Dawn Skaggs

National Director of Whole Community Planning and Training

Aging in Texas - 2015

Creating a Safe and Prepared Community

BCFS Health and Human Services

Arizona • California • Colorado • Florida • Illinois • New YorkOhio • Oregon • Tennessee • Texas • Washington, D.C. Africa • Eastern Europe • Latin America • Southeast Asia

BCFS Health and Human Services

BCFS HHS is one of six corporate entities within the BCFS system of non-profit companies.

Programs and services include: Emergency management planning and response Medical and mental health services Residential services for adults with I/DD Social services International humanitarian aid and medical teams Support services to other non-profit organizations

Emergency Management DivisionA non-profit working with federal, state and local government and private industry specializing in: Emergency Management Turn Key Disaster Response EM Consultation and Training

o Plans developmento Medical and Alternate Care

Shelteringo Mass Fatality planningo Planning for the whole

community including individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs

Large Incident Reponses• Branch Davidian Incident• Southeast Asia Tsunami• Hurricane Emily• Hurricane Katrina• Hurricane Rita• Eagle Pass Tornado• Hurricane Dean• FLDS Event• Hurricane Dolly• Hurricane Gustav• Hurricane Ike• H1N1 Flu• Haiti Earthquake• Hurricane Alex• Texas Wildfires 2011• USHHS ORR Influx 2012• USHHS ORR Influx 2014

Preparedness as A Way of Thinking

Scale and Severity of Natural Disasters

1990 2010

Natural disasters recorded 1900-2011

Aging Population – “The Silver Tsunami”

“Beginning January 2011, each day 10,000 or more Americans will celebrate their 65th birthday…”

Access and Functional Needs

A Paradigm Shift

Traditional Model Whole Community Personal Preparedness Model

Personal Preparedness

Unique Individual

Needs

Personal and

Household Kits

Family and Household

Plans

Personal Becomes Community

Prepared Seniors

Local, State and Federal Agencies

+

Resilient Individuals

and CommunitiesOther Community

Stakeholders

Planning considerations for Seniors

• Time– Personal Preparedness Planning is not an

inoculation

• Money– Preparedness planning is not funding based

• Sufficient Knowledge– Planning comes from personal experience

and expertise

Time

• Not a 1 time multi day activity• Incorporated into daily activities• Alternative thought process

Money

• Asset based approach rather than purchase based approach

• Can be completed on any budget • Not a one time commitment of resources

Knowledge

• Experience based education• Not fear based• Empowerment based communication

Empowerment Tools

• Strategy guides• Kit building• Information collecting• Community/Relationship building

A Model of Person Centered Person Directed Emergency Planning

Feeling Safe Being Safe

• Video Modules• Think-Plan-Do Process• Practice and Personalize• Problem solve• Identify support people• Follow up

Training Experience

Four Steps to

Preparedness:

The FSBS Tools

The Worksheet• Contains:

– Personal information– Health information– Contact information– Communication information– Accommodations information– Kit preparations guidance– Evacuation and planning

guidance

• Purpose:– Assist individual to create their kit

and complete their preparedness steps

– Provide critical information to first responders, shelter staff and others

The Magnet

• Contains:– Personal information– Emergency Kit information– Accommodations information– Contact and resource

information– Medication information

(attached)

• Purpose:– For individual to use for contact

and resource information– For first responder to use when

responding to a home or assisting in evacuation

The Kit

• Contains:– Evacuation supplies for

individual– Personalized items for

individual based on their disability and needs

– FSBS Worksheet– Medications sheet

• Purpose:– Provide individual with

essential items for a 3-5 day evacuation in a general shelter

The Neighbor

• Contains:– Ideas and instructions on

how to meet and exchange information with the neighbor

– Cut out forms to exchange emergency information with the neighbor

• Purpose:‒ Assist individual to meet

and exchange information with another person in close geographic area to build a natural support

FSBS Program Strategy

• Personal empowerment teaching techniques

• Community based train-the-trainer curriculum predicated on the premise of self advocates as subject matter experts

• Lead by example model

• Seniors are inspired take the lead to help others become prepared

• Seniors become community resources rather than recipients of care, reaching out to responders etc.

The Wedgwood Fire

• In the early morning hours of December 28, 2014, a fire broke out in Wedgwood Senior Living high-rise apts. in the City of Castle Hills outside San Antonio.

• Castle Hills and San Antonio fire departments responded going door-to-door waking and evacuating residents from the burning building.

John Gonzalez S.A. Express-News News-4sanantonio

Evacuation and Loss of Independence

Over 200 residents age 55-100 were evacuated, most with only the clothes on their back and leaving behind important documents and all their personal belongings.

KSAT 12 San Antonio

Resident's left behind critical items to maintaining independence

– Medication– Durable medical equipment– Consumable medical supplies– Documents and Records

Matthew Busch - SA Express-News

Tragic Outcomes

• Six residents perished – five on the scene, and one later at a hospital.

• Approximately 200 seniors were left homeless and unable to retrieve what was left of their possessions or return to their residences.

• The apartments remained closed for several weeks while the cause of the fire was investigated.

Cynthia Esparza – SA Express-News

The Need

• Identification• Medication • Durable medical equipment• Consumable medical supplies• Lodging and long term housing• Furnishings and household items• Personal care and hygiene items• Important documents• Contact information for resources• Food and clothing• Transportation• Access to mental health and stress management supplies and

natural resources

Meeting the need:

• Personalized kit by the door• Magnet or other posted information for first

responders with necessary information• Copies of documents, contact numbers

and important information• Collaboration plans with family and friends

The Medical Emergency

• Personal preparations• Neighbor Network• Responder relationship• Positive Outcome

Questions?

Dawn Skaggs M.A.

National Director of Whole Community Planning and Training

BCFS Health and Human Services

Emergency Management Division

210-716-8700