Did you know every state has its own emergency management office? A lot of big cities do too. We got to check out the Washington, D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (D.C. HSEMA) and we learned a lot about the important work people do at these offices every day.

First, HSEMA let us peek into their Emergency Operations Center.   Even though the room was empty, when there’s an emergency, it’s filled with people busy working to make things better.  The room fills with people from lots of different places -- federal agencies like FEMA, businesses like power companies, and volunteer groups like the American Red Cross.   Everyone has a chair at the table and is part of the team!  When everyone works together in the same room, it’s a lot easier to talk about emergencies and solve problems.

The Emergency Operations Center also has a lot of monitors.  These screens help state and local emergency managers stay aware of current road conditions, watch the approaching weather, and see video of impacted areas.  

D.C. HSEMA doesn’t just manage emergencies in their building – they take it to the streets!   We rode in their mobile emergency operations center, which is a big vehicle with radios and equipment so they can manage the emergency from anywhere.

For our last stop, we learned about the work D.C. HSEMA does day-to-day even when there isn’t a big disaster.  We toured the city’s 9-1-1 Call Center, a big room with people that answer emergency calls.  These people are called dispatchers, and they answer hundreds of calls every day.  They then talk on the radio with local police officers and fire departments who respond to that person’s emergency.  We were so impressed by how calmly the dispatchers responded to each person’s call for help.   

We also learned that D.C. is one of only a few places that use Smart 9-1-1.   Smart 9-1-1 is a system that allows citizens to create a safety profile with information such as medical conditions and medications, if anyone in their household has access or functional needs, and other information that would be helpful for first responders to know when responding to their emergency.   When a citizen calls 9-1-1, all of this information pops up on the dispatcher’s screen.  This helps save time -- and lives.   It’s free for citizens to use, so we encourage everyone to create their own Smart 9-1-1 safety profile as part of their steps to get prepared for an emergency.  

If you live in the nation’s capital and want to stay informed, you can download HSEMA’s app on your phone.  Their smartphone app provides information about current alerts and warnings, preparedness tips, and how to respond to emergencies.  They even link to FEMA’s smartphone app!

Our visit to the D.C. emergency management office was very educational and we learned a lot about the important work our state partners do every day.   We can’t wait to visit our next emergency operations center.  Tell us where you think we should visit next!  

The Anaheim Citizen Corps Program was honored to have FEMA Flat Stanley and Stella join us for a day of training in Anaheim, California.  They were really excited to participate with our Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and meet some of our residents and businesses in the area who wanted to be better prepared for disasters.   They learned that the City of Los Angeles, Anaheim’s neighbor 30 miles to the north, started the CERT program after the 1985 Mexico City earthquake as a way for neighbors to help one another after emergencies.   Anaheim has had a CERT program since 1992 and they are celebrating their 20^th anniversary this November.  FEMA Flat Stanley and Stella are certainly on the guest list!

Flat Stanley and Stella joined me in welcoming CERT students and encouraged them to become volunteers with the city once their training was complete.

As the CERT class was getting ready to practice some of their skills, Fire Department volunteers spent some time with Flat Stanley and Stella reviewing fire safety, how to use a fire extinguisher and the importance of having a buddy with you.

Flat Stanley and Stella also took a close look at an A-B-C fire extinguisher, which is one of the most common types of fire extinguishers to use for smaller fires. 

In addition to the CERT volunteers, Anaheim also has volunteers who specialize in radio communications who are members of Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES) and were showing off their communications trailer and radio equipment to Flat Stanley and Stella. 

Finally, they were invited by CERT and RACES volunteer, Norman Todd, to get on the radio and practice sending messages.  They learned that Norman and the RACES volunteers in Anaheim are part of a world-wide network of volunteers who have agreed to help first responders by relaying messages when other systems like telephone lines may not be working.

Before leaving to head back to Washington, D.C. we all stopped by the Anaheim Emergency Operations Center where they met RACES volunteer Jonathan Ramos who gave them a tour of the facility.  They saw firsthand the value and importance each volunteer makes as part of Emergency Operations during disasters and how they are part of a much larger network of first responders from the local, regional, state and federal level.

We look forward to future visits from FEMA Flat Stanley and Stella and we hope they are able to share with other communities the tremendous impact and difference volunteers make within a community.

As we often say at FEMA, emergencies can strike at any moment, anywhere which is why it’s so important to be prepared for an emergency.  The Center for Domestic Preparedness provides responders with knowledge to prevent, protect, respond to, and recover from chemical, biological, explosive, radiological, or other hazardous materials incidents. This training has proven to be a critical investment in ensuring responders, individuals, and communities are prepared for an emergency.

We wanted to share the recent experiences of Sutter Health employees that completed the Healthcare Leadership for Mass Casualty Incidents last month.  Here's a quick recap from Robin Montgomery of Sutter Health on their training at the CDP:

The week-long emergency response training for natural disasters, terrorism and hazardous material accidents, covered a variety of disciplines including nursing, ancillary services, administration and support services. As with many of the classes at the CDP, the training combined classroom instruction, table-top discussions and exercises, followed with hands-on simulation drills.

Sutter Health spokesman Sy Neilson described his impression of the training, “they push your critical thinking abilities to the limit by overloading the system, withholding the resources you need and then watching how you respond. After the drills you discuss what worked well, what didn’t and what you plan to implement when you go back home. It’s a very worthwhile training for anyone who might respond to a disaster situation.”

Read more about this training at the CDP.

Visit the Center for Domestic Preparedness website for more information on available courses.

Even before Tropical Storm Isaac hit the Gulf coast, FEMA disability integration specialists from across the nation were preparing to travel to the areas that would be hardest hit. There, they would join other FEMA personnel and countless others from voluntary and community organizations, local, state, federal and tribal government, and the private sector who would answer the call to help the survivors of Isaac’s lingering and widespread deluge of rain and wind.

Right now, FEMA has seven Disability Integration Advisors serving in Louisiana and Mississippi. Their expertise is guiding the actions of the officials who lead FEMA’s response in areas hardest hit by Isaac. They are experts in disability inclusive emergency management who use their knowledge to prevent, address or solve problems for individuals with access and functional needs and their communities. 

Our Disability Integration Advisors work with state and local government officials to coordinate and advise on issues such as:

• The availability of accessible transportation,
• Evacuations from nursing homes, group homes, assisted living facilities, and people served under state programs, such as mental health and developmental disability programs,
• Access to prescription medication,
• Access to medical, personal assistance services and durable medical equipment in shelters. 

On a daily basis, they also address the need for access to effective communication such as remote and in-person sign language interpreting, captioning services, public lines in support of video phones and caption phones.  In addition, they reach out specifically to the disability community in the affected area and facilitate collaboration with federal, state, local and Tribal government concerning evacuation, application for FEMA assistance, accessible messaging, and cleanup tips. 

Often, advisors have the opportunity to talk with disaster survivors and help them firsthand.  Linda Landers, one of our Disability Integration Specialists, is working in Louisiana where she recently helped a mother and her adult son who has a spinal cord injury. After several days without power, they were forced to make a decision to shelter in place or travel from Jefferson Parish to a shelter in Baton Rouge. When the family decided to shelter in place, Linda made sure that local emergency responders and emergency management were aware of their decision and knew how to contact them. Throughout the night and next day, Linda checked in with them to be sure they were not in danger.  The power has since been restored and all are doing well. 

Ongoing support for recovery

As FEMA and the states began setting up Disaster Recovery Centers, FEMA disability integration advisors assessed conditions to determine potential issues, such as physical accessibility so people using wheelchairs can easily enter a building or area. They also looked for equipment that ensures effective communication by people who have low vision or are blind and others who are hard of hearing or deaf when filing assistance claims in Disaster Recovery Centers.

Here's an example of some of the equipment that is available at a center:

FEMA’s Disability Integration Advisors will continue to ensure those with access and functional needs have equal access to the assistance and services available after Isaac. Visit our webpage to learn more.