Disaster Preparedness Presentation by Courtney E. McFarland, Pamela Johnston, Vonda Mayer and Ashley Newcomer

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Federal Government Agency FEMA’s mission: “to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards” (About FEMA, 2014)

Introduction: FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA’s history can be dated back to the Congressional Act of 1803 The first act of Federal disaster relief came after a devastating fire in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1802 Congress suspended bond payments for several months for these merchants April 1, 1979, President Jimmy Carter signed the executive order that created FEMA- Federal Emergency Management Agency.

History of FEMA (1979-present) FEMA has morphed into more than originally designed as it has encapsulated other organizations over the course of 35 years: The Federal Insurance Administration The National Fire Prevention and Control Administration The National Weather Service Community Preparedness Program The Federal Preparedness Agency of the General Services Administration The Federal Disaster Assistance Administration activities from HUD Civil defense responsibilities were also transferred to the new agency from the Defense Department’s Defense Civil Preparedness Agency

Divide and conquer: Region III FEMA divides the United States into Regions in order to best serve each area Headquarters in Philadelphia Regional Administrator: MaryAnn Tierney Region III consists of: Washington DC Delaware Maryland Pennsylvania Virginia West Virginia Image from www.fema.gov

Team FEMA National Disaster Recovery Framework Complex web of divisions and organizations feed down from the Federal government to the community level. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Highly trained citizens within a community to respond to disasters within their area behind the first responders. Teens and adults Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) This team of people have 4 functions to search, rescue, technical (structural specialists) and medical. Canine’s are used to help with search efforts Emergency Communication Specialists

Role of the Nurse in FEMA Nurses contribute leadership, planning and expertise to disaster preparedness and response. Using problem solving skills and delegating care gives the nurse the ability to quickly adjust to extreme situations and give quality care to patients. Working for FEMA, nurses are able to volunteer and train people in their community and distribute preparedness materials. They are also able to work directly with hospitals or local community leaders to create emergency response plans.

Hurricane Katrina (August 23-30, 2005) Category 5 Hurricane, 140mph, Louisiana touch down “most catastrophic natural disaster and costliest hurricane in U.S. history” (Louisiana Recovery Office, 2014) Death toll: 1,836 and counting Cost: 60 billion and counting ***Cost and Death toll are still being calculated due to the severity of damage and degree of mass casualty***

FEMA response to Katrina Provided 5.8 billion dollars to help recover and rebuild homes Provided temporary housing of trailers to families who lost their homes Funded replacements/repairs, rentals and hotel accommodations for victims Funded 11.9 billion to rebuild community hospitals, schools, government buildings, and healthcare facilities $$$

FEMA response to Katrina According to the Louisiana Recovery Office webpage on fema.gov, FEMA is still helping governments in Louisiana affected by Katrina to rebuild. FEMA provided an adequate response to hurricane Katrina and still is providing an adequate response that compliments other government agencies and volunteer efforts to help those affected.

4 Stages of Disaster Preparedness Prevention (or mitigation)-preventing future emergencies or minimizing their effects Prevention takes place before and after emergencies and includes any activities that prevent emergencies, reduces the chances of an emergency happening, or reduces the damaging effects of an inevitable emergency Preparedness-preparing to handle an emergency. Preparedness take place before an emergency happens and includes plans or preparations to save lives and help to response and rescue operations. Response-responding safely to an emergency. Response takes place during an emergency and Includes actions taken to save lives and prevent further property damage in an emergency situation. Response is putting your preparedness plans into action. Recovery-recovering from an emergency. Recovery takes place after an emergency. Includes actions taken to return to a normal or an even safer situation following an emergency. training.fema.gov/.../is10_unit3.doc

Nurses Role in Disaster Management Prevention Identify Community Risk Factors Public Education Vaccination Programs Disaster planning Preparedness Public Education Disaster Drills Disaster Training for Nurses Know Emergency Communication Plan Know Evacuation Shelters Prevent the Spread of Disease Identify Support Agencies and Personnel Response Medical Treatment for the Injured Personal Safety Triage Recovery Evaluating the incident and identify areas for improvement Long Term Care for Injured Restoring Community Health

If you’re a nurse, you can help! Here is a list of organizations through the American Nurses Association (ANA) that nurses can register with as volunteers in the event of a disaster. A nurse must be pre-registered in order to be verified and will be given access to disaster training. During a disaster, the nurse will be deployed through one of these recognized systems, as they are all integrated in local, state and national response plans (ANA, 2014). Community Emergency Response Team American Red Cross Medical Reserve Corps National Disaster Medical System

References About FEMA | FEMA.gov. (2013, April 30). About FEMA | FEMA.gov. Retrieved July 24, 2014, from http://www.fema.gov/about-fema About Hurricane Katrina | FEMA.gov. (2013, January 28). About Hurricane Katrina | FEMA.gov. Retrieved July 23, 2014, from http://www.fema.gov/response-recovery/about-hurricane- katrina Disaster Nursing. (2011, February 16). Nursing Management. Retrieved July 24, 2014, from http://currentnursing.com/nursing_management/disaster_nursing.html Disaster Nursing: What You Need to Know. (2013, September 12). Simmons School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Retrieved July 23, 2014, from http://onlinenursing.simmons.edu/disaster-nursing/ Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2013 April 30). Retrieved July 20, 2014, from About FEMA: http://www.fema.gov/about-agency. How Much Did Hurricane Katrina Cost?. (2012, October 13). LiveScience. Retrieved July 23, 2014, from http://www.livescience.com/32181-how-much-did-hurricane-katrina-cost.html Louisiana Recovery Office | FEMA.gov. (2014, February 26). Louisiana Recovery Office | FEMA.gov. Retrieved July 23, 2014, from http://www.fema.gov/louisiana-recovery-office

References The Four Phases of Emergency Management. N.d. Animals in Disasters. Module A, Unit 3. Retrieved from http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/downloads/is10_unit3.doc Volunteer Now! (2014). American Nurses Association. Retrieved July 23, 2014, from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/WorkplaceSafety/Healthy-Work- Environment/DPR/VolunteerNow