Anchorage Office of Emergency Management wwoem@muni.org 907-343-1401 www.muni.org/oem Resources available on website or by calling this number.

SHELT-EX 2013 Lessons-Learned & After-Action Brief Feb 22, 2013

Agenda Review of Goals & Objectives Seams & Capabilities Gaps Items / Discussions / Recommendations Follow-on Training Events Follow-up Actions

Goals & Objectives Practical Application for newly trained ARC Volunteers and FANS Team members Validate FANS Team SOP Partial Rehearsal for AK Shield

Seams & Capabilities Gaps All Exercise Goals and Objectives were met. Seams or Capabilities Gaps were noted in the following areas: Sufficient numbers of volunteers available locally to serve as Red Cross Shelter Managers or staff. Recruiting and training FANS Team members. Defining FANS Team capabilities and limitations for a General Population Shelter. Alternatives for individuals that require a level of care beyond FANS Team Capabilities. Alternate Care Site Planning.

Seams & Gaps Item #1: Sufficient numbers of ARC volunteers available locally to serve as Red Cross Shelter Managers and staff. Discussion: Trained volunteers limited during a major emergency. Areas that become isolated may not have any trained ARC volunteers available. Turnover of trained personnel. Timely arrival of volunteer support from lower 48.

Seams & Gaps #1 Recommendation: Use of Muni and ASD Employees in a “pay status” to serve as shelter managers and staff during major emergency. Training and practical application exercise may be problematic potentially requiring overtime and backfill. Explore Homeland Security Grant Funding potential. A SHELT-EX during Alaska Shield 2014 could serve as a practical application exercise for newly trained Muni and ASD employees.

Seams & Gaps Item #2: Recruiting and training FANS Team members. Discussion: Requires credentialed individuals with specialized skills (PCA) and a rigorous background screening process. Outreach to PCA agencies important for advertising program and recruiting effort. Training program has been established with SOP implemented. Scheduling of next training session dependent on recruiting outcome. Practical application exercise in conjunction with another Shelter Exercise may be problematic for 2013. Potential for a Shelter Exercise during AK Shield 2014.

Seams & Gaps #2 Recommendation: Continue recruiting effort and monitor results. Plan for FANS Team class during 2nd and 4th quarters. Conduct a one-day Practical Application Exercise vs. an overnight Shelter Exercise. Develop FANS Team registry for recall. Consider use of “just-in-time” training for PCAs willing to support during actual emergencies but currently unavailable to attend scheduled training.

Seams & Gaps Item #3: Defining FANS Team capabilities and limitations for a General Population Shelter. Discussion: Support for individuals with functional disabilities must be consistent with General Population Shelter living conditions and routines. Some individuals with special needs will not be able to have all their essential daily requirements met by FANS Team members in General Population Shelters. FANS Team support in General Population Shelters is not designed to replicate the level of care provided by PCAs in assisted living facilities or in-home care environments.

Seams & Gaps #3 Recommendation: Develop initial shelter screening criteria for individuals with functional disability needs. The screening criteria should be based on a reasonable level of support that can be provided by a FANS Team member to support daily living activities appropriate for General Population Shelter conditions. The screening criteria should also distinguish between the activities of daily living versus “medical requirements” more appropriately provided at a residential assisted living facility, hospital, or Alternate Care Site. Develop a FANS capability list describing what FANS Team support is available on-site. Develop a “Statement of Understanding” describing what functional access needs support is available on-site. The “Statement of Understanding” would be distributed to individuals with functional access needs during the initial shelter screening process.

Seams & Gaps Item #4: Alternatives for individuals that require a level of care beyond FANS Team capabilities. Discussion: A large number of individuals displaced from assisted living homes or residential care facilities will require sheltering support beyond FANS Team capabilities during major emergencies or disasters. Smaller emergencies where residents are displaced from multiple residential care facilities or the State’s Pioneer Home will likely exceed local capabilities for care as well.

Seams & Gaps #4 Recommendation: Where feasible and appropriate, co-locate an Alternate Care Site at the General Population Shelter facility. Co-locating the Alternate Care Site at the General Population Shelter will also help in keeping family units together. Some staffing for the Alternate Care Site could come from PCAs that were otherwise supporting displaced individuals in residential settings. A source for additional qualified staffing would need to be identified. Include Alternate Care Site training in future Shelter Exercise events.

Seams & Gaps Item #5: Alternate Care Site Planning. Discussion: The primary purpose of Alternate Care Sites is to help relieve medical surge. Individuals displaced from residential care facilities or the Pioneer Home will place further demand on any established Alternate Care Site particularly during major emergencies or disasters. Local availability of specialized medical equipment to support Alternate Care Sites will be rapidly exceeded as demand increases.

Seams & Gaps Item #5: Recommendations: Alternate Care Site planning considerations should go beyond medical surge and include provisions for support of displaced individuals with functional access needs. Pre-event planning activities should include identifying qualified staff and specialized equipment. Pre-event preparedness activities should include purchasing and storing specialized equipment, consumable supplies, and conducting training events.

Follow-on Training FANS Team Recruiting and Training – 2nd qtr and /or 4th qtr 2013. FANS 1 day practical application exercise - (TBD) Muni and ASD recruiting for Shelter Management training - (TBD) Pioneer Home TTX - Aug 2013 Special Needs round table discussion (TBD) 1 day practical application exercise – 1st qtr 2014 AK Shield 2014 Shelter Exercise – March 2014

Follow-up Actions