RYERSON UNIVERSITY – INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION

2014/03/05

PURPOSE

This presentation is designed to familiarize Ryerson students with the Canadian Red Cross as a disaster

management organization, and to highlight the various aspects involved in responding to

emergencies in our communities.

AGENDA

Part I: Introduction to IFRC & CRC

Part II: The role of the CRC in an emergency Vulnerable populations in disasters

AGENDA

PART 1: INTRODUCTION TO IFRC & CRC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqsY4_R2ZdQ

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THE BIRTH OF AN IDEA Place: Northern Italy (Solferino) 1859

Event: Solferino Battle (between the armies of imperial Austria and the Franco-Sardinian alliance)

Person: Henry Dunant (Swiss man) Book: A memory of Solferino 1862 Call:

A convention which binds the armies to provide relief to all wounded soldiers

The creation of national relief societies to assist those wounded in war

The Beginning: the International Committee for Relief to the Wounded 1863

THE COMPONENTS

CANADIAN RED CROSS SOCIETY

Supporting communities in Ontario (3:56)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHMSGsnQEcg

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CANADIAN RED CROSS SOCIETY

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Our Mission: To improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the

power of humanity in Canada and around the world.

The Fundamental PrincipalsHumanity

ImpartialityNeutrality

IndependenceVoluntary Service

UnityUniversality

CANADIAN RED CROSS SOCIETY

Founded: in 1896Mission: to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity in Canada and around the world

Branches: 314Volunteers: around 20,000Four Zones:

the Western Zonethe Ontario Zonethe Quebec Zonethe Atlantic Zone

First Aid and CPR servicesRespectED: Abuse and Violence Prevention International servicesDisaster servicesSwimming and Water safety servicesOther services:

Health Services in Canada and worldwideMigrant and Refugee ServicesPromotion of principles of international humanitarian law... etc

THE CANADIAN RED CROSS OFFERS A WIDE SPECTRUM OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

PART 2: THE CRC IN EMERGENCIES

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WHAT IS AN EMERGENCY?

“An emergency is any dangerous situation that could hurt people, cause death, or severely damage homes and property.”

In Ontario, the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act defines an emergency as:

"A situation or impending situation that constitutes a danger of major proportions that could result in serious harm to persons or substantial damage to property and

that is caused by the forces of nature, a disease or other health risk, an accident, or an act whether intentional or

otherwise."

DO YOU KNOW?

Q1: What natural disaster causes the most damage throughout the world?A: Earthquakes

Q2: How many earthquakes do Canadians experience every year?A: Roughly 5,000 small earthquakes

Q3: What has been the costliest flood in Canadian history:A: The 2013 Alberta floods, estimated damage $1.7B

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THE 5 PHASES OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Actions taken to stop an emergency

or disaster from occurring.

Actions taken to reduce the

adverse impacts of an emergency or

disaster.

Actions taken prior to an

emergency or disaster to ensure

an effective response.

The provision of emergency services and

public assistance or intervention during or immediately after an incident in order to

protect people, property, the environment, the

economy and/or services.

The process of restoring a stricken community to

a pre-disaster level of functioning.

TYPES OF HAZARDS – OUR COMMUNITY

1. Natural Hazards (naturally occurring phenomenon) Geological: Earthquake Climatological (weather related): floods, fires, extreme

temperature, snow storm, tornado Biological: disease epidemic

2. Technological / Man Made (caused by humans) Industrial: chemical explosion, toxic release, nuclear

radiation, acid rain, chemical pollution, power failure Transportation: motor vehicle accident, train derailment,

plane crash, boat crash, pipeline failure

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE RED CROSS IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY/DISASTER?

We act as an auxiliary to public authoritiesWe assist government authorities in response to disastersWe act in compliance with established municipal agreementsWe work with other non-governmental agencies (i.e. Salvation Army, St. John Ambulance, other NGO’s)

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AS AN AUXILIARY TO PUBLIC AUTHORITIES

The Red Cross Disaster Management (DM) Team will respond to an emergency, declared or otherwise, upon receipt of a call from public officials or the appropriate authority from within the community.

The initial services usually provided by the Red Cross involve supporting Reception and Shelter services for those effected by a disaster.

TO WHOM DOES RED CROSS PROVIDE ASSISTANCE?

 

During a disaster, the Red Cross provides disaster relief that meets basic and essential needs without discrimination and with impartiality.

For example, the Red Cross may assist:

•residents forced from their homes  •residents who cannot return to their homes•residents unable to leave their homes•non-residents  •surviving family members •family inquiries about the health and safety of their loved ones •government and other relief partners that need information•people who are seeking information about the services of governments and other agencies

 

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DISASTER MANAGEMENT RESPONSE IN THE GTA: WHAT WE DO

SMALL SCALE DISASTERS LARGE SCALE DISASTERS

Personal Disaster Assistance

(PDA) provides temporary

assistance for 72 hours after a

disaster to a family & help may

include:

Emergency Lodging

Food Services

Clothing

Our role during major disasters

differ but we generally provide:

Family Reunification services

Registration and Inquiry

Shelter

Food Services

Emotional support

DISASTER MANAGEMENT RESPONSE IN THE GTA: WHERE WE WORK

MATERIAL CAPACITY IN THE GTA

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DOOR-TO-DOOR WELLNESS CHECKS

TYPES OFSHELTERS

Short term shelterTheatre, Mall

Homes of family or friends

Motels, Hotels, Inns, B & B

Recreation Centres, Churches, Schools

WHO WILL NEED

EMERGENCY SHELTERING

For example: An apartment that houses 1500 people has a fire that destroys 3 units and damages 7 other units. 25 residents are told that they can not stay in their units. Therefore only 5-7 people from the apartment will likely require shelter.

Experience shows that typically 10-25% of the

affected population will ask for sheltering.

DECISION TO OPEN/CLOSE

A EMERGENCY SHELTER

• Shelters can be unpleasant, uncomfortable, and very crowded places to live in some circumstances. For these reasons, Emergency Shelters will typically only be opened after all other options have been exhausted.The decision to

open/close an Emergency Shelter is

made by the municipality, not the

CRC.

EMERGENCY SOCIAL SERVICES

Emergency Social Services1. Reception and Information (organization and dissemination)

Reception and Information2. Registration and family reunification3. Emergency Food & Clothing4. Lodging and sheltering5. Personal services

SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE RED CROSS

Reception and Information •This service informs people affected by disasters about the services available from all responding agencies.

Family Reunification•Various methods can be used to re-establish family links: telephone calls, e-mails, family message forms, and a registration and inquiry service.  Emergency Food Service•This service provides emergency food to those affected by the disaster to meet their basic needs and those of the response team involved. Red Cross can offer food through grocery vouchers, restaurant meals, catering services or a local cafeteria. •The service must cover the needs of all groups of individuals including infants, pregnant and nursing women, religious groups, seniors and individuals with dietary restrictions. •This service also ensures that the beneficiaries have drinking water and adequate sanitary facilities.

SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE RED CROSS Emergency Clothing •This service provides clothing to preserve the dignity of individuals and to clothe them appropriately for the weather. •The clothing must be culturally appropriate. Red Cross provides new clothing through suppliers, and may refer clients for used clothing.  Emergency Lodging•This service provides evacuees with safe temporary shelter.•Based on National Disaster Assistance Guidelines, there are four ways to organize emergency lodging:•the home of the person affected by the disaster (stay at home, with food and other support)•private accommodation with relatives and friends•emergency shelters•commercial accommodation (hotels, motels)

Personal Services•This service provides people affected by disasters with emotional comfort, referrals professional counselling, hygiene products, diapers, medications and medical equipment.

VULNERABLE POPULATIONS & DISASTERS

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“Vulnerability refers the way a hazard or disaster will affect human life and property.”

Why? How? Proximity Population density Scientific understanding of the hazard Public education and awareness Non-/Existence of early-warning/communication systems Availability and readiness of emergency infrastructure Construction styles and building codes Cultural factors that influence public response to warnings

VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN SHELTERS

Case Study: 2013 Ice Storm/Power Outage

Response period: Dec 21, 2013 – Jan 9, 2014 (20 days) ~300,000 customers without power 15 shelters/warming centres open across City of Toronto 5,000+ people assisted 550 CRC staff and volunteers from across Canada

Vulnerabilities identified during the response: Mental health Physical disabilities (mobility, deaf, blind) Poverty / low income Elderly Sick Unattended minors Non-English speakers Transient populations (visitors, students, homeless)

VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN SHELTERS

THANK YOU

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