People with physical and mental disabilities are among the most vulnerable during crises. The reason is that they do not function normally and cannot run or hide from a calamity on their own; thus, they require assistance. This assistance is usually delayed, and as a result, people may be killed or gravely injured due to one of the natural disasters that impact a country or a location. As a result, it is critical to have a plan in place to ensure that these people are not victimized in the event of such an occurrence. Consequently, the strategy should successfully keep these people safe in a calamity.
People living with a disability can be helpless by themselves; therefore, a good plan is needed to make them safe in cases of emergency. First, before a disaster occurs, the government should be aware of the number of individuals in the scenario and keep track of them to verify the figures are correct (Gjertsen, 2019). Knowledge of the number of persons living with disabilities aids in determining the appropriate resources to invest in the program. The first stage is to identify persons who may require evacuation assistance. This goal can be accomplished by collaborating with local disability organizations or conducting a community poll. Once individuals have been identified, a database containing their contact information, medical information, and other pertinent information must be created. Emergency responders should have access to this information to swiftly and readily identify persons needing assistance. Following creating a database, the next stage is to devise a plan for evacuating people with impairments. This plan should contain a specified meeting location, a transportation system, and a way for communication with persons being evacuated. It is critical to test this strategy before an actual emergency to address any potential issues.
Those people who are unable to leave the area on their own can be evacuated in several different ways. Utilizing public transit, such as buses or trains, is one choice that can be made. Using personal modes of transportation, such as vehicles or ambulances, is an additional choice. It is of the utmost importance to ensure everyone can escape to a secure location in an emergency. After everyone has been safely removed from the area, the next priority is ensuring they receive the required medical attention and assistance. This action can involve giving them something to eat and drink and a place to sleep. Because many people may have experienced traumatic effects due to the accident, you must offer them psychological care. It is vital to take extensive measures to guarantee that all people unable to evacuate on their own will be able to do so securely. During times of crisis, it is possible to safely evacuate all individuals if it is first determined who among them needs aid, and then it is given to them what they require to meet their needs.
The plan can only be successful with much cooperation from the people involved in the process. This engagement is very important to ensure that the physically incapacitated people are not swept by crises such as hurricanes. It is also essential to understand that resources are vital, and with government support, the plan can be very successful. Adherence to this plan will guarantee the safe evacuation of individuals with physical and mental disabilities groups during crises.
Apart from the cooperation among the people involved in the evacuation process, the success of the entire procedure relies on the preparation of the responsible government body. Having a plan alone is not enough for effective safety evacuation. Firstly, the county government needs to have a functional cooperative arrangement system already in place (Hostetter & Naser, 2022). This is a strategy whereby two or more people within a neighborhood, workplace, or institution volunteer to help their neighbors or colleagues with disabilities during an emergency. The government should keep a detailed registry of these individuals, which includes contacts, locations, and names. Doing so would make it easy to get information when the emergency hits. Secondly, the county government, through the department of emergency and action plan, has to ensure that at least one of the assistants is well-trained to help during the crisis. Given that the assistants are volunteers who might not have skills in safety evacuation, it is paramount to train them to protect them from risking their lives and those being evacuated.
Preparing ahead is also an indispensable strategy that significantly contributes to an effective and successful evacuation process. Having the plan and means of evacuation alone can be hampered by a lack of prior preparedness. The involved department in the county government should have a prearranged plan on appropriate evacuation procedures and routes to use. That involves mapping out the entire county to identify safer and shorter ways to use while evacuating people with disabilities. Heavy traffic on the highways can delay transportation and increase the risk to people’s lives. Hence, knowing how to avoid traffic is appropriate to ensure easy and fast movement. The success of an evacuation process relies partly on the availability of transportation and ease of movement. Since the county government has resources and data regarding road traffic, identifying routes should be simple.
Planning also involves considering people with disability and ensuring they have information regarding safety evacuation. For instance, it is necessary to recommend or suggest to people with disabilities to occupy rooms or buildings with safety equipment that can aid their escape even without assistance. Encouraging people using wheelchairs, crunches, and walkers to live in the ground floor rooms enhances emergency response (Hostetter & Naser, 2022). It is easier for someone using an assistive device to evacuate a room on the ground floor than in the upper story. Maneuvering through the stairs is a complex task for a person with walking challenges. Additionally, disabled individuals should be informed about possible evacuation routes, assembly areas, and refuge buildings. Such information is crucial since crisis strikes when least expected, and without prior knowledge of how to escape without assistance, people with disabilities can easily succumb to the disaster.
Lastly, Caroll County should have a well-coordinated workplace for emergency response. Safety evacuation of people with disabilities relies on proper coordination between the various departments and agencies. Professionals in medical, fire and rescue, public health, public works, and law enforcement services offer unique help to the victims (Hostetter & Naser, 2022). Ensuring that these different personnel works seamlessly during an evacuation reduces the likelihood of losing lives. Therefore, educating and training the various respondents from different agencies and departments on collaboration and coordination during a crisis makes a huge difference.
Overall, people with mental and physical disabilities are vulnerable and thus require proper evacuation plans in a crisis. The plan includes keeping track of these individuals, evacuating them using public means, having a functional buddy system, preparing ahead, providing crucial information, and enhancing interdepartmental coordination. Such a plan reduces or prevents the loss of lives during a crisis. Therefore, Caroll County can utilize the information to ensure that the safe evacuation of people with disabilities is successful during an emergency response.
References
Gjertsen, H. (2019). People with intellectual disabilities can speak for themselves! A methodological discussion of using people with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities as participants in living conditions studies. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 21(1), 141-149.
Hostetter, H., & Naser, M. Z. (2022). Characterizing disability in fire evacuation: A progressive review. Journal of Building Engineering, 53, 1-20.