Categories: Network Events
11.05.2014
The Network is hosting Emergency Preparedness trainings, webinars, and is in the midst of releasing Emergency Preparedness templates developed in collaboration with members and EAD Associates.
In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, the Network last year embarked on a year-long initiative to help the supportive housing community prepare for a range of disasters. Funded by the New York City Housing and Neighborhood Recovery Donor’s Collaborative, the Network engaged EAD Associates, (EAD) a consultancy firm that focuses on integrating people with special needs into all aspects of emergency management. The Network’s emergency prep initiative aimed to create two types of emergency plan templates: an Organization Emergency Plan Template - for managing emergencies at the organization leadership level and a Congregate Residence Emergency Plan Template – which can help organizations create emergency plans for single site supportive housing residences.
These templates were unveiled November 12th – through an in-person meeting, through webinars and are now available to download from the Members Page on the Network website.
The templates were created with input from providers – including the twelve hardest hit by Sandy – as to what they needed to help them prepare for emergencies. Most agencies expressed a desire for strong guidance as to how to go about creating and implementing plans at both the organizational and residence level. EAD’s Rebecca Hansen and Robert Wingate therefore created the two types of templates, using both best practices from the field and the specific emergency-related needs of supportive housing providers.
EAD will walk Network member agency leaders through both templates in an in-person training November 12th. Both templates will also be accessible to members via the Members Only portion of our website.
On November 19th, EAD will hold a webinar to step through key parts of both templates with all levels of staff, especially those responsible for evacuation planning. The discussion will include: decision-making about evacuation, short-term/long-term displacement, staff roles/preparedness and tenant concerns. A brief Q&A will follow. The conversation will continue on the Network’s Emergency Preparedness Forum, accessible by password via the Members Only portion of our website.
Additionally, we will hold a webinar on December 10th, the focus of which will be decided by Emergency Prep member participants.
We look forward to your participation in the training series and your feedback on the templates as you begin to incorporate them in your emergency planning.