1. North Carolina Division of Social Services
Disaster Food &
Nutrition Services
Good morning,
The purpose of this presentation is to briefly discuss a few of the steps local agencies should take in order to prepare for a disaster.
Presented by:
North Carolina Division of Social Services

2. Definition Of A Disaster
The occurrence of a hurricane, fire, flood, ice storm, man made disaster, or other catastrophe in which:
 The Food & Nutrition Services Program is unable to respond to food needs and/or
 The commercial channel of food distribution is disrupted.
The Food Assistance Program defines a disaster as:

3. EVALUATION OF OPTIONS
Has commercial food distribution been affected by the disaster?
Will the ongoing FNS Program meet the need?
Are retail food stores operational?
Will households be able to use an EBT card?
In evaluation the options for a disaster FA program, these are the questions that will be considered.

4. Presidential Declaration Individual Assistance (IA) Designation
Under the Stafford Act: All requests for a declaration by the US President that a major disaster exists shall be made by the Governor of the affected State
Type of Assistance based on needs identified by the Governor and the needs identified during the joint Preliminary Disaster Assessment (PDA) conducted by FEMA:
Public Assistance (PA)
Individual Assistance (IA) – Critical Pre-requisite for Disaster-Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP)

5. USDA Waiver Request
Hot Food Waiver (required stores open/food supply chain operational).
Allows FNS recipients to purchase hot foods prepared for immediate consumption from an authorized Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) retailer.
Statewide implementation in effect up to 11/14/16. The Hot Food Waiver was extended by waiver request through 11/30/16 to assist individuals who remain in shelters and/or who have been placed in temporary housing.
Timely Household Reporting of Food Loss
This waiver allows the State agency to extend the amount of time households have to report the loss of food purchased with SNAP benefits, beyond the 10 days. Manual replacements of benefits were completed based on signed affidavit by recipient.
Automatic Replacement Benefits (for Food & Nutrition Services)
USDA allowed for an automatic replacement benefit for FNS recipients in counties with at least 50% power outage and/or household flooding. USDA approved automatic replacement of 50% of benefits for those impacted by flooding and 30% of benefits for those impacted by power outage.

6. Review Your Local Disaster FNS Plan
PRIOR TO A DISASTER
Prepare
Review Your Local Disaster FNS Plan
1. ALTERNATE SITE LOCATIONS
Keep in mind the needs of your agency and staff.
How many alternate sites do you have in your plan and who is the contact person for each site?
Consider computer connections, sufficient parking, telephones, bathroom facilities, office supplies, accommodations for elderly and disabled and other needs.
Step two:
One of the first items to review in your local disaster plan is alternate site locations in case your agency is damaged.
In determining alternate site locations…..(slide)
The Food Assistance Disaster Manual, Part II, Letter “L”, “Disaster Operations Checklist” and letter “M”, “Site Layout” will guide you in determining a site location.

7. PRIOR TO A DISASTER 2. COUNTY STAFFING
Policy and EBT issues contact persons
Shelter operations
Division of staff (teams, expertise, duties, etc.)
Adequate staff for large numbers of applicants
Identify Bi-lingual staff
Staff applications
Volunteers
Other county staff
1. Who will be the contact persons for Policy and EBT issues?
2. Who will man Shelter operations
3. How will your staff be used? (teams, expertise, duties, etc.)
4. Will you have adequate staff? If not:
Will your agency need to request staff from other counties and or
agencies (temps) to help during a disaster. And if so:
--Where would they reside?
--Where would they sit or work?
--What would their duties be?
--Would there be enough computers/equipment to accommodate them?
5. Have you Identified your Bi-lingual staff?
Who will take and process Staff applications?
How will you use volunteers? (Human comforts?-- water, food, bathrooms, medical care, protection form the elements etc.)

8. PRIOR TO A DISASTER 3. TRAINING Disaster FNS Policy
Fraud Prevention and Program Integrity
Public Relations
Personnel Matters
Provide Disaster Food assistance training to ALL staff in your local DSS.
Because policy for disasters sometimes vary from disaster to disaster, the most recent Disaster Food Assistance Policy is to be used for training purposes .
Specific issues to train are:
Disaster FA Policy: How eligibility, verification, and issuance for the regular program differ from the Disaster Food Assistance Program.
Fraud Prevention and Program Integrity: Formal fraud control measures in place; control strategies, duplicate participation checks; and special procedures for staff applications.
Public Relations: Who is authorized to issue statements? and
Personnel Matters: Transportation to sites, hours, breaks, pay, safety, stress issues for workers, and tips on communicating with disaster clients.

9. PRIOR TO A DISASTER Utilize DSS staff DSS Security Officers
4. CROWD CONTROL
Utilize DSS staff
DSS Security Officers
Local Law Enforcement Officers
Special accommodations for the elderly, handicapped, and sick
Provide basic human needs
Who will your agency use to maintain Crowd Control?
When providing special provisions for the elderly, handicapped, and sick, crowd control can become extremely important.
Because special provisions have been made, others may become upset when it’s perceived that this group may be getting special treatment.
While special provisions for this group must be made, there are some ways to lessen the possible perception of special treatment. Some of those ways may be to:
Ensure the presence of police/security officers.
Create separate areas or sites to serve elderly/disabled applicants.
This way its not easy for others to see that this group is being served differently.
Make sure that there are seats available the aged/disabled to “wait their turn”.

10. PRIOR TO A DISASTER Media Releases by State and County
Use facts from State Office and County Emergency Management
Use DHHS Releases
Include Who, What , When and Where for disaster recovery
Pre-Storm Press Release
The last item we will look at today in reviewing your local disaster plan is media releases.
It will be helpful to:
Issue a press release BEFORE the storm hits to inform residents that the disaster is being evaluated and to listen to certain radio or TV stations immediately afterward to find out what recovery and support options will be available in their areas. 
This will also serve to reduce complaints of being unaware of a possible disaster FS program.
Sample Press Releases are located in the FA Disaster Manual, Part II, Q.

11. PRIOR TO A DISASTER *** Review Informational Websites
N.C. Department of Health and Human Services
***
N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety
Food & Nutrition Services Disaster Manual

12. Next Time
How soon do we implement program after receipt of IA declaration?
Does the program have to run consecutive days?
Does the operation have to include a weekend day?
Is there flexibility on when and how the county serves potential eligible households?
Is there a media template that counties should use?