Performing Department
Community Development
Non Technical Summary
Emergency Management means something different to each individual and organization. Emergency management is a broad and expansive part of our society and can include many types of disciplines including law enforcement, fire service, emergency medical services and community service volunteer organizations. Although people perceive emergency management in different ways, practically everyone agrees that taking care of people is always the top priority. Taking care of people involves life safety response operations first, followed by Emergency Human Services or EHS. EHS has many functions that can include mass care (sheltering, feeding and distribution of relief supplies), long-term recovery case management, rebuilding, repair, disaster mental health services, disaster health services, volunteer management, donated goods management and potentially many other functions. Given the range of functions, organizing and coordinating EHS is no small task at any level of society. At the national level the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) does a very good job coordinating national organizations. At the State level the mission of government is to aid citizens with recovery plans by developing and implementing a holistic approach to disaster recovery, maximizing public and private resources to facilitate an efficient and effective integrated system addressing human services, housing, infrastructure, community and economic development issues. In a collaborative effort, the land grant university extension services, state agencies and State VOADs coordinate planning efforts of the many voluntary organizations responding to, preparing for, recovering from and mitigating against disaster. Member organizations provide more effective and less duplicative services by organizing efforts before disaster strikes. At the local community level (city, county or regional), Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COADs) play the crucial role of coordinating EHS at the very base level. Sometimes, instead of a local group called a COAD, the role of community coordination is undertaken by similar organizations such as a local Citizen Corps Council or a Caring Community Association or local/sub-state VOAD or some other local community collaborative association. Any of these groups can take on the role of coordinating EHS. As long as the group - whatever its name - takes on the mission of coordinating emergency human services in concert with the key partner agencies such as the local emergency management agency. No matter the name, these organizations help coordinate volunteer activities that will make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to, and recovery from, any emergency situation in all phases of emergency management. They provide opportunities for people to participate in a range of measures to make their families, their homes, and their communities safer from the threats of crime, terrorism, and disasters of all kinds, such organizations are built on successful programs that are in place in many communities around the country. Examples of other programs that may be a part of a COAD or CCC include Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), the Neighborhood Watch Program, the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), and Volunteers in Police Service (V.I.P.S.). Communities that do not have a COAD or similar organization, are encouraged to establish either community or geographic COADs using the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Whole Community concept, in which residents, emergency management practitioners, organizational and community leaders, and government officials collectively understand and assess the needs of their respective communities and determine the best ways to organize and strengthen their assets, capacities, and interests. By doing so, a more effective path to societal security and resilience is built. In order for more states to use the COAD model Missouri, Illinois and Indiana will collaborate to provide educational leadership to address the complex problems associated with emergency human services. Specific focus is directed to offering a proven concept using an open educational process which will be followed by an exercise for the three state programs and local COADs to use the document to manage simulated cases of unmet human needs in the immediate aftermath of a disaster event. A process evaluation and an impact evaluation will provide significant data as to the validity of the process. The proposed methodology will support the NIFA program emphasis areas to enhance regional/national networks, provide regional/national education and communications leadership, improve regional/national stakeholder partnerships and, provide multiple-state educational leadership resulting from numerous declared disasters in the partner states.
Animal Health Component
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Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The primary goals of the multi-state project are for Extension Services to:Disseminate credible, science-based information to state and local VOAD members and state Extension Service personnel on how to use the COAD Guidance Manual to support citizens living in storm, tornado and flood-impacted areas that are struggling with additional human needs of individuals, families, communities, agriculture, business and industry.Deliver a proof of concept for use of the COAD Guidance Manual by utilizing a disaster simulation using the "In-box Exercise" methodology to test the efficacy and veracity of the document and its potential uses.Specific project objectives include:1.1 A broad multi-state audience will learn about the purpose and rationale for COADs through a webinar and reading of the COAD Guidance Manual.1.2 A broad multi-state audience will learn how to organize and function as an effective COAD through a webinar and reading of the COAD Guidance Manual.2.1 State Extension Service personnel within the three cooperating states will use the COAD Guidance manual in a disaster simulation (In-box exercise) to make effective collaborative decisions within their state about Emergency Human Services and disaster recovery issues.2.2 Local and regional Extension Service personnel within the three cooperating states will use the COAD Guidance manual in a disaster simulation (In-box exercise) to make effective collaborative decisions within their state and local area about Emergency Human Services and disaster recovery issues.2.3 State level voluntary agency representatives within the three cooperating states will use the COAD Guidance manual in a disaster simulation (In-box exercise) to make effective collaborative decisions within their state about Emergency Human Services and disaster recovery issues.2.4 Local COAD representatives within the three cooperating states will use the COAD Guidance manual in a disaster simulation (In-box exercise) to make effective collaborative decisions within their local about Emergency Human Services and disaster recovery issues.
Project Methods
University of Missouri Extension will partner with the University of Illinois Extension and Purdue University Extension in a two phase program of education and proof of concept. Missouri Extension will take the lead on the proposal with the other two states participating at the university extension leadership level and at selected local venues. This project will take one full year after funding has been procured. Phase I Phase I is an educational process to facilitate learning about COADs and COAD process. EDEN and eXtension will be used to provide online webinars and access to the COAD manual. At least four webinars will be presented in order to offer organizations several options and times to participate. The webinars will be recorded and available via EDEN and eXtension for national access by Extension and other partners. The COAD manual will provide the critical content for the webinars and will also be available via EDEN and eXtension. Phase II Phase II is the proof of concept phase that engages participants in a simulation exercise to apply their learning from the webinar and use the COAD manual. Each cooperating state will work with their state networks and partners to organize participation in the exercise. Each state will have flexibility for timing the conduct of the exercise within a window of approximately a month to accommodate for differences among states. This phase will be a test of the validity and effectiveness of the COAD Guidance Manual presented in the introductory webinar and available online (Phase I). A scenario will be developed and used to simulate an emergency/disaster event that impacts multiple groups of individuals, families and businesses. The key goal of the exercise is to engage state and field faculty of the three extension services and their key partners in using the COAD Guidance manual to approach and solve problems presented by the scenario. It is anticipated that this exercise will be open for up to 30 days to allow maximum flexibility for participating individuals and agencies.