Emergency Preparedness Planning For Housing Counseling .

Emergency Preparedness PlanningforHousing Counseling AgenciesOffice of Housing CounselingOctober 21, 2014

Emergency Preparedness PlanningAudio available only via conference call.To join:Call: (800) 260-0712Participant Access Code: 333586October 21, 2014

Webinar Logistics Audio is being recorded. It will be available alongwith the PowerPoint atwww.hud.gov/housingcounseling under “WebinarArchives” Attendee lines will muted during presentation. We will have a number of polls questions. There will also be discussion questions. The operatorwill give you instructions on how to make yourcomments.3

Other Ways to Ask QuestionsYour ParticipationPlease submit your text questionsand comments using the QuestionsPanel.You can also send questions andcomments to:housing.counseling@hud.govNote: Today’s presentation is beingrecorded and will be provided within48 hours. The replay information willbe sent out via ListServ.

Please Mute Your PhonesDuring Discussions During the discussions, all the phones may beunmuted by the operator. It is critical that you mute your phone duringthese discussions.– Most phones have a Mute function so use it.– *6 will also mute and unmute your phone. Unmuted phones are a distraction to thediscussion. Please be courteous.

Brief Survey Please complete the brief survey at the end ofthis session. Your responses will help OHC better plan andpresent our webinars.

Certificate of Training You will receive a “thank you for attending”email from GoToWebinar. The email will say that it is your certificate oftraining. Print out and save that email for your records.Dear [FirstName],Thank you for attending our Webinar. We hope youenjoyed our event.This is your CERTIFICATE OF TRAINING for this 2hour webinar.Please send your questions, comments and feedbackto: housing.counseling@hud.gov.

WelcomeJerry MayerDirectorOffice of Outreach and Capacity Building10/21/2014

TODAY’S MEETINGCOLLEEN WEISEROFFICE OF POLICY AND GRANT ADMINISTRATION10/21/2014

Purpose To inform housing counseling agencies of theimportance of preparing and planning foremergencies. To discuss what housing counseling agenciesare currently doing to prepare. To provide information and resources onpreparing and planning for emergencies.10/21/2014

Agenda Why Plan for Emergencies? What is an Emergency? Make an Emergency PreparednessPlan/Continuity of Operations Promoting family and individual preparedness Community outreach/before, during and afteran emergency10/21/2014

Presenters from theOffice of Housing Counseling Colleen WeiserVirginia HolmanSuzanne IsaacsBeth EilersCheryl Lombre’10/21/2014

INTRODUCTIONSUZANNE ISAACSOFFICE OF OUTREACH AND CAPACITY BUILDING10/21/2014

Why Plan for Emergencies? Get your agency and community back inbusiness after an emergency Protect and support your employees, clientsand community during and after anemergency. Protect your facilities, systems andequipment.10/21/2014

What is an Emergency?Any unplanned event that can: Cause deaths or significant injuries toemployees, customers or the public Shut down your business, disrupt operations,cause physical or environmental damage, Threaten the agency’s financial standing orpublic image. Natural hazards, human-caused hazards ortechnology- related hazards10/21/2014

Examples of EmergenciesThe emergency may be agency specific, local, regional ornational.“Disaster” implies a large-scale, natural eventMany events can be “emergencies,” including: Fire, explosionsHazardous materials incident, Radiological accidentFloodsStorms – Hurricanes, Tornados, Winter stormsEarthquakeCommunications and systems failureWide spread illnessCivil disturbanceLoss of key supplier or customer10/21/2014

Polling Question #1 Has your agency had to deal with anemergency that affected your services? Selectall that apply.– Yes – agency event– Yes – local or community event– Yes – state or national event– Yes – Presidentially declared disaster– No10/21/2014

Discussion Question Tell us about an emergency that your agencydealt with and how you handled it.10/21/2014

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESSPLANNING/CONTINUITY OFOPERATIONSGINGER HOLMANOFFICE OF OUTREACH AND CAPACITY10/21/2014

Polling Question #2 Is your agency prepared to continueoperations during and after an emergency?– Yes, we have a written plan and procedures– Yes, we have an informal plan– No10/21/2014

Discussion Question Why do you have a plan or why don’t youhave a plan? Do you think that a written plan is important? If you have a plan, have you implemented it?What was your experience? Have you had staff discussions about what todo?10/21/2014

To Review What To Do10/21/2014

Making Your Plan Set up your planning team– Decide who is in charge Look at your agency’s capabilities and potentialhazards– Look at your current plans and policies, i.e. insurance,finance, and employee policies– Meet with local groups about their plans and resources– Identify codes and regulations that impact your operation– Identify your critical products, services and operations anddetermine need for backups.– Identify agency resources and capabilities that could beneeded in an emergency– Identify community resources that could be needed Make formal agreements10/21/2014

Review your insurance policies Identify potential emergencies and theirprobability– Make a formal assessment of impacts Develop and write the plan– Agency policy and personnel responsibilities– How and where emergencies will be managed.– Establish emergency response procedures Train your staff Give plan to your local partners.10/21/2014

Things to Consider When Planning What staff, equipment and materials are absolutely necessary? Do you have a staff/management succession plan? Do you have a procedure for backing up your electronic data andstoring it off-site? How will you protect paper files? Do you have an alternate location in the event that your officemust be closed? Are staff authorized to telework? Do you evacuate or shelter in place? Do you have a communication plan with staff, clients and vendorsto determine their personal situation?10/21/2014

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RESOURCES FOR PLANNINGCHERYL LOMBRE’OFFICE OF OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY10/21/2014

Ready.gov has many resources forhelping you make your plans.10/21/2014

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Other ResourcesThere is a lot of help available to you for developing andimplementing your plan. www.fema.gov/pdf/business/guide/bizindst.pdf www.sba.gov/content/disaster-planning www.ready.gov/business www.fedex.com/us/smallbusiness/FERC smallbus pdf 120809.pdf www.readyrating.orgA more extensive list can be found on the OHC webpage athttp://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src /program offices/housing/sfh/hcc/OHC DISA10/21/2014

PROMOTING FAMILY ANDINDIVIDUAL PREPAREDNESSSUZANNE ISAACSOFFICE OF OUTREACH AND CAPACITY BUILDING10/21/2014

Family Emergency Preparedness Talk to your staff and clients about being preparedfor emergencies.– The importance of a family emergency plan andcommunication plan– Make a kit of important supplies, papers, etc. Incorporate personal/family emergencypreparedness in education classes and counselingsessions. Be sure to include pets in any plan Be sure that seniors are included in a plan.10/21/2014

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Polling Question #3 Do you discuss with your staff and clients theimportance of having a family emergencypreparedness plan?– Yes, staff and clients– Yes, family– Yes - both– No10/21/2014

Discussion Question How can family emergency preparedness beincorporated into your counseling sessions? How have you or would you assist your clientsduring and after an emergency?10/21/2014

COMMUNITY OUTREACH/BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER ANEMERGENCYBETH EILERSOFFICE OF OUTREACH AND CAPACITY BUILDING10/21/2014

Involvement with the Community Get involved before an emergency Get to know and work with communityleaders, first responders, governmentagencies, community groups, and utilities– Discuss plans and procedures– Define your agency’s role in a emergency– Prepare mutual aid agreements Work with media Identify possible volunteer activities10/21/2014

Involvement for Community Planning Meet regularly with leaders to discuss plans and defineroles Who to work with:––––––––FEMASBA, IRS, HHSState Department of Emergency ManagementLocal Governments, Housing Authorities, Departments of SocialServices and Community PartnersLocal Emergency Operations Coordinators and Citizens’ EmergencyResponse TeamsUtilities, hospitals, etc.Community and neighborhood organizationsLocal chapters of nonprofits (Red Cross, Salvation Army, UnitedMethodist Committee on Relief, and others)10/21/2014

Polling Question #4Is your agency involved with the community’semergency preparedness planning? Yes No Not sure10/21/2014

Helping During and AfterCommunity–wide Emergency Housing Counseling Agencies can have a major role withcommunity-wide assistance Staff any emergency service center to provideinformation to citizens (depending on the type ofemergency) Set up activities such as blood drives, food banks, etc. Encourage staff to participate in the CommunityEmergency Response Team (CERT) Program and othersimilar groups.10/21/2014

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Counseling After an Emergency Post-emergency counseling is different fromstandard housing counseling. Some additionalknowledge or resources may be needed.1. Much more intensive and long-term engagement with families,which is more like case management for the housing issues thanlike typical counseling tied to a single transaction (homepurchase or loan modification)2. Understanding homeowners insurance3. Connecting to disaster recovery networks4. Assisting clients in a state of chronic distress5. Understanding in home repair financing and oversight6. Understanding in the construction process10/21/2014

Your Role In a PresidentiallyDeclared Emergency If your community is in an area with a PresidentialDisaster Declaration, your role may be more specific.– Recognize FEMA as lead agency – assist where requested– Staff any Disaster Recovery center(s) as requested byFEMA– Provide community partners with information on programavailability, flexibility, access to needed resources– Assist homeowners with mortgage and other housingissues– Help locate housing for dislocated residents.– Provide support to the community10/21/2014

Discussion Question How have you worked with your communitybefore, during and after an emergency? In what ways have you worked with your staffand clients to prepare for or cope with anemergency? What ways could your agency help?10/21/2014

Summary andConcluding RemarksColleen Weiser10/21/2014

Polling Question #5Now that you know more, will your agency bedeveloping an Emergency Preparedness Plan? Yes No Maybe10/21/2014

For housing counseling program information,grant information, training and events, counselorresources and to sign up for our LISTSERV, go towww.hud.gov/housingcounselingQuestions or comments:housing.counseling@hud.gov10/21/201451

Family Emergency Preparedness Talk to your staff and clients about being prepared for emergencies. – The importance of a family emergency plan and communication plan – Make a kit of important supplies, papers, etc. Incorporate personal/family emergency p