Arizona%20Statewide%20Independent%20Living%20Council%20(AZ%20SILC)

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Arizona Statewide Independent Living Council (AZ
SILC)

• The Disability Empowerment Center
• Suite 214
• 5025 E Washington Street
• Phoenix, AZ 85034
• 602/262-2900, voice/TTY
• www.azsilc.org

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AZ SILC

• Tony DiRienzi
• Executive Director
• tony_at_azsilc.org.

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AZ SILC

• John Abruzzo
• an accountant for the New York/New Jersey Port
  Authority,
• person with quadriplegia,
• power wheelchair user,
• worked on the 69th floor of One World Trade
  Center.

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AZ SILC

• John Abruzzo
• Prior to1993
• Not included in emergency planning
• Did not participate in drills
• No Functional Needs supports
• 1993 Attack
• 6.5 hours to evacuate the building

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AZ SILC

• John Abruzzo
• After 1993
• Included in emergency planning,
• Participated in drills,
• Procured Evacuation Chair,
• Developed Multiple buddy coworkers to assist.

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AZ SILC

• John Abruzzo
• Survived 9/11
• used Evacuation Chair,
• buddy system coworkers alternately assisted
  with descent ,
• 1.5 hours to evacuate the building,
• on the street prior to collapse.

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AZ SILC
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AZ SILC

• Michael Hingson
• worked on 78th floor North Tower of the World
  Trade Center,
• blind,
• uses service animal dog.

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AZ SILC

• Michael Hingson
• Prior to 9/11
• Included in planning,
• participated in fire drills
• knew evacuation routes
• took the lead in evacuating some of his coworkers
  to safety.

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AZ SILC

• Michael Hingson
• Not only survived 9/11
• But led in evacuating many of his coworkers from
  the building to safety.

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AZ SILC

• Ed Beyea
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield program analyst,
• person with quadriplegia,
• power wheelchair user,
• worked on the 27th floor of One World Trade
  Center on 9/11

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AZ SILC

• Ed Beyea
• Did not survive 9/11,
• Not prepared.
• no evacuation chair,
• no support buddy system
• Waiting in building area of refuge talking on
  cell phone when building collapsed.

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AZ SILC

• Tony DiRienzi
• Power wheelchair user,
• Attended national conference,
• 800 Attendees most with disabilities,
• 250 wheelchair users.

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AZ SILC

• Tony DiRienzi
• Meeting 5th basement level,
• Fire 1st basement level,
• Timely evacuation impossible,
• Action and expertise of Firefighters save the
  day.

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AZ SILC

• People with
• Functional Needs
• are a diverse population
• that use equipment, services,
• and need accessible environments
• in order to maintain
• their independence.

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AZ SILC

• Functional Categories include
• Mobility,
• Sensory,
• Cognitive,
• Mental, and
• Multiple.

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AZ SILC

• People with Disabilities
• are the majority
• of the
• Functional Needs Population

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AZ SILC

• AZ Total Population 6,392,017
• People with Disabilities 1,642,748
• 25.7 of Population

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AZ SILC

• AZ Total Population 6,392,017
• Functional Needs Population
• 5.46 - Hard of Hearing 349,004
• 4.25 - Low Vision 271,661
• 8.03 - Difficulty in Walking 513,279
• 0.72 - Wheelchair User 46,023

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AZ SILC

• Historically
• emergency preparedness
• has not adequately
• planned for
• People with
• Functional Needs.

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AZ SILC

• 50 of the fatalities
• associated with Katrina
• and its aftermath
• were
• People with
• Functional Needs.

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AZ SILC

• Everyone, including
• People with Functional Needs,
• should benefit from
• the same level of
• safety and security
• in their communities and
• work environments.

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AZ SILC

• Addressing Functional Needs in Emergency
  Preparedness Planning
• Save Lives
• Reduces stress on assets and resources during an
  emergency
• Helps Business Continuity, and
• Its the Law

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AZ SILC

• Legal Considerations
• The Rehab Act, 1973, Section 504
• The Americans for Disabilities Act, 1990
• Presidential Executive Order 13347, 2004
• Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act, 2006

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AZ SILC

• It is critical for employers
• to identify
• People with Functional
• who are in
• their workplace.

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AZ SILC

• Employers opportunities to identify
• employees with Functional Needs
• Before Employment Begins,
• On the Job,
• Employees with Obvious Needs.

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AZ SILC

• Before employment begins and after job offer has
  been made but, before employment starts,
  Employers may ask
• Will you require assistance during an emergency,
  and
• if so, what type of assistance will be necessary?

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AZ SILC

• On the job
• All employees may be asked to voluntarily self
  identify if will they require assistance in the
  event of an emergency, and
• If so, what type of assistance will they
  require.

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AZ SILC

• Employees with obvious needs
• Employers may ask what type of assistance an
  employee may need in the event of an emergency.
• Employers should not assume what type of
  assistance is needed,
• People with Functional Needs can best determine
  their needs.

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AZ SILC

• To insure a safe work environment, in the event
  of emergency, employers must have procedures and
  systems in place for
• Detection
• Notification
• Evacuation

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AZ SILC

• Detection
• Generally no functional needs considerations
  (exception manual pull stations)
• Automatic alarm system (e.g. heat/smoke detector)
• Security surveillance (e.g. video monitoring)

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AZ SILC

• Notification
• Alerts occupants that an emergency exists and
  some action is required.
• Functional Needs considerations should include a
  combination of sensory alert devices.

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AZ SILC

• Primary Sensory Devices
• Audible (e.g. horn, PA system),
• Visual (e.g. strobe, LED text message
  board),
• Tactile (e.g. small vibrator),
• and/or
• All in one (Cell Phones)

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AZ SILC

• Evacuation
• Process with the greatest range of Functional
  Needs considerations.
• Emergency issues include
• Circulation path to an area of refuge or public
  way, and
• Directions to and ability to travel through the
  circulation path.

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AZ SILC

• Usable Circulation Path is
• a route that a person with
• a Functional Need
• can travel through to reach
• a place of safety
• i.e., area of refuge or
• public way.

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AZ SILC

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AZ SILC

• Area of Refuge
• A designated place that
• serves as a temporary haven
• from the effects of
• a fire or other type
• of emergency.

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AZ SILC
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AZ SILC

• Area of Refuge
• In multi-floor buildings usually stairwell,
• Secure doors designed to retard heat and/or fumes
  exposure,
• People with Functional Needs can be evacuated
  with assistance to a public way.

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AZ SILC

• Directions to and through Usable Circulation
  Path (Way Finding)
• Visual (e.g., signage, lights)
• Audible (e.g., directional chirping)
• Tactile (e.g., dotted bricks)

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AZ SILC

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AZ SILC

• SILC, with the support of the
• AZ Department of Health Services,
• will conduct workshops
• around the state related to
• Emergency Services and
• Functional Needs.
• .

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AZ SILC

• To participate in a
• Functional Needs
• workshop
• contact either
• Tony DiRienzi tony_at_azsilc.org
• Linda Jane Austen linda_at_azsilc.org