Western Mass Regional Shelter System Planning Project

WESTERN MASSREGIONAL SHELTER SYSTEM PL ANNING PRO JECTBerkshire, Franklin, Hampden,

Hampshire

PROJECT GOALS Provide templates and tools Educate about best practices Improve local capabilities Promote regional systems and plans Provide and manage regional supplies Train and exercise plans

CHALLENGES Shelters are small villages – very

complex Regional Command and Control Local buy-in Regional funding mechanisms Sufficient numbers of trained staff Resource gaps Integration with State Shelter Plan

GUIDING PRINCIPLES National best practices Detailed information Scalable ICS structure Functional Needs Support Services Risk Communication Public health and safety concerns Animal sheltering (separate plan)

TOOLKIT COMPONENTS Concept of Operations – the “Plan”

Shelter assessments and maps MOUs and agreements Lists of suggested vendors for supplies Policies and procedures

Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG) Job Action Sheets (JAS) based on ICS Shelter Forms and Resource Lists

CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS Intended for pre-incident planning Guides the planning process Identifies possible shelter locations Encourages pre-planned written

agreements Provides “triggers” for activation Annex to the Comprehensive

Emergency Management Plan (CEMP)

ICS ORGANIZATION CHART (LARGE SHELTER)

KEEPING EVERYONE ON TRACK THE INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM

Incident Commander and Shelter Manager

Takes overall responsibility

Safety Officer Keeps responders and shelter clients safe

Liaison Officer Works with partners

Public Information Officer

Shares information with the public and clients

Operations Runs human or animal shelter

LogisticsGet staff/volunteers, supplies , equipment and transportation

Planning Determines next steps

Finance Arranges payments; tracks data

SOME SPECIALTY POSITIONS IN SHELTERS

Medical Advisor A physician to help guide medical practices

Functional Needs Advisor

Ensures that the shelter works for everyone

Ombudsman Addresses conflicts/issues

Animal Manager Addresses needs of pets; service animals

Case ManagementHelps clients getting back to normal with required services

Donations Management

Collects and organizes donated goods and services

SHELTER OPERATIONS

Dormitory UnitOrganizes sleeping and living arrangements

Childcare Unit Meets needs of children

Registration Keeps track of everyone

Medical Team Supports medical needs

Behavioral Health Unit

Addresses client/staff stress

JOB ACTION SHEETS (JAS)Every major position in the shelter has a JAS Who they report to and who reports to them Where to get help/resources Responsibilities

Initial planning actions Initial response Daily operations Shelter closing

FORMSForms help with accountability Listed on the Job Action Sheets for all

positions Used to document everything reports,

actions, problems, requests, agreements, information, complaints, etc.

STANDARD OPERATING GUIDE (SOG)SOGs are checklists The SOG is not prescriptive These are tasks to consider In an emergency, you don’t have time

to remember everything. Use the SOG!

REGIONAL SHELTER SOGSheltering Objective To determine and meet public health and safety jurisdictional roles and responsibilities and ensure partner agencies are able to address the public health, medical, behavioral health, safety and sheltering needs of individuals at a congregate locationQuick Overview Shelters are like mini villages, often populated by individuals with varying functional needs, especially cultural, health and animal needs. Shelter Managers skip to Operations for

  Shelter Site Assessment/Personnel Safety  Safe Food, Water, Housing  Shelter Volunteers/Logistics  Communications  Medical/Behavioral Health  Case Management  Functional Needs Support Services (FNSS)  Service Animals/Pets  Resource/Donation Management

1.  Initial Response Actions Begin WithinInitial Assessment of the Event 0 - 3 hoursContact relevant Response Partners .25 – 1 hourEstablish Command and Control .50 – 2 hoursInitiate Risk Communications and Emergency Public Information /Warning 1 – 3 hoursReview Emergency Plans, Policies and Procedures 2 – 4 hours

2.  Operations Begin Within

Confirm Incident Command Roles 1 - ongoingComplete Shelter Facility Walk-through/Assessment 2 - ongoingDetermine/Request Shelter Logistical Needs and Resources, 3 - ongoingComplete Shelter Set-up and Open 3 - ongoingEstablish Volunteer Management Systems/Policies 4 - ongoingMeet Transportation Needs 4- ongoingMonitor Operations Health, Safety , Functional Needs, Case Management 5 - ongoingPlan for Next Operational Period and Shelter Closing 6 - ongoing

3  Recovery Begin Within

Case Management new normal transition - home, temporary housing, long-term care ongoing

Lift Orders and assist with shelter cleaning and closing as appropriate

Support recovery and return to normal operations ongoingSubmit Forms and complete After Action Report and Improvement Plan 30 days

APRIL BLIZZARD SNOWPRIL 2014Heavy, wet snow has been falling at the rateof 2 inches per hour for more than 12 hours. The wind is fierce and power lines are down everywhere. Travel is difficult. People are cold and hungry. The elderly are desperate for help.

You get a call to open a shelter. What do you do?

WHAT ARE YOUR FIRST STEPS? Stay calm, you have a plan… Make sure your family is OK… Get your personal “Go Kit” ready…. Review your plans and the shelter

SOG…

SOG INITIAL RESPONSE ACTIONSLook at the First Page of your Shelter

SOG1. Assess the Situation – what is happening?2. Contact Partners – call everyone,

including your EMD and/or COAD partners3. Command and Control. Who is doing

what? Think about ICS.4. Public Information should begin5. Read your plans!

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? EMD? COAD? MRC/DART/CERT? Public Health? Hospitals/EMS? First Responders?

ARE YOU IN CHARGE OF THE SHELTER?Name 6 things you should be doing or

considering?1. 2. 3. 4.5.6.

HERE ARE MY 6 THINGS1. Where is my shelter? Has it been

assessed?2. What are the Shelter Polices? (look in the

plan and adjust based on the current situation)

3. Do I have the right/enough stuff/volunteers? COAD/MRC/CERT/ARC

4. Can the shelter serve everyone? FNSS?5. How am I handling spontaneous

volunteers?6. How is everyone getting to the shelter?

ARE YOU SUPPORTING THE SHELTER? Name 6 things you should be doing or

considering?1. 2. 3. 4.5.6.

MY COAD CHECKLIST1. Is my organization prepared to help? 2. Am I prepared to help?

How Can We Help? serve our clientele so they can stay

home provide resources (people, equipment,

supplies)? Can I donate them? Do I need to be

paid?

…MORE COAD “TO DOS”

1. Am I in contact with my COAD and/or EMD?

2. Am I tracking all my resources, including time & materials?

3. Other?4. How can I stay informed!

WHAT NOT TO DO? 1. Don’t self-deploy2. Don’t talk to the media on behalf of

someone else – unless authorized by the IC or your organization

3. Don’t wait to be asked or make contact. If you have something to offer, contact your COAD or the EMD

4. Don’t wait to ask for help!

SHELTER OPERATIONS IS JUST 1, 2, 3…1. Follow the Shelter SOG checklist.

Adjust as needed.2. Use the Job Action Sheets for each

position on the ICS Chart. Modify as needed.

3. Use the Forms mentioned in the JAS to document everything.

3 MORE STEPS FOR OPERATING SHELTERS1. Consider Functional Needs Support

Services (FNSS)2. Maintain communications3. Take care of yourself first!

EXERCISE YOUR PLAN AND SKILLSEverything is easier if you have practiced Participate shelter exercises– UMass Apr 10/11 Exercise your own plan Take the WRHSAC on-line shelter training- May Attend a Red Cross shelter training Become an MRC/COAD/ARC/CERT volunteer Become an Emergency Rest Center (ERC)

QUESTIONS TODAY?

1. What do you want to ask your partners?

2. COADS, what are your questions for EMDs?

3. EMDs, what are your questions for COADs?

PROJECT STATUSComplete Shelter template Shelter assessments, maps in Hampshire Regional shelter supplies - WRHSAC

Ongoing Regional Concept of Operations planning List of suggested vendors with MOUs

SHELTER PLANNING NEXT STEPS Explore inter-municipal agreement (IMA) Develop funding mechanisms Establish and train Shelter Staffing Teams Complete regional plans Continue to integrate

COAD/MRC/ARC/CERT into local and regional plans

Use After Action Reports to improve plans

ONLINE INTERACTIVE SHELTER TRAININGGoals of Project• Companion Training to the

Regional Shelter Planning toolkit

• Build shelter operations awareness/proficiency for shelter personnel

• Establish strong building block for future steps of project, ie exercises

• Online modules provide sustainability of training

EXAMPLE TRAINING MODULE

STAFF / VOLUNTEER CERTIFICATIONOnline training

offers• Flexibility • Certification• Just in Time Training• Can be used in drills

and exercises

Anticipated Launch Date:

End of May – early June 2014

COMING IMPROVEMENTS WRHSAC Projects COADs and Faith Community Integration with State Shelter/Evacuation Plans Medical protocols Evacuation Service Centers Emergency Rest Centers Regional MACC/REOC

WHAT SHOULD I BE DOING NOW? 1. Have your own family/personal emergency

plan2. Make sure your organization has an

emergency plan3. Educate your constituents and clients4. Make sure your town has a shelter plan.

Modify the template to meet your needs Add local information.

RESOURCES AND MORE INFORMATIONSee WRHSAC and other website for Western Mass and State shelter & Volunteer Management Plans www.wrhsac.org wrhsac.org/projects-and-initiative

s/shelter-evacuation/ www.wmmrc.org

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Financial Support from WRHSAC Members of the HREPC Planning

Committee Staff Support from Planning Commissions

and Public Health Coalitions Subject Matter Support

MEMA-EMDs/DPH-Local Public Health Medical Reserve Corps/HEART/DART American Red Cross Schools