AMERICAN RED CROSS DISASTER SERVICES COLORADO WILDFIRES Lessons Learned Dr. Lizabeth Jordan March 27,2013

Focus Areas  Multi-jurisdictional coordinated response and recovery in large scale disasters  Involving emergency management, human services, public health, non-profit and disability communities in response and recovery operations  Applying lessons learned from recent disasters to situations that might occur in Arizona

Coordinated Response  Before Partnerships/relationship building Planning, setting expectations, resources, information sharing  During Communicate to avoid redundancies Provide ongoing updates Stay in your lane but – you drive  After Celebrate and strengthen relationships Analyze after action review

Example of Community Partnerships  Office of Emergency Management  First Responders  Faith based organizations  School Districts/Universities  Care and Share/ Tri Lakes Cares  Catholic Charities/ Ecumenical Social Ministries  United Way 211  County Health Dept. and Dept of Human Services  Grocery stores and restaurants  Pharmacies/Optical Centers  Hotels and Motels/Private Businesses

Lessons Learned  Wildfire Lessons Learned Successes Opportunities Risk Management Mitigations

Successes  Six shelters in a two hour period  Smooth operations with partners  Joint functional success  Exercised FNSS prior to the actual event  Community assisted with displaced clients  Whole community focus

Opportunities  Conduct a listening session with FNSS clients to hear their concerns Transportation Space allocation Equipment and Adaptive technologies  Find out challenges that partners experienced during the event Communication with National Volunteers Process issues

Risk Management  Communicated with partners and instructed them to call me if any issues arose  Consulted resources to research laws and policies  Leadership of all agencies met to discuss future plans  Discussions and tough questions were asked to avoid issues

Mitigations  Met with ADA Rocky Mountain Agency to review laws and policies and request their inspection, input and feedback if we open a shelter  Established a plan for future Operations Management Center  EOC will be staffed by local personnel  CEO fundraised and purchased additional trailers with supplies to be prestaged in prone disaster areas

Ready When the Times Comes Training  Can be likened to the ability to have Just in Time Training, with a twist.  Q: How does it work?  Q: What are the Pros and Cons?  Q: Is there one standardized training model for RWTC? Why or why not?

Functional Needs Considerations  ADA compliance vs. accessibility  Establish a common ground  Functional needs clients are not to be singled out  Mitigate concerns  We do accept service animals  In advance it’s wise to include ADA when completing the checklist  It takes both of us to succeed, information sharing, setting expectations and inclusion in the understanding of meeting these expectations

Working with ADA Agencies  ADA Listening Sessions Provide a safe environment Empathize don’t sympathize  Set expectations  Explain the difference between ADA Compliance vs. Accessibility or Accommodations  Ask for their help and engage them during drills or small events