Disability-inclusive emergency

preparedness and response:

Learning from the Canterbury earthquakes

Sarah Vaughan-JonesACC Christchurch28-29 May 2012

We are not the emergency response coordinators

Lesson number 1

ACCLocal

emergency response

coordinators

Quality information on location of clients

Out-of-region call centre capacity

Learning for ACC

• Knowing that there will be a local emergency response coordinator

• In an emergency:– ACC needs to quickly establish who the local emergency

response coordinator is

– Open channels of regular communication with them

– Share information & offer out-of-region resources

– Emergency response coordinator will make decisions

Local people will respond in their own ways

Lesson number 2

Local people will respond

• Business continuity plans ofhome help agencies & other service suppliers contractedto ACC:– Required to contact ACC clients they

provide services to

• People with disabilities will help themselves:– They have their own families &

support networks

Local people will respond

• People will leave the regionwithout telling supportagencies

• If they need assistance,they know who to contact

Learning for ACC

• Expect local service suppliers & clients to respond to the emergency themselves

• Don’t expect them to tell ACC what they’re doing

• Long-term relationship means clients know who to call if they need help

Learning about ACC

• ACC is a purchaser of services, not a provider of services:– Apart from case management staff

– ACC has no personnel that delivertreatment, nursing, or other supportservices to its clients

Learning about ACC

• ACC’s legislation prescribes: – Levies (insurance premiums) can only

be spent on:

• Preventing injuries

• Accessing treatment & rehabilitationfor people to recover from their injury

– ACC has no discretion to spend levypayers’ money on other initiatives,such as trauma counselling

Questions?