Monthly Updates - July/August 2009

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

2009 National Conference on Community Preparedness
The 2009 National Conference on Community Preparedness: The Power of Citizen Corps was hosted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Community Preparedness Division on August 9-13, 2009, in Arlington, VA. The conference was open to all individuals interested in making their communities safer, stronger, and better prepared for any type of hazard. The conference brought together approximately 600 state and local elected officials, emergency management professionals, police and fire services, public health and emergency medical services, non-governmental organizations, private business and industry, advocacy groups, and members of the public.

The conference featured over 100 presentations and 160 speakers providing the latest updates and best practices on community preparedness from across the nation. Attendees shared best practices on collaborative emergency planning, discussed preparedness outreach and education for targeted populations, learned innovative approaches to funding, heard updates on Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/FEMA initiatives, obtained updates on findings from citizen preparedness research, networked with other Citizen Corps participants, and much more.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate welcomed participants and provided opening remarks. He emphasized the need to engage the public as a resource when dealing with disaster and recovery operations. Also addressing the conference were DHS Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute and FEMA Deputy Administrator for the National Preparedness Directorate, Tim Manning.

Selected Highlights from the Community Preparedness Conference:

DHS Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) Staff Deliver Plenary Message
DHS CRCL staff members Brian Parsons, Senior Policy Advisor, and Debbie Fulmer, Emergency Management Advisor, presented Planning for the Entire Community: A Function-based Approach. Drawing from the Comprehensive Planning Guide 301: Emergency Management Planning Guide for Special Needs Populations, they outlined how emergency managers and community-based organizations can effectively plan to meet the needs of the entire community. The speakers addressed the benefits of involving members and representatives of special needs populations at all levels of emergency management and encouraged attendees to reach out within their own communities and engage these populations.

Interagency Coordinating Council Agencies Address Functional Needs in Community Preparedness During Panel Presentation
Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities (ICC) representatives from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Transportation (DOT), and the Department of Labor (DOL) provided attendees with an overview of their respective department's/agency's work in the area of emergency management and individuals with disabilities. They each highlighted the applicability of such work to the local community level. Panelists also provided resources that can be used to enhance the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in all phases of emergency management. The National Council on Disability (NCD) and the Department of Justice also conducted a workshop that highlighted newly released materials.

The following Department of Homeland Security articles were previously published in the DHS Today, Aug. 17, 2009–Vol. 7, Issue No. 27.

Conference Features Results of Citizen Corp National Survey
During the 2009 Conference on Community Preparedness, FEMA announced the initial findings from the 2009 Citizen Corps National Survey, which assesses public perceptions of community risk. The event also showcased the winners of the first annual National Citizen Corps Achievement Awards. The awards recognize innovative practices and achievements of Citizen Corps councils across the nation.

To review results from the survey, go to http://www.citizencorps.gov/nccp/.

2009 Winners of the National Citizen Corps Achievement Award Announced
FEMA Deputy Administrator for National Preparedness Timothy Manning, National Emergency Management Association Incoming President David Maxwell, and International Association for Emergency Managers President Russ Decker announced the 2009 winners of the National Citizen Corps Achievement Awards during a ceremony held at the conference.

The awards recognize innovative practices and achievements of Citizen Corps councils across the nation that are making communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to manage any emergency situation.

The Citizen Corp councils that won these awards exemplify excellence in community emergency planning, foster successful public-private partnerships, prioritize collaboration, demonstrate creative and innovative local problem solving, and implement sound programs that can be modeled for use by other communities.

More information, including a list of the winners, is available at http://www.citizencorps.gov/news/awards/index.shtm.

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ICC Monthly Updates

US Department of Homeland Security

FEMA Welcomes Marcie Roth, New Senior Advisor for Disability Issues
Marcie Roth was appointed by President Obama's administration as Senior Advisor for Disability Issues at FEMA. With direct reporting responsibility to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, Marcie assumed her duties on July 1, 2009. Marcie joins FEMA after serving as President and CEO of Global Disability Solutions Group, a company that focuses on disaster preparedness for communities and governments. Prior to this position, Marcie spent 15 years in leadership positions for several non-profit organizations. She is known for her successful leadership in developing and managing effective coalitions to advance public policy initiatives, and is frequently consulted as an expert on strategic approaches that fully integrate preparedness, response and recovery solutions for underserved and vulnerable populations. She also served as a senior member of the Obama for America Disability Policy Committee during the 2007-2008 Presidential campaign.

Marcie can be reached at marcie.roth@dhs.gov.

The following Department of Homeland Security article has been previously published in the DHS Today, August 10, 2009—Vol. 7, Issue No. 26.

FEMA Announces Creation of Children's Working Group
FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate announced the creation of a "Children's Working Group" that will allow FEMA and its partners to explore and implement planning and response strategies specific to the needs of children during a disaster, and integrate them into FEMA's general operations. The administrator made the announcement while testifying before the Senate Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery.

"It is time for special needs populations, whether children or any other segment of our communities who have traditionally been underserved, to be more fully and consistently integrated into preparedness and planning efforts at every level of government," Fugate said. "Children are a part of every community. We must understand and address their needs from the outset, recognizing that they are not simply small adults. That means not putting the considerations specific to children in a separate box, but incorporating them into our planning on the front end."

The Children's Working Group will be composed of FEMA employees across multiple directorates and offices to ensure coordination and action, and will report directly to the Office of the Administrator. The working group will be chaired by Tracy Wareing, Counselor to Secretary Napolitano for FEMA.

The group's areas of focus will include specific guidance for evacuating, sheltering and relocating children; assisting childcare centers, schools, and child welfare systems in preparing for disasters; incorporating children into national planning scenarios and exercises; including children's needs in the department's grant programs; and increasing public awareness efforts to educate families and protect children during disasters.

More information about the Children's Working Group announcement is available at http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=49221.

The following Department of Homeland Security article has been previously published in the DHS Today, July 27, 2009—Vol. 7, Issue No. 24.

Secretary Briefs Congress, Media on Flu Season Planning
Secretary Napolitano joined Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, White House Homeland Security Advisor John Brennan, and Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in briefing Congress and the news media about the federal government's planning for the return of the H1N1 virus during flu season.

The group announced that a likely vaccination program will begin this fall, and that outreach to state, local, territorial, and tribal partners, the private sector, and the public will continue. They encouraged all Americans to begin planning and preparing for the fall flu season now.

"Minimizing the effects of H1N1 is a shared responsibility," the secretaries said in their joint statement. "Americans can start preparing today by logging on to www.flu.gov and taking advantage of the flu prevention information and planning guidelines located on the site." They added that the federal government will continue to monitor the H1N1 virus in the United States, as well as overseas, to fulfill President Obama's "top priority of keeping the American people safe and secure."

The following Department of Homeland Security article has been previously published in the DHS Today, July 13, 2009—Vol. 7, Issue No. 22.

Secretary Napolitano Participates In H1N1 Preparedness Summit

Issues Message With Other Federal Officials About Vaccination And Education
With the H1N1 flu virus continuing to circulate around the world, Secretary Napolitano joined other high-ranking federal officials in speaking about the need for preparedness before the United States and other Northern Hemisphere countries enter the start of flu season this fall. She, along with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and Homeland Security Adviser John Brennan, spoke at the H1N1 Influenza Preparedness Summit at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

During her remarks, Secretary Napolitano discussed the federal role in preparing for a potential fall flu outbreak. While there is great uncertainty in predicting the severity of any outbreak, the ongoing preparations will be put to good use, she said. The key is to maintain regular communication with all those involved in preparations, and she noted that DHS is "working together with its federal, state, local, and tribal partners to develop a nation-wide plan to combat the H1N1 flu that incorporates the lessons we learned this spring." Napolitano acknowledged that there will be questions from government employees, including those at DHS who work along the border and in other public venues, regarding such things as wearing personal protective equipment. These questions are practical and difficult ones but they are being addressed, she said.

President Obama also spoke to the group via telephone from Italy. He said "the potential for a significant outbreak in the fall is looming," and added, "We want to make sure that we are not promoting panic, but we are promoting vigilance and preparation. And the most important thing for us to do in this process is to make sure that state and local officials prepare now." At the summit, Secretary Sebelius announced a new government flu Web site, http://www.flu.gov/, and that HHS will offer grants totaling $350 million to help states and hospitals prepare for the upcoming flu season.

All three secretaries attending the summit jointly issued a public statement saying they are working together to prepare for initiating a voluntary fall vaccination program. They emphasized that individual prevention is critical and that everyone should take the necessary precautions to stay healthy by washing their hands frequently and staying home from work or school if they do get sick.

A transcript of Secretary Napolitano's remarks at the summit is available at http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1247229218508.shtm. The secretary also has written a Leadership Journal entry about her participation at the summit, which is available at http://www.dhs.gov/journal/leadership.

Federal Communications Commission

Broadband Opportunities for People with Disabilities
On August 20, 2009, the FCC held a well attended workshop on Broadband Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities (BOID). The workshop generated a lot of positive feedback from consumers with disabilities and disability advocates. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski spoke of his dedication to accessibility of broadband technology as related to people with disabilities. Chairman Genachowski introduced Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy, who provided an update on relevant issues on behalf of the Obama administration. Marcie Roth, DHS/FEMA Senior Advisor on Disability Issues, also gave remarks and urged full participation in the development of the National Broadband Plan with the FCC.

The workshop covered issues relating to:

1. The Broadband Marketplace Today for Individuals with Disabilities
2. Broadband's Potential for Individuals with Disabilities
3. Strategies for Achieving Full Access for Individuals with Disabilities

For more information, please go to http://www.broadband.gov/ws_disability.html for a recorded version of the workshop. There is also a Broadband blog entry about the BOID workshop at http://blog.broadband.gov/?p=105.

The Department of Health & Human Services

The Department of the Interior Plans an Accessibility Summit
On Friday, August 14, 2009, the Office for At-Risk Individuals, Behavioral Health, and Human Services Coordination (ABC) in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) hosted an all-day listening session to discuss the needs of at-risk populations during pandemic influenza and other emergencies. Approximately 25 non-governmental organizations attended, with expertise on disability, nursing, aging, pediatrics, obstetrics, Hispanic health, and mental health. The discussion centered on functional needs, best practices, gaps, and partnerships. A summary report will be developed and released in mid-September.

The Department of the Interior

The Department of the Interior Plans an Accessibility Summit
The Department of the Interior is planning an Accessibility Summit meeting to be held Spring 2010. It will focus on five specific issues that relate to ensuring equal opportunity for persons with disabilities: employment practices; architectural accessibility of Department of the Interior's (DOI) buildings and facilities; programmatic access to DOI programs, services and opportunities; access to information resources such as websites and other electronic information and emergency preparedness for people with disabilities.

The Department of Transportation

The Federal Highway Administration Participates in the National Conference on Community Preparedness
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Operations' Emergency Transportation Operations Team member, Laurel Radow, participated in two sessions at the August 9-13, 2009 National Conference on Community Preparedness, The Power of Citizen Corps. As a panel member of the session, Planning and Preparing for Mass Evacuations, Ms. Radow provided information that will help participants integrate evacuation planning into their overall emergency preparedness efforts. In another session, Addressing Functional Needs in Community, Ms. Radow provided an overview of DOT's efforts to enhance the safety and security of individuals with disabilities in emergencies.

The Federal Highway Administration and The National Association of Regional Councils Hold Transportation and Evacuation Planning Workshops
The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC), under contract with DOT's FHWA Office of Planning, organized and held two workshops on transportation and evacuation planning to address streamlining, cross linking, and coordination of evacuation planning efforts by regional councils and metropolitan planning organizations in instances of manmade or natural disasters.

The first workshop, Transportation and Evacuation Planning Workshop was held on February 24, 2009 during the 2009 National Conference of Regions in Washington, DC. This workshop examined how evacuation planning can be cross-linked and coordinated with multi-modal transportation planning for special needs populations. Three critical components highlighted were:

• Cross-coordination with relevant local and regional agencies during the planning process;
• Effective communication techniques used to make plans accessible to special needs populations; and,
• Efforts for multi-modal evacuations affecting multiple regional planning organizations, which are contiguous to one another.

The second workshop, Streamlining Cross-linking and Coordination of Transportation and Evacuation Planning among Regional Councils and Metropolitan Planning Organizations was held on June 1, 2009 during its 43^rd Annual Conference and Exhibition in Denver, CO. This workshop examined the impacts of data collection, analysis and implementation have on cross-linking transportation and evacuation planning at the Federal, regional, and local levels.

Please go to http://narc.org/events/workshops/other-workshops/transportation-and-evacuation-planning.html to find a summarization for each of these workshops. A complete summary is currently under final review and is expected to be available in the fall of 2009.

The National Organization on Disability

Wal-Mart Foundation Awards Grant to Emergency Preparedness Initiative
The Wal-Mart Foundation in Bentonville, Arkansas, announced a $500,000 grant to the National Organization on Disability (NOD) for its Emergency Preparedness Initiative, which is designed to ensure that the needs of the 54 million people with disabilities in the United States are included in emergency planning and response.

Through its outreach, education, and awareness efforts, the initiative aims to position people with disabilities as a central component of emergency preparedness plans at all levels while ensuring that they also take steps to prepare themselves. With the grant, NOD will work to improve its training materials and outreach efforts to states, counties, and municipalities, expand its advocacy network and outreach activities in disability communities, and build awareness nationally of the importance of the initiative.

"Emergency preparedness for the disabled concerns all Americans, because anyone can join the disability community in an instant," said EPI national director Hilary Styron. "While we have come a long way in the past few years, the fact remains that individuals with disabilities and special needs are still the country's most vulnerable population for emergency preparedness. We're pleased that the Wal-Mart Foundation has recognized this need with its generous grant, which will help us expand the reach and effectiveness of our program."

"Walmart Foundation Commits $500,000 to Improving Emergency Preparedness for the 54 Million Americans with Disabilities." Wal-Mart Foundation Press Release 7/09/09.

http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/news/story.jhtml?id=259500010

Recently Released Resources

National Council on Disability Releases Emergency Management Recommendations
The National Council on Disability (NCD) released its latest report on emergency management and people with disabilities on August 12, 2009 at the 2009 National Conference on Community Preparedness—The Power of Citizen Corps. NCD will also release the report on September 23, 2009 at the Wireless Emergency Communications State of Technology Conference at Georgia Tech Research Institute Conference Center in Atlanta, Georgia. NCD Vice Chairperson Pat Pound will announce the release during each conference.

NCD will continue its rollout of this important report with another release by NCD Chairperson John R. Vaughn on September 29, 2009 at the enABLED in Emergencies Conference.

In this report, NCD offers information and advice to assist all levels of government in its work to establish evidence-based policies, programs and practices across the lifecycle of disasters. This report provides examples of effective community efforts with respect to people with disabilities, and evaluates many emergency preparedness, disaster relief, and homeland security program efforts deployed by both public and private sectors.

For more information about people with disabilities and emergency management, please visit NCD's Lessons Learned page and NCD's 2005 report, Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning.

The Department of Labor Releases New Brochure: Employer Perspectives on Employment of People with Disabilities In the first survey of its magnitude, 3,797 businesses representing 2.4 million companies, across 12 industry sectors and various company sizes, reported on their beliefs about and strategies for recruiting, hiring, retaining and advancing employees with disabilities. The print version of Employer Perspectives on Employment of People with Disabilities will be available soon. In the meantime, to view an Adobe PDF version, you may go to http://www.dol.gov/odep/documents/EmployerPerspectives.pdf. An MS Word version can be viewed at http://www.dol.gov/odep/documents/EmployerPerspectives.doc.

Upcoming Events

September 17, 2009
Third National Disaster Preparedness Summit
Seattle, Washington
This educational seminar is designed to help both government and private sectors create or update their current disaster plan by providing the knowledge and tools necessary to complete an efficient emergency plan in order to ensure that their business, employees and property will survive and recover in the event of a disaster.

For more information, see www.nationaldisastersummit.org.

September 21-23, 2009
Wireless RERC State of Technology Conference: Wireless Emergency Communications
Atlanta, Georgia
This FREE event will bring together both domestic and international stakeholders in a think tank environment to examine the potential of wireless communications technology for improving support and assistance for persons with disabilities before, during, and after a natural or manmade disaster. The target audience is the wireless industry, emergency management and public safety officials, broadcast and cable industry, individuals with disabilities, disability organizations, and researchers working on issues of emergency communications.

For more information, see http://sot.wirelessrerc.org/.

September 21-24, 2009
New Mexico Emergency Management Association (NMEMA) Annual Conference
"Passport to Preparedness"
Clovis, New Mexico
The New Mexico Emergency Management Association, NMEMA, is dedicated to serving the emergency management community by offering opportunities for networking, development of professional standards, conducting trainings, and fellowship. NMEMA hosts an annual emergency management conference in the late summer/early fall to bring together New Mexico's emergency managers, responders, and support professionals in the emergency management field. Local, county, state, federal, military, public, private and volunteer organizations participate in order to share the latest information in emergency planning, trainings, and technology and to review disaster response and recovery.

September 29-30, 2009
NOD's Emergency Preparedness Initiative and enableUS Present: enABLED in Emergencies Conference
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
In recognition of National Preparedness Month, the NOD's Emergency Preparedness Initiative and enableUS will be hosting the enABLED in Emergencies Conference in Philadelphia, PA on Sept. 29-30, 2009. This two-day conference will bring together public and private sector officials to discuss the latest issues in responding to people with disabilities or special needs during emergencies. The conference will merge practical technical assistance principals with real world examples for dealing with vulnerable populations when a disaster strikes. Through keynote presentations, panel sessions, networking breaks, and facilitated discussions with the audience, attendees will have the opportunity to interact with speakers and other attendees to learn and share personal experiences of emergency management for the disabled, including best practices and challenges faced.

Fore more information, see www.enableus.org.

October 31-November 5, 2009
IAEM 57th Annual Conference & EMEX 2009
"Emergency Management: United We Stand"
Orlando, Florida
The IAEM Annual Conference provides a forum for current trends and topics, information about the latest tools and technology in emergency management and homeland security, and advances IAEM committee work. Sessions encourage stakeholders at all levels of government, the private sector, public health and related professions to exchange ideas on collaborating to protect lives and property from disaster.

For more information, see http://www.iaem.com/events/Annual/intro.htm.

DISCLAIMER: DHS CRCL does not endorse the resources or events mentioned in this newsletter. All references describing non-Federal resources and events are provided to ICC stakeholders for information purposes only.

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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, see 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 this role has been delegated to 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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