14 votes
I disagreeCustomize disaster planning and response to address the needs of children.
Federal, state, and local disaster plans should include specific protocols for management of pediatric casualties. Disaster plans should include pediatrician input in planning at every organizational level. Federal and local disaster teams should include pediatricians and other personnel skilled at evaluating and treating children.
12 votes
I disagree
Key Principles of Effective National Preparedness Planning "The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise -- with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disentrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country." - Abraham Lincoln (1) Assessment of the entire range of threats – both acute and easily ...more »
Key Principles of Effective National Preparedness Planning
"The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise -- with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disentrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country." - Abraham Lincoln
(1) Assessment of the entire range of threats – both acute and easily perceived, as well as chronic and insidious – is an essential first step in our national preparedness planning process.
(2) All subsequent steps in national preparedness planning depend on an accurate recognition, comprehension, and anticipation of all hazards that threaten our nation.
(3) Recent population-based scientific evidence has confirmed the presence of a chronic and insidious threat to our national security*.
"Kay Erikson has defined both the threat and challenge posed by a chronic disaster: 'it gathers force slowly and insidiously, creeping around one's defenses rather than smashing through them. People are unable to mobilize their normal defenses against the threat, sometimes because thy have elected consciously or unconsciously to ignore it, sometimes because they have been misinformed about it, and sometimes they believe they cannot do anything to avoid it.'"
"For an epidemic of influenza, a hurricane, earthquake, or tornado the worst is quickly over; treatment and recovery efforts can begin. In contrast, the chronic disaster that results from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is insidious, constantly rolling out from generation to generation."
"Until very recently, this public health disaster has been hidden from view. Our society has treated the abuse, maltreatment, violence, and chaotic experiences of our children as an oddity that is adequately dealt with by emergency response systems - child protective services, criminal justice, foster care, and alternative schools - to name a few. These services are needed and are worthy of support - but they are a dressing on a greater wound."
*Anda RF, Brown DW. Adverse Childhood Experiences & Population Health in Washington: The Face of a Chronic Public Health Disaster. Results from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Washington State Family Policy Council. July 2, 2010.
http://videos.med.wisc.edu/videoInfo.php?videoid=8259
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/ace/pyramid.htm
http://www.tyc.state.tx.us/prevention/children.html
http://www.tyc.state.tx.us/prevention/essential.html
(4) The survival of our nation will depend on how effectively we address this critical vulnerability.
(5) State-of-the-art enterprise social networking software will become an essential national preparedness tool because it not only leverages an organized, efficient, team approach to the acquisition, synthesis, and dissemination of effective evidence-based primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies, but also serves as a secure environment for common access to documents, stakeholder feedback, discussion, ongoing dialogue, and continuous quality improvement.
Hagel J, Brown J, Davison L. The Power of Pull: How Small Moves, Smartly Made, Can Set Big Things in Motion. Deloitte Development. Basic Books, New York, 2010.
http://www.edgeperspectives.com/pop.html
(6) Skillful use of enterprise social networking software will make a huge difference in transforming our nation’s greatest weakness into our greatest strength by facilitating the integration of lessons learned into subsequent practice, and capturing institutional memory so that valuable lessons learned will not be forgotten.
« less full details »
25 votes
I disagree
I suggest that government and large corporations offer grant funding to local organizations that would stimulate a grassroots response to community disaster education and resilience. This initiative would focus on recruiting volunteers (retired, self-employed, etc.) to teach community disaster education and disaster resilience through the churches and other faith-based organizations, schools, and civic organizations in ...more »
I suggest that government and large corporations offer grant funding to local organizations that would stimulate a grassroots response to community disaster education and resilience. This initiative would focus on recruiting volunteers (retired, self-employed, etc.) to teach community disaster education and disaster resilience through the churches and other faith-based organizations, schools, and civic organizations in their areas.
It would be cost-effective as a “train-the-trainer” program. This would augment the services and training offered by Emergency Preparedness, the ARC, and other larger disaster response organizations whose focus is largely on response and whose manpower is limited.
In 2005 I started a nonprofit, Community in Crisis, Inc. to teach disaster education and preparedness in small, rural communities, primarily through churches. We received a grant from the BCBS Foundation of N. C. to teach Latino and Vulnerable Populations. In the last five years we’ve taught our seminars in over 50 churches in eastern N. C. However, in the last year we’ve had to dissolve due to lack of funding.
As an individual I’ve continued to teach when asked. My teaching includes a component of disaster mental health, as I am a licensed therapist and specialize in corporate crisis response and PTSD as well as being a marital therapist. I understand the long-term result when there is a lack of education in rural communities and believe that every citizen should have access to this information and learn how to help others.
My focus is strictly education in small communities and rural villages that would likely not receive much help in the event of a large disaster. We do not compete with CERT, Emergency Preparedness, or other large disaster response agencies. In fact, a component of our training is teaching about these and what they do, and how to interact with them responsibly.
My vision is to write a manual and create a set of DVD training videos specifically for churches and rural organizations. We also teach via audio recordings aired over short-wave satellite in Asia, Africa, and South America through World Harvest Radio in South Bend, Indiana.
Recently I was asked by the Methodist Conference of El Salvadore to teach my seminar to pastors there and did so this past July. I taught 40 pastors disaster mental health, counseling techniques, understanding the emotional needs of vulnerable populations, and community disaster response with limited resources. This went so well there are plans for expanding this to invite Guatemala and Honduras next year. We are seeking funding for this now. Any help or direction you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
I will be glad to help you in any way as well.
Deborah Dunn, LMFT
« less full details »
