All municipalities, whether big or small, participate in annual exercises with the emergency planning or coordination team to ensure all stakeholders are prepared to be activated to a response. Operations- or discussion-based exercises are essential; especially, full-scale where all parties collaborate together in a “mock” environment with “real” equipment to simulate a potential “real-life” scenario.
Exercises are a great opportunity to include equity-deserving individuals; in particular, people with disabilities (PWDs) at the table to share ideas and suggestions for the team to provide exemplary support. Workshops presented by individuals with disabilities can provide valuable knowledge-sharing for the team. PWDs as actors for the full-scale exercise provide continuing education opportunities for first responders and other key players to understand how to provide top-rate patient-centered care, pyschosocial or emotional support as they proceed to gain “support” in the transition to a “new normal”.
Is your municipality interested in having an individual with a disability, like myself, to review exercise plans or observe a full-scale program, please check out my web site for details or email me: jlm.accessconsulting@gmail.com for further conversations.