Author: Lewis Kraus

Slide 1: FREED logo

Slide 2:
INTRODUCTION 
Ana Acton  
FREED, Executive Director &
California Foundation for Independent Living Centers, Chair 

FREED is a Disability Resource Center serving people of all ages including youth and older adults and with any type of disability living in Nevada, Sierra, Yuba, Sutter, and Colusa Counties.

Slide 3:
SUPPORTING COMMUNITY
DURING NATURAL DISASTERS
A Frontline View of the Oroville Dam and California Wildfire Disasters

Slide 4:
A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE OF DISABILITY
At least 200 million people – including 18 million people with disabilities – will be displaced by climatic events by 2050

Slide 5:
UNITED STATES 

In 2016 there were 60,236 wildfires burning 5.3 million acres
 
In 2017 there were 56,186 wildfires burning 9.1 million acres 

Slide 6:
CALIFORNIA 2017

Number of Fires: 9,133	
Number of Acres Burned: 1,248,606

Thomas Fire became the largest fire in California state history at 281,620 acres. 

Number of homes at extreme or high risk from wildfires in California: 2,044,800

Percentage of home at extreme or high risk from wildfires in California: 28%

Slide 7:	
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES & OLDER ADULTS IMPACTED
"A majority were found inside their homes, unable to escape as the fire bore down. At least one was in a wheelchair. Another was lying next to a vehicle.”
Mike Pence said it’s “heartbreaking to think that many of the fallen represent…., in some cases senior citizens who simply were not able to escape the flames that overcame their homes.” 
– LA Times, October 12, 2017 

Slide 8:
In Santa Rosa, the average age of the 10 people who died was 75, highlighting the risk among older adults and people with disabilities who live in rural regions.

Slide 9:
"28-Year-Old Woman in Wheelchair Dies in California Wildfires as Father Tries to Save Her,” Says Aunt – 
People Magazine

Slide 10:
THE YEAR OF DISASTERS
In 2017, two large scale disasters impacted the communities that FREED serves including the Oroville Dam Spillway Failure and the Wind Complex Fires. 

Slide 11:
OROVILLE DAM SPILLWAY FAILURE
The Oroville Dam in northern California is the tallest dam in the United States, rising 770 feet high. It holds back a reservoir containing 1.1 trillion gallons of water, supplying farms and cities across the state. It’s a vital piece of infrastructure.

Slide 12:
OROVILLE DAM 
FEBRUARY 12, 2017
•	1-hour notification to evacuate Sunday evening due to the threat of uncontrolled flooding   
•	188,000 people were evacuated 
•	Evacuation was lifted 2 days later  

Slide 13:
OROVILLE DAM
•	Called 571 individuals in low lying areas of Yuba and Sutter Counties. 
•	60 – 70 refused to evacuate
•	Maintained list of 57 individuals who refused to evacuate
•	Specific information to 7 individuals to evacuate safely
•	Provided 11 assistive devices/DME
•	2 days in Yuba & Nevada County EOC
•	Visited 2 emergency shelters 
•	Deployed accessible van into evacuation zone - Provided wheelchair transport to 2 individuals
•	Provided gas to one consumer 

Slide 14:
FREED STORIES FROM THE 
FRONTLINE

Slide 15:
STORIES FROM THE FRONTLINE
"Sandra Rix never left town, mainly because of health issues that would have complicated an evacuation, she said.
The sheriff said “…residents – including those who are disabled or don’t have vehicles – should remain in shelters out of the county in case another mandatory evacuation order is issued.“ – Sacramento Bee

"People spoke of chaos during the emergency, with jammed phone lines, evacuation routes leading through flood zones and the elderly and disabled left behind.

'I was signed up for every notification service there was,' said Alley. 'I got nothing. No reverse 911. No text notifications. Not even my neighbors let me know.’“ – Capitol Radio

Slide 16:
WIND COMPLEX FIRES 		
Cascade, Lobo & McCourtney Fires – Yuba & Nevada Counties:
•	Called 139 individuals in evacuation areas
•	Provided specific information to 7 individuals to evacuate safely
•	Provided 10 assistive equipment/DME to individuals and shelters
•	Provided wheelchair transport to 3 individuals to appropriate shelters or returning home 
•	Visited 2 emergency shelters to identify the needs of people with disabilities
•	Visited EOC and multiple referrals
•	Provided personal assistance support to one individual

Slide 17:
FREED STORIES FROM THE 
FRONTLINE

Slide 18:
BUILDING ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY
•	Established relationship with local OES
•	Participate in local emergency plans and trainings 
•	Staff emergency contacts
•	Office relocation
•	Plan for staff evacuated during disaster 
•	Online consumer database 
•	Community education on personal preparedness
•	Funding

Slide 19:
LEARNING: 
EVACUATION NOTIFICATION

•	Coordinate messaging across jurisdictions  

•	Have a way for people to get reliable and updated info: 211 Nevada County

•	Send out emergency notifications even if it goes out wider than the impacted area

•	All communication must go out in multiple ways and in accessible formats

Slide 20:
LEARNING: 
TRANSPORTATION & EVACUATION
•	Transportation for evacuation must include FREE accessible resources 
•	Need number to call to get assistance with accessible transportation
•	MOUs with transit services are needed
•	Repopulation – must provide assistance 

Slide 21:
LEARNING: SHELTERING
•	A shelter provided PA services for the first time
•	County had relationship with Sacramento State nursing interns 
•	FREED filled gaps in PA services 
•	Balance: personal preparedness and shelter preparedness 
•	County invited FREED to visit shelters
•	No local FAST Teams – State FAST Team visits 
•	Need for local coordinated teams to address AFN in shelters and beyond

Slide 22:
LEARNING: 
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER 
•	Invite AFN partners to the table and EOC
•	Prioritize AFN and you take care of whole community
•	Exchange personal contacts 
•	Co-location of EOC 

Slide 23:
LEARNING: RECOVERY 
•	Area that needs improvement
•	Disconnect or confusion about State, FEMA and local coordination
•	Individual recovery services 
•	Tracking mitigation funding & compliance with Rehab Act
•	Very difficult to navigate FEMA, Cal OES for individuals and organizations  

Slide 24:
LEARNING: PLANNING 
•	Develop relationship with local Offices of Emergency Services
•	Participate in local disaster plans & trainings
•	Emergency management & AFN Meetings 

Slide 25:
CALIFORNIA FOUNDATION FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING CENTERS 
•	Disability Organizing Network – what parts of the systems need to be improved 
•	Tech Act Grantee, Ability Tools, networked with ILCs to meet unmet AT needs 
•	Richard Devylder Disaster Relief Fund
•	CA Disaster Strategies Coalition 
•	Need for coordination during and after disaster 

Slide 26:
LEARNING: 
PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS 	
•	Wildfire Defensible space 
•	Evacuation Routes
•	Transportation
•	Medications
•	Assistive Devices/DME
•	Important paperwork
•	Personal Assistance 
•	Network of 4/5 family members/neighbors 

Slide 27:
QUESTIONS  
Ana Acton
Executive Director
FREED 
2059 Nevada City Highway, Suite 102
Grass Valley, CA 95945
(530) 477-3333 voice
(530) 477-8194 TTY
(530) 477-8184 fax
www.FREED.org