network, prepare your supplies/kit, and be informed. The first article below was excerpted from the Aloha Pumehana newsletter for seniors, but it also applies to people with disabilities. Please remember that our own safety during an emergency depends on how well we have planned and prepared prior to the disaster. We must also remember to listen to the radio or watch TV to stay informed about which shelters are open so we know where to go when we need to evacuate.
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 debbra.jackson@doh.hawaii.gov. Your feedback and comments are also appreciated!
Aloha,
Debbie Jackson
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| Hurricane Season Preparedness Tips
 June 1 - November 30 is hurricane season in Hawaii, and it's not too early to be prepared. Many of your disaster preparedness and planning actions for hurricane season are good for any emergency during the year. Hurricane season preparedness can be considered your "insurance policy" for any disaster that may impact you.
As an island, Hawaii is isolated, so after a major disaster it could take days or weeks for assistance to reach us. Be aware of this and plan to provide for your own needs for at least five to seven days of water, food, shelter, clothes, medications, etc. Consider the following disaster tips to develop your plan.
Personal Plan
Prepare a personal plan that includes where you will meet your support network in case of an emergency, locate a public shelter close to your home and/or work if you need to evacuate, if you have a caregiver coordinate evacuation procedures with that person, plan how to get yourself and supplies to the evacuation shelter, and gather your supplies and evacuation kit then place it somewhere easy to remember and get to when you need to leave your home or workplace.
Personal Support Network
A personal support network is made of individuals who will help ensure you are alright and to provide assistance, if needed. This network may consist of friends, roommates, family members, relatives, personal attendants, co-workers and neighbors. Assistance that can be provided is transportation to a shelter when you need to evacuate.
Prepare Your Emergency Go Kit and Supplies
For a list of basic supplies or to purchase a pre-made kit, visit the American Red Cross Hawaii Chapter web site or contact their office at (808) 754-2101.
Additional supplies for people with disabilities to include in their kits may be: prescription medications and a list of medications including dosage and a list of allergies, extra eyeglasses and/or hearing aid batteries, an extra wheelchair battery, oxygen, medical insurance cards, list of style and serial numbers of medical devices such as pacemakers, and a list of doctors and relatives or friends to be notified if you are injured.
Disasters may impact each person differently. Be aware of how hazards and disasters may affect you. Your family, friends and support network will make a difference for you during an emergency. For more information, please call the Department of Emergency Management at (808) 723-8960.
Excerpted from an article by John M. Cummings in the Aloha Pumehana, June 2010 issue.
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| Hurricane Preparedness Free Workshop
 On May 20, 2010, President Obama proclaimed May 20 through May 29, 2010 as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. The President called upon all Americans, especially those in hurricane prone areas, to learn more about protecting themselves against hurricanes and to work together to respond to them. Since 1959 three hurricanes have impacted the Hawaiian Islands. Of the three Hurricane Iniki, the most powerful, caused more than $2.4 billion worth of damage and claimed three lives in 1992. Although the National Weather Service Central Pacific Hurricane Center 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.
Mayor Mufi Hannemann, the Department of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service (NWS) Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) in Honolulu cordially invite interested parties to attend a free workshop on hurricane preparedness and available weather services.
The workshop will cover CPHC/Weather Forecast Office operations, preparedness activities, and weather information/resources.
Workshop topics will include:
- Tropical Cyclone Basics
- 2009 Season Summary
- Hurricane Preparedness and Awareness
- Tropical Cyclone Related Products
- 2010 Season Outlook
- Hawaii Wet Season Rainfall Summary and Summer Outlook
- Questions and Answers
Two workshop opportunities are being offered:
Tuesday, June 22, 2010, 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010, 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Both workshops will be held at the Mission Memorial Auditorium on the grounds of the Honolulu Civic Center. To reserve a seat and request an auxiliary aid or service (sign language interpreter, materials in alternate format), please contact the City and County of Honolulu Department of Emergency Management at (808) 723-8960 or via e-mail to John M. Cummings III, Public Information Officer at jcummings@honolulu.gov. |
| FEELING SAFE, BEING SAFE
 The Board Resource Center based in Sacramento, CA developed Feeling Safe, Being Safe because many individuals and families are unprepared to respond to emergency situations and natural disasters. Feeling Safe, Being Safe are tools that show individuals with disabilities how to make a personal plan and assemble an emergency kit.
This project was funded in part by the U.S. Homeland Security and California State Department, Office of Human Rights & Advocacy Services. The Department of Developmental Services' Consumer Advisory Committee and individuals with developmental disabilities collaborated to develop Feeling Safe, Being Safe which are effective and easy-to-use tools that employ simple learning strategy. Its two objectives are to enhance personal emergency preparedness and creates opportunities for persons with disabilities to be viewed as community assets who may assist others in their emergency preparations. Feeling Safe, Being Safe was developed by and for people with disabilities, and is adaptable across various types of disability groups. It empowers people with disabilities not to panic, to be ready and take action when necessary.
There is now a local contact that is willing to share and train people how to use the Feeling Safe, Being Safe tools. Contact Tammy Evrard at (808) 722-0294 or tammy@brcenter.org for more information.
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Exercise Makani Pahili 2010
 In preparation for hurricane season which runs from June 1 through the end of November, the Hawaii State Civil Defense Division conducted its annual statewide hurricane exercise, Makani Pahili (meaning strong winds) from May 24 - June 4, 2010.
The exercise provided participating agencies from the county, state, federal, military and private sector an opportunity to enhance their disaster preparedness while using a common hurricane scenario. Participants used this opportunity to review and improve existing emergency operations plans and hurricane preparedness for their organization and for their own personal preparedness. Many agencies also took the opportunity to evaluate interagency operations as outlined under the Hawaii Catastrophic All-Hazards Concept Plan to help strengthen roles and responsibilities by partner agencies.
The centerpiece for this year's exercise was a two-day Synchronization Matrix Workshop that provided planners and agency representatives the ability to improve planning by identifying requirements, tasks, and resources with respect to the Hawaii Catastrophic Plan. Members from the following Catastrophic Plan Task Force groups were invited to participate: Mass Feeding, Mass Evacuation, Debris, Energy, Critical Resource Relocation, and Port Continuity. The workshop engaged all task forces in group discussions and forward planning to recognize the logistical challenges of moving resources following a catastrophic hurricane impact to the State.
The State Emergency Operating Center also activated its operations for this exercise playing four days of pre-landfall and post-landfall response.
Protecting lives from natural or human-caused hazards is an ongoing challenge for all of us. Through collaboration, training and exercises, we can better prepare for, respond to and recover from all hazards.
Prepared by the Hawaii State Civil Defense Division, Department of Defense.
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| Emergency Evacuation Kit
 The American Red Cross, Hawaii State Chapter encourages everyone to prepare an "evacuation kit" before one is needed. Individuals with disabilities will need to personalize their supplies depending on individual disability-related needs. In general, some supplies that everyone needs to include in an emergency evacuation kit would include the following:
- Water - at least 1 gallon per day per person (for 3-5 days)
- Food - at least 3-5 days of food, per person, that will not spoil & is easy to prepare
- Flashlight & extra batteries
- Battery-operated or hand-crank radio & extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Medication (14 day supply) & medical items (hearing aids & batteries, extra glasses, contact lenses, syringes, cane)
- Personal sanitation and hygiene items (toilet paper, etc.)
- Multi-purpose tool
- Cell phone & charger
- Extra cash
- Emergency blanket
- Baby/children supplies (formula, baby food, diapers, toys & games)
- Pet supplies (dog collar, leash, food, ID, carrier, bowls)
- Paperwork/Personal documents (family & emergency contact information, prescriptions, medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, birth certificates, insurance policies)
- Tools to secure home
- Extra car keys & house keys
- Extra clothes, hat and sturdy, covered shoes, work gloves
- Rain gear
- Insect repellent & sunscreen
- Camera for photos of damage
Hurricanes are strong storms that cause life- and property-threatening hazards such as flooding, storm surge, high winds and tornadoes. Preparation is the best protection against dangers of a hurricane.
For more information about how to be ready for a hurricane or an emergency kit checklist, visit the American Red Cross, Hawaii State Chapter web site or contact them for a hurricane safety checklist at (808) 734-2101.
Information from the American Red Cross, Hawaii State Chapter web site.
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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) 586-8129
E-mail: DCAB General Delivery
Web site: 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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