THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

18

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 


SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the STATE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE to convene a statewide task force to advise the civil defense division on the needs of individuals with disabilities and special health needs.

 

 


     WHEREAS, given recent disasters, such as hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, and the earthquakes that affected Hawaii in 2006, it became more apparent that addressing the needs of individuals with disabilities and other special health needs constitutes an essential part of overall community emergency preparedness; and

 

     WHEREAS, an interagency workgroup was convened in October 2005, to address these needs; and

 

     WHEREAS, the interagency workgroup developed a 2006 Interagency Action Plan for the Emergency Preparedness of People with Disabilities and Special Health Needs (Action Plan); and

 

     WHEREAS, the interagency work group took action on many of the goals and objectives of the Action Plan during 2006 and subsequently updated the Action Plan in February 2007; and

 

     WHEREAS, the 2006 and 2007 Action Plans identified preparedness planning, notification, sheltering, and transportation as the most pressing issues for individuals with disabilities and special health needs; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Action Plan set forth the following goals:

 

     (1)  All pre-designated locations used and managed as emergency evacuation shelters must meet minimum requirements for facility access in the area of ingress and use of restroom (toilet) facilities to meet the needs of Level I individuals;

 

     (2)  The capacity of the community to "shelter-in-place" must be increased;

 

     (3)  The number and dispersion of community emergency shelters as centers to provide augmented health support for Level II individuals must be increased, with the long-term goal of having all community shelters able to support Level II individuals;

 

     (4)  An accessible public and professional personal emergency readiness campaign must be developed to assist everyone to make plans for themselves and their families in the event of an emergency;

 

     (5)  Individuals with disabilities or special health needs must have an emergency evacuation plan in place developed by themselves or by their caregivers to implement in the event of a notification of evacuation;

 

     (6)  Education must be provided to all health care providers in order that appropriate emergency evacuation plans for health care facilities or settings are in place;

 

     (7)  Individuals with disabilities or special health needs must receive notification of an evacuation through state civil defense mechanisms in an accessible format; and

 

(8)  Each county must have a plan for providing accessible transportation for individuals with disabilities and special health needs who have no transportation options or means to get to and from an emergency shelter;

 

and

 

     WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Legislature to expand and improve Hawaii's emergency management operations by supporting the equipping of emergency shelters and the establishment of a statewide task force (Task Force) to address and plan for the specific and specialized needs of individuals with disabilities and special health needs; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Task Force should comprise:

 

(1)  The chair of the standing committee of the House of Representatives (House) with jurisdiction over health matters, or the chair's designee;

 

(2)  The chair of the standing committee of the Senate with jurisdiction over health matters, or the chair's designee;

 

(3)  Nine members of the community at large, with three each to be chosen by the Speaker of the House, the President of the Senate, and the Governor; and

 

(4)  The Vice Director of the Civil Defense Division of the state Department of Defense, or the Vice Director's designee;

 

and

 

     WHEREAS, the Civil Defense Division of the state Department of Defense is the designated lead agency for the Emergency Management System in the State of Hawaii; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the House of Representatives concurring, that the state Department of Defense is requested to convene the Task Force to advise the Civil Defense Division on addressing and planning for the disaster-preparedness needs of individuals with disabilities and special health needs; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the state Department of Defense is requested to report the findings of the Task Force regarding the disaster-preparedness needs of individuals with disabilities and special health needs to the Legislature not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2009; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Adjutant General, the Director of Health, the Director of Human Services, the Chair and Executive Director of the Disability and Communication Access Board, the Chair and Executive Administrator of the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, and each county civil defense or emergency management agency.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Task Force; Disaster-preparedness needs of individuals with disabilities and special health needs