WSSPC Awards in Excellence 1998

Award Recipients

Awarded Category: Outreach to General Public

Program Name Bay Area Emergency Preparedness Coalition for Seniors & People with Disabilities

Administering Agency Alameda County Social Services

Contact Person (Name/Title) Mary Louise Zernicke

Address 8000 Edgewater Drive, Oakland, CA 94621

Telephone Number 510-567-8053

Fax Number 510-567-8039

1.	How long has this program been operational?
	First meeting: September 1994.
2.	What are the major purposes of this program? What problem(s) or issue(s) was it designed to address?
	This is a five county partnership of Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) and Centers for Independent Living (CIL) to assure that Seniors and People with disabilities are prepared for major emergencies. Major disasters in the Bay Area have shown that Seniors and People with disabilities are not prepared and have little or no access to appropriate preparedness resources.
3.	Describe the specific activities and operations of the program.
	Build coalitions and facilitate group meetings where agencies collaborate on disaster planning for Seniors and people with disabilities. Promote and implement regional standards Outreach and training to groups working with Seniors and People with disabilities Facilitate conversations to put preparedness on the agenda of agencies providing support and service to Seniors and People with disabilities.
4.	Does this program take a new and creative approach or method? If yes, please describe.
	This Coalition brings together diverse agencies to address a very specific common concern. Through the coalition, participating agencies find solutions, which work within their individual budget and resource limitations. The collaborative process and the group involvement allows participating agencies to learn from each other and share resources.
5.	What were the program’s start-up costs and source(s) of funding?
	$ 59,000 Budget Source: Northern California Disaster Preparedness Network
	What are the program’s annual operational costs and source(s) of funding?
	$45,000 minimum Budget Source: Foundations, PG&E, United Way, Local AAA
6.	How many employees (full-time equivalent) work(ed) with this program? 1 FTE
7.	To the best of your knowledge, did this program originate in your state? Yes
	Are you aware of similar programs in other states? No
8.	Has the program been fully implemented?
	If No, what actions remain to be taken?
	The Coalition wants to broaden their network and scope of operations.
9.	Is there evidence that the program has been effective in achieving its stated purpose(s)? Briefly summarize evaluations (pro and con) of how well the program has addressed the defined problem(s) or issue(s).
	The Bay Area Emergency Preparedness Coalition for Seniors and People with Disabilities has been extraordinarily effective in helping agencies address the preparedness concerns of their constituents. Participating agencies have developed disaster plans and consider preparedness information to be a needed and valuable service to offer their clients, for whom they are the primary service providers. The Coalition is credited with helping to institutionalize preparedness for agencies providing service to vulnerable populations in the Bay Area.
10.	How has the program changed since its inception? What limitations or obstacles might other states expect to encounter if they attempt to adopt this program?
	The biggest change is the recent loss of the program manager. The greatest limitation has been having only one FTE who must also generate program funding. Actively pursuing funds takes time, with no guarantee of return on the hours invested. Without secured funding the staff must often choose between doing the training, and programmatic development or pursuing operation funds.
	The same problem arises when hiring staff for this type of project. The skill set required for meeting facilitation, training and program development are often quite different from those required for successful grant writing and income generation.
11.	Additional comments:
	The Bay Area Emergency Preparedness Coalition for Seniors and People with Disabilities is an excellent example of the power of commitment and clarity of purpose. The Coalition staff and volunteer leadership provide such focus, clarity and support, that participating agencies are able to rise above their differences, resource limitations and other obstacles to achieve their goals. This is a model for a sustainable, community initiative that produces measurable results and gives added value to the participants.