Contact Person: Neil McDevitt, Program Director Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network, TDI Web site: www.cepintdi.org
Email: [email protected]
TTY: 301-589-3006
V/VP: 301-589-3786
Fax: 301-589-3797
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/19/2007
RENO HOSTS COURSE FOR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS, DEAF PEOPLE
Silver Spring, Md. – The Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN) will offer the “Emergency Responder and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community: Taking the First Steps to Disaster Preparedness†training on October 24th in Reno, NV to a group of local emergency responders, managers and planners and Deaf and Hard of Hearing consumers. The goal of the course is to encourage networking, preparation and communication between the two communities prior to disaster situations.
This training is being provided through an agreement with the Rural Domestic Preparedness Training Center at Eastern Kentucky University. This agreement allows CEPIN to present its unique and vital workshop to small and mid-sized communities across the country.
“The training will educate emergency responders and planners on the various types of communication preferences and on how to determine the most appropriate accommodation,†said Neil McDevitt, Program Director for CEPIN. “Deaf and Hard of Hearing consumers will identify tools in working with emergency responders in order to develop comprehensive disaster preparedness efforts at the local and state level.â€
Course details:
DATE: Wednesday, October 24th
TIME: 8:00am to 5:00pm
LOCATION: Washoe County Emergency Management Agency
5195 Spectrum Boulevard, Reno, NV 89512
Additional information about CEPIN can be found at its website at www.cepintdi.org.
About CEPIN: The CEPIN Project is coordinated by TDI. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded TDI nearly $3 million to develop model community education programs for emergency responders and special needs populations. For more information about CEPIN, visit www.cepintdi.org.
About TDI: TDI is a membership organization that promotes equal access to telecommunications, media, and information technology for 31 million Americans who are deaf and hard of hearing. TDI educates and encourages consumer involvement regarding legal rights regarding access to technology; provides technical assistance and consultation to industry, associations, and individuals; encourages accessible applications of existing and emerging technologies in all sectors of the community; advises on and promotes the uniformity of standards for technologies; works in collaboration with other deaf and disability organizations, government, industry, and academia; develops and advocates national policies that support accessibility issues; and publishes TDI World quarterly magazine, TDI Briefs newsletter, and the annual TDI National Directory & Resource Guide or the Blue Book. For more information or to become a member or subscriber, go to www.tdi-online.org.
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The Rural Domestic Preparedness Training Center announces:
Emergency Responders and the Hard of Hearing Community:
Taking the First Steps to Disaster Preparedness (AWR-186)
Delivered by TDI at the Washoe County Emergency Management Agency
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
This course will provide participants with an understanding of the tools and knowledge needed to prepare a community response, as well as respond to and recover from emergencies ranging from weather-related emergencies to a terrorist attack, for deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened, and deaf-blind individuals.
COURSE DETAILS
This is an 8-hour course, beginning at 8:00 am and ending at 5:00 pm. The maximum number of students is 40. All registrants must be a U.S. Citizen. Photo identification is required upon registration. There is no registration fee for this class.
Audience: This course is designed to provide deaf and hard of hearing (including deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing, late-deafened and other individuals with hearing loss) and emergency responders with the basic skills they need to communicate with each other in the event of emergencies such as terrorist attacks and natural and biological disasters. The course will also instruct participants how to respond to a variety of emergency situations.
All key members of emergency response agencies involved in the planning of and response to a disaster would benefit from this course including: law enforcement, fire, EMS, public health, community advocates, special needs populations representatives, elected officials, homeland security officials and others who may be indirectly or directly affected.
Scope: At the conclusion of this course, participants will gain the skills they need to prepare for and respond to an emergency situation involving individuals who are deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing or late-deafened. The course materials will train participants to identify and recruit those in their neighborhood whose daily activities place them in a unique position to identify potential barriers to effective communication as well as proven solutions to work around such obstacles.
This course is designed to promote emergency preparedness, community response, and recovery from emergencies involving individuals with hearing loss. The one-day course contains lectures, interactive activities and group discussions in most modules to ensure that participants have a better understanding of the needs of individuals with hearing losses, especially in times of emergencies.
Registration Information: This course will be offered at no charge to attendees. Assistive listening system with headsets and neck loop receivers with microphones will be available. A continental breakfast and working lunch will be provided. The attached two page registration form must be completed and returned to Michele Candee at [email protected] no later than Monday, October 22. Seating is limited and will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis.
If you would like more information about this course, contact:
Amy C. Hughes, Assistant Director or Leah Baldwin, Senior Operations Specialist Rural Domestic Preparedness Training Center Eastern Kentucky University 50 Stratton Building
521 Lancaster Avenue
Richmond, Kentucky 40475
859-622-8106
Fax: 859-622-8038
[email protected]
[email protected]
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The Rural Domestic Preparedness Training Center announces:
Emergency Responders and the Hard of Hearing Community:
Taking the First Steps to Disaster Preparedness (AWR-186)
Wednesday, October 24
Delivered by TDI at the Washoe County Emergency Management Center
5195 Spectrum Boulevard, Reno, NV 89512
Time: 8AM-5PM
Please complete this registration form and return by Monday, October 22 to Michele Candee at [email protected]. All information is required. Space is limited – an email registration confirmation will be sent once you are accepted to this course.
NOTE: Due to time constraints, we cannot make any new accommodation arrangements beyond ASL interpreters, Assistive Listening, and CART.
Name: _____________________________________ (as you would like printed on your badge)
Title: _____________________________________
Agency/Organization: _____________________________
Address: _____________________________________
City/State/Zip: __________________________________
Work phone: ___________________________________
Mobile: ________________________________________
Fax: __________________________________________
Email: _________________________________________
Name & phone for emergency contact: __________________
PLEASE CHECK ONE:
Participant: Emergency Responder_____ Deaf/Hard of Hearing/DeafBlind_____
Accommodations preferred: ASL Interpreter_____ CART_____
Deaf-blind Interpreter_____ Assistive Listening System_____
This course will be offered at no charge to attendees. Class is from 8:00am-5:00pm. A continental breakfast and working lunch will be provided, however, travel reimbursement is not available. Participants are responsible for their own travel expenses.