Volume 13, No. 1, Winter 2005	Previous Issues Subscribe to AT Messenger Download PDF Viewer
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In Case of an Emergency–Create a Plan

Dan Fendler, AT Specialist, Sussex County ATRC

Help, I've fallen….That classic commercial featuring an elderly woman has been used many times in the context of a joke, but emergency situations are no laughing matter. And if an individual has a disability, emergency situations can potentially be life threatening if planning is not done in advance.

Planning Is Critical

The 2003 hurricane season was an active one with seven hurricanes and 14 named storms. One particularly bad storm, Isabel, which made landfall near Ocracoke Island, North Carolina on September 18, had implications for Delaware. A few days before the storm hit, I received a call from the mother of a child on a ventilator. The mother was preparing for the possibility of a power outage due to storm damage. She needed to ensure that she had a backup plan to keep her child's ventilator running. The mother was willing to purchase or rent a backup generator, but due to a run on generators, could not find one anywhere in Delaware. She called the ATRC asking for resources. The call and the follow-up we did underscored the importance of planning for emergencies.

Gather Information

Do not wait for a looming catastrophe. Do research when you are not under the pressure of a potentially lethal deadline. Contact the local police station, fire department, or emergency management office to see if they maintain a registry of people with disabilities. Being on this list can prove useful if help must be provided quickly in an emergency situation. Make sure to ask what precautions should be taken given your particular disability. Find out what type of aid may be available in an emergency. If you work, find out if your workplace has an emergency plan in place. If there is a plan in place, what is it and will it accommodate your disability? If you are a person with a hearing disability and an audible alarm is used to alert workers at your office in an emergency, it may not do you much good.

Make a Plan

Based on the information gathered, make a plan. Be self-reliant. Assume responsibility for your safety—even if your business or locality has a plan that takes into account your disability. Consider the type of emergencies that are relatively common in Delaware and have a plan ready for each of those circumstances. For example, if you use a wheelchair and the plan for a tornado is to head to the basement, how will you get there? How will you evacuate in the event of a hurricane if you do not have a wheelchair accessible vehicle? Your knowledge of your needs and what may be available in your area should help you develop a plan.

Fortunately for the mother of the child on a ventilator, a contractor loaned her a generator in case an electrical power outage did occur. It turned out that much of Delaware missed the brunt of the storm and never lost power. But, this story could have turned out much differently. The lesson learned here is to be prepared.

Emergency Preparedness Resources

There are a number of organizations, both at a national and state level, that are potential resources for emergency preparedness information. They are good resources, but do not assume that any of them have an emergency plan in place that will accommodate your specific disability. In the case of the mom who called looking for a generator, the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) informed me that the child should be moved to a hospital capable of caring for someone with her specific needs. For more information on DEMA, visit their Website at www.state.de.us/dema/default.shtml or contact the agency at (877) SAY-DEMA.

Here are some points that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website, www.fema.org, suggests individuals keep in mind when formulating an emergency plan:

• People with disabilities often need more time than others to make necessary preparations in an emergency.
• Because disaster warnings are often given by audible means such as sirens and radio announcements, people who are deaf or hard of hearing may not receive early disaster warnings and emergency instructions. They need others to be their source of emergency information as it comes over the radio or television.
• Some people who are blind or visually-impaired may be extremely reluctant to leave familiar surroundings when the request to evacuate comes from a stranger.
• A guide dog could become confused or disoriented in a disaster. People who are blind or partially sighted may have to depend on others to lead them, as well as their dog, to safety during a disaster.
• People with impaired mobility are often concerned about being dropped when being lifted or carried. Find out the proper way to transfer or move someone in a wheelchair and what exit routes from buildings are most convenient.
• Some people with developmental disabilities may be unable to understand the emergency and could become disoriented or confused about the appropriate way to react.
• People with epilepsy, Parkinson's Disease, and other conditions often have very individualized medication regimes that cannot be interrupted without serious consequences. Some may be unable to communicate this information in an emergency situation.

To view these and other pointers from FEMA, visit www.fema.gov/rrr/assistf.shtm or contact the agency at (202) 566-1600.

The National Center on Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities has a website (www.disabilitypreparedness.com) or can be reached at (202) 338-7158, ext. 201. This organization may be a useful resource for local emergency response professionals. The center has resources to assist local emergency planning organizations (both public and private) in planning for individuals who need specialized communication, transportation, and medical supports. The center's primary focus is on emergency preparedness.

Please remember, the greatest resource you have in an emergency situation is being prepared.