Agenda Text
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Health & Human Services Director responding to #207162 re: creating a checklist for resident safety.
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Official Text
To the Honorable Board:
Board Order 207162
That the Director of Health and Human Services develop a resident checklist for emergency preparedness, including plans to help needy neighbors, and including the "Are You OK" Program.
Somerville Health and Human Services Department uses multiple resources from www.ready.gov <http://www.ready.gov> to provide residents information about what they may need in the case of an emergency. These resources include fillable family emergency plans, emergency plans and activities for children, and encourage families to update their plans and practices them frequently.
Information on www.ready.gov <http://www.ready.gov> is distributed at various community events, on the HHS website and available at the City Hall Annex at 50 Evergreen Ave. HHS and the PHN also promote several different preparedness days/weeks that go along with the www.ready.gov <http://www.ready.gov> seasonal preparedness calendar via social media and printed materials. These include heat and cold preparedness, emergency preparedness week, national night out, national preparedness month, and national influenza vaccine week.
Additionally, The Council on Aging and the Public Health Nurse coordinate several activities and trainings throughout the year to help the residents of Somerville prepare for emergencies.
• The COA also offers various (an ongoing) groups and work with social workers to perform well being checks and report anyone they may feel may need additional help and safety information. Residents may also choose to participate in phone “wellness checks”. These are activated during emergencies and/or extreme weather conditions. This is free cost services.
• Twice per year, at the start of the summer and winter, the COA publishes in their monthly newsletter tips on how to prepare for both extreme heat and extreme cold. They also provide information on where a heating or cooling shelter will be in the event that the city opens one.
• Annually, the Somerville Fire Department goes to the Council on Aging to go over how each senior can prepare for the most common emergencies and remind them to update their emergency care plans. They also distribute and talk about what to keep in emergency care kits/bags and when to check your fire and carbon monoxide detectors.
• The COA participates in Logan Airports EP training drills, and have a friendly caller program where they pair up seniors to check on each other during the winter months, floods, extreme heat, and other emergencies.
• The Silver Alert Program registers clients with dementia or Alzheimer’s to the Somerville Police Department should they ever need additional assistance.
• On-going recruitment of volunteers for the Medical Reserve Corp, who aids city personnel whenever an emergency is declared (whether it is natural or man-made). Member of the MRC have the opportunity to participate in free trainings (CPR, First Aid, EP exercises throughout Massachusetts) and several other opportunities throughout the year.
• PHN also hosts trainings and events to teach residents bleeding control, Overdose prevention / Narcan Training and holds annual flu clinics to keep residents healthy.
Residents are also continuously told to sign up for Somerville 311 Alerts to stay up to date with information regarding everything happening within Somerville. When emergencies and/or extreme weather alerts are published, information includes “Be a good neighbor. Check on family, friends, and neighbors, especially the elderly, those who live alone, those with medical conditions, and those who may need extra help.”
I am available to answer questions and provide future updates.
Doug Kress
Director, HHS