AZ Special Needs Population Toolkit Available

For many years now- Arizona Public Health and Emergency Managers have been struggling to find a comprehensive source of information about AZ specific vulnerable population resources.  Those of you that have been scratching your heads & hoping for help can stop scratching and start reading (and copying).

The Arizona Department of Economic Security has been leading a Vulnerable Population Work group has been working with many of the county emergency managers and public health preparedness coordinators, and statewide health & planning experts to compile a toolkit of best practices to assist you in your local jurisdiction’s vulnerable population planning needs.  Since emergency preparedness begins at the local level with planners who best know the needs and resources of their communities, the toolkit focuses on providing information to assist and support the efforts of local jurisdictions in emergency planning for vulnerable populations.

The web based toolkit is located on the az211 website at: http://www.az211.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1171, and includes information about:

·        Vulnerable Populations Facility Locator

·        Arizona Best Practice for Special Needs/Medical Shelters/Registries/Transportation:

·         Arizona County Models for Special Needs Registries

·         Arizona County Models for Special Needs Shelters

·         Pandemic Influenza Planning Information

·         Special Needs Shelter Overview and Planning Considerations

·         Registry Overview and Planning Considerations

·         Emergency Preparedness for Vulnerable Populations, Best Practices Compilation