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- Disparity Mitigation Planning: An Inclusive Approach to Disaster Preparedness & Recovery
More than 23 million Americans live in areas where a hurricane catastrophe is not a matter of "if", but when. A fifth of those living in these cities are poor and, if the lessons learned from Katrina hold true, many will not have the resources they need to save themselves when disaster hits. Although hurricanes are not the primary risk for Californians, natural disasters are not a matter of "if", but when for Californians. According to data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), California faces a disproportionate burden of disasters related to fires, mudslides, storms, floods, and earthquakes. And like most heavily populated areas, there is also the threat of terrorism
ABOUT
Billions of dollars have been allocated since 9-11 to establish greater local capacity to respond to emergencies. Yet, tragic and inexplicably poor and/or late responses to victims of Hurricane Katrina exposed woeful inadequacies in emergency preparedness strategies. This came as no surprise to several pioneering groups. Among these were the New York Academy of Medicine that in collaboration with the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, released a groundbreaking report, “Redefining Readiness in 2003.” This report described the vulnerability and potential disconnect between authorities and diverse populations in disaster situations. The National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) also engaged communities in related exploratory dialogues in 2004. Their report illustrated the gap between community coalitions for public health improvement and emergency preparedness planning efforts.
Each phase of disaster and emergency preparedness work presents opportunities for effective community engagement and inclusion of racial and ethnic minorities in positive ways. Preparedness and mitigation, crisis and disaster responses, as well as immediate and long-term disaster recovery processes can not only engage diverse community members, but be used to accelerate progress in ameliorating many of the social, economic and environmental factors that contribute to illness, disability and health disparities.
The inevitability of disasters and the disproportionate vulnerability of low income communities of color create an imperative for innovative approaches to "connecting the dots" between emergency preparedness efforts, public health systems and community-based resources for strengthening mitigation and recovery capacities. This project is designed in response to this need. The devastation of Katrina on the Gulf Region revealed yet another health disparity * greater risk for suffering and or demise among the chronically ill, disabled or poor when disaster strikes.
ABOUT
Billions of dollars have been allocated since 9-11 to establish greater local capacity to respond to emergencies. Yet, tragic and inexplicably poor and/or late responses to victims of Hurricane Katrina exposed woeful inadequacies in emergency preparedness strategies. This came as no surprise to several pioneering groups. Among these were the New York Academy of Medicine that in collaboration with the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, released a groundbreaking report, “Redefining Readiness in 2003.” This report described the vulnerability and potential disconnect between authorities and diverse populations in disaster situations. The National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) also engaged communities in related exploratory dialogues in 2004. Their report illustrated the gap between community coalitions for public health improvement and emergency preparedness planning efforts.
Each phase of disaster and emergency preparedness work presents opportunities for effective community engagement and inclusion of racial and ethnic minorities in positive ways. Preparedness and mitigation, crisis and disaster responses, as well as immediate and long-term disaster recovery processes can not only engage diverse community members, but be used to accelerate progress in ameliorating many of the social, economic and environmental factors that contribute to illness, disability and health disparities.
The inevitability of disasters and the disproportionate vulnerability of low income communities of color create an imperative for innovative approaches to "connecting the dots" between emergency preparedness efforts, public health systems and community-based resources for strengthening mitigation and recovery capacities. This project is designed in response to this need. The devastation of Katrina on the Gulf Region revealed yet another health disparity * greater risk for suffering and or demise among the chronically ill, disabled or poor when disaster strikes.