Emergency Preparedness and Response

CONTACT INFORMATION

Emergency Preparedness and
Response Division
Los Angeles County
Department of Public Health
600 S. Commonwealth Ave., Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90005
(213) 637-3600
(213) 381-0006 FAX

Public Callers who would like to reach the Emergency Preparedness and Response Division or a report a public health issue may also call 2-1-1 anytime.

2-1-1

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CREATING A PERSONAL SUPPORT NETWORK

 

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If you are a person with a disability, a personal support network can help you prepare for a disaster by helping you

  • Identify and get the resources you need to cope effectively with a disaster.
  • Practice vital activities like evacuating your home or workplace.
  • Assist you after a disaster happens.

General guidelines for creating a personal support network:

  • You should put together your network before you assess what your needs will be during and after a disaster.
  • Organize a network for your home, school, workplace, volunteer site, and any other place where you spend a lot of time. Do not depend on only one person. Include a minimum of 3 people in your network for each location where you regularly spend a lot of time during the week.
  • Think about what your needs would be during a disaster and discuss these with each of your networks. Complete a written assessment of your needs with our network to help your network members learn the best ways to assist you and offer additional ideas for you to think about.
  • Give your network members copies of your emergency information list, medical information list, disability-related supplies and special equipment list, evacuation plan and relevant documents, and personal disaster plan when you complete them.
  • Arrange with your network to check on you immediately if local officials give an evacuation order or if a disaster occurs. Ask your network to notify you of an emergency you may not know about. For example, if a siren or loudspeaker system notifies a neighborhood of a disaster and you are deaf or have hearing loss, be sure that your network knows to give you this information.
  • Arrange on how you and your network will contact each other during an emergency. Do not count on telephones working. Also, choose a signal for help that you both understand. Signals can be shouting, knocking on the wall, or using a whistle, bell, or high-pitched noisemaker. Visual signals could include hanging a sheet outside your window.
  • Give the members of your network all the necessary keys they may need to get into your home, car, etc.
  • Show your network how to operate and safely move the equipment you use for your disability.
  • Make sure your service animal knows the people in your network. This will make it easier for the animal to accept care from someone other than yourself.
  • Explain to your network any assistance for personal care that you may need. Give them written instructions on how best to assist you and your animals.
  • Label your equipment and attach laminated instruction cards on how to use and move each item.
  • Inform your network about any areas on your body where you have reduced feeling so they can check these areas for injuries after a disaster if you cannot check them yourself.
  • Practice your plan.
  • Choose an emergency meeting place for each area where you spend a lot of time that you are familiar with where you and others can reunite after exiting a building.
  • Select with your network a signal that you can use to let them know you are okay and have left their site.
  • Give your network your travel dates if you will be traveling.
  • Review and revise with your network your disaster plan regularly, or as your condition changes.

 

Vision and Mission
Our Vision: Los Angeles County residents are protected from the public health consequences of both natural and intentional emergencies.

Our Mission: To prevent and mitigate the public health consequences of natural or intentional emergencies for Los Angeles County residents through threat assessment, planning, improved operational readiness, and timely response.
Did You Know
 
Public Health has made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translation. However, no computerized translation is perfect and is not intended to replace traditional translation methods. If questions arise concerning the accuracy of the information, please refer to the English edition of the website, which is the official version.
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