Planning for Emergency Sheltering
in Florida


Karen Hagan
Disaster Officer Florida and Georgia

FNSS Summit: FEPA
1
Sheltering Objectives: our
responsibilities include:

Risk and Host planning for sheltering a displaced population based on
current studies, historical and behavioral data;

Having sound working knowledge of the accessibility and nondiscrimination
requirements applicable under Federal disability rights laws;

Being familiar with the demographics of the population of people with
disabilities who live in our community;

Involving people with different types of disabilities in identifying the
communication and transportation needs, accommodations, support
systems, equipment, services, and supplies that residents and visitors with
disabilities will need during an emergency; and

Identifying existing and developing new resources within the community that
meet the needs of residents and visitors with disabilities during
emergencies.
Sheltering
Sheltering disaster victims is one
of the core services provided by
the American Red Cross in most
disasters. People count on the
Red Cross to provide a safe
place for those impacted by
disasters and emergencies.
3
Sheltering Philosophy
•
•
•
•
•
Shelters must be, first and foremost, places of comfort
and safety
Shelters must be readily accessible to those affected
Shelter workers and managers must be strong
advocates for their clients
Clients must remain proactive participants in recovery
Shelters must provide a safe and secure
environment that accommodates the broadest
range of needs in our communities
Environment
Community
expectations
 Evacuation planning
 Resource constraints
 Physical and mental health
needs of clients
 Increased demand
 Shelters open longer
5
Activities of Daily Living







Eating
Bathing/toileting
Grooming
Dressing
Communicating
Sleeping
Taking medications on time
Oxygen in Shelters





The Red Cross works to accommodate people who
bring oxygen or oxygen concentrators with them to
shelters;
We assist people in contacting their providers when
necessary and possible;
We evaluate the shelter for power outlets that will
function on generators to recharge batteries;
We need to work with local health care providers and
ESF 8 partners to ensure that oxygen and electricity is
available in shelters;
Red Cross workers do not have prescriptive authority,
and so it is important that we work with the local health
infrastructure to assure people have access to oxygen
and other needs.
Intake Process

All persons entering a shelter go through
general registration

The Intake Form should be completed for
each family, preferably in a private area

People’s needs may change during the
shelter stay
Suggestions




Initial Intake and Assessment Tool takes time plan for additional registrars
Plan for prioritization, waiting areas, or perhaps
a need for appointments to avoid gridlock and
long lines
Consider having DHS and/or DMH in a
secondary area away from registration desk—
and do the form there
Some clients will self-present to HS or MH once
settled into the shelter
More Suggestions
•


Keep DHS & DMH close to each other;
many of the clients are in need of both
services
Plan for “crowd control” at DHS & DMH
Consider creating a request log to track
requests, who you spoke with, outcomes;
use this to expand resource lists
More Suggestions

Educate all volunteers about how they can
help individuals with functional needs
within the shelter;

DMH skills will be tested, all staff should
have the Psychological First Aid “tool kit”
in hand.
Inter-Agency Coordination





Agencies have different systems and models
of service delivery
Determine / understand who is in “charge”….
Transition from/to the agency in charge needs
to be defined
Make sure recordkeeping and tracking is
clearly understood by all parties
Systems should not take priority over persons
being served
Next Steps



Planning (every level)
Training
Capacity Building
Ideas for Going Forward





Get to know your community partners and develop
relationships with agencies providing services to
those with access and functional needs
Recruit volunteers for Mass Care shelter, Health
Services and Disaster Mental Health roles with
special skills or experience
Obtain “universal” cots via purchase or partnership
Create local resource lists for various supplies
Teamwork is critical, nourished with communication
What Makes for Quality FNSS
Planning?

Develop a charter or mission statement for the FNSS
committee (helps keep the group focused)

Identify key areas of focus such as preparedness, evacuation,
communication strategies etc…

These areas generally surface after evaluating community resources
or conducting a gap analysis

Understand your community - obtain demographics about the
population in your county - how many people within the
community have a sensory disability (Hearing or vision), how
many people have mobility issues, etc…?

Include a wide variety of organizations to participate in
planning sessions
What Makes for Quality FNSS
Planning? Cont.



Develop resource lists - who has what and
include their contact information
Develop a playbook which outlines key
responsibilities for all of the players
Integrate the community into disaster
preparedness planning and exercises
Shelter Planning

The Shelter Facility Survey (6564) will
assist in determining what physical access
modifications will be needed for each
facility

For the Red Cross (or any Sheltering
Agent) to open a shelter with inaccessible
features, a community plan must be in
place to make the shelter accessible
before use
Training
Shelter Management Training: Spring 2012




Shelter Management is an instructor-led, basic level
course that introduces the roles, responsibilities and
tasks of the shelter manager.
Case study that takes them through four of the six
phases of the Sheltering Cycle: Opening, Organizing,
Operating and Closing.
The Sheltering Handbook provides the guidance for Red
Cross shelter operations and serves as the main
resource for the course.
Purpose of this course is to prepare participants to
effectively operate a shelter facility that provides disaster
services in a safe environment for its residents and
workers.
Training cont.
Serving People with Functional and Access Needs in
Shelters (FANS): Spring 2012
 Basic level, web-based course
 Provides an overview of functional and access needs,
techniques for assisting people with functional and
access needs and introduce related laws and guidelines.
 Purpose is to prepare employees and volunteers of the
Red Cross and other agencies to serve people with
functional and access needs in a sensitive and effective
manner in a sheltering environment.
Capacity Building: 2012 and Beyond



We need to dramatically increase our capacity to
shelter
A challenge to the overall community: how do we
work together to meet the needs of those with
access and functional needs?
This will require a broader definition of the
workforce and resources necessary to operate a
shelter, as well as expanded view of the role of
various community and government
organizations in sheltering operations
Questions?
Karen Hagan
State Disaster Officer – Florida and Georgia
karen.hagan@redcross.org
850- 528-8153