Including people with disability in preparation for emergencies is essential.
Personal emergency plans should be developed to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of participants in the case of an emergency or disaster. This includes planning for individual support needs before, during and after the event of an evacuation or if required to take shelter in place.
Emergency management plans should include information that details a person’s needs and should be communicated to other individuals who support that individual. Plans should include:
- A participant’s emergency contacts and others from their support network that may need to be contacted.
- Important health information, including medication, health conditions that require active management and contact details of health professionals involved in the participant’s care.
- Details about the person’s preferred method of communication.
- Strategies for supporting mental health or behaviour support.
- Information about the use of any mobility or communication aids, medical devices and other personal care items such as continence aids or wound care needs.
- With the participant’s permission, details of other providers delivering supports and services, such as day programs or accommodation arrangements. A personal emergency management plan should also include how to manage different emergency or evacuation situations. This means planning for different scenarios, such as such as when to seek shelter, going to an evacuation point, what to do if power is lost or whether additional supports are needed. Consider any risks to the participant and strategies to mitigate those risks in the case of an emergency.
Under the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), NDIS Providers are required to complete an emergency plan for participants they support.
Plans should:
- Be regularly tested, reviewed and rehearsed. Measures should be in place to ensure effective communication of the plans to participants, their support networks, staff.
- Plans should be communicated in an accessible format for people with disability where needed.
- Providers should ensure the continuity of supports that are critical to the health, safety and wellbeing of participants in an emergency or disaster.
- Support staff should receive the necessary training and education around emergency management plans.