engaging neighborhood residents for emergency preparedness · heat wave - a social autopsy of...

EngagingNeighborhoodResidentsfor

EmergencyPreparedness

MichaelRayResilientCommunityTaskForce

New Partners for Smart Growth ConferenceSaturday, February 4, 2017

Tucson,AZSonoranDesert• 1millioninmetropolitanTucsonandsurroundingtowns.

• Temperaturesgoingup:– 2013waswarmestJuneonrecord,– 2014was3rd;– 2015was4th warmest,and– 2016hadthethirdhighesttemperatureof115˚

PathwaystoResilienceProblemAwarenessAcknowledgingClimateChange

ClimateSmartSouthwestConference

CommunityApproachMutualReliance–

AdaptabilityNotLimitedbyPersonalResources

IndividualApproachSelfReliance–

AdaptabilityDependent onPersonalResources

TheExtremeWeatherChallenge

PartOne:TheHeatEmergencyScenario

WorkshopGuide

WorkshopPurpose

“tofacilitatepreparednessforextremeheatandotherweatherrelatedemergenciesattheneighborhoodlevelinSouthernArizona”

Part One: Assessing Your Readiness

TheHeatEmergencyScenario

TheHeatEmergencyScenario• Record breaking temperatures• Electricity out in the region• Nighttime temperatures are over 90

degrees and temperatures inside homes exceed 85.

• Hospitals and pharmacies are closed

• Water no longer works• Cell phones and gas pumps are

closed

ASouthernArizonaClimateDisasterScenario

InNovemberof2013,theArizonaStateDisasterpreparednessagenciesandStateandlocalhealthdepartmentshostedamockdisasterscenariotoaddressaregionalclimateeventinwhich theentiregridwentdownfor72hours duringanextremeheatwave.

Whatisthealternativeto“ShelterinPlace?”

PREVENTION!

1StagesofHeat- RelatedIllness

2

3 4

•Thirst •MuscleCramps

•Cool,moist,paleskin

•Headache

•Dizzinessandweaknessorexhaustion

•Nausea•Theskinmayormaynotfeelhot

•Vomiting,confusion,throbbingheadache

•Rapid,weakpulse•Rapid,shallowbreathing•Highbodytemperature•Decreasealertnesslevels

HeatStrokeHeatExhaustion

ForHeatStroke

BREAK

Part Two: Moving From Vulnerable

to Resilient

Defining“Vulnerable”toExtremeHeat

• livingalone• notleavinghomedaily• lackingaccesstotransportation• beingsickorbedridden• eldersandtheveryyoung• substanceabuse• nothavingsocialcontactsnearby• nothavinganairconditioner

Pg.9inWorkshop Guide

At-A-Distance

Neighborhood

Home

IdentifyingWhoisVulnerable

HeatWave- ASocialAutopsyofdisasterinChicago,2002,TheUniversityofChicagoPress

BYDR.ERICKLINENBERG,PROFESSOROFSOCIOLOGYFROMNYU

Lackofneighborhoodsocialcohesiveness

NorthLawndale• Bombedoutappearance• Emptylots• Littlestreetlife• Fewshopsormarkets• Agreatdealofviolentcrime

LowCohesion19deaths

(40per100thousand)

• Busystreets• Fewemptylots• Plentyofpeopleonthe

streets• Lotsofcommercialactivity• Localchurchesprovide

activity

HighCohesion3deaths

(4per100thousand)

Duringthe1995disaster,739Chicagoansabovethenorm diedduringtheweekofJuly14– 20

SouthLawndale

WhatareWeAdvocating?

PreparednessthroughCommunityCohesion

ActivityTwo:TheCommunityCohesionScale

Willweworktogetherinanemergency?

ActivityTwo:CommunityCohesion

1. Whyhaveyougivenyourneighborhoodareatherankthatyouhave?

2. Whataresomeideasforincreasingyourarea’scohesiveness?

Pleasebepreparedtoreportouttothelargergroup.

BREAK:

Part Three: Preparing for Heat-Related Emergencies

ActivityThree:HomeWorksheet

Usethehomeworksheettohelpyoufindouthowpreparedyourhouseholdisforadverseclimateevents.

•Thefirstpartoftheworksheetdescribesthepeopleinyourhomeandtheresourcesyouhave

•Thesecondparthelpsyouknowwhichpeopleinyourhousewillhaveahealthriskandneedhelp

SharingSuppliesandResourcesWithYourNeighbors

•PlanningWaterandFoodSecurity

•IdentifyingCoolPlacesinYourNeighborhood

•Keepingcoolandhydrated

•Communicatingwithneighborsandemergencyservices

ActivityFour:MakingHelpAvailable

Individual Community•SkillsandExpertise

•Whatcanyouandyourneighborsoffer?

•ResourcesandSupplies•Whatdoyouneedandwhatcanyoushare?

•VulnerablePeople•Whoneedshelpandwhoareyoucommittingtohelp?

•Coordination•Howwillyourneighborhoodcoordinateassistanceandwhataboutnon-participants?

Imagineactivitiesyourneighborhoodcanengageintohelpvulnerableneighbors.

•Whataresomeshort-term(6weeks)projectsyourneighborhoodwillcommittocreateresiliencetowithstandheatandotherformsofneighborhoodstress?

Pleasebepreparedtoreportouttothelargergroup.

ActivityFive:6-WeekCommunityChallenge

ProjectPlanning• Whatarethestepstocompletingyourproject?

• Whowillvolunteertoworkoneachstep?• Howlongwilltheyhavetocompleteit?

CDCGrant:PreparednessFindings

• Vulnerablecommunitiesareachallengetoengage:AmericanIndian,homebound,disabledandundocumentedlowincome,somewhospeakSpanishbutnotEnglish.

• Lowlevelsofcohesionnegatecollaboration:legalstatus,socialisolation,disillusionmentordistrustofpublicagenciesoroutsiders.

• Followupvisitsareimportantandmayyieldinformationaboutefforttocohereonaction

TakeAway

• Neighborhoodleadersinsemi-cohesiveneighborhoodsareanunderutilizedresourceforbridgingthegapbetweenthosewithresourcesandthosewhoneedhelpinanemergency.

• Workshopdesignthatengagespeopleinconversationaboutactioncanbeginbuildingtheconnectionsforresilienceinanemergency

Contacts/LinksLearnmoreabouttheArizonaChapterofthe

PhysiciansforSocialReasonabilityat:www.psr.org/azclimate

HeatEmergencyChallengeWebsite:http://www.buildingresilientneighborhoods.org/

MichaelRay:mray@dakotacom.net