PREPARING YOUR AGENCY FOR DISASTER

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• PREPARING YOUR AGENCY FOR DISASTER
• Neil Newstein, LCSW, RPG
• Executive Director
• Jenni Frumer, LCSW, LMHC, RPG, NCGC
• Associate Executive Director

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Areas of Attention

• Introduction
• Preparation The Disaster Plan
• The Agency
• The Staff
• The Client
• The Community
• The Aftermath
• Learning from the Experience (CQI)
• Cleaning up mentally and financially

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Disasters Do Happen 2004 - The summer of our
discontent
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Introduction Disasters DO Happen!

• Agency Specific
• Fires
• Flooding
• Structural damage/inaccessibility
• Community Wide
• Fires
• Earthquakes
• Tornados
• Hurricanes
• Tsunami's
• Snow storms
• Ice Storms
• Extreme Cold/heat

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Community Wide Disasters

• Can effect a small community, region, state or
  major geographic area
• Warning time depends on type of disaster
• Disaster type determines readiness and
  preparation
• Determine your communities susceptibility
• Develop a plan for each type of disaster

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YOUR OWN DISASTER PLAN

• THE AGENCY
• Building integrity and security
• Personnel
• Client
• Community

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Your Disaster PlanMajor ElementsBuilding
integrity and security

• Security for windows doors
• Computer back up/replacement, 1 set of backups in
  safe-deposit box, others with senior staff (or
  offsite storage)
• Supplies, (batteries, lights, fans, heat, etc)
• Ability to transfer phones to Tele-company voice
  mail
• access codes provided to senior staff
• non electric phones, radio communication
• Procedures for Gasing / maintenance of agency
  staff vehicles
• Access to cash, reserves for extraordinary
  expenses (overtime, etc)
• Procedures and training on emergency equipment
  (generators, etc)
• Important/critical papers
• Communicate expectations
• Send stationary home with designated staff
• Insurance structural, income loss, etc

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Your Disaster PlanMajor ElementsPersonnel

• Maintain up to date contact lists
• Individual emergency plans
• Contacts, cell phones, relatives, etc
• Determine Critical employees, Policy and
  Expectations
• Plan for payroll distribution, overtime expenses
  (i.e. direct deposit company)
• Training
• Coordination and communication protocols
• Determine command authority

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Your Disaster PlanMajor ElementsClients

• Determine who is vulnerable
• Disaster plan as part of assessment / annual
  service plan
• Register for special shelters
• Register for emergency power
• Prescription maintenance
• Attempt to ensure client safety (shelters, food,
  supplies, etc)
• Communication with family
• Client info backed up, and accessible by staff
• Clear expectations of staff vis a vie clients

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Your Disaster PlanMajor ElementsCommunity

• Assist in information dissemination
• Coordinate staffing with other agencies
• Partner with agencies outside disaster area
  communication, staffing, resources
• Agreements with media for post event
  announcements
• Development of collaborative efforts
  arrangements and commitments
• Federation, Sister Agencies, Red Cross, United
  Way, Area Agency on Aging, FEMA, Public Disaster
  Coordinators, Police, Fire-Rescue Depts.
• Rabbis, politicians, Home Owners Assoc.

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Afterward

• Assess damage to structure(s)
• Inform staff, clients, community of status
• Staff check-in and mobilization
• Client status check-ups
• Participate in Community assessment
• Assess Agency financial organizational impact
• Understand risks
• Road conditions
• Gas supplies
• Basics supplies availability (preparedness for
  next round)

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Getting Ready for the Next time

• Commit to debriefing immediately after incident
• What worked
• What didnt work
• Identify corrective actions to be implemented
  immediately
• Lightning can strike twice!
• Replenish resources
• Agency, staff and clients
• Re-group staff reactions
• Post Traumatic stress is real

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Post event trauma

• The Agency
• Impact on fundraising, fee income, etc.
• Analyze pre and post data
• Impact on other service providers, insurance
  subcontractor, home health agencies, etc.
• Board fatigue
• Impact on Volunteer recruitment
• The community
• Campus groups debriefing
• Provide PTSD assistance for other
  organizations
• i.e Federation, JCC, ALFs, etc.
• The Staff
• Fatigue
• Secondary trauma
• The Clients
• Groups Storm stories
• Special Groups Holocaust Survivors, disabled,
  etc.

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Rebuilding

• FEMA
• Involvement of legislative leadership
• Volunteer mobilization
• Fund Raising
• Impact of other disasters on your rebuilding

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And a Final Word

• Be Prepared, Disasters happen and can happen to
  You..
• (sometimes more than once)

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Hurricane Personnel Policy
When severe weather approaches, Alpert Jewish
Family and Childrens Service and Jewish
Residential and Family Service will determine if
and when to close the office. Employees shall
assist in preparing the office once weather
alerts are issued. Preparations include, but are
not limited to, such tasks as disconnecting
computers and other electrical equipment, as well
as packing up documents and materials. Employees
must provide the Human Resources Director with
contact information during and after the storm.
Jewish Residential and Family Service is always
open, and employees will be notified on an
individual basis what is expected of them.
Alpert Jewish Family Service and Jewish
Residential and Family Service also recognizes
the importance of personal preparation of each
employees home and family. Once a severe
weather watch is issued, employees may schedule
and use accrued sick or vacation time to make
personal preparations. Once a hurricane warning
is issued and the office is closed, employees
will be compensated for their regular workday, up
to a maximum of eight hours per day, for up to
five (5) days (additional days be authorized at
the discretion of the Executive Director) each
calendar year. If the office remains closed,
employees may use accrued sick or vacation time
until the office reopens. Once the office
officially reopens, employees are expected to
return to work. After a Storm JFCS will
determine when it is appropriate to re-open the
office after a hurricane. Employees shall be
contacted by their supervisors regarding the
office status, or will be notified by their
supervisors of a predetermined method of
notification. Critical and Non-Critical Staff
(Your Job Description Identifies your
Critical/Non-Critical Classification) Critical
Personnel Once an employees self and family
are secure, Critical Personnel are expected to be
available to report for work, as directed. If
Critical Personnel leave in advance of a
disaster, it is expected that they will return as
quickly as is safe and reasonable, following the
storm and make themselves available to work as
directed. Failure to do so may result in
disciplinary action. Non-Critical Personnel
Non-Critical Personnel can use their vacation
time to leave in advance of a disaster, if they
have permission from their supervisor. Staff
Disaster Compensation Policy If the Agency
office is closed (due to a disaster) and an
employee is out of the office on a pre-determined
leave or out-of-town and not available to work,
that employee needs to use his/her vacation
leave. If the Agency office is opened after a
disaster and an employee is unable to return to
work, he/she must use his/her vacation leave.
The Agency is not required to pay an employee who
is unable to get to work. Jewish
ResidentialThe Residential Program is never
closed. All employees must report to work
despite the disasterthey are considered Critical
Staff. If an employee has requested vacation
time and a disaster occurs during the requested
vacation time and the Agency is closed, the
employee is considered not available to the
Agency and vacation time will be deducted from
their leave time.