NYSILC Promising Practices in Emergency Preparedness Post 9/11: CIDNY temporarily displaced from office. Communications down. Need for center to provide services to peers with disabilities and to be able to communicate with network so others could focus systems advocacy efforts on larger issues and needs. Lessons Learned: We had a long way to go to educate stakeholders about the needs of people with disabilities related to the emergency management process. Strengths: Viability of centers to provide services, knowledge about people with disabilities, systems advocacy efforts (it took a month to get things moving), communication between the IL network, documentation of issues. NYSILC Emergency Preparedness Committee: Created to have members discuss important issues and then act on them. Lessons Learned: Excellent forum for SILC to discuss and work on issues. Committee composed of a combination of SILC members, key stakeholders, and emeritus members. Strengths: Committee can identify important issues to pursue and then can quickly switch focus to serve in a communication/liaison role during an emergency.

NYSILC Promising Practices in Emergency Preparedness State OEM Committee: Key members of the NYSILC Emergency Preparedness Committee serve on the State OEM Human Services Committee, which has increased the mutual understand of the process between stakeholders. Advocates have made efforts to increase the inclusion people with disabilities in the planning process, outreach to emergency managers, and further training about disability awareness specific to emergency preparedness. Lessons Learned: Participation allows members to demonstrate their value. One SILC member has a disability awareness training business that specializes in emergency management for first responders: Another SILC member serves at Disaster Recovery Centers. Other members have developed strong local relationships. Strengths: Representation. Allows progress to actually happen on disability related issues.

NYSILC Promising Practices in Emergency Preparedness Post Hurricane Sandy: Many city centers had to temporarily relocate. They worked with the SILC and what was readily available to get resources to become operational. FEMA was certainly prepared and inclusive in their post event approach. A former SILC member and other colleagues became key point persons for the disability community. CIDNY, BCID and other city centers documented issues impacting the lack of access to emergency preparedness and services leading up to and during the storm. Centers found plaintiffs and sued NY City and OEM in Federal court and won a decision: Lessons Learned: Centers must have a plan for remote operation and transition back to full operation. City was resistant pre-storm to work on the issue – however - they hired a former SILC member (attorney) to implement the plan. Strengths: As a network, we know who we are, what we need, how to communicate, document, and follow though on systems advocacy efforts.

NYSILC Promising Practices in Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Effort/Albany Law School: NYSILC Emergency Preparedness Committee members discussed project with Professor Bridgit Burke, Director of the Disability Law Clinic to have law students engage emergency managers in capital district counties regarding various aspects of their plans and people with disabilities. Refer to published paper: Lessons Learned: Effective effort to combine disability knowledge of IL network with legal expertise and energy of law clinic. Some counties were waiting for assistance, others were at a loss and needed help. Only a few were rude and non-compliant. Strengths: We have the talent and expertise needed for an area of their plans that often lacked details for our population. Future: Still trying to convince NYS OEM that they should invest in funding the IL network of centers for a project that enhances their response to emergency preparedness.

Contact Information Brad Williams - New York SILC 111 Washington Avenue, Suite 101 Albany, NY 12210