Missouri Departments Prepare
Emergency Plans to Help Older Citizens and Individuals with Disabilities
JEFFERSON CITY, September 12, 2006-Director of Public
Safety Mark James announced today several state agencies are working
together to produce an additional section to the state’s emergency
response plan that specifically addresses persons with disabilities
or special needs.
“The July power outages in the St. Louis region
demonstrated Missourians and especially our senior citizens, nursing
homes, and health care facilities must have adequate emergency procedure
in place to ensure disaster do not threaten our public safety,”
James said.
Over the past several years, Missouri’s emergency
response professionals have focused on specialized planning initiatives
designed to help local governments, as well as older citizens and
special needs populations prepare for emergencies. Missouri agencies
involved in the planning include the Departments of Public Safety,
Health and Senior Services, Mental Health, and the State Emergency
Management Agency, as well as the American Red Cross, and the organizations
within the Missouri Disaster Recovery Partnership.
Missouri developed the Ready in 3 program, which encourages
Missourians to prepare for any disaster by developing a family disaster
plan, making an emergency supply kit, and tuning to the media for
the most current emergency information and instructions. The Ready
in 3 materials are available on the Department of Health and Senior
Services’ website at http://www.dhss.mo.gov/Ready_in_3
As part of the personal planning initiative, elderly
and special needs citizens are urged to add a list of their medicines,
medical records, glasses, hearing aids and other special equipment
to their basic emergency supply kits. Realizing many families live
far away from their elderly parents, the Ready in 3 program encourages
citizens to tailor their emergency plans to meet their unique needs.
It is very important to include contact information on personal support
networks in the event of an emergency.
This fall, the Department of Health and Senior Services
is planning to distribute a Ready in 3video specifically for citizens
in long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities and citizens
who have special needs. Another video was produced for Missourians
who use American Sign Language. Also this fall, the Ready in 3 program
will distribute a Pandemic Influenza educational booklet to help all
citizens, and especially senior citizens and people with special needs,
prepare for a possible flu pandemic.
“We all need to prepare ourselves and our families
for emergency situations,” said Julie Eckstein, Director of
the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. “This
is particularly important for our elderly citizens and people with
special needs. That’s why Missouri is working hard to get information
to them on how to prepare.”
Other information sources include the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security’s Ready materials, which can be downloaded
from www.ready.gov. Also later this month, the US Fire Protection
Association’s Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide for People
with Disabilities will be available on their website: www.nfpa.org
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