Louisiana Assistive Technology Access Network

Emergency Preparedness Program

LATAN ALERT

Louisiana: Be Prepared for Hurricane Season

Louisiana Assistive Technology Access Network (LATAN) urges Louisiana residents who use Assistive Technology (AT) to make plans and become prepared to be able to evacuate with all AT devices and components necessary for independent daily living in the face of hurricanes or other disasters.

For assistance with AT devices before, during, and after a disaster, please contact LATAN:

Phone 225.925.9500 V/T ~ Toll-free 1.800.270.6185 V/T ~ Fax 225.925.9560
Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ~ General Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

©2009 LATAN Emergency Preparedness Video including “Preparedness, It’s Your Turn” presentation and “EAD Emergency Readiness Wheel”, both ©2007 EAD & Associates, LLC. All rights reserved and further reproduction prohibited without prior written permission.

FEMA Alerts:

As Tropical Storm Emily Continues To Develop, FEMA Urges Citizens To Be Prepared
Wed, 03 Aug 2011 02:08:21 -0500

WASHINGTON - As Tropical Storm Emily nears Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is urging residents, especially those living in coastal areas, to closely monitor the storm and follow the advice of their local officials. As of now, the National Hurricane Center expects the storm to continue to move to the northwest, which could have the storm approaching areas along the southeastern United States by later this week. Although it's still too soon to know exactly what impact the storm could have on Florida and other states, FEMA encourages residents in the southeastern U.S. to take steps to be as prepared as possible, in advance of severe weather.

FEMA National Situation Reports for those concerned with Emergency Management http://www.fema.gov/emergency/reports/index.shtm


EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RECOVERY RESOURCES

American Red Cross Using Technology to Help People Prepare for Hurricane Season
With new predictions for an above-average 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, the American Red Cross is adding technology to the many ways it helps people to get prepared.  The Red Cross has developed a free iPhone app that gives the location of all open Red Cross shelters. The app not only maps the location of a shelter, but also shows current capacity and population. To download the app, users can visit the Apple store and search "American Red Cross shelters." For those without an iPhone, the same shelter information also appears on the Red Cross website and can be accessed by visiting www.redcross.org and clicking on "Find a Shelter." Both are refreshed with updated information every 30 minutes.  In addition, the Red Cross Safe and Well website now allows users to update their Facebook and Twitter status when they register on the site. Safe and Well is a secure way to let your loved ones know where you are going during a hurricane evacuation or that you are "okay" in the aftermath of a disaster. If users choose to do so, they can easily let their entire network of friends and family know they are safe in one step.  Read more in the Red Cross press release. (May 24, 2011)

American Red Cross Preparedness Fast Facts - Emergency-Specific Preparedness Information (Posted here on May 17, 2011)

Residents Encouraged to Pre-Apply for Disaster Food Assistance Ahead of Possible Flooding, Hurricane Season - Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) on May 7, 2011. Residents without Internet access may call 1-888-LA HELP U (1-888-524-3578) to pre-apply. 5/9/2011

Employers' Guide to Including Employees with Disabilities in Emergency Evacuation Plans by JAN (Job Accommodation Network) is an emergency preparedness update and reminder for employers. 11/2010

Shop for Emergency Supplies at the specialty Emergency Preparedness section of Overstock.com. (LATAN does not endorse this website or its products - resource awareness only.)

Register for NOLA's Text Message Alert System to receive updates on emergencies and disasters via text on your mobile phone. Another method of registering is by texting NOLA4U (665248).

Individual Preparedness for People with Disabilities, Their Families and Support Networks In addition to the LATAN Emergency Preparedness DVD(c), the above link will take you to a website resource offering many documents, videos, and tools focused on the topic of individual preparedness.

FEMA has a new mobile website, m.fema.gov, for accessing tools needed to prepare for and, when needed, recover from disasters. Before, during, and after disasters, many individuals will need to access important information by using their mobile devices. As a result, FEMA recently rolled out a mobile version of its website, so that people can get the information they need when disaster strikes. The new site is laid out in a user-friendly, questions-and-answer format that walks users through several important issues they face when dealing with disasters. Over the next few months, several enhancements will be made to this site, including the ability to apply for individual assistance when a disaster has been declared by the President, check on the status of an application, and update an existing application.  This could be an extremely valuable source of information for families with members who have disabilities and/or who are elderly. For detailed information, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/04/28/announcing-fema-mobile

Louisiana Emergency Preparedness and Recovery Resource List 142 KB (Word) - Compiled by LATAN, Fall 2009

National Emergency Preparedness and Recovery Resource List 574 KB (Word) - Compiled by LATAN, Fall 2009

Louisiana Emergency Management Disability and Aging Coalition 36.5 KB (Word)

Volunteer Caregiver Process 26.5 KB (Word)

Assistive Technology (AT) Needs Shelter Process  85 KB (Word)

The Take and Go Emergency Book 48.5 KB (Word)

Emergency Preparedness: Best Practices Guidelines 255 KB (Word)

State Evacuation Information Guide in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese (opens in web browser)

Emergency Communication Boards (opens in another window) - Temple University Institute on Disabilities

FCC PUBLIC NOTICE, DA 10-1107, Released: June 22, 2010, Reminder regarding Video Programming Distributors' (VPD) obligation to make emergency information accessible to persons with hearing or vision disabilities. 177 KB (PDF)

After a disaster, people with disabilities and the elderly need your help during their stay in emergency shelters. YOU can help in so many ways.

You can read to someone who is blind, help orient someone to the shelter’s layout, assist with dressing, eating, getting in and out of his/her cot, getting to the restroom, etc. With your help an already difficult experience can be a little less stressful. To volunteer go to www.lava.dhh.louisiana.gov.

EMDAC - Louisiana's Emergency Management Disability & Aging Coalition is conducting trainings around the state focused on Volunteer Caregiving.

Next Training: TBA

Participants will learn about four major areas of emergency shelter caregiving:
1. Role & Expectations of a Volunteer Shelter Caregiver
2. Disability Awareness
3. Shelter Operations & Shelter Overview
4. Supports Within Shelters: Personal Care Assistance & Assistive Technology (A.T.) Devices