Emergency Preparedness: Do You Have a Plan?

Posted by ghgeorge
March 30, 2009

As a person with a disability, I know how overwhelming life can be when faced with a serious medical condition. I also know that people with disabilities often have to be resourceful and creative when it comes to dealing with some of the challenges thrown our way. And while it’s been thought that those with disabilities would be more resilient in times of disaster for the reasons just mentioned, statistics show this isn’t always the case.

In fact, according to Lex Frieden, director of Independent Living Research Utilization, approximately 50 percent of the thousands of people who died as a result of Hurricane Katrina were either elderly or disabled. So when Laura George asked me to write an article on any topic related to emergency preparedness and special needs for the Spinal Cord Resources Network, I quickly agreed. While I’ve written a number of pieces on this subject, this opened ended assignment allowed me the opportunity to take a different approach to the issue of preparedness. I decided I would randomly poll my friends with disabilities, which range from mobility to vision to hearing impairments, to see just how prepared they actually are should a disaster strike.

It’s been exactly one week since I sent out an e-mail asking my friends if they have an emergency plan in place at home and/or at work. While only about half of them have responded, I’ve found some of their responses to be enlightening. For starters, more of them had a plan in place than I expected—at least at work, that is. In fact, one of my friends said she and her coworkers conduct drills three times a year to make sure everyone knows how to carryout their plan.

One gentleman, who uses a wheelchair, wrote that his office is very close to the entrance of the building, but his agency still has a basic plan in place. As part of this plan, he must always let someone know where he will be in the office and when he is leaving. In addition, they have a set meeting point outside when evacuation is necessary. Emergency supplies, like flashlights and first aid kits, are also kept in the office.

It was also encouraging to see that the youngest of the responders—a high school teenager with physical limitations—had a plan in place at home. Even more encouraging is that her plan is multifaceted to account for various types of disasters. For example, should a tornado come their way, her family has a designated meeting spot in the basement. They even have it in their plan to arrive at this point with their shoes and jackets on—if possible. However, she admits that her family’s plan does need work in some areas, although that’s partially because they just recently moved to a new neighborhood.

This brings up a good point—getting a proper plan in place doesn’t usually happen over night and often requires amendments as time goes on. Janet Shaw, of New Jersey, realizes that developing a suitable plan not only takes time and careful consideration, but that it can also cost a bit of money to acquire emergency supplies as necessary.

“We (follow) a great emergency management plan that tells you what to buy each week for 24 weeks so it is not so overwhelming. It’s called the Family Disaster Supplies Calendar, which is intended to help you prepare for disasters before they happen. Using the calendar, we can assemble an emergency kit in the small steps over a six-month period,” said Shaw, whose husband is recovering from a spinal cord injury.  

While a respectable number of my friends have plans in place (or are at least beginning to develop one), several of them do not have any plan for home or work and realize it’s something they need to address. For these individuals, Shaw suggests following the tips on the calendar she has, which is available free of charge through Mayes County Emergency Management (1-877-263-0280).

FEMA officials also released the following emergency tips to help seniors and people with disabilities prepare for disaster (www.fema.gov):

“Who best to plan but us? We know our own strengths and weaknesses; our own resources and networks. We have an obligation to ourselves and our families to be active participants in our own safety and not assume the role of ‘passive victim,’ especially when we would never dream of doing that in any other aspect of our lives,” says Elizabeth Davis, founder and managing director of EAD & Associates, LLC, an emergency management firm that focuses on populations with special needs.

And while Davis believes that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, it’s still important to plan for the worst case scenario should something happen to you. 

“I have all the legal paperwork for a medical power of attorney, and it is on file in my home, with the power of attorney, and at the local hospital as well as at the VA hospital,” said Buddy Hayes, who has multiple sclerosis and resides in New Mexico. “There are directions as to what needs to be done and when—like bills that need to be, who is to care for my service animal, etc.”

Hayes said she also specified what she wants done should she pass away. “It is all written down so no one has to wonder what Buddy would want—it is right there,” she said. “I would never want to put that burden on someone if they didn’t know what I wanted.”

For more information on life-saving emergency preparedness, visit www.eadassociates.com. 

Emergency Preparedness, Roaring Mouse (advocacy)

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