Baltimore Urban Area Security Initiative Sub-grant

Baltimore UASI Regional Steering Committee

 Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD) and the Center for Disability and Special Needs Preparedness (DPC) will use their expert knowledge and contacts in disability communities in the Baltimore Urban Area Security Initiative area to recruit participants for a region wide steering committee made up of representatives of key constituents within the inclusive planning community.  These individuals will be recruited to participate in both face-to-face meetings and with electronic communications through e-mail, and through the development of a website to foster ongoing communications.  The steering committee will provide input into area-wide strategic planning, into specifying the desired outcomes of the public media campaign, and into all new educational materials.  This input will be completed using electronic media to the maximum extent possible, in light of the heavy time commitment that stakeholders have made to other emergency preparedness activities. 

Action Steps

·         Identify key stakeholders for the committee

·         Communicate with them and recruit for participation

·         Establish goals and objectives for the committee

·         Prepare and hold a kickoff meeting

·         Establish regular electronic communications activities

·         Prepare and hold an annual meeting

Develop Jurisdictional Strategic Planning Committees

 MDOD and DPC will recruit participants from the disability community in each of the UASI jurisdictions to meet with emergency planners and responders in Strategic Planning Committees. Committees will be developed in individual counties, or in sets of counties as appropriate to circumstances.  Committee members will participate in disability-focused planning, including design of a UASI-wide awareness and educational campaign that will include special efforts to reach people with disabilities and other special needs.  Differences between urban, suburban, and rural circumstances will be taken into account very carefully in establishing these committees and in advancing their work.  Special problems posed by the high population density and infrastructure of the City of Baltimore, and the unusually high proportion of people with disabilities in the city, will be given careful consideration.

Action Steps

·         Contact potential participants by mail, e-mail and telephone

·         Secure a cooperative agreement by jurisdiction (such as a county) or small set of jurisdictions.

·         Plan quarterly jurisdictional meetings

·         Manage quarterly jurisdictional meetings

Regional and Jurisdictional Strategic Planning

 MDOD and DPC will provide technical assistance to the strategic planning committees, focused on the aspects of emergency planning, prevention, response and recovery most important for people with disabilities and other special needs.  Channels will be provided to combine expert knowledge from both the emergency and the disability communities to develop practical and realistic approaches to preparing for emergencies and responding to them.  Both communities have expert knowledge, skills, and experience that need to be shared more effectively to improve inclusive preparedness in the Baltimore UASI region.

MDOD will also work with the committees to identify needed supports to ensure participation by people with disabilities, such as accessibility, choice of times for committee meetings, transportation needs, and other supports.  The goal of the strategic planning committees will be to produce an effective and workable strategy to improve emergency preparedness and response for UASI area residents with disabilities and other special needs.

Action Steps

·         Design agendas and gather and distribute appropriate materials

·         Provide technical assistance to meetings

·         Provide meeting minutes and strategic plans

·         Review progress of jurisdictional meetings

Regional Public Information Campaign

 Improved public awareness must be part of the strategic plan. MDOD and DPC will work with the committees to develop and implement a general publicity campaign on emergency preparedness and response for the entire UASI area using various media that will especially target disability-related and other special need groups.  MDOD and DPC will also work with MEMA and other agencies to ensure understanding and participation by UASI-area emergency planners and responders, and by organizations that provide housing and other services to people with disabilities. 

Action Steps

·         Prepare plan for recommendation to advisory committee

·         Present proposed plan to committee for approval

·         Design media materials and informational campaign

·         Produce media and materials for distribution

·         Distribute media and make materials available

Technical Assistance for Implementing Strategies

 MDOD and DPC will provide technical assistance to help implement the strategy.  Implementation may include transforming the planning committees into planning and action groups, or taking different steps in different parts of the UASI area, such as establishing task forces or interdisciplinary project teams. 

Action Steps

·         Explore with the jurisdictional committees local implementation needs

·         Work with committees to set priorities for inclusive mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery

·         Investigate and recommend ways to achieve priorities

·         Provide other technical assistance as appropriate

Educational Materials

 The strategy will also include design, production and distribution of educational materials in a variety of accessible formats intended to reach a range of individuals with disabilities.  These formats will include a web site with accessibility features, and recognized forms of accessibility for print and other materials.

Action Steps

·         Identify needs for materials to support planning process, information campaign, and jurisdictional planning and implementation activities

·         Develop needed materials

·         Prepare and publish print and other materials, and web site

·         Maintain web site

Evaluation

 The implementation of the strategy will include an ongoing evaluation process.

 Action Steps

·         Develop evaluation goals and objectives with regional steering committee

·         Develop evaluation method and plan

·         Implement evaluation procedures and collect data

·         Analyze collected data periodically and recommend any needed changes

·         Evaluate the overall effectiveness of the regional planning activities

·         Report year-end results to regional steering committee