Monthly Updates - December 2008

In This Issue

• ICC Monthly Highlights
• ICC Monthly Updates
• Recently Released Resources
• Upcoming Events
• About the ICC

Category of Links

www.disabilitypreparedness.gov
www.dhs.gov/disabilitypreparednessicc

Contact Us

disability.preparedness@dhs.gov

ICC Monthly Highlights

Department of Homeland Security Employees Recognized for Individual and Team Achievements

More than 1,000 people attended the Fourth Annual Secretary's Awards Ceremony honoring 106 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees and 49 teams for their accomplishments in fiscal year 2008. The ceremony, held on November 20, took place at the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. The CRCL Disability and Special Needs team were among the honorees. They received a Secretary's Team DHS Excellence Award along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Planning and Assistance Branch with whom they collaborated to develop the Comprehensive Planning Guide (CPG) 301: Emergency Management Planning Guide for Special Needs Populations. This is one of the Department's most prestigious awards as it identifies outstanding team achievements by employees working in a group to advance the mission of DHS. Cross-component teams are especially important in enabling the Department to meet and sustain its mission.

Presiding at his last awards ceremony, Secretary Chertoff congratulated the 2008 Award honorees. At the ceremony, the secretary said that he "felt blessed to stand shoulder to shoulder with all of you in the Department and serve our Nation."

Since the inception of the Secretary's Awards in 2004, 306 employees have been recognized for individual achievement, 112 teams of employees have been honored, and 77 employees have received the Presidential Rank Award.

CPG 301 is a tool for state, territorial, tribal, and local emergency managers to use in the development of emergency operations plans that are inclusive of the entire population of a jurisdiction of any size. It specifically provides recommendations for planning for special needs populations. Further information regarding CPG301 can be found at http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=45435.

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ICC Monthly Updates

US Department of Homeland Security

Hurricane Ike Community Recovery Impact Assessment

On September 13, 2008, Hurricane Ike delivered a heavy blow to multiple jurisdictions in East Texas where recovery from Hurricane Rita of 2005 was just taking hold. Following Ike's landfall, the DHS Incident Management Planning Team (IMPT) developed a mission assignment plan to support FEMA's long-term recovery initiative based at the Joint Field Office (JFO) in Austin, TX. As a result of that plan, Emergency Support Function (ESF) 14 requested a CRCL mission assignment to the JFO specifically to ensure that special needs populations are an integral part of the recovery process. Three DHS/CRCL staff, working in two week rotations, deployed to the Hurricane Ike JFO to carry out the mission.

In collaboration with an array of federal, state, local, and community representatives, CRCL staff conducted an assessment of long-term impacts related to restoration of government and non-government support services on which special needs populations rely. CRCL submitted the Special Needs Populations Impact Assessment Source Document to FEMA at the end of October to serve as a source document to inform the overall Hurricane Ike recovery analysis completed in December.

The Special Needs Populations Impact Assessment Source Document aimed to: 1) present the characteristics of special needs populations in the impacted area; 2) broadly document the impacts of the disaster on these populations; 3) provide actionable considerations for addressing the needs of these populations during community recovery; and 4) lay out strategies for directly engaging these populations to ensure their perspectives are part of the recovery process. The assessment identified distinct areas in which communities impacted by Hurricane Ike will need to build capacity to ensure that special needs populations are fully included as communities recover from the disaster. These areas of community capacity include: advocacy and case management, housing, financial security/employment, health and wellness, transportation, individual supports, child and family supports, education, and community access. To access the Source Document, visit http://www.disabilitypreparedness.gov/pdf/ike_snp.pdf.

DHS Center for Faith-based and Community Initiatives - Partnerships in Emergency Preparedness Training Workshops

Throughout the course of 2008, CRCL policy advisor Margaret Schaefer, in coordination with DHS Center for Faith-based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI), has regularly presented on special needs emergency preparedness planning, response, and recovery considerations in a series of workshops entitled >Partnerships in Emergency Preparedness: A Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Workshop.

Most recently, Ms. Schaefer participated in a December 11, 2008, DHS CFBCI panel discussion in New York. The purpose of the workshop which drew approximately 150 participants was to engage the Homeland Security stakeholders, including the private sector, governmental entities, non-profit groups, non-governmental organizations, and faith-based groups in a strategic partnership to develop a national culture of preparedness.

On December 15, 2008, Ms. Schaefer also addressed special needs planning, response, and recovery issues at the Senior Leaders' Best Practices Summit: Partnering with Faith-Based and Community Organizations on Disaster Preparedness, Response and Recovery. This one day conference was jointly hosted by DHS/FEMA and USAID at the Homeland Security Institute (HSI). The conference brought together senior leaders from USAID, FEMA and Faith-Based and Community Organizations to share disaster response and recovery practices between those who serve in the international and domestic arenas. This summit was designed to identify practices in six specific facets of disaster response and recovery that may be of benefit to agencies and organizations operating in different environments. One of the six facets was special needs. The goal was that by identifying such practices, all players will be better prepared for the next disaster. For more information about the workshops and the DHS Center for Faith-based and Community Initiatives, please refer to: http://www.dhs.gov/fbci.

FEMA Launches the DisasterAssistance.gov Website, An Initiative of the Disaster Assistance Improvement Plan (DAIP)

The Disaster Assistance Improvement Plan (DAIP) is the result of Executive Order 13411, issued by President George W. Bush in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to ease disaster victim frustration when dealing with multiple federal disaster assistance programs. After Hurricane Katrina struck the southern United States in 2005, more than 800,000 individuals needed emergency assistance, such as housing, food, and clothing. That year, more than 2.7 million people applied for FEMA assistance.

The President signed the DAIP on September 14, 2007, to provide a centralized application process for federal disaster assistance and a clearinghouse for information on disaster assistance administered at the federal, state and local levels. The mission of DAIP is to provide disaster victims with a mechanism to access and apply for disaster assistance through collaborative efforts of federal, state, local, and non-profit partners. The DAIP will provide unified access to disaster assistance support and services from federal, state, local, and non-profit partners to disaster victims.

DHS/FEMA partnered with 16 federal agencies—together sponsoring more than 50 forms of disaster assistance—to develop DisasterAssistance.gov. When DisasterAssistance.gov launches on December 31, 2008, it will include forms of assistance administered at the federal level. After the initial launch, federal forms of assistance administered at the state, local and tribal level—as well as forms of assistance provided by public non-profit organizations—will be integrated to expand and improve the site.

Initially, DisasterAssistance.gov will include:

• Brief, anonymous pre-screening questionnaire
• FEMA and Small Business Administration on-line applications
• Application status updates
• Social Security Administration change of address
• Department of Education student loan information look-up
• Disaster assistance information and links to other partner agencies

The implementation of DisasterAssistance.gov is a multi-year project that will gives disaster victims the opportunity to take a pre-screening questionnaire, which will generate a list of disaster forms of assistance for which they may be eligible. Disaster victims can then apply on-line for several programs or follow links to any of the 17 participating agencies' websites for additional application instructions. Alternatively, disaster victims can skip the pre-screening questionnaire and apply directly to FEMA for disaster assistance. Once a disaster victim has applied for assistance, they will have the option to check the status of their applications.

The current version will include: FEMA/SBA on-line applications; Social Security Administration change of address forms; Department of Education student loan status check; information and links to disaster assistance from partner agencies; and status updates for all active applications. Following the launch, additional forms of assistance (FOAs) will be added, expanding DisasterAssistance.gov's capacity to help individuals in need, including FOAs administered at the federal, state, and local level.

The Access Board Advisory Committee

Committee on Emergency Transportable Housing Presents Report

The Access Board's Advisory Committee on Emergency Transportable Housing presented its report at a meeting of the Board on November 18th. The Board organized this committee in 2007 to develop recommendations on access to temporary emergency housing provided in response to natural disasters and emergencies. Housing made available by FEMA in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita exposed significant accessibility issues.

The committee, which included representatives from disability groups, industry and code groups, and government agencies, reviewed the Board's ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines and assessed the impact of site constraints and other limitations on units, particularly those located on private property. Since they are designed and manufactured for transport over roadways, these housing units have a smaller footprint than other types of housing. The committee examined design factors that pose challenges to accessibility, including size and space limitations, and identified relevant provisions in the Board's facility guidelines that should be revised for specific application to emergency transportable housing. The committee's report provides recommendations on how potential conflicts can be mediated and how access to units can be improved.

The submitted recommendations, which the committee adopted by consensus, offer specific revisions to the guidelines for the Board's consideration. The committee's report defines the type of units covered and offers guidance on the proportion that should be accessible. The committee also addressed ramp access to units and recommends that certain ramp specifications be modified to facilitate compliance where site constraints exist. Recommendations on floor surfaces, kitchen elements and spaces, bedroom clearances and light controls, and bathing facilities are intended to improve unit accessibility. The report also addresses operable parts, door pulls and thresholds, smoke alarm systems, slide-outs, and weather alert systems.

The committee's report and related information are available on the Board's website at www.access-board.gov/eth/. For further information on the work of the committee, contact Marsha Mazz at mazz@access-board.gov, (202) 272-0020 (v), or (202) 272-0082 (TTY).

Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) Speaker Series

The FCC Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB), announced that Chris Essid, Director of the Office of Emergency Communications, Department of Homeland Security will be the guest speaker for the Bureau's Speaker Series on Wednesday, January 14, 2009, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., in the Commission Meeting Room (TW-C305). The Speaker Series provides the latest news and developments on public safety communications and related initiatives to various communications partners.

The discussion will focus on DHS’s National Emergency Communications Plan. The plan provides guidance on emergency communications protocols that should be followed during various types of disasters. For further information, contact Susan McLean at (202) 418-7868, email: Susan.McLean@fcc.gov.

US Department of Health and Human Services

Office of Minority Health Focuses on Emergency Preparedness in Minority Communities

In 2007, the Office of Minority Health identified Emergency Preparedness in Minority Communities amongst its cross-cutting focus areas. One of the initiatives being pursued is a cultural competency continuing education program for all members of the disaster preparedness and crisis response teams. This program joins OMH’s existing cultural competency programs for physicians as well as nurses. The programs are intended to increase knowledge and awareness around the issues of culturally competent care, language access services and organizational supports. Cultural Competency Curriculum for Disaster Preparedness and Crisis Response will launch in early summer 2009. It is the hope that through increased awareness, skill building and behavior change that we can reduce the prevalence of health disparities for so many Americans.

The discussion will focus on DHS’s National Emergency Communications Plan. The plan provides guidance on emergency communications protocols that should be followed during various types of disasters. For further information, contact Susan McLean at (202) 418-7868, email: Susan.McLean@fcc.gov.

One-Year Study Examining Risk Communication Strategies for At-Risk Populations Completed

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) recently completed a one-year study examining risk communication strategies for at-risk populations. The final report will include the results of a review of the public health literature on emergency preparedness; risk communication and public health messaging strategies; the compilation of educational and outreach materials for emergency preparedness communication with at-risk populations; and findings from site visits to identify challenges in the practice of risk communication with at-risk populations. The findings should be of interest to state and local emergency managers, community-based organizations, public health researchers, and policy makers. The final report should be available in early 2009.

For more information contact Emily Rosenoff at emily.rosenoff@hhs.gov.

National Council on Disability

National Disaster Housing Strategy

Over the past several months, the National Council on Disability (NCD) engaged in a number of activities involving homeland security. First, NCD participated in the continued development of National Disaster Housing Strategy (NDHS) Annexes. The list of NDHS Annexes NCD reviewed is as follows:

• Annex 1 - Overview of Disaster Housing Programs for Federal, State, Tribal, and Local Government and Nongovernmental Organizations;
• Annex 2 - Methods to House Disaster Victims Where Employment and the Resources They Need for Living Are Available;
• Annex 3 - Summary of Programs for Special Needs and Low-Income Populations, Including Provision of Housing Units for Individuals with Disabilities and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program;
• Annex 4 - Disaster Housing Group Site Operations;
• Annex 5 - Programs to Promote the Repair or Rehabilitation of Existing Rental Housing; and
• Annex 7 - Summary of Guidance on Disaster Housing Assistance Available under the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance.

Second, NCD has continued its evidence-based research activities and document development on schedule. During the past few months, the research team has produced chapters on working with voluntary organizations and implications of research. Upcoming work includes chapters on initiatives, policies, and interventions. NCD anticipates releasing this research study in May 2009.

Finally, at its Quarterly Board Meeting in Kansas City, MO, NCD heard from several emergency preparedness professionals about their recent work. Professionals who addressed the NCD Board were: Glen White, PhD, Director, “Nobody Left Behind Project”, Kansas University, Lawrence, KS; Charles Duddy, Emergency Management Director, Gladstone, MO; and, Karen Benson, Patient Assistance Coordinator, Missouri Rehabilitation Center (MRC), Mount Vernon, MO.

US Department of Transportation

Annual Awards Ceremony

The Department of Transportation’s Annual Awards Ceremony took place on November 6, 2008, in the Department’s West Atrium. The Secretary awarded 24 individuals the New Orleans Airport, Federal Aviation Administration, Evacuation Team Award to individuals for their exemplary, heroic, and dedicated emergency transportation teamwork, in response to the citizens of New Orleans, many with special needs in advance of Hurricane Gustav. This team volunteered to evacuate citizens from New Orleans to the Fort Worth Alliance Airport. Many of the evacuees were individuals from nursing homes and hospitals that were not able to evacuate on their own. The team worked to evacuate these individuals in advance of the hurricane until the weather conditions prevented their efforts. In addition, this team was able to return to duty immediately following the hurricane to resume the control tower in New Orleans.

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Recently Released Resources

Revised National Incident Management System (NIMS)

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) provides a systematic, proactive approach to guide departments and agencies at all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to work seamlessly to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity in order to reduce the loss of life and property and harm to the environment. NIMS works hand in hand with the National Response Framework (NRF). NIMS provides the template for the management of incidents, while the NRF provides the structure and mechanisms for national-level policy for incident management.

Further information on NIMS is available at the NIMS Resource Center at http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/.

Emergency Registries – An Effective Tool or False Promise for People with Disabilities and Functional Limitations

This paper addresses the use of registries in emergency preparedness and response for people with disabilities and activity limitations. It examines the problems, challenges, and key elements of registries and offers cautions and research recommendations. For more information, please see http://capps.wsu.edu/conferences/emergencyprep/presentations/B4_2.pdf.

Searchable Resilience Bibliography Available on CARRI Website

The CARRI website now has a searchable resilience bibliography with a database of over 1,000 documents related to resilience. The database will be updated on a monthly basis with additional publications and information. Documents will be searchable by author, title, publisher, date, or keywords. This resilience database will be the one place that city managers, first responders, homeland security directors, and emergency management officials can go to quickly find documents and research papers regarding resilience. Please visit http://resilientus.org/db_search.html to use this tool.

Comment Period Open for Title IX Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program

DHS has posted a Federal Register notice seeking public comments about the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program. The program is mandated by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 to establish a common set of criteria for private sector preparedness, including disaster management, emergency management, and business continuity programs. The goal of this voluntary program is to enhance nationwide resilience in an all hazards environment by improving private sector preparedness.

DHS has posted the Federal Register notice at http://www.regulations.gov. (Identify Docket ID FEMA-2008-0017.) Comments may be submitted to http://www.regulations.gov or FEMA-POLICY@dhs.gov.

For more information on the program, visit the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program Resource Center: http://www.emergencymanagementsummit.com/.

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Upcoming Events

February 3-4, 2009
Emergency Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs
Washington, DC
The ANSI-HSSP, in collaboration with the National Organization on Disability (NOD) Emergency Preparedness Initiative (EPI) and the NFPA Disability Access Review and Advisory Committee (DARAC), is launching a new Workshop to examine existing and/or needed standards for Emergency Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs. This is an issue that has been raised in many of the previous ANSI-HSSP Workshops and Plenary meetings, leading to the decision to have a focused Workshop devoted entirely to this important subject area. This kick-off event will consist of a targeted group of experts, including the members of DARAC and those involved with the NOD EPI, working to identify what standards currently exist and in what areas new standards need to be developed, followed by actionable recommendations for the timely development of standards in the identified needs areas. Any ANSI-HSSP members who are interested in participating in this new Workshop, or have suggestions on individuals/organizations that should be extended an invite, are encouraged to contact Matt Deane, mdeane@ansi.org, at your earliest convenience.

March 4-6, 2009
Third National Emergency Management Summit: Forum on Disaster, Epidemic and Terrorism Planning, Response, and Recovery for Healthcare Organizations
Washington, DC
An extraordinary confluence of events, both environmental and geopolitical, have coalesced to create a heightened risk of natural disaster, epidemic and terrorism in the United States. The National Emergency Management Summit seeks to assess these risks and articulate practical approaches to strategies of planning, response and recovery. For more information, go to http://www.emergencymanagementsummit.com/.

April 6-10, 2009
National Hurricane Conference
Austin, TX
The primary goal of the National Hurricane Conference is to improve hurricane preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation in order to save lives and property in the United States and the tropical islands of the Caribbean and Pacific. In addition, the conference serves as a national forum for federal, state and local officials to exchange ideas and recommend new policies to improve Emergency Management. For more information, please visit http://www.hurricanemeeting.com/.

May 18-22, 2009
Annual VOAD Conference Salt Lake City, UT
The 17th Annual VOAD Conference will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah at the Hilton Downtown Salt Lake May 18 through 22, 2009.

June 1-4, 2009
FEMA Higher Education Conference
Emmitsburg, MD
12th Annual Emergency Management Higher Education Conference. For further information, please log onto http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu/educonference09.asp.

June 21-24, 2009
World Conference on Disaster Management
Toronto, Canada
The 19th World Conference on Disaster Management (WCDM) is taking place June 21-24, 2009 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The WCDM is the premier event for disaster management professionals. With the 2009 theme: "A Climate for Change - Communication, Collaboration and Cooperation" the conference will offer a unique educational experience that provides a platform for the exchange of ideas and networking opportunities in a climate that fosters change. Individuals will learn how to develop strong resiliency tactics that will sustain business operations and communities during critical times such as natural, technological or human induced events. For further information, please visit http://www.wcdm.org/Toronto/toronto.html.

August 11-13, 2009
3rd Annual National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing and Media
Omni Hotel
Atlanta, GA
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be holding its third annual National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing and Media on August 11-13, 2009 at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta, GA. This conference provides an excellent opportunity to meet with colleagues and shape the future of health communication, marketing and media practice. To learn about the conference, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/HealthMarketing/NCHCMM2008.

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Join the ICC Listserv!

The Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities (ICC) has created a listserv. Please join our listserv to receive the ICC's Monthly Updates and access other information pertinent to emergency preparedness and individuals with disabilities.

To join, see http://listserv.access.gpo.gov/archives/icc-dispreppubs-l.html or go to http://listserv.access.gpo.gov/ and click "Online Mailing List Archives," then select "ICC-DISPREPPUBS-L" and complete the subscription form.

For more information about the ICC, seet www.disabilitypreparedness.gov.

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About the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties oversees the implementation of Executive Order 13347, Individuals with Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness, which was signed by President Bush in July 2004. This Executive Order is designed to ensure the safety and security of individuals with disabilities in all-hazard emergency and disaster situations. To this end, the Executive Order created an Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities. The ICC is comprised of senior leadership from more than 25 Federal departments and agencies. Its mission is to ensure that people with disabilities and their specific needs are fully integrated into all aspects of our nation's emergency management system; including mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. The Secretary of Homeland Security is the Chair of the ICC, and he has delegated that role to Mr. Daniel Sutherland, the DHS Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. The Council has concentrated its work in nine major areas:

1. Emergency Communications;
2. Emergency Preparedness in the Workplace;
3. Emergency Transportation;
4. Health and Human Services;
5. Homeland Security Policy and Operations;
6. Housing;
7. Nongovernmental Outreach
8. Research; and
9. State, Local, and Tribal Government Outreach

For more information about the ICC, see www.disabilitypreparedness.gov.

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