The Citizen’s Role in Disaster Preparedness

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The Citizens Role in Disaster Preparedness

• Using Intergenerational Dialogue (ID) Action
  for Policy Making

By Barbara A. Brown Clemson University
Extension Clemson Institute for Economic
Community Development (CIECD) May 16, 2006
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In times of disaster -
human or natural- every person wants to feel
like a contributor not like a victim.
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A Citizens Role In Times Of Disaster

• What can individual citizens do to
  assist their public safety
  professionals?
• How do we mobilize the people of a
  community to work together?
• What can be done at a neighborhood level?

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In times of disaster . . . .
There are questions that can only be answered
in local communities not by the federal or
state government. Each community is different
and the people who live and work there are the
experts on identifying potential risks
and mobilizing their local resources.
Dr. Jim Gambone
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ID is a Tool to Expand Emergency Preparedness
Plans

• The Intergenerational Dialogue and Action program
  is a tool that
• is designed to mobilize resources of the
  community,
• can increase community volunteers,
• creates new ways of preventing
• and responding to security threats.

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The Intergenerational Dialogue and Action
program includes all five living generations

• Civic Generation (1901-1931)
• Adaptive Generation (1932-1944)
• Boomer Generation (1945- 1963)
• Diversity/ Gen X Generation (1964-1981)
• Millennial Generation (1982
  present)

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When there is a disaster, everyone asks, What
can I do to help?

• Thinking about disasters across all five
  generations gives you the largest pool of
  resources to choose from.

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Intergenerational Dialogue Action program is a
proven resiliency builder.

• It has been used
• To help people spring back from natural
  disasters, Grand Forks, ND)
• In Homeland Security mobilization, (CYFAR -
  Sumter, SC)

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Generational organizingis an inclusive strategy
for Dialogue and Action planning

• Starting with the five generations as a base for
  planning a Dialogue
• Provides opportunity to involve people from
  every walk of like,
• Provides a forum that is likely to be more
  diverse than anyone has
• ever attended,

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All five generations are needed to
effectivelyprepare for any disaster.

• Each generation brings unique
• gifts and talents
• Young people know the street,
• Older generations understand the importance of
  phone trees networking,
• Including all generations adds
• value builds resiliency in local preparedness
  planning.

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ID Research by Terry Waugh found

• The Generations
• Started to value each others ideas as they
  learned to listen to each other.
• Felt the Dialogue experience made them feel
  closer to each other.
• Thought community residents attitude toward each
  other improved.

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The Generations - continued

• Understood why differences exist between
  generations.
• Cooperated with other generations and valued each
  others opinions.

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Community Action Findings

• Participation in the process of listening, caring
  and sharing taught residents to understand
  respect other generational perspectives.
• Thought understanding each others perspectives
  removed some of the barriers between the
  generations and cleared the path for them to work
  together.

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Community Action - continued

• Citizens learned the importance of including
  people of all ages in any community process.
• Agreed that working intergenerationally was the
  preferred action to take when approaching a
  community issue.

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Changes in Community Findings

• Residents believed the Dialogue expanded their
  understanding of generations and taught them to
  be more open-minded and respect
• other generations.
• Felt being more open-minded
• about other generations gave the community a
  larger understanding of the issues they were
  considering.

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Changes in Community - continued

• Changed citizens strategies for dealing with
  community issues.
• Realized each age group possessed certain
  strengths and had something to offer.
• Found other people had useful input.
• Felt more people were willing to be-come involved
  in community projects.

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Changes in Community - continued

• Now consider the ideas of other generations.
• Community more willing to work together.
• Believed the ID motivated and encouraged the
  community by providing a positive experience of
  working together.
• Commented that community remained motivated and
  continued to work together.

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Resources

• Dr. Jim Gambone,
• http//www.pointsofviewinc.com
• Dr. Terry Waugh, Dissertation, April 2006,
• University of Nebraska
• Mrs. Barbara A. Brown, Sumter Citizens
  Coalition Board Representatives,
• Terrorism and Building Homeland Security, A
  Deliberation by Sumter Citizens,
• March 31, 2003