American Samoa Community College

Caption:Community Trainer Genevieve Young of ASCC-UCEDD consults with Fire Chief Tagiilima F. Moana in preparation for the Emergency Planning for the Special Needs Population training held at the College last week. (Photo: UCEDD)	ASCC UCEDD Hosts Training on Emergency Planning for Special Needs Population
	February 8, 2006 James Kneubuhl, ASCC Press Officer


	The past several years have seen a significant increase in disaster preparedness within American Samoa. In this post-9/11 world, our government has allocated more resources than ever before towards assuring that we can cope with disasters of both the natural variety, such as hurricanes and floods, as well as the man-made type, such as terrorist attacks. However, one section of our population, namely those with special needs, remains especially vulnerable in adverse circumstances because planners often forget to make provisions for them. In order to raise awareness of the potential challenges for people with disabilities, the elderly, and others with special needs will face in times of emergencies, the University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) hosted an in-service training last week on the topic of “Emergency Planning and the Special Needs Population.”
The day-long training gave representatives from various disaster relief organizations in the Territory the opportunity to present to ASCC administrators, faculty and staff a general overview of the emergency responders various capacities, capabilities and challenges in the event of major emergencies, and to recommend means in which the special needs population can best cope with these circumstances. Presenters included Fire Chief Tagiilima F. Moana and Fire Fighter Clint Ilaoa of the Fire Department; Explosives Specialist Fred Scanlan of the Department of Public Safety; Field Representative Foafoa Moea’i of the Territorial Emergency Management Coordinating Office (TEMCO); Leota Ainuu, Lulu Barber and Pauline McFall of Homeland Security; Carol Maafala of the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA); and Tafa Mamea (Director) and Genevieve Young (Community Trainer) of UCEDD. UCEDD hosted the training as a follow-up to a “Train the Trainer” G197 Emergency Planning and Special Needs Population event presented by FEMA consultants in October of last year. At that event, FEMA assigned each participant to formulate an action plan to deliver the same training within their own agency. UCEDD collaborated with Administrative Services Director John Ah Sue to deliver a “modified” G197 training for the ASCC faculty and staff. Recommendations and feedback shared by the Territory’s emergency response agencies and other participants during the training at ASCC will assist Administrative Services in formulating its own emergency response plan, which will include mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Prior to the training, Mamea and her staff conducted extensive research on the ASCC campus to note the locations of first aid kits, CPR certified individuals, fire hydrants, fire extinguishers, fire hoses, and other safety-related resources. They recorded their findings on large maps of the campus, so that in the future faculty and staff can quickly pinpoint these resources in times of emergency. Young found that out of the seven fire hydrants on the campus, three did not appear on any official documents, and no one could ascertain their working condition. Young immediately reported the situation to ASPA, who soon sent a crew under the direction of Koko Fano to clean, paint, and inspect the fire hydrants. ASPA gave their assurance that all seven will now function properly, and that they will provide regular follow-up inspections. Chief Tagiilima F. Moana and Fire Fighter Clint Ilaoa also participated in the UCEDD safety tour of ASCC, and provided technical assistance and recommendations on fire hydrant locations, fire lane access, maintenance of extinguishers, fire drills, hazard response, and the formulation of an emergency plan for the safety of students and staff at the College. According to Mamea, since the training, many departments within ASCC have begun preparing a plan to cope with emergencies. She described the event as an “eye opener,” and said that another follow-up training will take place sometime this year to monitor improvement and progress on current recommendations. The UCEDD staff expressed their gratitude to all the participating agencies, ASCC faculty and staff, and others who helped make the training a success. <<< Back to Other News & Events