Make a Plan

Having a plan is crucial to making sure you and those in your care are safe during a weather emergency.  Taking time to make this plan with your family/class is a great way to get everyone involved and informed. Plan where you and those in your care would need to go in case of an emergency.  Choose a safe place such as a small interior room on the lowest level of the building with no windows. When selecting your safe place, please consider specific space and sensory needs that may be important to a person with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Below are some examples of resources that could be of great use when you’re beginning to make a plan for your family, class, or community.

When planning, you may watch this video from the National Weather Service.

This is a great template to help you get started with making a plan and asking yourself questions about your own preparedness, from Federal Emergency Management Agency.

This is a helpful resource from Autism Speaks that focuses specifically on the needs of those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It includes lists, links, and videos to help educate you and your child/student (English and Spanish available).

Be Prepared

Make a list of items or begin collecting items that would be important to have in your safe space. Items might include: medications, a NOAA weather radio, helmet, change of clothes, diapers, shoes, headphones, or comfort/fidget toys, favorite books, communication device or picture symbols. Preparing a list of emergency contacts would be good to have placed in your safe space as well.

Don’t forget communication devices

Be prepared to take a person’s communication device or system with you to your safe space. If using a device that requires a charge, don’t forget the charger or secure a second charger that will be ready in a safe place. If using picture symbols or a communication notebook, place a second copy of this in the safe space to have ready. Here is a communication board that could be helpful to identify and communicate critical elements of an emergency situation.

Identification bracelet or seatbelt tags

Having identification during emergencies is very important for anyone, but especially individuals with ASD. During potential danger and chaos, these individuals may be very confused or emotional.   Also, they may not have access to their specific needs for communication. ID bracelets and seatbelt tags are a great way to ensure that they are identifiable by anyone at any given time.

Need help with ID tags? Visit the Alabama Department of Public Health or Med Alert Foundation.

Create an “Emergency Contact” list

Having an emergency contact list ready to go is essential to ensure you have the information of family, close friends, and neighbors during an emergency. This could include their phone numbers, addresses, and more if needed. 

Tip: Laminating this list can ensure that it isn’t destroyed or damaged during an emergency.

Emergency Preparedness With Diabetes: Two Rules

Recently, I’ve had evacuees in my house—they were evacuated from one of the fires burning in California. It’s made me think about how to help my patients prepare for their own evacuations should that happen.

We know that when patients are evacuated quickly, particularly if they are taking insulin, they can have a problem afterward getting insulin and the tools they need to manage their diabetes, which may set them back in their diabetes care for the next year or two. Here in California, policemen were literally knocking on doors and saying, “You need to get out now.” You don’t have a lot of time when this happens, so I want to make sure that everybody is prepared for disaster.

This is what I’ve told my patients. I have two basic rules. One is to prepare the absolute minimum amount you need to survive with any kind of diabetes that involves injections, particularly type 1 diabetes. The second is to prepare for a setting in which you might have a little bit more time and be able to carry a little bit more in terms of supplies.

View the full article here: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/921997?src=rss

FEMA – Prepare for Emergencies Now: Information to Get Ready.

Recommended Supplies to Include in a Basic Kit:

  • Water one gallon per person per day, for drinking and sanitation
  • Whistle to signal for help
  • Food at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
  • Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
  • Flashlight and extra batteries
  • First Aid kit
  • Filter mask or cotton t-shirt, to help filter the air
  • Moist towelettes for sanitation
  • Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
  • Manual can opener for food ( if kit contains canned food )
  • Plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
  • Garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
  • Unique family needs, such as daily prescription medications, infant formula or diapers, and important family documents.

FIND THE FULL PACKET HERE: https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1389294951288-b25113d9aef2b877323d380720827f3b/R3_trifold_eng.pdf

General Information That Needs to be Readily Available

Suggest you place this information on a phone app.

Suggestion for Apple iPhone would be Health app.

  • Contact information for physicians
  • Medications (suggest taking picture of each prescription bottle which would include name, dosage, pharmacy and physician)
  • Health insurance information, including Medicaid card or provider insurance card
  • List of important contacts (family and friends) 
  • Contact information for veterinary
  • Supply of special food
  • List of each person’s allergies and health conditions

Emergency Supply Kit

General Supplies

  • A first aid kit
  • Hearing, vision and mobility aids (extra hearing aid batteries, glasses, cane, etc.) if needed
  • A battery powered radio
  • Flashlight and extra batteries
  • Manual can opener
  • Pet supplies
  • Personal hygiene items
  • Toys or games that your child enjoys
  • A whistle to call for help

Make a Plan

  • Plan in advance.  Think through all the details in your life that could be impacted by a natural disaster.  
  • If you undergo routine treatment administered by a home health agency, discuss with them what are their emergency plans. 
    • What are their backup services? 
    • Are they recommending a specific shelter if necessary? 

Emergency Supply Kit

  • Water 
  • Non-perishable food
  • Moist Towelettes 
  • Garbage bags 
  • Medications that will last a week 
  • Medications used on a daily basis

Medical Equipment That Would Require Electricity Such as a Wheelchair or Breathing Machine

  • Develop a plan to go to an accessible shelter in case of an emergency
  • Go to the shelter as soon as possible after an emergency or imminent severe weather has been announced

Blind / Low Vision Checklist and Tips for Emergencies

BLIND/LOW VISION

Those living with complete or total vision loss may find the thought of maneuvering during an emergency frightful. Preparation can help ease some of this fear. People living with vision loss include the following:

  • Blind: People are considered blind if they have severe vision loss and see only darkness. People who are also considered blind include those whose vision consists of seeing only light perception, seeing light and shadow, or those who see movement or outlines of objects but cannot make out details.
  • Low Vision: Some people are considered “legally blind” because they can only see limited areas at a time, have patchy or no central vision, or are hypersensitive to glare. They may be able to do many tasks, but still have enough trouble with their vision that they are limited in other areas.

Tips to Prepare

  • Have a trusted friend or family member you can call on to assist you during an emergency. This is particularly important if you have to evacuate to a shelter or some other unfamiliar surroundings.
  • A service animal may become confused or frustrated during an emergency, so practice emergency drills with your service animal to ensure that they are comfortable with the process.
  • Plan an evacuation route in your home. Arrange furniture for an easy escape route and practice evacuating at least twice a year. For those with some vision, consider placing lights along the evacuation route for additional assistance.
  • Advocate for your local television stations to announce warnings and important phone numbers slowly and frequently for the visually impaired.

Emergency Supply Kit

  • Medical equipment that is adapted for those with limited sight. This includes: talking thermometer, talking blood pressure machine, talking glucometer, talking medication labels.
  • Service animal supplies such as extra leash, grooming tools, food, bowls, water
  • Extra cane
  • If possible, a cell phone for quick contact with family members or friends

Tips for Those Assisting Individuals Living with Blindness/Low Vision

  • Place large print and Braille signs near restrooms, exits, and medical stations.
  • Designate a place for individuals with blindness/low vision and make sure there is security to ensure that items are not stolen.
  • Give plenty of verbal information about surroundings, safety precautions, and other pertinent information. Even better, allow guided tours so that the blind/low vision individuals are completely comfortable with surroundings.
  • Make surrounding areas unobtrusive. Either close all doors, or leave all doors open. Whatever the decision, make sure that it is consistent. Additionally, make sure all chairs and tables are located in areas out of the pathway for walking.

Service Animals

Federal law (Americans with Disabilities Act) allows people with blindness/low vision to bring their service animals into a shelter. Below are some tips of how to ensure that service animals are properly maintained at a shelter.

  • Instruct those in the shelter not to pet, play, or feed service animals. This may cause service animals to become distracted or irritated and unable to assist the person they are guiding.
  • Make sure that service animals and their owners have their own designated location to ensure that those allergic to animals, such as dogs, are not disturbed. Designate a relieving area for the service animals that is equipped with plastic bags and trash cans.

Additional Resources

  • American Foundation for the Blind www.afb.org
  • Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind www.aidb.org
  • Alabama Lions Sight Conservation Association www.lionsmd34.org/alsca
  • Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services www.rehab.alabama.gov
  • American Red Cross www.redcross.org

SOURCE: http://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/riskcommunication/assets/CEP.SpecialNeedsBooklet.0716.na.pdf