April 22, 2009 Sara Sack Assistive Technology for Kansans

2. Preparing For and Responding to a Disaster: Equipment Reutilization Programs Can Be An Important Part of Disaster Planning April 22, 2009 Sara Sack Assistive Technology for Kansans

3. Lessons Learned in Responding to Seven Disasters • Prepare both as an organization and as an individual • Have your own 72 hour kit and family plan • Learn as much as you can from the experts—National Organization on Disability, Emergency Management Agency, Red Cross, Nobody Left Behind, etc. • Conduct a program analysis to figure out how you can respond

4. Lessons Learned (Continued) • Get connected with the key players in your state—Red Cross, EMA, Health and Human Services, etc. • Develop a plan for disaster response • Obtain training so you can respond when needed • Recognize that disasters are different—be prepared to match your response to the disaster

5. Lessons Learned (Continued) • Debrief after responding to a disaster and modify your plan based on experiences and other’s recommendations.

6. Preparing For A Disaster

7. Step #1: Consider What Your Reutilization Program Can Contribute to Disaster Planning and Response • Knowledge about assistive technology, durable medical equipment, and disability • Direct source of equipment for shelters and individuals • Indirect source of equipment—we know who else has equipment (vendors, loan closets, etc.) • Statewide presence and connections

8. #1 Contributions: Continued • System for moving equipment • Connected to the national reutilization network to respond to large disasters

9. Step #2: What Equipment Can Your Program Provide? • What inventory do you have to deploy? • All categories of AT collected in our reutilization program • How do you know what you have at any given point in time? • Real time online inventory system • Hosted out of state • Backed up daily off-site • Where is the equipment? • At 6 AT Access Sites across the state

10. Equipment: Continued • How quickly can you reasonably collect the equipment? • 24 hours • What other equipment might be available? • Use network established with 31 loan closets across the state. Know general categories of equipment that they share and have disaster agreements in place

11. Equipment: Continued • How could we get the equipment to the disaster site? • Use the delivery system of our Reutilization Program, coordinate with Red Cross, use commercial carriers (Over The Road Carriers, UPS, Fed Ex, etc.)

12. Step #3: How Do We Match Equipment To The Individual’s Needs? • How do others know what we have and how do we know what individuals need? • Share PDF of available equipment pulled from online inventory • Obtain equipment needed list from Social and Rehabilitation Services, Red Cross, and other coordinating entities

13. Available Inventory by Regional Site

14. Matching Equipment: Continued • How can agencies share this information without violating Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA)? • Reutilization program has a Business Associate Agreement with state agency and is bound by regulations and protection standards • Individual can authorize sharing of needed information

15. Matching Equipment: Continued • Who assumes responsibility for matching equipment and arranging for transportation? • Follow chain of command: Reutilization Coordinator, if unavailable then Program Director, management staff, AT Access Site Reutilization Coordinator from unaffected area

16. Step #4: How Do You Budget for Disaster Response? • Who pays for transportation of equipment? • Used volunteers and associated staff to transport • When expenses were incurred, billed as reutilization program transportation expenses • Exploring becoming trained in Emergency Management and eligible to bill for disaster recovery expenses

17. Step #5: How Do You Become A Part of Your State’s Disaster Management Plan? • Get connected with disaster management entities in your state. • Listed in Disaster Management Resource Directory • Obtain appropriate training • Introduction to Disaster Services video http://www.redcross.org/flash/course01_v01/ • Modify disaster response plan to reflect state plan • Become part of the EM plan in the region, participate in drills, etc.

18. Responding To A Disaster

19. What Do We Know About The Disaster? • What is the scope? • Will individuals be in the area or will they be scattered to various shelters, relatives, etc? • What specific equipment is needed and how do we know? • Used lists and because people were dispersed ran Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to locate persons who needed technology • What sources of equipment are nearby?

20. What Do We Know About The Disaster? (continued) • Where should the equipment go? • Expect that access to the area will be controlled and that number of entries will be limited • Have a contact name and delivery information • How can we get the equipment there?

21. What Do We Know About The Disaster? (continued) • Who is onsite to help with reassignment of the equipment? • Staff and associated staff • Who will receive and sign for the equipment? • Consumer or family member • Case manger or other representative • Disaster Response Team

22. What Happened When We Responded To A Disaster • Responded to 7 disasters to date: 1 Level 5 tornado, 2 level 3 tornadoes, 1 fire, and 3 floods • Response under way within 24 hours, equipment moving by 48 hours

23. We’re Still Learning But Efforts Seem To Be Going In The Right Direction “I can’t tell you how much we appreciated the help during Greensburg. Not knowing what types of evacuees we were going to have, it was comforting to have KEE on hand. It’s also nice to know that if we have a disaster at home, I have the resources and partnership for helping our disabled victims. We are glad to have the KEE program.” • Carolyn Henry, Executive Director, Garden City Red Cross serving SW Kansas

24. Questions? Sara Sack, ssack@ku.edu 620-421-8367