Emergency Preparedness Program
LATAN News:
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
LATAN Proud to be Involved
LATAN was proud to hold a major role in the planning and coordination of the FEMA Region VI Emergency Management and AT Reuse Summit...in Houston, Texas...
Read more of LATAN Proud to be Involved
LATAN Alerts:
West Nile Virus Precautions from our Friends in Texas
The Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services has partnered with the Department of State Health Services and Department of Aging and Disability Services to produce two American Sign Language videos: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/TxWestNile/ASLs/ about West Nile Virus Prevention measures.
The Texas Department of State Health Services urges people to take precautions to reduce the risk of contracting West Nile Virus, a mosquito-borne illness. People should use insect repellent when outdoors and avoid going outside at dusk and dawn.
Additional West Nile Virus information can be found at: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/disease/arboviral/WestNile/ and http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/TxWestNile/PSAs/. This link takes you to videos in American Sign Language that provide information on preparing for natural disasters and other health emergencies.
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.
* Keep devices charged
* Store chargers, extra batteries, and adapters with devices
* Take a plastic zipper bag and/or electronic file (disc or flash drive) containing all AT info including:
- Device name
- Manufacturer’s name & info
- Model and Serial numbers
- Vendor (Store’s/Seller’s) name & info
- Date of purchase and copy of receipt if available
- Copy of Doctor’s or Therapist’s prescription if available & contact info
- Funder’s (i.e., Medicare, Medicaid, Insurance Co.) name, contact info, & policy numbers
* Post “how-to” instructions on big or complex devices for first responders and evacuation personnel
* If relying on local/state officials for evacuation touch base with them and remind them of AT needs
Louisiana residents with access and functional needs may want to review the LATAN Emergency Preparedness Video© for tips on being prepared for disasters. This video is fully accessible through American Sign Language (ASL) and open captioning. This preparedness tool is for sale for $25 on LATAN’s website (www.latan.org) on the DVD webpage. For more information or to purchase via phone, call LATAN’s Emergency Preparedness program at 225.925.9500 (Voice/TDD) or 1.800.270.6185 (Voice/TDD).
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
CLOAKING
~ General Email
CLOAKING
©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 News:
Local Groups Making Long-Term Commitment to Louisiana’s Recovery
12/06/2012 07:40 AM EST (Re-posted from Region 6 News for FEMA.)
Release date: December 5, 2012
Release Number: DR-4080-190
BATON ROUGE, La. – As Louisianians continue to recover from Hurricane Isaac, some of their needs may go beyond the scope of assistance from the state or the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). That’s when community-based long-term recovery groups can help, providing what hurricane survivors most often need: money, materials and manpower.
Effective Hurricane Preparedness Requires All of Us Working Together
6/14/2012 (Re-posted from FEMA Blog 6/8/2012)
By Guest Blogger Marcie Roth, Director, Office of Disability Integration and Coordination, FEMA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
People often ask me why FEMA no longer calls people with disabilities and other people with access and functional needs “vulnerable” or “special needs”? The answer is straightforward: it’s the people who fail to prepare who are the ones who are most vulnerable in disasters. When people with disabilities have a plan for disasters and are prepared, they are in a much better position to ensure that they have the best possible outcomes during and after a disaster such as a hurricane. With approximately 50 percent of the population having access and functional needs, those needs are not special, they are simply… Click here to read complete FEMA blog post, Effective Hurricane Preparedness Requires All of Us Working Together, by Marcie Roth.
Louisiana Hurricane History Demonstrates Need to Prepare For Upcoming Season
05/31/2012 11:45 AM EDT (re-posted from FEMA Region 6 update)
DENTON, Texas -- Sixteen hurricanes and six tropical storms since 1956, which resulted in federal disaster declarations, serve as reminders to Louisianans that now is the time to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season.
Emergency & Preparedness Resources:
Louisiana Addresses, Area Codes, and Location Information can be found on this website, included for emergency purposes. Link checked: 11/27/12
Zip Codes can be found on this website for addresses, included for emergency purposes. Link checked: 11/27/12
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. Register for the City-Assisted Evacuation service in New Orleans at NOLA 311 by dialing 311. Upgrades as of August 24, 2012.
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
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)
VOLUNTEER TODAY!Volunteer to Help People with Disabilities and the Elderly in Emergency Shelters
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
