SECTION 4 – DISASTER PREPAREDNESS FOR VETERANS

Goal:

Create plans to ensure the safety of Veterans in a disaster and provide them with preparedness information to enable them to plan for disasters.

GPD Requirement:

The plan must prepare Veterans as to how to respond during a disaster. The disaster plan should document how the GPD-funded program educates Veterans as to how to respond during a disaster, including emergency contact numbers for the Veteran with local emergency responders and contact procedures with GPD-funded program staff. The disaster plan should include planned responses to various types of disasters (i.e. hurricane, earthquake, and power outages) and evacuation procedures for Veterans.

Objectives:

Objectives	Outcomes	Tools Checklist
1.  Create training program for GPD VeteransB.  Identify how to inform Veterans about disaster preparedness procedures	1.    Veterans should know basic and essential elements from the disaster plan	• Disaster Plan for GPD Veterans handout

Additional Resources:

• Section 2 Organizational Disaster Plans and Property Map(s)
• Section 3 Emergency Contact List

Actions:

A.  Getting Ready

1. Determine who may need to be involved (e.g., leadership, client services, GPD Liaison, etc.).
2. Review information currently collected from Veterans upon intake. Identify any information that would be needed in a disaster but is not currently collected. Consider adding the following questions to intake forms:
   • Emergency contact information, particularly where the Veteran would go in a disaster.
   • Pets, including type of animal, description, and date of most recent rabies vaccine.
   • Medication or electricity-dependent medical equipment (e.g., oxygen, insulin pump).
   • Transportation plans in a disaster (have personal vehicle/bicycle or plan to use public transit).
   • Special needs for evacuation or shelter-in-place (e.g., mobility restrictions or other challenges).
3. If intake forms are modified, update Veteran rosters to include new information categories as they are collected. Rosters should be stored in a secure location where they can be readily accessible. It is also recommended that you have copies in Go-Bags (see Section 5).

B. Completing the Disaster Plan for GPD Veterans Handout

This section provides guidelines for educating Veterans on how to respond during an emergency or disaster and how they can be prepared before a disaster. The VA GPD does not specifically require a particular type of disaster trainings or drills for Veterans. However, these education elements should be supplemented by preparedness training or drills when possible.

1. Review and complete the suggested Disaster Plan for GPD Veterans handout as appropriate. See template for modifiable examples.
   • Decide what important contacts Veterans will need during an emergency. Provide names, phone numbers, and email addresses of those contacts using Section 3’s Emergency Contact List.
     • Annually, the VAMC will provide information about personal preparedness and local shelters to be made available to Veterans. This includes information about how to be prepared for disasters and where local shelters are located. As needed, modify the Disaster Plan for GPD Veterans to reflect this current information.
     • Provide the location and contact information of the nearest hospitals and community shelters.
     • Determine what procedures the Veterans will need to follow in the event of a disaster.
       • Determine contact procedures with GPD program staff (e.g., Will organization staff call Veterans?).
       • Write additional procedures as necessary (e.g., Veterans to hang “Room is Clear” door sign outside their rooms when evacuating).
     • Add any additional items to the list that may need to be in a Veteran’s Go-Bag.
     • Create a simplified emergency evacuation map of the facility using Section 2’s property map as a guide. This emergency exit map could be hung in GPD Veterans’ rooms. Include:
       • Emergency exits
       • Evacuation assembly point(s)
       • Locations of first aid kits
     • Determine what additional preparedness information and websites should be shared with Veterans and add it to the handout if necessary.

C. Distribution of the Disaster Plan for GPD Veterans Handout (most likely during intake)

1. Decide who is responsible for distributing the handout, and when and how it will be distributed.
   • Intake/orientation is likely the best time to give new Veterans their handout.
   • During orientation, a staff member should walk the new Veteran(s) around the building and show them the emergency exits, the shelter-in-place location, the evacuation assembly point, and the location(s) of first aid kits.
   • Ask Veterans if/how they would like emergency contacts updated on status of the organization during a disaster.
2. Veterans should be encouraged to sign up for mobile emergency alerts.
3. The Veteran intake form, script, and procedures should be updated regularly. Use Section 3’s Calendar for Disaster Preparedness Training and Maintenance to keep track of when to review or update these documents.

Additional Resources for Disaster Preparedness

Disaster Preparedness Web Resources	Helpful Web Links during Emergencies
VHA Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/preparedness/household-emergency-preparedness.asp	National Weather Service: http://www.weather.gov/
HUD – Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery for People Experiencing Homelessness: https://www.hudexchange.info/homelessness-assistance/disasters/
CDC – Emergency Preparedness for People Experiencing Homelessness: https://emergency.cdc.gov/homeless/index.asp	Hurricane Safety https://hurricanesafety.org/prepare/hurricane-safety-checklists/

Templates

• Disaster Plan for GPD Veterans template
• Emergency Evacuation Map template
• Preparing Your Go-Bag template
• Additional Resources for Disaster Preparedness template