NMI emergency plan coverage expanded

Acting Gov. Timothy P. Villagomez yesterday highlighted the importance of including individuals with disabilities in government programs on emergency preparedness.

Speaking at the first meeting of the Governor’s Task Force on Emergency Preparedness for Individuals with Disabilities, Villagomez said that this week’s 6.7 magnitude earthquake in Hawaii brought close to home how vulnerable local residents, particularly those with relatives living there, could be in a disaster.

“Individuals with disabilities face unique vulnerabilities in emergencies like these, and our job is to be prepared to help them and help them prepare as well,” he said.

“How will we ensure they receive disaster information such as typhoon bulletins or tsunami warnings? How can we help them adequately prepare for an emergency? How can we safely evacuate them if they are in a wheelchair or have a medical condition? What are their unique sheltering needs? The job of this task force is to answer these and other questions and to ensure procedures are in place to implement those answers,” he said.

The task force was formed in August to promote the safety of people with disabilities during emergency situations.

Eighteen government officials and private individuals were appointed to the task force, with the Emergency Management Office director as chairman and the special assistant for homeland security as vice chairman.

In the memorandum creating the task force, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial noted that the existing CNMI Emergency Management Plan, drafted in 2000, did not include planning for people with disabilities.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires local governments to implement emergency preparedness and response programs accessible to people with disabilities.

These programs should cover the needs of people who use mobility aids; have limited stamina; use oxygen or respirators; rely on dialysis equipment; are blind or have low vision; are deaf or hard hearing; have a cognitive disability; have mental illness; and have other types of disabilities.

The administration has also adopted as its policy to ensure that the government supports safety and security for individuals with disabilities in situations involving disasters, including earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, floods, typhoons, and acts of terrorism, and to consider in their emergency preparedness planning the unique needs of agency employees with disabilities and individuals with disabilities whom the agency serves.