ACI has been presenting workshops on making general population shelters inclusive and accessible to people with disabilities and access and functional needs. These workshops covered ACI’s Overnight Shelter Simulations, disability etiquette, how a simulated shelter exercise can be used in your community, and more. Funding for these workshops was provided by PSE&G.
On February 12th, Carole Tonks, ACI Director, and John Ferguson, Middlesex County Office of Emergency Management, were pleased to be presenters for a FEMA hosted webinar that featured a discussion about best practices, lessons learned, and challenges for people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs during the response and recovery phases of a disaster.
More specifically, it featured Core Advisory Groups (CAGs), which consist of individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs, FEMA personnel, local emergency managers, and other concerned stakeholders who work together to bring about change in how emergency services are provided.
To view the webinar, please visit: icpd.adobeconnect.com/piy97gje541a
ACI is proud to be part of the Gotham Shield Community Reception Center radiation disaster exercise conducted by the Middlesex County Department of Health, ACI as well as other state, county and local officials held on November 14th. Gotham Shield is a FEMA led exercise to evaluate how the community prevents, protects and recovers from the effects of an Improvised Nuclear Device event. The exercise took place in Edison and was geared towards people with access and functional needs. Approximately 50 attended this day long event. A discussion was held afterwards on ways to assist each other in the event of a disaster.
Thank you John and Elaine from the Middlesex County Health Department for the informative 2 hour training on the fundamentals of radiation as well as the Community Reception Center. Training for participants will take part in a community center simulation on Tuesday, April 25th. If you're interested in participating, please contact Carole Tonks at ctonks@adacil.org.
ACI was honored to be part of a panel discussion on preparing people with disabilities for emergency disasters held on April 29th at the New York Metro Abilities Expo in Edison. Joining Luke Koppisch on the panel were Kathryn Dyjak, MSW, Disability and other Access and Functional Needs (DAFN) Advisor, New York City Emergency Management; Jamie Arasz Prioli, and RESNA ATP, Assistive Technology Specialist, Institute on Disabilities at Temple University College of Education. The panel was facilitated by Kelly Rouba-Boyd, Access/Functional Needs Planner, NJ Office of Emergency Management.
On April 8th, Luke Koppisch and Michael Prasad, Disaster Support Functions Director with the American Red Cross, New Jersey Region, gave a presentation entitled Everyone is Welcome at the Red Cross Regional Disaster Training Institute in Tinton Falls. The goal of the presentation was to give Red Cross volunteers and staff the tools to include people with access and functional needs when providing disaster and emergency shelter services.
ACI was proud to be represented at the 18th Annual New Jersey Emergency Preparedness Conference in Atlantic City on May 4th. About 35 emergency personnel, medical service corps members, OEM officials and Red Cross volunteers learned how to plan and implement an inclusive mock overnight shelter exercise. Presenting with Luke was Madeleine Goldfarb, Executive Director, Noah's Ark Institute, and John Ferguson, Coordinator, Middlesex County Office of Emergency Management.
