Posts filed under Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness Overnight Exercise for People with Disabilities

On August 22nd and 23rd, over 100 volunteers and individuals with disabilities took part in the ACI sponsored Emergency Preparedness Overnight Exercise. This event, the first ever in NJ and 2nd in the country, took place in Piscataway at the Livingston Recreation Center of Rutgers University.

ACI partnered with FEMA, Middlesex County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), the American Red Cross and Rutgers University to simulate an emergency shelter experience. This event assisted in an ongoing effort to improve the ability to provide service and support to individuals with disabilities during disasters. ACI would like to thank all of the stakeholders, volunteers and participants who took part in this important event.

"The importance of emergency and disaster preparedness, particularly for people with disabilities cannot be overstated. People with disabilities have often been an afterthought during a disaster. We are trying to change that and hope to have this exercise replicated throughout the state." - Carole Tonks, ACI Executive Director

Be sure to read the Edison Sentinel article on the event!

If you are interested in disaster training in your area, please contact Carole Tonks at 732-738-4388 ext. 118 or ctonks@adacil.org.

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Brian Mazzarella and filed under Emergency Preparedness, Workshop.

ACI Wins $140,000 Grant From Hurricane Sandy NJ Relief Fund

Edison, NJ, July 21, 2014 – The Alliance Center for Independence (ACI) is pleased to announce it has been awarded a $140,000 grant from the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund. The funding will be used to continue the Sandy Recovery Program previously administered by Portlight Strategies. The program provides financial assistance for home accessibility equipment, funding for the replacement of durable medical equipment and supplies, as well as counseling and referral services to disabled residents impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Portlight Strategies’ Sue Pniewski, will join ACI as the Sandy Recovery Program Project Director and continue her work out of The Visitation Relief Center in Brick, New Jersey.

New Developments in Disaster Assistance for People with Disabilities.

An Update from the NCIL Emergency Preparedness and Response Subcommittee

Christy Dunaway, Chair

As reported in our last update, the lack of appropriate and accessible services and the violation of civil rights in shelters, disaster recovery centers and post-disaster offerings, such as emergency funding and housing, has been a cause for concern among advocates. The issue has been discussed frequently at local, state and national levels. In 2010, as a result of considerable advocacy efforts from many within the disability community, NCIL entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This MOU allows NCIL and our representatives access to Disaster Recovery Centers operated by FEMA. Access by CILs and other disability-related entities to the DRCs is vital in ensuring quality outcomes. DRC staff members are not as familiar with disability and functional needs or limitations as CIL staff are. We have played an important role in individual lives through our intervention at DRCs.