Monthly Updates - July, 2006 - ICC Monthly Highlights

ICC 2nd Anniversary Meeting
On July 14, 2006, the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities convened its second anniversary meeting. The DHS Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Daniel Sutherland, presided over the meeting and the DHS Under Secretary for Preparedness, George Foresman, delivered the opening remarks. Foresman highlighted the importance of emergency preparedness as a shared national responsibility among all governmental entities, the private sector and the American people. He elaborated on the Departments commitment towards achieving meaningful integration and positive progress on the various issues surrounding people with disabilities in the emergency preparedness context plus reiterated DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff's personal commitment to the issues. In addition to updates from each of the Council's Subcommittee on achievements made throughout the year, the Council also heard from executives of the American Red Cross and the State of Maryland's Governor's Office regarding innovative initiatives they are implementing in the area of emergency preparedness and people with disabilities.

The meeting Minutes will be available at www.dhs.gov/disabilitypreparednessicc.

ADA 16th Anniversary Town Hall Meeting
On July 26, 2006, several representatives from the Interagency Coordinating Council including the DHS Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties participated in a town hall meeting observing the 16th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The National Council on Disability (NCD) hosted the event in collaboration with other Federal Government partners. The town hall meeting entitled "A National Dialogue on the State of Disability" was comprised of remarks from the Chair and Vice Chair of NCD, keynote addresses, and three panel discussions on the following topics: "Equality of Opportunity," "Independent Living," and "Economic Self Sufficiency." Panelists discussed and responded to audience questions on various issues relating to disability civil rights, education, empowering and engaging youth with disabilities, accessibility of critical program and services, emergency preparedness, and technology. DHS Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Daniel Sutherland, participated in the panel discussion entitled "Equality of Opportunity and Full Participation."

For more information on this town meeting visit
http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/news/2006/a06-515.htm.

To view the archived Webcast of the meeting visit
http://tvworldwide.com/events/ncd/060726/.

ICC Private Sector Coordination

DHS Prepares for 2006 National Preparedness Month
DHS is sponsoring National Preparedness Month in recognition of the importance of personal preparedness to the safety and security of our nation. National Preparedness Month is a nationwide effort held each September to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools. The goal of the month is to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for emergencies and to encourage individuals to take action. Throughout September, DHS will work with a wide variety of organizations, including local, state and federal government agencies and the private sector, to highlight the importance of family emergency preparedness and promote individual involvement through events and activities across the nation. More information can be found at www.ready.gov.

Collaboration with American Red Cross
CRCL continues to work with the American Red Cross, most recently by providing subject matter expertise to the development of the Red Cross' disability-related online training courses. The Red Cross developed this on-line training program, as well as an instructor led course for more intensive training for their staff and volunteers to strengthen their efforts to engage and serve people with disabilities.

ICC Emergency Preparedness in the Workplace Subcommittee

Dissemination of Preparing the Workplace for Everyone: A Framework of Guidelines for Federal Agencies
Over the past year, the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness in the Workplace has distributed more than 4,000 copies of Preparing the Workplace for Everyone: A Framework of Guidelines for Federal Agencies to multiple federal, state, local and private sector audiences. To access the html and pdf versions of "Preparing the Workplace for Everyone," visit http://www.dol.gov/odep/programs/emergency.htm. The guidelines are being hosted by the Department of Labor which serves as Chair of the Council's Workplace Subcommittee. To obtain print copies of the publication send an e-mail to preparingtheworkplace@dol.gov.

While continuing to broaden dissemination and communication efforts related to the Framework of Guidelines, the Workplace Subcommittee will be expanding its focus over the coming year to encompass aspects of response and recovery from an emergency or a disaster. The Subcommittee is leading the Council's efforts to identify strategies that employers and employees with disabilities can use to keep connected to their work during a time of disaster and displacement from the workplace. This study encompasses immediate communication, coordination, and continuity mechanisms as well as long-term recovery strategies.

ICC State, Local and Tribal Government Subcommittee

Alabama-Mississippi Hurricane Workshop
Representatives from CRCL and the Department of Transportation - Office of Civil Rights offered their expertise on evacuating and sheltering people with disabilities at the Alabama-Mississippi Hurricane Workshop in Mobile, AL (July 26-28, 2006). The purpose of this joint conference was to facilitate information sharing among local, state, and federal governments and non-government organizations responsible for disaster, preparedness, response, and recovery. The desired outcome were the enhancement of emergency manager awareness in three important areas:

• Planning related to key components of an effective hurricane emergency preparedness, response and recovery program;
• Resources available at all levels of government; and
• Key issues related to mobilization, utilization and management of resources.

Presentation panels on these issues included representatives from local, state and federal Government and non-government entities as appropriate.

Representative from DOT's Office for Civil Rights contributed to the panel on "Evacuation for People Lacking Transportation and Those with Special Needs" based on findings from DOT's field research on the evacuation of individuals with disabilities during Hurricane Katrina.

The panel presentation on "General and Medical Needs Sheltering" specifically identified people who have historically and erroneously been placed in medical needs shelters, but with minimal assistance could function well in general population shelters. CRCL emphasized the need to identify community demographics for accurate planning and to focus on functionality of the individual, rather than the disability or illness.

Field Visit to New Orleans, LA
On July 20-21, 2006, CRCL staff joined staff from the Departments of Justice - Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section and Transportation - Office of Civil Rights, in a field visit to the City of New Orleans. Among several meetings the interagency team attended was a public training session on the City Assisted Evacuation Plan (CAEP). Attendees to this training session comprised of representatives from nongovernmental organizations that volunteered to assist during future City evacuations. City Homeland Security staff briefed attendees on the functionality of the Plan, and sought to assign volunteers to assume specific roles ranging from moving evacuees on and off of vehicles to caring for animals brought to the registration sites. Additionally, the interagency team engaged discussions with representatives from the Mayor's Committee on People with Disabilities and the City's Office on Homeland Security. The team also met with the City's Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator regarding the physical accessibility of the rebuilding efforts.

Upcoming Events

August 16-19, 2006
Chicago Fire Department 2006 Life Safety Conference Large Scale Incident Evacuations
Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois
Discussion topics will include: mass evacuation planning; crisis communication; dealing with post-event decontamination (bio-hazards); EMS: dealing with the elderly/hospitalized; high-rise incident command; mutual aid; hands-on demos; training and certifications; and town hall meetings with experienced international building and fire professionals. Learn from those involved in Katrina, Gulf disasters, New York power outages, and more. http://www.cfdconference.com/

September 2006
National Preparedness Month
To view calendar events in your neighborhood as well as nationwide visit http://www.citizencorps.gov/citizenCorps/eventCalendarMap.do. or visit www.ready.gov for more information.

September 6-8 , 2006
8th Annual Technologies for Critical Incident Preparedness Conference & Expo
Hyatt Regency, Atlanta, Georgia
http://www.regonline.com/eventinfo.asp?EventId=88623

September 15, 2006
NY, NY
The World Trade Center Evacuation Study: Translating Research into Practice
The Mailman School of Public Health is sponsoring a symposium to share the findings of the World Trade Center Evacuation Study and its practical applications.
http://www.mailman.hs.columbia.edu/news/wtc-eval-fnl.html.

September 18-22, 2006
NEMA 2006 Annual Conference
Orange, AL
http://www.nemaweb.org/

October 8-14 , 2006
Fire Prevention Week 2006
Sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

October 24-26, 2006
Pacific Northwest Preparedness Society
Vancouver, British Columbia
http://www.epconference.ca

November 12-15, 2006
International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) 2006 Annual Conference & EMEX Exhibit
"Going All the Way.Putting Plans Into Action"
Orlando, FL
http://www.iaem.com

Nov. 14-16 , 2006
Transportation Disaster Response - Family Assistance Course offered by the National Transportation Safety Board NTSB Academy, Ashburn, VA (near Washington, DC)
Developed for commercial transportation officials, representatives of federal agencies and staff of non-governmental relief organizations and emergency managers, this course is instrumental in understanding how any organization involved in accident response can most effectively support family assistance efforts.
http://www.ntsb.gov/Academy/CourseInfo/TDA301_2006.htm.

November 17-19, 2006
World Congress & Expo on Disabilities (WCD Expo)
Philadelphia, PA
The WCD Expo, the world's largest disability event, is dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities, their families and professionals who work with them.
http://www.wcdexpo.com/

January 29-February 2 , 2007
Florida Emergency Preparedness Association Annual Conference
Daytona Beach, Florida
This annual conference includes speaker presentations, panel discussion, and workshops that focus on timely emergency management issues and topics. In conjunction with the annual conference, association business is conducted; also, outstanding agency and individual contributions to the field of emergency management are recognized through an awards program.
http://www.fepa.org/meetings.aspx

February 8-9, 2007
National Conference on Disaster Planning for the Carless Society
New Orleans, LA
The University of New Orleans Transportation Center, in partnership with the New Orleans Regional Planning Commission and the Regional Transit Authority, is organizing a National Conference on Disaster Planning for the Car-less Society. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita revealed the importance of evacuation planning, especially for people without the ability or means to drive. All cities in the United States are vulnerable to natural and human caused disasters. The focus of this conference is on evacuation planning for car-less residents, including the elderly, disabled, and transit dependent populations. Our intent is to bring together government officials, professionals, and experts to discuss how we can better prepare for those that are in most need.
Presentations/Call for papers due August 15, 2006.

Recently Released Resources

NYC Hurricane Evacuation Plan Released
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg released the city's hurricane emergency plan which focused largely on evacuation. A team of more than 34,000 city employees - along with a variety of agencies - would organize the mass mobilization and bring residents to evacuation shelters and then onto one of 500 shelters. For more information on the Plan visit
http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=60604.

President Bush Orders Update Of Emergency Alert System President Bush issued a 30-paragraph Executive Order targeting an overhaul of the nation's public warning systems. He acknowledged critical weakness unaddressed since the 2001 terrorist attacks and exposed again last year by Hurricane Katrina. DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff is tasked with implementation of this Executive Order. The Executive Order is available at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/06/20060626.html See also, a Washington Post Article announcing the Executive Order.

Managing Crises - Promising Practice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
This article spotlights the laudable work of Patricia Healy, Deputy Chief Financial Officer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Healy played a pivotal role in USDA's response during the sweeping disruptions caused by Hurricane Katrina. The focus of the response was the National Finance Center in New Orleans, a unit of the Department, which handles payroll operations for thousands of federal employees. While Hurricane Katrina bore down on the city last year, NFC managed to rush out the payroll for more than half a million federal workers on time. See article "Plan for the Unexpected Helps Patricia Healy Manage During Crises:"
http://www.governmentleader.com/issues/1_8/features/180-1.html.

Community Relations Liaisons: Filling a Pivotal Role in Red Cross Disaster Relief
Building on lessons from an initial pilot community relations program launched during last year's hurricane season, the American Red Cross recently gathered employees and volunteers in Washington, D.C. to train as Community Relations Liaisons. The two-day training sought to build the capacity of the retooled and revitalized program while focusing on preparing a diverse group of individuals to support disaster operations in the field.
For more information visit
http://www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_312_5516,00.html.

The American Association for People with Disabilities (AAPD) August ADA Events Calendar
The AAPD has included several events in its July 2006 calendar celebrating the 16th anniversary of the ADA such events include: "Disability Statistics: What are the Real Numbers and How Do You Make Sense of Them?" For more information on this and several other calendar events visit:
http://www.aapd-dc.org/calendar/calendar.php.

The Emergency Email and Wireless Network
The Mission of the Emergency Email and Wireless Network is to "provide notification to citizens of local, regional, national and international emergencies utilizing the Internet and electronic mail (email) in a secure and expedient manner." For more information visit:
http://www.emergencyemail.org/

The Center for Public Integrity releases "Katrina Watch" June 2006
The Center for Public Integrity spotlights the best coverage of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath and tracks government contracts awarded for cleanup and reconstruction. The Katrina Watch project presents original reports by the Center for Public Integrity and a daily roundup of links to the latest information culled from media and government Web sites.
To view current issue visit:
http://www.publicintegrity.org/katrina/.

GAO Conducts Study Released June 2006--"Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Coordination between FEMA and the Red Cross Should Be Improved for the 2006 Hurricane Season"
To view the entire study visit:
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-712.

AARP Releases Report "We Can Do Better: Lessons Learned for Protecting Older Persons in Disasters"
This report addresses three major topics as they relate to older persons:

• Planning and communications,
• Identifying who will need help and kind of help needed, such as registries, tracking, and medications, and;
• Evacuating older persons, including transportation and "special needs" shelters.

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 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 20 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 eight major areas:

1. Emergency Communications;
2. Emergency Preparedness in the Workplace;
3. Emergency Transportation;
4. Health;
5. Private Sector Coordination;
6. Research;
7. State, Local and Tribal Government Coordination; and
8. Technical Assistance and Outreach.