CAN-ASC-5.1 Standard on Emergency Measures: Public Review Draft – Annexes and bibliography
Annex A: (Informative) Evacuation, medical, and electrical outage registries
Note: This Annex is not a mandatory part of this Standard.
As part of emergency preparedness programs, evacuation, medical and electrical outage registries for persons with disabilities and vulnerable persons have been established to prepare for emergency situations. These registries have proven to particularly helpful in identifying and providing information on people with disabilities and persons who may become vulnerable to provide assistance in emergencies. Some examples include:
- the Montreal Fire Department Emergency Evacuation Assistance program, where people with disabilities can register for additional assistance in the event of an emergency.
- City of Calgary Vulnerable Persons Self-Registry - Vulnerable persons in Calgary who have a condition or disability that first responders need to know about are encouraged to subscribe to this service, or they can also be registered by their family or caregivers.
- Quadra, BC - The Seniors Emergency Preparedness Program (SEPP) is a network of community organizations designed to support vulnerable seniors during extreme weather events.The program requires voluntary self-registration. SEPP will cover costs for contractors to clear snow or debris such as fallen branches and trees depending on needs to access services as well as loans of equipment such as space heaters and portable air conditioners.
- Kings County, Nova Scotia – this registry is aimed at individuals who are living at home without 24-hour support. The system allows first responders to know certain elements of the medical histories of vulnerable people on the registry before they arrive at the scene of an emergency. The system can generate reports for first responders and advise them of issues related to mobility, vision, and hearing, involving people living at specific addresses. (Note: Following Hurricane Fiona in 2022, NS is considering a province-wide registry).
- the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Mass Evacuation Tracking System (NMETS), which uses barcode scanners to track the movement of evacuees including family group members, their household pets or service animals, medical equipment and essential belongings during evacuation.
These systems should be established in accordance with protections for privacy of personal information. Vulnerable populations can voluntarily register before an emergency. The systems need to be continually updated with current information and people registering for these systems should be able to correct or update their personal information.
Annex B: (Informative) - Guidance for persons with disabilities on emergency preparedness
Note: This Annex is not a mandatory part of this Standard.
Emergency management is considered to be a shared responsibility for all individuals, organizations, and government agencies. Many persons with disabilities and those at higher risk in an emergency are the experts in their own lives and overcome challenges everyday to remain independent and safe. In addition to the support that is provided by organizations, guidance and information is available from government agencies and other organizations to assist persons with disabilities and their caregivers with their own personal emergency preparedness. Information materials should include, but are not limited to, the following recommendations:
- Establish a support network
- Develop and practice an emergency response plan
- Prepare an emergency kit (Note: each kit should be specific to the person’s needs and disabilities)
- Prepare a list of medications and allergies and keep with kit, at home, in the car, at work, etc.
- Prepare a contact list of all emergency contacts and keep a copy at home, at work, in the car
- Prepare a list of instructions for support persons and responders regarding personal care requirements and any requirements for service animals – keep at home and work.
- Tag/label all assistive devices
- A personal alarm can help to notify responders re: whereabouts
- Employers are required to provide emergency planning information that is accessible and shared
- Practice the emergency plan once a year at least
- Prepare checklist for any service animals or pets
- Vulnerable Person Registries are available through a variety of agencies and persons with disabilities persons may choose to register as an additional service (See Annex A)
Persons with disabilities should consider sharing their lived experience with emergency planners or community organizations to help with planning and decision making with the goal of making these programs more person-centric and accessible.
Bibliography
Standards
ANSI/EMAP 5-2019 – Emergency Management Standard
International Maritime Organization - International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974
ISO 22319:2017 - Security and resilience — Community resilience — Guidelines for planning the involvement of spontaneous volunteers
ISO 22458:2022 - Consumer vulnerability - Requirements and guidelines for the design and delivery of inclusive service
NFPA 1600 – Standard on Continuity, Emergency, and Crisis Management
NFPA 1616 – Standard on Mass Evacuation, Sheltering, and Re-entry programs
Other Sources
Conference Board of Canada, Disaster Recovery – Toward a Resilient Canada, 2023.
March of Dimes Canada, Ensuring No One is Left Behind: The Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Climate Emergency Preparedness and Response (Written Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance to inform the 2020 Budget)
Montreal Fire Department, Emergency Evacuation Assistance Program
Public Safety Canada, Emergency Management Strategy for Canada – Toward a Resilient 2030, 2019
Public Safety Canada, Emergency Preparedness Guide for People with Disabilities/Special Needs