October 21, 2005
“We cannot let what happened after Katrina happen here in the Bay Area,” said Lee. “Katrina showed us that certain populations are more vulnerable when it comes to disasters, so we must address the underlying structural issues like poverty that contribute to this, but we must also make sure we are doing everything we can to better protect people who are most at risk.”
The event was designed to draw on the experience of local organizations in the wake of the Loma Prieta Earthquake and Oakland fire and to share experience and solutions they had developed to better protect vulnerable communities in disaster situations.
One such organization is CARD (Collaborating Agencies Responding to Disasters), which was created to provide safe, accessible, culturally appropriate emergency response services and to bridge the gap between special needs and marginalized communities and traditional emergency response agencies.
“It is not just a question of funding first responders, but specifically protecting the seniors, children, disabled, homeless, non-English speakers, low-income or otherwise in need of ongoing support, who end up becoming the ‘first victims’ because they often have little or no ability to address their own preparedness, response and recovery needs,” said Ana-Marie Jones, Executive Director of CARD. “I’d like to thank Congresswoman Lee for looking at the root causes of why the same people are always the first victims in disasters and for her willingness to explore and support alternative approaches to disaster preparedness.”
"In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, we now know that a community is only prepared if its most vulnerable residents are prepared,” said Dr. Tony Iton, the Alameda County Public Health Officer. “We must revisit many of our assumptions and make this our first priority."
Joe Brooks, Vice President for Civic Engagement for Policy Link, a national nonprofit research and advocacy organization focused on advancing policies to achieve economic and social equity, discussed issues of poverty and Katrina reconstruction efforts.
Brian Keith, Deputy Director of Grants Administration to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Office of Homeland Security (OHS), discussed federal Homeland Security Grants as they relate to efforts to protect vulnerable communities.
The event was also attended by representatives of a number of local organizations that work directly with seniors, disabled people and other vulnerable communities, as well as by philanthropic leaders in an effort to increase funding for successful programs in the Bay Area and determine whether they constitute effective models that could be reproduced on a national level.
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Barbara Lee Hosts Roundtable to Improve Disaster Prepardness for Vulnerable Communities “We Cannot Let What Happened After Katrina Happen Here”
(Oakland, CA) - On Saturday, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) hosted a roundtable discussion on improving local disaster preparedness in the wake of hurricane Katrina, focusing specifically on protecting vulnerable communities.“We cannot let what happened after Katrina happen here in the Bay Area,” said Lee. “Katrina showed us that certain populations are more vulnerable when it comes to disasters, so we must address the underlying structural issues like poverty that contribute to this, but we must also make sure we are doing everything we can to better protect people who are most at risk.”
The event was designed to draw on the experience of local organizations in the wake of the Loma Prieta Earthquake and Oakland fire and to share experience and solutions they had developed to better protect vulnerable communities in disaster situations.
One such organization is CARD (Collaborating Agencies Responding to Disasters), which was created to provide safe, accessible, culturally appropriate emergency response services and to bridge the gap between special needs and marginalized communities and traditional emergency response agencies.
“It is not just a question of funding first responders, but specifically protecting the seniors, children, disabled, homeless, non-English speakers, low-income or otherwise in need of ongoing support, who end up becoming the ‘first victims’ because they often have little or no ability to address their own preparedness, response and recovery needs,” said Ana-Marie Jones, Executive Director of CARD. “I’d like to thank Congresswoman Lee for looking at the root causes of why the same people are always the first victims in disasters and for her willingness to explore and support alternative approaches to disaster preparedness.”
"In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, we now know that a community is only prepared if its most vulnerable residents are prepared,” said Dr. Tony Iton, the Alameda County Public Health Officer. “We must revisit many of our assumptions and make this our first priority."
Joe Brooks, Vice President for Civic Engagement for Policy Link, a national nonprofit research and advocacy organization focused on advancing policies to achieve economic and social equity, discussed issues of poverty and Katrina reconstruction efforts.
Brian Keith, Deputy Director of Grants Administration to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Office of Homeland Security (OHS), discussed federal Homeland Security Grants as they relate to efforts to protect vulnerable communities.
The event was also attended by representatives of a number of local organizations that work directly with seniors, disabled people and other vulnerable communities, as well as by philanthropic leaders in an effort to increase funding for successful programs in the Bay Area and determine whether they constitute effective models that could be reproduced on a national level.