Outsourcing: New Hanover County’s Successful
Community Effort Special Needs Plan
Warren LeeNew Hanover County Emergency Management Director
Jane JonesCape Fear Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging
Director
Kristen WingenrothNew Hanover County Emergency Management
Ben BrowNew Hanover County Department of Aging, Special Needs
Registry
History & Issues IdentifiedHistory & Issues Identified• Findings:
• Hospital inundated with individuals seeking shelter
• County EOC, 911, Hospital EOC were overwhelmed with special needs calls
• Lack of coordinated effort among community agencies serving those with special needs
Hurricanes Bertha & Fran 1996
How to Meet the Challenge —How to Meet the Challenge —A Community ApproachA Community Approach
• Special Needs Task Force formed by Emergency Management in 1997
• A multi-disciplinary, multi-agency approach to utilize community resources
Special Needs Task ForceSpecial Needs Task Force
The Special Needs Task Force is composed of health & human service
agencies in New Hanover County who volunteer their time to develop
plans and try to anticipate and eliminate problems that may occur. The Task Force has been meeting
every 4-6 weeks since 1997.
New Hanover County’s New Hanover County’s Special Needs Disaster Plan Special Needs Disaster Plan
outsourcesoutsources special needs special needs individuals to participating individuals to participating healthcare facilities instead healthcare facilities instead of utilizing a mass special of utilizing a mass special
needs shelter. needs shelter.
NEW HANOVER COUNTY’SSPECIAL NEEDS PLAN
•IDENTIFYIDENTIFY
•EDUCATEEDUCATE
•EVACUATEEVACUATE
•RELOCATERELOCATE
IDENTIFYIDENTIFY
Community OutreachCommunity Outreach
Special Needs Registry Special Needs Registry
Medical/Home Health Care CommunityMedical/Home Health Care Community
Emergency Public Information CenterEmergency Public Information Center
EDUCATEEDUCATE
Health and Human Services Providers work Health and Human Services Providers work one-on-one with their clients and help them one-on-one with their clients and help them
prepare a personal disaster plan.prepare a personal disaster plan.
Trained volunteers call registrants twice a Trained volunteers call registrants twice a year to update their information and year to update their information and
review personal disaster plans. review personal disaster plans.
Media OutreachMedia Outreach
EVACUATEEVACUATE
All at-risk individuals are encouraged to All at-risk individuals are encouraged to evacuate if at all possible as infrastructure evacuate if at all possible as infrastructure
damage, loss of communication, and damage, loss of communication, and overwhelmed emergency services may overwhelmed emergency services may
prohibit a timely response or restoration of prohibit a timely response or restoration of life supporting electric power. life supporting electric power.
RELOCATERELOCATE
Reserved for highest risk individuals whose Reserved for highest risk individuals whose personal disaster plan has failed and left personal disaster plan has failed and left
them in danger, and is limited by the them in danger, and is limited by the number of available beds in participating number of available beds in participating
nursing and adult care facilities. nursing and adult care facilities.
A caregiver must accompany the individual A caregiver must accompany the individual to the relocation site and remain with to the relocation site and remain with
them for the duration of the event.them for the duration of the event.
In 1998, New Hanover In 1998, New Hanover County’s Special Needs Task County’s Special Needs Task Force sought legislation to Force sought legislation to enable health care facilities enable health care facilities to participate in sheltering to participate in sheltering
efforts. efforts.
Long Term Care FacilitiesLong Term Care Facilities
•LTC Facility cooperation is an integral part of the plan
•Benefits to LTC Facilities– Training– Preparedness Planning
SPECIAL NEEDS REGISTRYSPECIAL NEEDS REGISTRY
The Registry is comprised of The Registry is comprised of individuals who live in New Hanover individuals who live in New Hanover County and have special needs that County and have special needs that
would place them at higher risk in an would place them at higher risk in an emergency event.emergency event.
ActivationActivation
•Directed by EM
•Pre-event Call-Down
• IC-3 Activation
•SN Profiles to IC-3
THE INDIVIDUAL CARE COORDINATION THE INDIVIDUAL CARE COORDINATION CENTER - IC-3CENTER - IC-3
The IC-3 is the emergency operations center that The IC-3 is the emergency operations center that is activated at the request of the Director of is activated at the request of the Director of Emergency Management in the event of a Emergency Management in the event of a
threatened event, to coordinate the resources threatened event, to coordinate the resources made available by the participating agencies.made available by the participating agencies.
The IC-3 is located at New Hanover Regional The IC-3 is located at New Hanover Regional Medical Center.Medical Center.
70 + Participating Agencies70 + Participating Agencies• NHC EM, Social Services, Health, Aging, Animal
Control
• Hospitals
• Home Health Care Agencies
• Nursing and Adult Care Homes
• Mental Health
• Cape Fear COG Area Agency on Aging
• Oxygen Vendors
• Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services, Blind Services
• Hospice
• WAVE Transit
ACTIVATIONSACTIVATIONS• BONNIE BONNIE August 1998August 1998
• DENNIS DENNIS August 1999August 1999
• FLOYD FLOYD September 1999September 1999
• IRENE IRENE October 1999October 1999
• ISABEL ISABEL September 2003September 2003
• CHARLEY CHARLEY August 2004August 2004
• OPHELIAOPHELIA September 2005September 2005
• HANNAHANNA September 2008September 2008
The Special Needs The Special Needs Task ForceTask Force
Actively Serving New Hanover County
Since 1997
