AMERICAN RED CROSSAMERICAN RED CROSS

DISASTER SERVICESDISASTER SERVICES

COLORADO WILDFIRESCOLORADO WILDFIRES

Lessons Learned

Dr. Lizabeth JordanMarch 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