• If it's that bad, and there's nothing I can do about it anyway, but I expect government to rescue me.

Be Ready!

Debbie Jackson
Planner

Marcie Roth Visits Hawaii

  

Photo of Timothy Renken and Marcie Roth, Courtesy of Sunrise - Hawaii News Now

Ms. Roth's visit to Hawaii was an opportunity for agencies to network and compare notes on activities that included input from the disability community. DCAB looks forward to using the momentum created from this meeting to include individuals with disabilities and their families in local emergency plans. Mahalo to Ms. Roth for providing the impetus for us to continue with our work to ensure accessibility for everyone during an emergency.

If you would like to see a short video of the interview, contact DCAB and the link will be e-mailed to you. The segment was live, so the television station did not caption it. We have a script of the dialog available to send, upon request. Also, during the interview, brief segments from DCAB's video "Ho'omakaukau" were used as background scenes during the dialog.

Maui March Exercise

  

Photo of Man and Woman at Registration Desk of Maui Mass Care Exercise

The Maui District Health Office's (MDHO) Public Health Emergency Preparedness program planned and conducted disaster exercises on March 14-17, 2011. Agencies participating in the exercises were: MDHO staff, Maui County Health Volunteers (MCHV), a Medical Reserve Corps unit, Maui American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Maui Humane Society, Easter Seals, Hale Mahaolu, an independent living facility, Maui Police Department, Maui County Civil Defense, Makena Beach & Golf Resort, and Hale Makua Health Services, and a long-term care facility.

The first scenario was mass a prophylaxis exercise, involving partner agencies with agreements for a closed-dispensing site operation. These agencies prepared to provide medical protective measures to their staff and families in case of a public health emergency. The second situation was a mass care exercise involving a tsunami impact scenario and the opening of a shelter for displaced people. The American Red Cross and the MDHO public nurses prepared the shelter site for operations. The Maui Humane Society prepared their shelter area outside of the Red Cross shelter to accept pets from evacuees and the Salvation Army organized a food service unit.

The mass protective exercise was an anthrax case at the local hospital and a request from different agencies to provide medical protective measures. MCHV were part of the emergency response team to dispense medical countermeasures at 4 sites throughout Maui for three days. The open dispensing site accepted the general public (actors) on March 15. The dispensing site was managed by a public health nurse and staffed by MCHV. On March 16 and 17, public health nurses and their teams were at the Makena Beach & Golf Resort, Maui Police Station in Kihei, and Hale Makua Health Services facility in Wailuku. The Makena Beach & Golf Resort was used to develop dispensing plans for a large resort. The dispensing template was tested successfully and will later be applied to other resorts in Maui County.

The mass care exercise was a scenario caused by a tsunami that resulted in the opening of a mass care shelter.  The shelters were opened from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the War Memorial Gymnasium in Wailuku. It was ironic that on March 11, a tsunami actually struck Maui as a result of the devastating earthquake in Japan.  The "actors" who participated in the exercises were 20 elderly residents from an independent living center, 10 MDHO staff, 12 Salvation Army volunteers, and approximately 10 clients and their caseworkers from Easter Seals.

Overall, the exercise trained all agencies and their staff and volunteers.  This was the first time that the Maui Humane Society participated in a mass shelter exercise, and changes in their procedures were made during the exercise. Also, the closed dispensing site exercises with partner agencies provided a valuable training opportunity for MCHV.It allowed for plans to be revised for medical countermeasures provided to discrete populations in Maui County.The dispensing template developed at the Makena Beach & Golf Resort will be tested at additional major resorts, and will hopefully become the state model for care of visitors.

Article and photograph provided by Marc Nishimoto, Planner, Department of Health in Maui County.

An article published by "Our Island, Your Voice" on May 20, 2011, reported that Quince Mento, County of Hawaii's Civil Defense Administrator, spoke to seventh grade students from Kohala Middle School. The message he presented was, it is essential that everyone be responsible and take care of themselves, and do not expect someone else to come and take care of us during a disaster. The example used was that we should be able to "camp out" or take care of ourselves for at least a week. That means living with no electricity, gas, telephone service, water and other items we take for granted and use everyday.

Mr. Mento was a panelist along with Acting Fire Captain Mark Provencal and firefighter James Young for the talk to the students. Different types of emergencies were discussed and how to prepare for a disaster. The three speakers encouraged students to have a good preparedness plan, know what to do during an emergency and how and where to meet their families. When you are worried about your family, it is hard to concentrate and focus on what you are doing.

The seventh graders were studying current issues and events impacting the Pacific islands and their community. The recent tsunami in Japan and the 2006 earthquake were real-life situations that the students studied. Students said that it was scary to watch the news showing videos about the tsunami, but learning about past events will help them be prepared in the future. One student added that without education and knowing what to do, people can get hurt and start to panic.

Students volunteered at a recent concert benefit with proceeds going to the village of Tanohata, Japan. Students also created displays and exhibited at the event, and folded 1,000 paper cranes to be sent to Tanohata elementary and middle school students along with letters. The article concluded with hopes that the students will continue to communicate with the Japanese students, develop a "sister school" relationship, and most importantly that the students know they made a difference!

Exerpted from: Our Island, Your Voice, May 20, 2011, Kohala Students Put Disaster Knowledge in Action

  

On May 25, 2011, the Office of Disability Integration and Coordination at FEMA e-mailed a press release from David Morrissey, Executive Director of the U.S. International Council on Disability (USICD).

The Rehabilitation International and DAISY Consortium discuss the issue of disaster preparedness and recovery as part of mainstream development and delivery for people with disabilities.

The meeting identified that if people with disabilities receive adequate preparation for a disaster, they can become an important resource and role model in effectively evacuating a disaster area. Japan's experience of earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011 was testament to the importance of this activity. Some people with disabilities who had in the past created headaches for emergency services, through adequate training were able to calmly evacuate.

Rehabilitation International and DAISY Consortium call on States Parties and the UN Agencies to support the development of a series of pilot projects in vulnerable areas throughout the world.  They also call on State Parties to provide the necessary supports to people with disabilities to enable them to re-establish their lives. This is important for effective reconstruction and especially in areas recently affected by natural disasters. And finally State Parties are called upon to ensure people who are injured as a result of natural and man-made conflicts are provided with adequate rehabilitation enabling their full participation in society as full contributing members of society.

FEMA informs us that Rehabilitation International and DAISY Consortium are calling on the 148 countries that are States Parties in the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) to include people with disabilities in emergency preparedness activities and to support their development as leaders in preparedness. Click on the following links to learn more:

CRPD: http://www.un.org/disabilities/

USICD: http://www.usicd.org

FEMA - Inclusive Emergency Preparedness http://www.fema.gov/about/odic

Source: FEMA News Release, May 25, 2011, Disaster Preparedness and Recovery - Mainstreaming Disability