WORKSHOPS Developing Disaster Resilient Strategies

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WORKSHOPS - Developing Disaster Resilient
Strategies

• Inspiring Successes
• Thoughtful Actions

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Workshop Achievements

• Disasters are about people, but they are also
  about planningThe human story remains an object
  lesson
• Honourable Iona Campagnolo

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Building Resilience

• Resilient people, organizations, community - a
  powerful focus
• Learning from experience is key
• In this business we tend to use risk based
  models, which is not bad,but ignores a huge part
  of what we can examineby including the
  resiliency model, the glass is now more than half
  full
• Robin Cox, facilitator

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Consciously work to create a feedback loop

• Start by developing a Plan
• Work on training, education, coordination
• Implement the Plan
• Monitor the results
• Update the Plan
• AND start the cycle again

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Public Awareness and Education -Successes

• any community that has Emergency Social
  Services is a big success!
• North Vancouver School District developed a
  Crisis Management Plan, sessions with all
  Principals and Vice-Principals.
• Kamloops - once a month newspaper article on
  emergency preparedness - follow-up common
• Maries story from training to disaster to barn
  dance!

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Public Awareness and Education -Action!

• Train translators as EP facilitators and have
  them give workshops
• Train street nurses, case workers, staff at safe
  houses to get info to street people and those in
  group homes.
• When an individual gets flu shot give them clear
  and simple preparedness information (e.g. 10-step
  action plan)

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Psycho-Social Impact on Responders Successes

• Buddy system established for responders returning
  to their community
• Smithers is including spouses in Critical
  Incident Stress Management training
• A provincial worker care committee published
  Maximizing Stress Resilience Screening manuals,
  stress tip posters and cards for Emergency
  Operations Centre, all available on web site

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Psycho-Social Impact on ResponderActions!

• Pre-establish support systems for families of
  responders - include designated phone lines for
  families to call for information
• Re-evaluate shift scheduling to give timely
  relief - providing for shift overlap helps ensure
  continuity of information flow
• Have a safety officer in EO Centre and on site -
  ensure safety concerns include emotional and
  psychological health as well as physical integrity

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Volunteer Management -Successes

• A local radio club started a junior club in the
  high school to stimulate youth interest - working
  on getting credit for it
• Merritts story music, risk and a community plan

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Volunteer Management -Actions!

• Develop volunteer management strategies,
  including procedure manuals, job descriptions,
  recognition ceremonies
• Use volunteers hard, well, fully - respect their
  schedules, limitations, skills, and opinions
• Provide adequate training - KISS keep it simple
  sweetie

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Health - Successes

• Vancouver Coastal Health Powell River and
  Sunshine Coast - created mutual aid agreements
• Interior Health - Identified alternative
  treatment sites for patients, depending on
  exposure to pandemic flu
• Fraser Health - Hosted a pandemic awareness
  forum, 85 from government and public
• Public Health Agency of Canada - established
  regional coordinator for emergency preparedness
  and response

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Health - Actions!

• Establish consistent education messages through
  PHAC and WHO collaboration
• Develop rap songs and catchy jingles to engage
  teenagers and non-literate audiences
• Establish an engagement coordinator in each of
  the health authorities to identify necessary
  skill sets, create a team approach and train
  non-traditional staff (e.g. veterinarians)

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Critical Infrastructure - Successes

• Increased emphasis on and identification of
  disaster Response Routes, including rail, roads
  and sea
• PEP has been engaged with organizers of 2010
  Olympics to identify and ensure Critical
  Infrastructure in lead up to and during games
• Mapping vital points following Okanagan fires has
  led to a realization of what were and should be
  Critical Infrastructures in response strategies
  (e.g. satellites, energy towers etc)

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Critical Infrastructure - Actions!

• Build in redundancy for communication and
  critical infrastructure systems.
• Reduce dependencies on critical infrastructure
  during emergencies by improving self-management
  capacities through simple technologies.
• Develop relationships between stakeholders and
  enter into dialogue by sharing information with
  different organizations and levels of government
  as well as communities.

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Community Emergency Program Successes

• In Bella Coola first responders have earned the
  respect of their community - this has produced
  greater participation and understanding of
  hazards and need for preparedness.
• One community is developing a Handbook for
  Builders of best practices relating to disaster
  mitigation.
• First Nations presentations are underway as part
  of an Integrated Emergency Response Plan in the
  Columbia Valley.
• Increased number of ESS teams being formed in
  small rural areas.

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Community Emergency Program Actions!

• Actively engage politicians in dialogue, if
  necessary bring your emergency preparedness
  session into the council chambers. Be strategic,
  capitalize on change, run for office!
• Following a disaster, be strategic and proactive.
  Take down the Strategic Plans that are prepared
  and waiting. Present them to decision makers and
  get them passed. Timing is everything!

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Congratulations!

• Highly productive conference - achieved goals
• Remarkable number and diversity of participants
• Clear evidence of critical reflection and
  learning
• Resiliency is being built
• Action recommendations are powerful
• Reflect lessons
• Focus on increasing diversity of stakeholders and
  processes
• Strategically designed to be practical and have
  maximum impact