SO WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT DOING IS GETTING STARTED. OF COURSE, OUR AMAZING TECH TEAM, YOU WILL HEAR A LITTLE BIT FROM UNTIL WE GET THIS WORKED OUT. IS EVERYBODY OK WITH THAT? I LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK. WHOA! ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. I FIRST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ALL OF US, TO ALL OF US AS A COMMUNITY AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE ALL OF YOU HERE AND PARTICIPATING. SO I'M SARAH MAY WITH THE STATE COUNCIL ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. I MANAGE THE NORTH STATE REGIONAL OFFICE. WE HAVE AN EXCITING AFTERNOON PLANNED BUT FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR PLANNING COMMITTEE WHO WORKED TOGETHER FOR MONTHS TO REALLY ORGANIZE AND MAKE THIS EVENT HAPPEN. I HAVE TO SAY, SOME OF THE GREATEST PEOPLE I'VE WORKED WITH AND FLEXIBLE PEOPLE I'VE WORKED WITH IN A WHILE. THE AGENCIES THEY WORKED FOR ARE DISABILITY ACTION CENTER, WE'LL DO A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE AT THE END. CALIFORNIA VOCATIONS, COMMUNITY LIVING OPTIONS, FAR NORTHERN REGIONAL CENTERS, AND STATE COUNCIL ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES NORTH STATE REGIONAL OFFICE. [APPLAUSE] I WAS KIND OF HOPING THE PLANNING TEAM MEMBERS COULD RAISE THEIR HANDS SO WE CAN REALLY ACKNOWLEDGE WHO THEY ARE BEHIND THOSE AGENCIES. COME ON. WHOA! THANK YOU. SO, THIS ALSO WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE IF WE DIDN'T RECOGNIZE OUR SPONSORS WHO REALLY MADE IT HAPPEN AS WELL. WHO ARE THOSE SPONSORS? CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND WELLNESS, AND ANTHEM BLUE CROSS MEDICAL, LITTLE RED HEN, THE SCAN FOUNDATION AND RURAL EDUCATION INSTITUTE. LET'S GIVE THEM A HAND. HOW LUCKY DID WE GET TO HAVE SUCH ESTEEMED SPEAKERS FOR THE AFTERNOON WHO ARE GOING TO PROVIDE IMPORTANT AND USEFUL INFORMATION. WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN TODAY'S PROGRAM. TURNING AROUND, YOU ARE GOING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM IN JUST A SECOND. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. SO WE WANT TO THANK ALISON CRUZ AND HER TEAM WHO IS JOINING US TODAY, ALL THE WAY FROM WASHINGTON D.C.! WHOA! WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A WONDERFUL, A FACILITATED SESSION A LISTENING SESSION AND YOU ARE GOING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ALISON CRUZ AND HER TEAM SOON. I CANNOT CLOSE IN RECOGNIZING PEOPLE UNTIL I GO H DO IT RIGHT. I RECOGNIZE OUR BOSS, AARON CARRUTHERS ON THE CALIFORNIA STATE COUNCIL OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AARON CONTINUES TO BE SUPPORTIVE AND OPEN TO ALL OF OUR IDEAS HERE AT THE NORTH STATE AND IS AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN MOST. SO, WITH THAT, BEV TO END WITH A LITTLE HOUSEKEEPING. ISN'T THAT JUST SO. SO IF YOU HAVEN'T DISCOVERED, WE DO HAVE THE RESTROOMS OUTSIDE OF THE DOUBLE DOOR ON THE DOWN, MY RIGHT AND YOUR LEFT AS WELL AS WE HAVE LIGHT REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO HELP YOURSELF THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM. WE WANT YOU TO BE COMFORTABLE, HYDRATED AND PREPARED. SO WITH THAT, I AM GOING TO TURN THE MIC OVER TO CAROLYN WHO WILL BE OUR EMCEE AND WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED. THANK YOU AGAIN. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US TODAY. IT'S NICE OF YOU TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME OUT OF YOUR BUSY DAYS AND LIVES. THIS IS SUCH IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND WE REALLY WANTED TO DO IT WELL FOR YOU SO AGAIN, THANK YOU ALISON FOR JOINING US TODAY. WHILE THEY'RE STILL TROUBLESHOOTING A THINGS FOR YOU BUT WE WILL GET THIS RIGHT. AS SARAH MENTIONED, WE HAVE A REALLY TREMENDOUS GROUP OF SPEAKERS JOINING US ON THE FLAT FORM. THEY WERE EXCITED THEY WERE ABLE TO SPEAK FOR US TODAY. SO, FIRST UP WITH OUR SPEAKING IS WE GIVE OUR ATTENTION TO TAYLOR ADVANCE THE CHIEF OF OFFICE OF ACCESS AND FUNCTION CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES SO YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE HE HAS HAD A FIRSTHAND REAL-LIFE LOOK AT WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE NORTH STATE, ESPECIALLY WHERE INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS IS CONCERNED SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADIEU, WE'LL HAVE YOU TAKE THE PLATFORM. >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WELL I'M GLAD TO SEE EVERYBODY TODAY. VANCE TAYLOR FROM THE CHIEF OF THE OFFICE OF ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS AT THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES. LONG TITLE, BUT IT'S A BIG STATE SO IT WORKS. I AM REALLY DELIGHTED TO SEE WHO IS HERE TODAY. I SEE LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRST RESPONDERS, I SEE VOLUNTEERS REGIONAL CENTER REPS AND INDIVIDUALS FROM THE COMMUNITY, SOCIAL SERVICES, SCDD, INDEPENDENT LIVING CENTERS, AND THE REALITY IS THIS, WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IN MY ROLE -- THERE WE GO. THAT WAS TO KEEP YOU IN SUSPENSE. AND THE KILLER IS -- JOIN US NEXT TIME. IN MY ROLE AS LEAD FOR THIS EFFORT, FOR THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, I SEE A LOT. RIGHT. I SEE A LOT OF DISASTERS, I SEE A LOT OF RESPONSE, I SEE A LOT OF RECOVERY. WHAT I SEE MOST IN TERMS OF WHAT IS EFFECTIVE IN THE DISASTER FRONT, IS THAT WHEN COMMUNITIES COME TOGETHER THEY DO WELL. IT LITERALLY TAKES A WHOLE COMMUNITY APPROACH. SO, ALL THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, INDIVIDUALS, AND THE FOLKS IN THIS ROOM, IT TAKES ALL OF YOU, RIGHT. SO, WE'VE GOTTEN THIS SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE MORE AND MORE DISASTERS THAT ARE HAPPENING, RIGHT. THEY'RE NOT JUST INCREASING IN NUMBER, BUT THEY'RE INCREASING IN TERMS OF THE SCOPE AND SCALE. EVERYBODY IN HERE HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY DISASTER. AND MORE AND MORE, WHERE I GO ON THE STATE, IT TENDS TO BE TRUE. THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE COME TOGETHER IS A DETERMINING FACTOR AND HOW WELL WE RESPOND AND RECOVER. UNDERSTANDING HOW IT ALL CONNECTS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, HHS, IS CONNECTING WITH FEMA FEMA CONNECTING WITH THE STATE AND WITH THE LOCALS AND ALL THE WAY DOWN THE LINE. ULTIMATELY YOU ARE WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE PREPAREDNESS, THE REALITY IS THAT IF YOU ARE NOT HELPING EACH OTHER PREPARE, THEN WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS EFFORT. RIGHT. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE WILDFIRES, THINGS LIKE PUBLIC SAFETY POWER SHUT OFF, AND THE REALITY IS IF YOU ARE LIVING INDEPENDENTLY, BUT YOU RELY ON POWER, YOU HAVE A WAY TO CALL FOR HELP. IF YOU HAVE A WAY TO GET SUCCESSFUL TRANSPORTATION TO WHERE YOU NEED TO GO. THERE HAS TO BE FOR SHELTER TO RECEIVE YOU. IT'S PROBLEMATICALLY ACCESSIBLE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE THEIR SUPPORT NETWORK. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS GOVERNMENT CAN DO AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THAT. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE AS INDIVIDUALS CAN DO AS WELL AND IT'S WHEN WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN ON EACH OF THOSE FRONTS ULTIMATELY WE DO BEST. I WAS THINKING ABOUT A FIRE THAT I WENT DOWN TO IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND I REMEMBER I WAS COMING DOWN THE FREEWAY AND I SAW THIS HUGE, HUGE, HUGE PLUME OF BLACK SMOKE AND IT WAS OFF TO MY RIGHT. I REMEMBER THINKING MAN, I'M SO GLAD I DON'T HAVE TO GO AND THIS PLUME WAS IN FRONT OF ME WE WERE ABOUT TO ENTER INTO THIS PLUME AND I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING. EVERYTHING TURNED ORANGE AND IT TURNED DARK. THERE WAS FIRE ON THE ROAD. NOW, I DRIVE AND IN A MINIVAN AND THOSE ARE NOT FIREPROOF. I GOT A LITTLE NERVOUS. I WASN'T DRIVING, MY SISTER WAS DRIVING. AND I THOUGHT, WHAT SHOULD WE DO. HAVE YOU SEEN THAT MOVIE THAT CAME OUT MANY YEARS AGO, WITH TOM CRUISE CALLED "DAYS OF THUNDER"? YEAH. TOM CRUISE PLAYS COLD TRICKLE, A RACE CAR DRIVER AND COLD TRICKLE IS RACING AND THE DAYTONA 500 AND THERE'S A CAR CRASH AND EVERYTHING TURNS BLACK AND SCARED AND HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND THE ROBERT DUVALL SAYS COAL, JUST PICK A LINE AND PUNCH THROUGH IT. AND IN MY HEART OF HEARTS I KNOW YOU WILL BE OK. TOM CRUISE, HE WINS THE RACE. SPOILER ALERT. HE WINS THE RACE. SO I SAID TO MY ASSISTANT, GRACE, PICK A LINE. AND PUNCH IT AND I KNOW IN MY HEART OF HEARTS, THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE FINE. CLEARLY I WAS DESPERATE, RIGHT. AND CHRIS WAS DESPERATE BECAUSE HE LISTENED TO ME. OK, AND HE DID IT. HE PICKED A LINE AND HE PUSHED IT AND WE WENT THROUGH IT. SPOILER ALERT. I LIVED. HOW DID YOU GET HERE THEY SHUT DOWN THE FREEWAY? I SAID, YEAH, RIGHT AFTER WE GOT ON IT. SO, WITH THESE DISASTERS, THE REALITY IS WE FIND OURSELVES LOOKING AND IT'S GOING TO EFFECT ANOTHER COMMUNITY OR COUNTY. AND THEN THE WIND BLOWS. AND THE FLAMES MOVE. AND SADLY WE FIND OURSELVES RIGHT IN THE THICK OF IT. IF WE DON'T EMPOWER EACH OTHER, TO PREPARE IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS US TO PUSH THROUGH THAT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT. WE WANT TO BE HEALTHY AND SECURE AND WE WANT TO PROVIDE THEM WITH SERVICES IN A WAY THAT MAINTAINS ALL OF THAT WHILE EMPOWERING THEM AND KEEPING THEIR DIGNITY IN PLACE. AND THE GOOD NEWS IS WE CAN DO IT. THE GOOD NEWS IS WITH A GOOD JOB PROVING YOU CAN DO IT, AND I GO TO OTHER STATES OR OTHER COUNTIES, AND I TELL THEM, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT BUTTE COUNTY IS DOING AND TALK ABOUT THE WORK SHELBY IS DOING AND OTHER FOLKS AND IT'S AN EXAMPLE. SO KEEP DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING. KEEP PARTNERING AT THE STATE LEVEL. WE'LL SUPPORT YOU. OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS WILL SUPPORT YOU. AND WE'RE HERE FOR YOU. PICK A LINE AND PUSH THROUGH AND I KNOW MY HEART OF HEARTS IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU, VANCE. APPRECIATE IT. NEXT UP ON THE PLATFORM IS MELISSA GRUELER. MELISSA IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR FAR NORTHERN REGIONAL CENTER HERE IN THE NORTHERN COUNTIES AND WE KNOW JUST LIKE WITH VANCE, PERSONALLY TOUCHED BY THE TRAGEDIES AND ALSO PERSONALLY TOUCHED BY THE LIVES OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY WORK WITH AND SERVICE EVERYDAY. SO, PLEASE GIVE YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION TO MS. MELISSA GRUBER. >> THANK YOU. IF IF DOESN'T WORK I'M PRETTY LOUD ANYWAYS. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME-OUTS OF YOUR DAY TO ATTEND. WE'RE PLEASED YOU WANT TO SHARE YOUR STORY AND TO ASSIST AND PREPAREDNESS AND THE RECOVERY PROCESS. YOUR INPUT IS VALUABLE. AND I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU AND ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF YOU IN BUTTE COUNTY THAT ASSISTED NOVEMBER 8TH AND PROVIDING THOSE SUPPORTS AND SERVICES FOR SAFE EVACUATION PROCESS IN PARADISE. WITHOUT YOU, WE COULDN'T HAVE BEEN AS SUCCESSFUL. SO, PLEASE TAKE TIME AND JUST SHARE YOUR APPRECIATION WITH EACH OTHER AS WELL. SO, THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] FEBRUARY 12TH, 2017 WAS OUR ORVILLE DAM EVACUATION. JULY 26TH, 2018 WAS A CAR FIRE. NOVEMBER 8TH, 2018, A CAMPFIRE. NO ONE WILL FORGET WHAT THEY EXPERIENCED DURING THESE THREE EMERGENCIES. ALL OF THOSE INVOLVED IN THESE DISASTERS WILL HAVE EXPERIENCES AND MEMORIES THAT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. MORNING OF JULY 26TH, I STARTED MY DAY WITH THE SAME ROUTINE, HOWEVER, I WAS WATCHING THE NEWS AND I MADE THE DECISION I NEED TO PREPARE TO EVACUATE. THERE WAS NO MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDERS AT THAT TIME IN RED. HOWEVER, I KNEW WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE AND I WANT TO SAY I KNEW IT BECAUSE I BECOME TO HIGHLY INVOLVED AT THE REGIONAL CENTER PROVIDE TAG LEVEL OF SUPPORT. MY PREPARATION WAS A PLAN FOR MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY AS WELL AS A PLAN FOR FAR NORTHERN REGIONAL CENTER AND THOSE SUPPORTED. I WAS INDIRECT CONTACT WITH THE TEAM AT THE REGIONAL CENTER PROVIDING INFORMATION REGARDING INDIVIDUALS THAT COULD BE EFFECTED BY THE FIRE AS IT APPROACHED THE OUTSKIRTS OF REDDING. WE ESTABLISHED A TEAM TO IDENTIFY AND NOTIFY THOSE THAT WERE IDENTIFIED AND THOSE AREAS AND THE FAR NORTHERN REGIONAL TEAM MADE PERSONAL CONTACT WITH THOSE IDENTIFIED AND REQUESTED THEY PREPARE FOR EVACUATION WERE ORDERS WERE ISSUED AND DISCUSSED A PLAN TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR SAFETY. FACTS REGARDING THE FIRE WERE GATHERED THROUGH LOCAL MEDIA AND SOCIAL MEDIA WHILE IN MY OWN HOME, I SUPPORTED MY FAMILY MEMBERS IN GATHERING WAS WAS IMPORTANT AND CREATED A PLAN FOR THEIR SAFETY. IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD SEVERAL BULLDOZERS WERE CREATING FIRE BREAKS. ALLOW ALONG THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, A SIGN THAT THIS WAS NOT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. PILLARS OF SMOKE WERE IN THE DISTANCE, SIMILAR TO OTHER FIRES THAT STARTED IN THOSE AREAS. BUT THE SITUATION IT WAS NOT THE SAME. ALTHOUGH I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY MANDATORY EVACUATIONS. I LEFT THAT AFTERNOON WITH WHAT BELONGS I COULD PACK. I LET MY NEIGHBORHOOD KNOW BECAUSE THEY WERE IN CLOSE CONTACT THAT DAY IN PROVIDING EACH OTHER THE NECESSARY INFORMATION. I LET THEM KNOW I WAS GOING TO LEAVE. EARLY EVENING I RECEIVED THE PHONE CALL AS MY NEIGHBOR WAS DRIVING OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD SHARING THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND YOUR HOME IS GONE. I REMEMBER WONDERING WHERE AM I GOING TO LIVE AND WHAT IS AHEAD OF ME. AND QUESTION THAT SO MANY FACED IN BUTTE COUNTY THROW AND A HALF MONTHS LATER. SO NOVEMBER 8TH, I WILL NOT FORGET DRIVING ON I-5 AND SEEING THAT SMOKE IN THE DISTANCE AND I WAS IN SHOCK COULD THIS BE HAPPENING AGAIN. WE REACHED OUT TO THE TEAM AT THE REGIONAL CENTER AND SOME OF YOU WERE PRESENT AT THE REGIONAL CENTER THAT DAY. WE REACHED OUT AND TRIED TO IDENTIFY WHERE IS THE RESPONDED WHO DO WE NEED TO PREPARE FOR EVACUATE AND WE WERE ARRIVED AT OUR CHICK OWE OFFICE THE OFFICIAL EVACUATION NOTICED HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN YET WE PREPARED OUR EVER BRIDGE CALLING SYSTEM TO SEND OUT THOSE CALLS TO IDENTIFY THOSE PEOPLE IN THAT AREA. THAT SYSTEM CONTACTED OVER 490 INDIVIDUALS INCLUDING PROVIDERS. AND IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT THIS CONTACT WAS THE FIRST NOTIFICATION THAT SOME PEOPLE HAD RECEIVED THAT PROMPTED THEIR SAFE EVACUATION. THOSE SUPPORTED BY FAR NORTHERN EVACUATED SAFELY DUE TO THE PROVIDERS AND THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICE PROVIDERS WE APPRECIATE YOU. THERE ARE NEIGHBORS WE APPRECIATE YOU. WE THANK YOU FOR LENDING THE LAND BECAUSE YOU WERE TRULY THE KEY TO THE SUCCESS WITH THIS EVACUATION. WHAT CAN WE LEARN? WHAT WORKED WELL? WHAT CAN BE IMPROVED ON? WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO PREPARE FOR DISASTERS? CONVERSATIONS OCCUR ON A REGULAR BASIS ABOUT WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF EMERGENCIES. DISCUSS WHAT IS NEEDS TO OCCUR IF YOU NEED TO LEAVE SUDDENLY, WHAT SHOULD YOU PACK AND WHERE DOES ONE GO? FIRE DRILLS, THEY OCCUR REGULARLY. THERE'S A PRACTICE DRILLS, THERE'S SURPRISE DRILLS, BUT OUR PROVIDERS ARE MAKING THOSE HAPPEN FOR PEOPLE. BEING PREPARED HAS SHOWN SUCCESS. IN ADDITION IN OUR COMMUNITY WE CARE A LOT. AN AGENCY IN REDDING AND CHICO OFFER PEER TO PEER TRAINING FOR FEELING SAFE, BEING SAFE. THIS TRAINING TEACHES INDIVIDUALS HOW TO REACT IN AN EMERGENCY, HOW TO PREPARE A GO-BAG, THAT'S A BAG WITH ALL THE ESSENTIALS NEEDED IN THAT EMERGENCY. AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE WE CARE A LOT, FEELING SAFE AND BEING SAFE IN THE AUDIENCE SO I'M GOING TO ASK HOW MANY TRAININGS DID YOU PROVIDE LAST YEAR. 500 TRAININGS REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. [APPLAUSE] IN ADDITION, WE'VE CREATED COMMUNITY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS. WE HAVE AN UPCOMING FAIR COMING UP. DENNIS, WHEN IS THAT FAIR? APRIL 10TH. AND THAT ONE IS IN REDDING? AND WE HOPE THAT PEOPLE CAN MAKE IT, EVEN IF IT IS NOT LOCATED IN YOUR COUNTY INFORMATION IS USEFUL. IN ADDITION WE PROVIDE INFORMATION LIKE WE HAVE TODAY ON A REGULAR BASIS TO BE SURE THAT WE REACH OUT TO EVERYBODY WE CAN. AS WE HAVE LEARNED, EVERY EMERGENCY IS DIFFERENT. IN TWO YEARS, THIS AREA HAS HAD THE THREAT OF FLOODING DUE TO DAM FAILURE. A FIRE NATO, A MONSTROUS FIRE NATO THE SIZE OF THREE FOOTBALL FIELDS. AND A FAST-MOVING FIRE THAT WIPED OUT AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED NOT JUST THE THREAT OF FLOODING BUT FLOODING. WE HAVE INCIDENTS HAVING UNIQUE DYNAMICS THAT HAVE DIFFERENT DURATIONS OF TIME TO PREPARE. I HAD TIME TO PREPARE. MANY IN PARADISE HAD NO TIME TO PREPARE. NOTIFICATIONS OF DISASTERS OCCURRING IN THE AREA SHOULD BE INITIATED AS SOON AS WE HAVE THE FACTS. AND THEN, PERSONAL CONTACT SHOULD BE INITIATED IF WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT REMINDERS ARE NECESSARY. WITH THE ORVILLE DAM SPILLING THE EVACUATION THAT WAS ORDERED, THE REGIONAL CENTER HAD SENT OUT PHONE CALLS ON FEBRUARY 15TH TO WARN PEOPLE THIS COULD POTENTIALLY BE HAPPENING, WHAT IS YOUR PLANS? WHEN THOSE MANDATORY EVACUATIONS WERE ORDERED WE KNEW THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE PREPARED AND WE KNEW THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY REQUIRE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. THE CAR FIRE THAT STARTED ON JULY 23rd YET ENTERED THE REDDING CITY LIMITS JULY 26TH. THE TEAM WAS ALREADY ON ALERT THAT MORNING. AND AS THE THREAT WAS HEIGHTENED THAT THE FIRE WOULD REACH REDDING, PHONE CALLS WERE INITIATED TO THOSE THAT COULD BE IMPACTED IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF THE THREAT. WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE ORVILLE DAM EVACUATION IS INDIVIDUALS NEEDED ADDITIONAL REMINDERS OF WHAT TO INCLUDE IN THEIR GO BAG AND TO BE SURE THAT THEY HAD THEIR MEDICATIONS. IN ADDITION, IDENTIFY THE PLAN OF WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO GO? SEVERAL OF OUR FACILITIES WERE EVACUATED AND PROGRAMS WERE SHUT DOWN BUT WE KNEW THEY WERE SAFE BECAUSE THEY KEPT IN CLOSE COMMUNICATION WITH THE REGIONAL CENTER. THE CAMPFIRE NOTIFICATIONS, THOSE WERE INITIATED THROUGH OUR EVER BRIDGE CALLING SYSTEM. THE CALLS WENT OUT FAST AND SAVED LIVES. WE UTILIZED MEDIA TO OBTAIN THE DETAILS OF THE LOCATION OF THE FIRE AS WE NOTIFIED THOSE INDIVIDUALS. WE REACHED OUT PERSONALLY TO THOSE THAT WE MAY HAVE FELT WERE VULNERABLE AND NOT GETTING THE EVER BRIDGE MESSAGE. THIS ALLOWED THE TEAM TO ACTUALLY MAKE THE PERSONAL CONTACT AND MAKE THE REMINDERS OF WHAT THEY NEEDED TO BRING. AGAIN, I HAVE TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE BIGGEST SUPPORT TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS WERE THE PROVIDERS AND THE NEIGHBORS. COMMUNICATION WAS KEY FOR SO MANY DURING THESE INCIDENTS AND COMMUNICATION TO ALL STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED. FROM THE TIME THE REGIONAL CENTER RECOGNIZES THE DISASTER IT COULD HAVE BEEN EFFECTED THOSE WE SUPPORTED TO THE RECOVERY PROCESS. COMMUNICATION REGARDING THE DISASTER WITH THE PRELIMINARY INFORMATION COMMUNICATION AT THE TIME THAT THE EVACUATIONS WERE ORDERED AND DURING THE TIME OF THE UNKNOWN. THOSE WERE ALL BENEFICIAL. IT'S IMPORTANT TO COMMUNICATE WHERE YOU ARE GOING WHETHER IT'S YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY OR IF YOU NEEDED INFORMATION ON THE SHELTERS AND WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION. IN ADDITION, WE KEPT UP CLOSE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES THE RED CREDITS AND THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES. DURING THE DURATION OF THE EVACUATION, MANY OF THOSE SUPPORTED WERE AT THE SHELTERS AND INITIALLY IT WAS UNKNOWN WHO WAS AT THE SHELTER AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY NEEDED THE ASSISTANCE. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO FIND PEOPLE BUT THE SHELTER WELCOMED US IN AND ALLOWED OUR NORTHERN REGIONAL CENTER TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT BY ASSISTING WITH SETTING UP STATIONS WHERE WE COULD BE LOCATED IF PEOPLE NEED TODAY ACCESS US AND WHO ACTUALLY WAS FRONTLINES AT THE SHELTER THANK YOU DENNIS, WE APPRECIATE THAT. AS WELL AS MICHELLE WHO PROVIDED SUPPORT AND MOST OF THE REGIONAL CENTERS STAFF WERE ALL HANDS ON BORED. [APPLAUSE] THE FAR NORTHERN REGIONAL CENTER EMERGENCY TRAILER WAS DEPLOYED AND THAT TRAILER HAD SUPPLIES THAT COULD BE UTILIZED AT THE SHELTER. THOSE SUPPLIES INCLUDED AN A.D.A. APPROVED COTS, AMBULATORY EQUIPMENT AND BASIC HYGIENE SUPPLIES. THOSE SUPPLIES WERE DEPLOYED ON BOTH OF THOSE FIRES AND THE TRAILER WAS UTILIZED. THE PEOPLE THAT PROVIDE SUPPORTS FOR THOSE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES DID A REMARKABLE JOB ENSURING PEOPLE WERE EVACUATED SAFELY THE RESIDENTIAL HOMES SUCCESS TOOK NECESSARY INFORMATION AND SUPPLIES SUCH AS MEDICATIONS, GO BAGS, BINDERS WITH MEDICAL RECORDS AND IDENTIFICATION. THEY WERE FAST THINKING AND IMMEDIATELY GETTING PEOPLE INTO HOTELS AND SECURING WHAT WAS NECESSARY. PEOPLE SUPPORTED THEIR ADMINISTRATION MADE NECESSARY CONTACTS TO SECURE RESOURCES FOR THEIR STAFF AS WELL. THESE DISASTERS WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW THE COUNTY COMMUNITY RALLIED AND ENSURED EVERYONE WAS IN SAFE AND WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED. RESILIENCE, BOUNCING BACK FROM ADVERSITY AND DOING SOMETHING BIGGER THAN YOURSELF. AND AGAIN, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR THE RESILIENCE FOR THOSE WHO SUPPORT THOSE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU, MELISSA. LET'S SEE. NEXT UP, THIS IS EXCITING. WE HAVE A LOCAL SHASTA COUNTY BOARD MEMBER. MR. ROGER HATTEN AND HE IS COMING FORWARD NOW TO TALK ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE, JUST BRIEFLY AND WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE ALL HERE JOINING IN TODAY. GOOD AFTERNOON. [APPLAUSE] YOU LOOK AT THE -- MOM AND DAD. [ INDIDISCERNIBLE ] [ OFF MIC ] THAT'S WHAT WE NEEDED AND I FEEL LIKE I'M NOT FIGHTING. FOR THIS TO HAPPEN TODAY SO THAT WE CAN START DOING MORE. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU SO MUCH, ROGER. WE APPRECIATE YOUR COURAGE AND TELLING YOUR STORY. THE TIME THAT YOU'VE TAKEN TO BE HERE WITH US, THANK YOU, VERY MUCH. NEXT TO THE PLATFORM WORE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE SHELBY BOSTON. SHELBY IS A MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK, DIRECTOR IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR [ INDIDISCERNIBLE ] SHELBY BOSTON. [APPLAUSE] GOOD AFTERNOON, I'M PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY. I SEE A LOT OF FAMILIAR FACES. SO NOVEMBER 8TH WAS DEFINITELY A DAY THAT ALL OF OUR PLANS WERE PUT TO A TEST AND THEN BEYOND. MANY OF US IN THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER WE WERE ALL TOGETHER IN THE INCIDENT AND THE THREE YEARS THAT HAPPENED AFTER THE SPILL IN 2017-2018. SO WE VERY CALMLY BUT NO ONE EXPECTED THE CAMPFIRE. SO I LIVED IN PARADISE WAS MY HOUSE ONE THAT SURVIVED. I AM MARRIED TO THE FIRE CHIEF. YOU THINK IF ANYONE IS PREPARED, WE WOULD BE REALLY PREPARED. THE MORNING OF THE FIRE, I WAS IN SACRAMENTO, MY HUSBAND CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT A FIRE HAD BROKEN OUT AND THAT HE DIDN'T THINK I SHOULD SEND MY KIDS TO SCHOOL. I'M IN SACRAMENTO. SO, I QUICKLY MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO LEAVE THE HOTEL AND GET BACK TO ORVILLE WHERE I NEEDED TO START OPENING SHELTERS. IN ANY DISASTER IN BUTTE COUNTY, MY DEPARTMENT IS TASKED WITH THE SHELTERS. SO I WAS WAITING FOR A PHONE CALL FROM MY DEAR FRIEND CINDY, THE MANAGER OF OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES AND THAT CALL CAME IN WHEN I WAS MAKING MY WAY BACK FROM SACRAMENTO. WHILE EVACUATING MY CHILDREN FROM HOME, MY CHILDREN EVACUATED THEMSELVES. I REALIZED AS I WAS DRIVING BACK, ALL OF OUR BEST LAID PLANS AS A FAMILY WERE GONE. WE DO A GOOD JOB HAVING PEOPLE PREPARE FOR GETTING OUT. WE HAVE THE LIST. WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO TAKE FOR THE FIRST 24 OR 48 HOURS. WHEN NONE OF US IN MY HOUSEHOLD, AND MY NEIGHBORS WHO WERE ALL ELDERLY AND ALL HAD ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS, NO ONE WAYS PREPARED FOR THE LONG-TERM, WHAT IT MEANS TO NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME. TO NOT BE ABLE TO GET THEIR CAT OR THEIR DOG AND THEY HAD LEFT BEHIND. AND THAT CAME BACK TO HAVING BEST LAID PLANS. SO, OUR MESSAGING IN THE COUNTY HAS REALLY CHANGED SINCE THE CAMPFIRE. BEFORE IT WAS BE PREPARED AND BE READY TO GO. READY, SET, GO FORMAT AND NOW IT REALLY FALLS TO US AS INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE THE PLANS AND PREPARATIONS BEYOND WHAT WE EVEN THINK ARE THE PLANS AND PREPARATIONS. HAVING YOUR BEFORE THE LAID PLAN AND HAVING A BACK UP AND HAVING A BACK UP FOR THAT. I SHARE THAT EXAMPLE BECAUSE THERE'S A GENTLEMAN WHO, ONE OF MY STAFF SHARED WITH ME, UNFORTUNATELY WE HAD INDIVIDUALS WHO PASSED DURING THIS FIRE AND THAT WERE INVOLVED WITH OUR DEPARTMENT. ONE OF MY MANY REQUESTS OF DATA, SHE REVIEWED ONE GENTLEMAN'S FILED AND UNDER HIS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN AND WHO WAS HIS CONTACT, WHICH WE REGISTERED, HIS PLAN WAS ALL HIS NEIGHBORMENT HE LIVED IN AN MOBILE PARK. FORTUNATELY, WHEN THE FIRE HAPPENED, THIS PLAN FAMED. UNFORTUNATELY WHEN THE FIRE HAPPENED, THIS PLAN FAILED AND HE PERISHED. WHAT IF HIS NEIGHBORHOODS WERE HOME? WHAT IF HIS NEIGHBORS FORGOT. WHAT IF HE HAD ANOTHER PLAN BESIDES HIS NEIGHBOR? WE ALL KNOW THAT THE FIRE MOVED SO QUICKLY, EVEN THOSE WHO HAD SOMEONE TO GET THEM, THAT WAS FEASIBLE. WE COULD HAVE PEOPLE UP THE HILL TO GET PEOPLE OUT. SO, NOW LOOKING FORWARD, AND WE ARE MESSAGING OUT EVERYONE HAS TO HAVE A PLAN FOR THEMSELVES. A VERY THOROUGH PLAN. WE AS RESPONSIBLE FOR COUNTY FUNCTIONS, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN INCREASE THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO SIGN UP FOR REGISTRIES AND I KNOW SOME PEOPLE DON'T REALLY LIKE REGISTRY IDEAS BUT I'LL TELL YOU, WE HAD OTHER EXAMPLES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO MADE IT OUT SUCCESSFULLY AND THE FACT THIS THEY GOT A CALL WHETHER IT WAS FROM REGIONAL CENTER OR FROM OUR DEPARTMENT, THAT WAS THE ONLY NOTIFICATION THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE BECAUSE WE KNOW PHONE LINES WENT DOWN IN CERTAIN PART OF THE COMMUNITY VERY QUICKLY AND HE WAS, THIS ONE GENTLEMAN MADE IT TO THE SHELTER AND HE SAID THAT WAS WITHOUT THAT CALL EARLY IN THE MORNING FROM MY STAFF, SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE CODE RED, MY STAFF MADE CONTACT WITH THE MORNING. THEY HAD 960 INDIVIDUALS THEY NEEDED TO MAKE CONTACT IN THOSE FIRST HOURS. THEY WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY MAKE CONTACT WITH ONLY 215 BEFORE THE PHONE LINES STOPPED WORKING. NOW WE HAVE MOVED TO A COMPUTERIZED APP. THESE WERE VOICE-TO-VOICE PHONE CALLS. IT WAS ALL HANDS ON DECK MAKING CALLS AND GIVING INFORMATION AND ENCOURAGING FOLKS TO LEAVE. WE KNOW THE MORE PEOPLE WE CAN GET ON THE REGISTRY THE MORE CONSTANT CONTACT WE CAN GET OUT TO PEOPLE. WE'VE BEEN USING THE SNAP REGISTRY SINCE BEFORE THE FIRE. WE STARTED REALLY ACTIVATING IT IN A MUCH MORE PLANNED WAY AFTER THE INCIDENT. WE HAVE IT COMPUTERIZED CONTACT EX THEN WE HAVE PEOPLE CALL US IF THEY NEED ASSISTANCE. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REACH ALL 960 HOPEFULLY IF WE HAD THE ROBOCALL PROGRAM IN PLACE. WE KNOW THAT NOW WE NEED TO HAVE A MUCH MORE HEIGHTENED COORDINATION BETWEEN ALL OF THE NON PROFITS AND ENTITIES WHO SERVE OUR ACCESS AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS POPULATIONS. WHILE WE HAD SOME CONTACT BEFORE THESE FIRES, IT WAS NEVER ENOUGH IN MY OPINION. I THINK WE ALL KIND OF LOOKED TO EACH OTHER BEFORE THE FIRE. WE HAD THIS SENSE OF WELL, WE'LL TAKE CARE OF OURS. WE KNOW NOW THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER, IT'S NOT JUST TAKING CARE OF YOUR POPULATION, IT'S REALLY WATCHING OUT, MAKING THOSE CALLS AND HAVING THAT COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATING PLANS. ONE OF THE THINGS WE KNOW WE HAVE TO DO -- I THINK THAT THERE'S A GROUP OF VERY DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS. OUR SHERIFF HAS ASSIGNED LIEUTENANT COLLINS AND HE IS THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, I DON'T KNOW YOUR OFFICIAL TITLE. HE IS THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS LIEU TEN APARTMENT FORT SHERIFF OFFICE AND WE'VE ALL BEEN ABLE TO GIVE THE SUPPORT THEY HAVE IN THE OPERATIONS FOR THE COUNTY. SO I THINK WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SEE IN THESE FUTURE YEARS, I DON'T THINK, I KNOW, IS THERE WILL BE MORE AND MORE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES AND THESE PLANNED DEVELOPED AND MORE PEOPLE SUCCESSFULLY IN THE FUTURE DISASTERS. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU, AS YOU CAN ALL SEE, I'M SURE THEY'RE FULL OF EXPERIENCES JUST LIKE WHAT SHELBY SHARED WITH US SO WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS AS QUESTION BEGIN THE LISTENING SESSION WE HAVE FINAL COMMENTS BEFORE WE INVITE MS. ALISON CRUZ TO THE PLATFORM AND THAT'S COMING FROM BOB IRVIN. TREASURE OR DIRECTOR OF THE RURAL EDUCATION INSTITUTE AND HE WAS ALSO SEVERELY AFFECTED AS WERE MANY OF THE COMMUNITY UNDER HIS CARE. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU. AT THE TIME OF THE CAMPFIRE I WAS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ON NON-PROFIT. AND WE'RE A NON-PROFIT SUPPORTING ASSAULTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY WITH RESIDENTIAL ASK DAY PROGRAM SERVICES. PRIMARILY UP ON THE PARADISE RIDGE, WE WERE BORN THERE IN 1986 AND GREW UP ALL IN PARADISE. BUT THE TIME OF THE FIRE WE HAD 202 EMPLOYEES. PRIMARILY LIVING UP IN THE RIDGES AND SUPPORTED 52 CLIENTS AND 20 HOMES. WE LOST ALL BUT THREE BUT ULTIMATELY THREE OF THOSE WERE LOST AS THE OWNERS EITHER SOLD THE HOMES OR MOVED BACK IN BECAUSE THEY LOST THEIR OWN HOMES. WE HAD 52 POINTS IN 20 HOMES. 39 CLIENTS IN 17 SUPPORTIVE LIVING HOMES. THOSE ARE HOMES WHERE THEY RENTED FROM COMMUNITY LANDLORDS AND 13 CLIENTS IN THREE LICENSED HOMES. WE HAVE 70 CLIENTS IN RESIDENTIAL DAY PROGRAMS UP ON THE RIDGE. WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT ALL CLIENTS AND STAFF EVACUATED THE RIDGE SAFELY THAT DAY. I BELIEVE ALL BUT ABOUT 10 OF OUR 252 EMPLOYEES LOST THEIR HOMES. SO WE'RE ALL HOMELESS AT THAT TIME. STAFF VERY METHODICAL IN PACKING THE BAGS THAT DAY. THEY WERE JUST EXECUTING WHAT THEY KIND OF LEARNED OVER THE YEARS. UNTIL THOSE STARTED BLOWING UP. YOU GET YOUR HEART RACING AND YOU START MOVING JUST A LITTLE BIT QUICK. I HAD -- I WAS PREPARING TO COME TO WORK THAT DAY AND GETTING DRESSED AND I LIVED ON THE CANYON ON THE EASTSIDE AND I COULD SEE THE PLUME SO I SENT AN E-MAIL OUT TO ALL THE STAFF SAYING IT'S TIME INFORM PREPARE FOR EVACUATION. UNFORTUNATELY I KNOW ONE STAFF WORKING ON OUR DEAN ROAD HOME AND SAID DO WE HAVE TO EVACUATE. THERE WAS MISINFORMATION INVOLVED. THEY WEREN'T AWARE, AS LIKE WHEN I SENT THE E-MAIL, WE HAD FLAMING EMBERS LANDING ON OUR DECK. THEY SAID NEW YORK CITY IT IS NOT TIME TO EVACUATE. THERE WERE SOME DELAYS IN THE NOTIFICATION PROCESS AND YOU ALWAYS WISH YOUR EMPLOYEES FOLLOW WHAT YOU ASK THEM TO DO BUT SOMETIMES THEY DON'T. WE ALL HAD TO BE FLEXIBLE BECAUSE OUR PLANS CHANGED. ALL OF OUR DISASTER PLANS. WE HAD PLANNED A STAGE AT CHICO AT THE FAIRGROUNDS BUT WE WEREN'T AWARE THE FAIRGROUNDS WHY SAFE FOR THE FIRST RESPONDERS TO DID THEIR STAGING SO IMMEDIATELY, YOU KNOW, WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HUDDLE A LITTLE BIT, FORTUNATELY PEOPLE WERE ALREADY CALLING MAKING RESERVATIONS AT HOTELS AND THINGS ON THE WAY DOWN THE HILL. THEY ACTUALLY HUDDLED SO WE JUST DISSEMINATED AT THE TIME. WE EVACUATED TO 10 DIFFERENT CITIES LOCATIONS FROM YUMA TO REDDING. THEY WERE ALL IN HOTEL ROOMS, OUR STAFF KIND OF ADOPTED AND MOVED IN WITH THE CLIENTS TO KEEP THEM SAFE. THOSE THAT COULD NOT FIND A HOTEL, WE RENTED TRAILERS OVER AT WOOD SOME BRIDGE CAMPGROUND AND THEY HAD SOME EMPTY TRAILERS AND THEY HAD A MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM THAT WE TOOK OVER AND PUT MATS IN AND WE HAD TENTS THAT EVERYBODY CAMPED IN AS WELL. ONE OF MY FRIENDS, SOMEONE CALLED IN CONCERNED ABOUT ALL THESE CLIENTS OVER THERE RUNNING AROUND THE PLACE. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A LITTLE FUN WHILE WE'RE CAMPING OUT THERE. AND SO, PEOPLE FROM THE COUNTY CAME INTO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND HE CALLED ME AND SAID, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS YOU GUYS. IT WAS FUNNY. I SAID DOUG, NO, WE APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK WE CAN GET. WE LOST 150 EMPLOYEES WHO COULD NOT WORK AFTER THE FIRE EITHER MOVING AWAY OR THEY HAD FAMILY COMMITMENTS AND THINGS. ON NINE OF THE CLIENTS MOVED IN AWAY TO LIVE WITH FAMILY OR OTHER PROVIDERS OUTSIDE THE AREA. I GOT TO SAY, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE, I COULD JUST SEE THE ORGANIZATIONS STARTING TO CRUMBLE BECAUSE WE WERE SPREAD OUT ALL THROUGH THE NORTH STATE AND HOW LONG YOU SUSTAIN LIVING, LOSING YOUR HOME, NOT BEING WITH YOUR FAMILY, LIVING WITH THE CLIENTS FOR SUPPORT. IT WOULD START TO CRUMBLE LIKE A HOUSE OF CARDS. SO, I REACHED OUT TO EVERYBODY I KNEW AND THANKSGIVING WEEK SHELBY BOSTON CALLED ME WITH A MIRACLE THAT HEY, I'VE GOT 42 UNITS AT THE MIGRANT CAMP DOWN AT WILLIAMS. WILL THAT WORK FOR YOU? I SAID ABSOLUTELY. TEARS STARTED FALLING. WE RELOCATED TO WILLIAMS. THAT'S ONLY GOOD UNTIL THE MIGRANTS COME BACK IN MARCH. IN JANUARY, END OF JANUARY EARLY FEBRUARY WE WENT OUT AND BOUGHT 15 HOMES IN ORVILLE, CORNING, AND SO WE'RE SPREAD OUT. THEY WERE LONG-TERM THINGS THAT WE COULD PLAN OUT. ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED WAS THAT THE FEMA TRAILERS MIGHT WORK BUT WHAT ABOUT THE CAREGIVER? IT NEEDS TO BE A PACKAGE DEAL. IT CAN'T JUST BE ONE TRAILER THAT NEEDS TO BE FOUR TRAILERS TO TAKE CARE OF THE WHOLE TEAM. AND REALLY FEMA IS NOT SET UP THAT WAY. IN A LOT OF OUR GUYS ARE ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM AND NEED BEHAVIOUR ALL SUPPORT AND TRAILERS AREN'T THE RIGHT ATMOSPHERE FOR THOSE SUPPORTS WITH THE SMALL SHOWERS AND SMALL BEDS. BUYING THOSE HOMES WAS THE BEST THING FOR OUR CLIENTS. I'VE GOT TO SAY, IT'S THE CARE STAFF THAT ACTUALLY FOLLOWED THAT WAS THE MIRACLE. THEY KIND REEF PLANNED THEIR WHOLE LIVES AROUND THE CLIENTS. SO, I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH A LIST THINGS WE LEARNED. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE RIDGE HAS TO BE EVACUATED AT THE SAME TIME. WE KNOW THAT NOW. WE'RE A LITTLE MORE DECENTRALIZED SO OUR RISK IS DIFFERENT. LESS RISK FOR THE WHOLE COMPANY TO HAVE TO EVACUATE. KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS, JUST ON THE STREET FROM OUR MAIN CAMPUS USED TO BE CALLED CYPRUS ACRES CON VA LESS ANT THEY TALKED ABOUT HER HARROW EXPERIENCE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH VEHICLES TO TRANSFER THEIR PATIENTS. WE LOST 29 VEHICLES. WHY DIDN'T WE CALL THEM TO GET THESE? AFTER THE FIRE, I HAD SOMEONE CALL AND LOOK FOR THEIRS AND HE UNFORTUNATELY SHE PERISHED. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. THE OTHER THING IS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FIRE I STARTED RECEIVING E-MAILS ON BEHALF LOOKING TO FIND OUT WHERE OUR -- CONCENTRATING ON THE INDIVIDUALS BUT WHEN YOU HAVE AN AGENCY SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THAT CLIENT THERE'S A LOT OF PAPERWORK THAT IS REQUIRED AND THEY KEPT SAYING I NEED TO TALK TO HIM AND HE IS UNVERBAL AND I NEED TO TALK. FEMA CALLS SO FOR EVERY ONE OF THE 52 CLIENTS I GOT A CALL FROM FEMA WANTING TO KNOW HE IF THEY WERE IN SHELTER AND WHERE. FOR EVERY ONE OF THE 52 CLIENTS, THEY WANTED TO MEET THEM TO MAKE SURE IT WAS 52. THE SPREAD SHEET LOOKED -- AND SAVED COMMUNITY. WE HAD AN AWESOME TEAM OF STAFF AND LEADERS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION THAT KEPT THE COMMUNICATION UP AND DOWN. FAMILIES WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR PLACES. WE PARTICIPATED IN THE FAR NORTHERN TRAININGS AND WE HAD GO BAGS FOR EVERYBODY. UNFORTUNATELY ALL THE ORIGINAL I.D.s AND MEDICAL CARDS WERE LEFT IN THE OFFICE. THEY HAD COPIES OUT AT THE HOMES. THEY GOT THE COPIES OF THE CARDS BUT IT DOESN'T GO FAR WHEN YOU NEED AN I.D. THE OTHER FRUSTRATING PART FROM OUR ORGANIZATION IS WE WERE TOLD THE HOME PURCHASES WE MADE, OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF THE INSURANCE WERE OUR OFFICE WE COULD HAVE HAD A PUBLIC ASSISTANCE FEMA GRANT FOR PARTIAL REIMBURSEMENT AND UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE TOLD THAT AFTER THE DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR THAT AND SO IT WAS REJECTED ON A TECHNICALITY AND SO WAS OUR APPEAL. THAT WAS KIND OF FRUSTRATING. A KNOWLEDGE TO NON PROFITS OUT THERE THAT FEMA DOES HAVE A PUBLIC ASSISTANCE GRANT AVAILABLE TO THEM. CAR GIVERS NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES BEFORE OTHERS. WE LOST A 30-YEAR-OLD. HE WAS ASSISTANT. HE DIED FROM PNEUMONIA WHICH WAS UNTREATED. WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES. JUST LIKE THE AIRPLANE WITH THE MASK ON YOUR SELF AND OTHERS. MENTAL HEATH WAS HUGE. I APPRECIATE ALL THE VOLUNTEER COUNCILLORS THAT PROVIDED HELP. I'M NOT REALLY A THERAPY GUY BUT I SAT THROUGH THOSE SMALL GROUP THERAPIES AND I FELT SO MUCH BETTER AND I KNOW MY STAFF DID TOO? SURVEY YOUR CARE GIVING STAFF IF YOU ARE AN AGENCY. FIND OUT THEIR OTHER COMMITMENTS. WHO CAN YOU COUNT ON TO HELP GET THE CLIENTS OUT. IF THEY HAVE FAMILY AT HOME THEY NEED TO LEAVE FOR, IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE. YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE LEFT WITH. THE OTHER THING IS WE NEED MORE CASE MANAGER FROM FEMA. IT'S 10% IS AND WE SNEED MORE. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S FUNDING OR COMMUNICATIONS AND CALL YOUR LEGISLATURES AND LET THEM KNOW YOU NEED MORE HELP HERE. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU. ALISON, WE HAD A ROUGH START HERE. [LAUGHTER] WE'RE CROSSING OUR FINGERS THAT WE'RE GOOD TO GO SO I DON'T WANT TO DELAY YOU ANY FURTHER. IF I COULD NOW INVITE MS. ALISON CRUZ TO THE PLATFORM. ALISON IS THE ACTING DIRECTOR FOR THE OFFICE OF INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND WE'RE ALL VERY PLEASED THE ACL AND THE ADMINISTRATION FOR COMMUNITY LIVING, THINK OF IT AS THE GRANDPARENTS TO A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE. IT'S WHERE THE FUNDING COMES FROM. WORE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE ALISON AND HER TEAM ASSISTING HER. [APPLAUSE] >> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. BEFORE I GET STARTED I JUST WANTED TO THANK ONCE AGAIN THE SPEAKERS THAT YOU'VE HAD HERE THIS AFTERNOON. THANK THEM FOR THEIR STORIES THAT SHARED. THEIR EXPERIENCES OF WHAT OCCURRED. A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES WAS SHARED FOR RECOMMENDATIONS SO I ASK THAT YOU ALL KEEP SOME OF THOSE RECOMMENDATION THAT'S CAME FORWARD BECAUSE THEY WILL BE VERY USEFUL AS PART OF TODAY'S CONVERSATION. AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR WHAT THEY HAD TO SHARE. MY NAME IS ALISON CRUZ WITH ACL AND I DO HAVE A TEAM THAT I WOULD LIKE TO THANK WHO HAS BEEN WITH ME FOR THESE LISTENING SESSIONS AS WE TRAVELED. THIS IS NUMBER 15 OF 18 SESSIONS. SO I WOULD LIKE TO THANK DR. RA FEELIA McCLAIN AND NICK GUIDO WHO IS HERE WITH US THIS AFTERNOON. [APPLAUSE] >> SO, WE DEFINITELY CANNOT PULL OFF ANYTHING BRAVER THAN WHAT YOU HEARD HERE TODAY. THE GREAT THING IS THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT OWE FILLIA OR NICK OR MYSELF ARE HERE TO DO BUT IT'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU ALL TO BE ENGAGE WITH THIS RESERVATION WHERE YOU ALL SHARE. I WANT YOU TO BE HERE THIS AFTERNOON. WE'RE GLAD YOU ARE ALL SAFE. WE ARE GLAD THAT YOU ARE ALL RECOVERING. WORE GLAD THAT YOU ALL HAVE THE COURAGE TO BE HERE AND TO ALLOW US TO LISTEN AND LEARN. THIS IS WHAT IT'S REALLY ALL ABOUT. YES, WE'RE HERE FROM WASHINGTON D.C. BUT A GREAT PART OF THIS IS FOR US TO BE HERE TO LIST AND LEARN AND GET INFORMATION THAT WE CAN GO BACK TO THE FEDERAL LEVEL SO THEY CAN LEARN ABOUT THE AMAZING RYE SIL YEN SEE OF THIS COMMUNITY AND YOU ALL HAVE COME TOGETHER TO RECOVER. I'M VERY EXCITED FOR THE AFTERNOON. BEFORE WE GET STARTED, ROBERTSON. >> WHILE WE'RE WAIT FORGERON THE VIDEO THERE'S A MICROPHONE. HAS ANYBODY FOUND A HAND-HELD MIC. WE'LL TAG TEAM THE FACILITATION FOR THE QUESTIONS WE WILL BE ASKING SO THAT MICROPHONE COMES IN HANDY. >> HI, MY NAME IS ROBERTSON HERE. I'M THE ADMINISTRATOR AT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, I'M SORRY I CANNOT BE WITH YOU IN-PERSON TODAY BUT THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME JOIN YOU BY VIDEO. FIRST, WE THANK OUR PARTNERS FOR THEIR HELP AND THESE SESSIONS. THOSE PARTNERS INCLUDE ADVOCACY GROUPS AND THE COUNCILS. THESE SESSIONS ARE IMPORTANT AND WE CANNOT HAVE COME TOGETHER WITHOUT THEIR HELP. SO ACL'S MISSION OF ENSURING LIVING OPTION. IT'S PART OF MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE ADDRESSED AND PLANNING, RESPONSE AND RECOVERY. WE WANT TO SEE THEY ARE READY TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN A WAY THEY NEED AND THE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE PREPARED. >> AND THE MEANING ACTIVITIES OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS WORK TO ADDRESS EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS. WHAT YOU HELP US BETTER WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES. BRINGING TO -- THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THIS SESSION. AS I SHARED, WE'VE GONE AROUND THE COUNTRY AND WE'VE DONE 14 SESSIONS ALREADY. MEETING WITH THOSE ACROSS FIVE OR SIX STATES. I LOST COUNT AT THIS POINT. DOING THESE LISTENING SESSIONS. WE WERE HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY AND WANT TO EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT IS WE HAVE THOSE CALLING IN THROUGH A WEBINAR AND SO THEY'RE ABLE TO LISTEN TO EACH THESE SESSIONS AND THEY'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE NOT PUT THROUGH AN E-MAIL OR REGISTRATION WEBSITE. THAT WAS THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THE TECHNOLOGY WORK, WE'RE ALSO HAVING IT RECORDED AND NICK IS TAKING THE NOTES. WE WILL BE DEVELOPING A FINAL REPORT. THIS FINAL REPORT WILL IDENTIFY THEMES THAT WE SEE AT A NATIONAL LEVEL OR FOR THE STATES THAT HAVE BEEN TARGETED AS WELL AND OPPORTUNITIES OF THE ISSUES AND WHO THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN HAVE. THE FINE AT REPORT WILL BE SHARED BACK WITH OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS SO AS LANCE MENTIONED, WE WILL SHARE THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND SHARING AND THE ADMINISTRATION. SO INFORMATION. PART OF THIS IS IT'S DIFFERENT THAT WOULD RESINATE WITH SERVICES THEY ALREADY PRESIDE AND THE REPORTS WILL ALSO BE SHARED BACK WITH EACH OF THE STATES THAT HAVE PARTICIPATED YOU WILL SEE THE RECOMMENDATIONS. WE WILL ALSO BE SHARING THE REPORT WITH THE MULTIPLE PROGRAMS THAT ACL FUNDS AND WE'LL BE SHARING IT WITH THE COUNCILS AND UNIVERSITIES CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, ADVOCACY SYSTEMS AND CENTERS FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING SO EACH OF THE GRANTEES AND PROGRAMS CAN LOOK AT THE REPORT AND SAY IS THERE SOMETHING IN FUNDING THAT THEY MAY HAVE? IS THERE A PRIORITY THAT THEY IDENTIFY WITH RECOMMENDATIONS IN THEIR PATTERN TO MOVE FORWARD MANY OF IT'S A MULTI-PURPOSE RESULT AND IT WILL HAVE SOMETHING THERE FOR EVERYONE AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES AND PLEASED TO BE BETTER ABLE TO BE MORE RESILIENT. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE ESSENCE OF THAT REPORT. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD TO THE LISTENING SESSION AS I MENTIONED, WE WILL BE DOING A FACILITATE TIVE CONVERSATION AND WORE GOING TO BE ASKING A SERIES OF QUESTIONS AROUND PREPAREDNESS, EVACUATION, RESPONSE, RECOVERY AND AT THE END, WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY, YOU ALL WILL BE IN SMALL GROUPS AND COME UP WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, AS WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, WE'VE SEEN THAT RECOMMENDATIONS DO SURFACE SO YOU CAN HOLD ON AND THINK ABOUT IT AT THE END AND I'M GOING TO TRY AND I DON'T KNOW TOP CAL AREAS THAT I SEE EMERGING. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. SO, WE RECEIVED THE PANEL AARON CARRUTHERS AND HIS TEAM BUT TO GIVE OF THE AREA SOME CONTEXT AS TO EXACTLY WHAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN FACING SAY IN THE LAST TWO OR SO YEARS. THIS IS AND SOMEONE ELSE WILL COME TO YOU AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP AFTER WE START ASKING THE QUESTIONS SO THE FIRST QUESTION HOW DID YOU ALL GO AWAY? THANK YOU. HOW DID YOU ALL PREPARE? WAS THERE ANYONE WHO INTERESTED YOU PREPARING FOR A DISASTER? AND IF YOU WANT TO SHARE ANY CHALLENGES THAT YOU HAD IN PREPARING SO AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE ABOUT PREPARATIONS AND IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MINUTES AND WE GO INTO EVACUATION AND OTHER TOPICS. WHO WOULD LIKE TO FIRST START WITH HOW YOU ARE PREPARED AND WHO ASSISTED YOU IN PREPARING? >> THAT MORNING I GOT A CALL FROM MY WIFE AND SHE SAYS, TAKE YOUR MEDICINE. GET UP AND GET THE DOGS OUT OF THE HOUSE. LEAVE, NOW! >> THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE. I THOUGHT SOME OF YOU ALL HAD GO BAGS AND SUCH. HOW SOON DO YOU ALL HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS? >> THE COMPANY THAT I WORK FOR WE CAME BACK WHEN THERE'S A HIGH ALERT GO BAGS IMMEDIATELY GO INTO THE VEHICLES AND FIT IN CASE WE NEED TO GO. THE BAGS ARE CHECKED MONTHLY TO CHECK FOR CLOTHING FOR THE CHANGE IN SIZE OF SOMEONE, NEEDS AND WHAT NOT. >> ANYONE ELSE? >> NO? OK. WELL, WE CAN THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE PREPARATION TIME. WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES IN PREPARING? >> MY NAME IS MICHELLE. CONTACTING EVERYBODY AND PREPARING EVERYBODY. WE HAVE THE SAME THING WITH OUR COMMUNITY DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING. THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FROM THE START TO ALL OF THOSE AND ALL OF IS ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND WE ARE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING AND ALL THE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO HAVE NO ACCESS INFORMATION WHO CAPTIONING WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND IF THEY WOULD NOT HAVE SO WE WANTED TO HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION WAS NOT AVAILABLE OR ACCESSIBLE I SHOULD SAY. BUT THOSE WERE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT WE FACED FROM THE BEGINNING ALL THE WAY THROUGH BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON AND GETTING ACCESS. >> THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. WE'VE HEARD FROM THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING COMMITTEE AND A FEW OTHER SITES AND WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK DURING THE RECOMMENDATION PORTION. ANYONE ELSE? >> OK. WHEN THE FIRE IS GOING, I LIVE ON RIG WAY. THAT TIME MY SKY WAS RED LIKE HELL. IT WAS SMOKY, IT WAS HOT, ALL WE SAW WAS FALLING ROOF AND I THOUGHT IT WAS ME. I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS A FIRE. WE HAD A MEETING. WE KEPT GETTING E-MAILS AND PHONE CALLS. I GOT HOME AROUND 4:00. YOU CAN FEEL THE HEAT. THEY'RE READY FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. THEY PANICKED. I TELL ME KIDS, LEAVE THE CATS. THEY'RE FINE. WE CAN'T LEAVE OUR CATS, WE CAN'T LEAVE OUR CATS. THEY'RE GOING TO BE FINE! YES, THEY'RE GOING TO BE FINE. SO I ASKED THEM THEY'RE STRUGGLING NOT HAVING YOUR KIDS UNDERSTANDING WHEN THERE'S A FIRE. YOU CAN'T BRING A TEDDY BEAR. YOU CAN'T BRING THIS. THAT'S THE STRUGGLE I THINK AS A SINGLE PARENT NOT -- THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO EXPLAIN IT THAT WELL AND THAT IS WHY YOU HAVE TO LEAVE. YOU JUST TAKE YOUR SHOES, TAKE CLOTHES AND LEAVE. YOU JUST CAN'T STAY IN THE HOUSE WHEN THE HOUSE IS FLAMES OUTSIDE YOUR BUILDING OR YOUR STREET AND THE SKY IS RED. YOU JUST NEED TO LEAVE THE AREA. THAT WAS THE BIGGEST STRUGGLE AS A PARENT, UNDERSTANDING THE LITTLE KIDS THEY HAVE TO LEAVE. I HAD THREE CATS AND I HAD TO LEAVE THEM THERE. AND NOT KNOWING IF I WAS GOING TO COME HOME FOR THREE DEEDS AND FINDING THE CATS BURNED UP AND HAVING MY KIDS COME HOME AND SEEING THEM BEING BURNED UP. >> SINCE YOU STARTED TALKING ABOUT LEAVING, MAYBE WE CAN TALK ABOUT EVACUATION. >> AS FAR AS OUR AGENCY IN DIFFICULTY PREPARING, IS FINDING THE APPROPRIATE RELOCATION SITE, SHELTER SITE IN ADVANCE. WE HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH A CHURCH IN CHICO AND I THINK THE FIRE, I FORGOT THE LAST TIME WE EVACUATED IN 2012 OR SOMETHING. WE HAD THE SAME CHURCH AND WE'RE ON OUR WAY DOWN AND I CALL THEM AND THEY ALREADY OPENED UP THEIR FACILITY FOR OTHER EVACUEES SO IT WASN'T AVAILABLE AND THAT WAS FRUSTRATING. THIS TIME WHEN I CALLED THEY SAID NO WE'RE NOT PREPARED FOR EVACUEES AT THIS TIME. YOU JUST TO THINK ON YOUR FEET. THOSE ARE FRUSTRATED. THE AGENCY THAT HAS ANY SIZE TO IT TO FIND SOMETHING TO REGROUP. >> I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT I WORKED WITH, THEY HAD GO BAGS BUT THEY WEREN'T PLANNING ON HAVING TO PACK ENOUGH TO LOSE THEIR HOUSE. THEY'RE THINKING THEY JUST HAVE TO EVACUATE BECAUSE FOR SAFETY BUT THEY'RE COMING BACK HOME AND HAVE THEIR INSURANCE PAPERWORK STILL THERE, HAVE ALL THE PHOTOS STILL THERE SO PEOPLE WERE PREPARED TO GO FOR 48 HOURS GO BAGS BUT NOT FOREVER. THEY DIDN'T TAKE EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED SOD THAT THEY COULD REBUILD. >> I WAS A PART OF CAMPFIRE TOO. THE BIGGEST ISSUE I HAD IN PREPARING WAS I CALLED MY DAD FROM WORK. WE LIVED JUST A LITTLE BIT WHERE THERE WAS NO CELL PHONE SERVICE. YOU HAD A LANDLINE. WHEN THE POWER WAS DOWN, THERE WAS NO COMMUNICATION WITH MY HOUSE. SO, I JUST HAD TO DRIVE HOME NOT KNOWING WHERE THE FIRE WAS, NOT KNOWING IF IT HAD HIT MY HOUSE ALREADY. I HAD TO DRIVE THROUGH IT TO GET TO THEM. AND NOT BEING PREPARED AS FAR AS HAVING GAS IN THE VEHICLE. MY DAD WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LEAVE WITH MY SON BECAUSE HE DIDN'T HAVE GAS IN HIS CAR. >> I WAS PART OF THE EVACUATION AND PREPARATION FOR THE ORVILLE DAM INCIDENT. IT WAS AT THE END A NON INCIDENT. I LIVE DOWN BY YUBA CITY AND YOU COULDN'T GET OUT. THERE WERE PEOPLE ON THE HIGHWAY IN SUCH A PANIC TRYING TO GET OUT OF THERE THAT I HAD FOUR LANES ON THE HIGHWAY AND THERE WERE PEOPLE TRYING DRIVE ON THE MEDIAN IN THE MIDDLE BECAUSE THEY WERE JUST PANICKED. NOT HAVING GAS IN THE CAR THERE WAS LINES AND LINES OF PEOPLE AT ANY GAS STATION ALONG THE WAY. MY HUSBAND AND I EVACUATED WITH OUR ANIMALS AND WE WENT AND STAYED AT A FRIEND'S HOUSE THAT WAS OUT OF AREA. THAT ACTUALLY WORKED OUT REALLY WELL. >> THAT WAS PART OF THE ORVILLE DAM EVACUATION PLAN. WE LIVED THERE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT NO ONE TALKED ABOUT WAS ABOUT WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE EVACUATING IS THEM HAVING MONEY. ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD DONE MONTHS BEFORE THAT EVACUATION IS IN OUR PLAN, HOWEVER, I DON'T THINK THE GOVERNMENT REALLY THINKS OF US WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES BECAUSE THEY'RE SO LIMITED IN HOW MANY FUNDS THEY CAN ACTUALLY HAVE IN THE BANK TO HELP THEM. I KNOW WE NOW HAVE AN ABLE ACCOUNT, CAL ABLE WHICH THAT'S STILL -- PEOPLE ARE STILL GETTING TO KNOW HOW THAT WORKS. I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT MAYBE WE FIND A WAY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT OPENING UP OTHER AVENUES FOR THE EMERGENCY AND JEOPARDIZING PEOPLE OF THEIR SERVICE AND PORTS. ALSO THAT THE TOLLS HAPPEN AND NOT AS PART OF BEING SUCH BUT IN OTHER CONVERSATIONS. THAT IS AGAIN TO THINK WHAT TO EXPECT AS A RECOMMENDATION. >> ARE THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ON CHALLENGES? >> I'M DRIVING OUT OF PARADISE AND THE SMOKE WAS SO BAD I WAS FALLING ASLEEP SO I WROTE ON THE WINDOW AND IT DIDN'T HELP. MORE SMOKE CAME INSIDE AND I JUST, IT JUST WAS BOTTLENECKED AND THE TRAFFIC AND I JUST COULDN'T DRIVE. LATER ON I SEEN ANOTHER VEHICLE AND I SEEN HIM GOING IN AND OUT OF TRAFFIC AND I SAID I'M GOING TO CALL THIS GUY. HE KNOWS LIKE HE LOOKS LIKE WHAT HE IS DOING. I GOT OUT OF THERE. I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES FROM ALL THE FIRES. THANK YOU. I HEARD PEOPLE GOING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I HAD CONSUMERS AND TELL ME THEY DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE. THEY DIDN'T HEAR IT. SO THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY TO ALERT THESE PEOPLE TO GET OUT OF THEIR HOUSES. WE HAD TO ACTUALLY BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHERE EVERYBODY LIVES. IN THE ROOM WONDERING WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE THEY CAN'T HEAR THE TRUCKS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, YELLING OUT EVACUATE. THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT IF WE HAD THAT EXPERIENCE. >> ANOTHER HUGE CHALLENGE DURING EVACUATIONS, AND I'VE ASSISTED PEOPLE WITH BOTH THE ORVILLE DAM AND CAMPFIRE. DURING THOSE EVACUATIONS THERE WAS MISCOMMUNICATION BETWEEN COUNTIES THAT CAUSED A LOT OF TROUBLE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE ORVILLE DAM BETWEEN YUBA AND SUTOR COUNTY, THERE WAS MISCOMMUNICATION. YOU ARE HEARING ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT REPORTS. AND I WAS WORKING AT THAT TIME FOR AN AGENCY SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AS WELL. AND TRYING TO COORDINATE AND MAKE SURE EVERYBODY WAS SAFE AND KEEP TRACK OF WHERE ALL THE STAFF LANDED AND ALL OF THOSE PIECES THAT HAD TO WORK TOGETHER. IT WAS VERY CHALLENGING BECAUSE OF THE MISCOMMUNICATION WE WERE GETTING FROM THE DIFFERENT COUNTIES AND EMERGENCY SERVICE ENTITIES AT THE TIME. >> MY NAME IS GOLD FROM THE DISABILITY ACTION CENTER. WE WORKED WITH A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE FIRE. AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WE FACED FROM THE COUNTIES, FROM THE TOP TO HERE, IS HAVING ACCESS FOR HOTELS IN DISASTERS. INDIVIDUALS HAD THE MONEY [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] FIRST-RATE, THEN INDIVIDUALS WERE STUCK IN RATES STILL IN [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] THE GOAL AND VOUCHERS WITH THEIR GOAL OF [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] WE NEED TO FIND A SAFETY NET WE CAN GRANT THIS TYPE OF ACCESSIBILITY TO INDIVIDUALS OR INCENTIVES FOR HOTELS TO PARTICIPATE IN DISASTER RELIEF PROGRAMS. >> WE SAW A LOT OF HOTELS PUTTING PEOPLE IN A.D.A. ROOMS IN THESE EVENTS. WHEN WE HAD SOMEBODY THAT NEEDED AN A.D.A. ROOM, IT WAS FILLED WITH SOMEBODY ELSE. THAT WAS A BIG ISSUE. >> AS PART OF WHAT YOU'VE BEEN SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH DIFFICULTIES GONE INTO THE NEXT SET OF QUESTIONS IS EVACUATION. FROM WHAT I'M HEARING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS, ONE IS THE DAM AND ONE IS THE CAMPFIRE. THOSE THAT EVACUATE, DID EVERYONE NEED TO EVACUATE? IF YOU DID, WHERE DID YOU EVACUATE TO? >> AT THE TIME, I DIDN'T GET AN EVACUATION NOTICE. NEVER TECHNICALLY GOT ONE. IT WAS POSTED AT MY AREA WAS EVACUATED AT 1:00 THE NEXT MORNING. BUT WHERE I LIVED, AND WE HAD [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] I WENT ACTUALLY UP THROUGH VIEW MEADOWS BACK DOWN TO CHICO. AND IT TOOK ME AND I ENDED UP IN SACRAMENTO AT A FRIEND'S HOUSE. WHAT IS NORMALLY A [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] DRIVE TOOK ME 6 AND A HALF HOURS. >> [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] WE HAD SIX LITTLE DOGS. AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO GO. SO MY STEP SON CALLED US. SAYS, GET THE DOGS OVER HERE [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] I THINK IT WAS A NEIGHBORHOOD [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] >> STAY IN MY SISTER'S -- HER DAUGHTER'S ROOM FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS. AND THEN WE ENDED UP IN A HOTEL IN YUBA CITY FOR ANOTHER TWO MONTHS. AND SO YOU KNOW, IT WAS A CHALLENGING EXPERIENCE. IN THE MEANTIME I HAD TO GO BACK TO WORK. SO YEAH... VERY CHALLENGING. [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] >> [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] ACCESS, IT IS GOING TO HELP UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON. AND SOME OF THE OTHER CHALLENGES THEY FACED WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO BRING SERVICE ANIMALS TO THOSE. AND I'M FROM [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] SORRY. >> WE HAD THAT ISSUE [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] COMPANION AND SERVICE DOGS WERE BEING TURNED AWAY. >> [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] CAR THERE. [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] REDDING, WHEREVER THAT MIGHT HAVE CONFERENCE ROOMS THAT MIGHT BE CONTACTED TO USE THOSE PLACES IN THE EVENT OF EVACUATIONS. >> HI. THE EXPERIENCE WAS REALLY, I WOULD SAY, QUITE SURREAL IN THE FACT FOR SO MANY YEARS I'VE BEEN IN THE POSITION OF PROVIDING RESOURCES, HELPING OTHERS, ALWAYS HAVING THE PERCEIVED ANSWER. AND HERE I WAS IN THIS SITUATION. AND IT WAS VERY HUMBLING. I FELT VERY VULNERABLE. I TOO LIVE BEYOND NUGALLIA. AND THERE WAS NO PHONE SERVICE, NO ANYTHING. I JUST HAPPENED TO BE DOWN IN CHICO VERY, VERY EARLY THAT DAY. AND THEN WHEN IT REALLY BROKE OUT I WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTACT MY HUSBAND, FAMILY MEMBERS FOR ABOUT SEVEN HOURS. AND YOU KNOW, IT WAS A SCARY FEELING, THINKING OH, MY GOSH, OUR HOUSE IS GONE. MY HUSBAND IS GONE. OUR CHILDREN, OUR DOGS ARE GONE. AND SO I REMEMBER PULLING IN AND JUST LIKE CRYING. AND THOUGHT, OH, MY GOSH, ALL THE HOTELS, EVERYTHING WAS BOOKED, NOTHING AVAILABLE. I REMEMBER FEELING REALLY VULNERABLE. THAT WAS NOT A COMFORTABLE PLACE FOR ME. SO ALL I CAN SAY IS YOU KNOW, FORTUNATELY FRIENDS AND FAMILIES, WE HAVE FRIENDS IN NORTH CHICO AND THEY TOOK IN CLOSE TO 30S PEOPLE AND WE LIVED THERE FOR TWO MONTHS. AND EVERYBODY HAD TWO TO THREE DOGS. IT WAS A GREAT TIME BECAUSE I'M AN ANIMAL PERSON. I REMEMBER THINKING HOW QUICKLY I HAD NO SKILLS. THE FEELING OF VULNERABILITY. >> TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT DURING AN EVACUATION. WE WERE IN GRIDLY. WE LEFT AND AFTER A SEVEN AND A HALF HOUR DRIVE DOWN THE 99, LANDED IN SACRAMENTO, WE KNEW WE HAD TO GET BEYOND YUBA CITY AND CHICO BECAUSE THERE WASN'T GOING TO BE ANYWAY PLACE TO STAY. I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS WITH AUTISM. THE THOUGHT OF THEM IN A SHELTER OR TRYING TO MANAGE IN A SHELTER ROUTINE WOULDN'T WORK FOR THEM. WE WOUND UP SPENDING THE NIGHT IN SACRAMENTO AT ONE HOTEL THAT WE MANAGED TO GET A ROOM IN. AND THEY WERE BOOKING UP FAST. AND WE PROCEEDED ON THE NEXT DAY INTO OAK DALE BECAUSE WE KNEW THE AREA AND OUR DAUGHTERS WERE FAMILIAR WITH IT. WE FELT GOING TO FAMILIAR TERRITORY WOULD WORK BETTER. BUT WE WEREN'T EVEN GOING TO BE ABLE TO STAY IN THE AREA WITH THEM. >> ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE MORE ON EVACUATION? WHAT WORKED? WHAT DIDN'T WORK WELL FOR YOU? YEAH, THANK YOU. >> I MOSTLY CAME TO CHECK IN ON SUPPORT LONG-TERM HOUSING AND RECOVERY NEEDS. BUT I WORK IN THE [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] EFFORTS JUST AFTER THE FIRE AND CONTINUE TO WORK IN EMERGENCY SHELTER SERVICES. AND WE DEALT WITH AT THE TIME, EXPERIENCING RESOURCES BEING WITHHELD FROM OR LINES BEING DRAWN FROM PEOPLE WHO COULDN'T PROVIDE JUST THE DOCUMENTS OR SUPPORT TO SHOW THEY HAD BEEN RICH RESIDENTS OR EVEN PEOPLE WHO SUFFERED ADDITIONAL DISPLACEMENT AROUND THE RIDGE BECAUSE OF EVACUATIONS. -- RIDGE RESIDENTS. BY THE TIME THE EMERGENCY SHELTER OPTIONS WERE CLOSED, THEY SEEMED TO BE SENIORS, MEDICALLY FRAGILE OR MENTAL OR PHYSICAL DISABILITIES. THEY OBVIOUSLY FACE THE BIGGEST BARRIERS. [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] BETWEEN SEEMED LIKE LOCAL [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] TRYING TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN DOCUMENTED RIDGE RESIDENTS AND OTHERWISE DISPLACED PEOPLE IN A SORT OF GENERAL CULTURE AT FEMA WITHHOLDING INFORMATION OR RESOURCES UNLESS PEOPLE CAN APPROACH THEM MULTIPLE TIMES TO GET IT. IT FELT LIKE WE HAD AN ADDITIONAL CRISIS FOR THOSE WHO ARE FACING DISABILITIES. IN THE EMERGENCY SHELTER SERVICES, I WOULD SAY THOSE FOLKS CAME OUT THE WORST. >> FORTUNATELY, WHAT WE HEARD NATIONALLY IS PEOPLE HAD HAD A CHALLENGE [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] SO YOU ALL, ONCE AGAIN, IN A VERY [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] QUESTION AROUND SHELTERING. >> STARTING US OFF. SHELTER [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] AND YOU ALL MENTIONING [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] DO YOU ENTER A SHELTER? IF YOU DID, HOW DID IT WORK? WHY , FOR INSTANCE, I DON'T KNOW YOUR NAME, FORGIVE ME, TINA. AND SHE WILL SHARE WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR HER. DOES ANYONE WANT TO SHARE THEIR SHELTER EXPERIENCE? >> I DIDN'T GO TO A SHELTER, I WENT TO A FRIEND'S HOUSE. I HAD MY DOGS WITH ME AND MY BIG DOG WOULD HAVE ATE EVERYBODY ELSE'S DOGS. HE'S NOT FRIENDLY WITH OTHER DOGS. AND THEN I HAD MY TWO DAUGHTERS, MY SON, MY DAD AND THE TWO DOGS. SO WE WERE KIND OF A LOT. SO I WAS GLAD I HAD MY FRIEND IN SACRAMENTO. HAD WE HAD TO HAVE GONE TO A SHELTER, MY DAD'S KIND OF A HOME BODY. DOESN'T DO WELL WITH CROWDS. I HAVE EVEN MORE SEVERE ANXIETY NOW. SO IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN WELL FOR ME WITH ANXIETY. LOTS OF PEOPLE. JUST DOING THIS RIGHT NOW, I'M NERVOUS. SO -- [CHUCKLING] -- >> THANK YOU FOR SHARING. NERVOUS. >> I DIDN'T PERSONALLY GO TO A SHELTER. HOWEVER, I WAS A PART OF A TEAM THAT WAS SUPPORTING A LOT OF PEOPLE AT THE SHELTER AT THE FAIRGROUNDS IN YUBA CITY WHO CAME FROM THE CAMPFIRE. AND I KNOW THERE WERE MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH ACCESSIBILITY. I KNOW THE DEAF COMMUNITY WERE LEFT. KIND OF TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES. THERE WERE CHILDREN WITH AUTISM WHO LANDED AT THE SHELTERS THERE THAT IT WAS JUST VERY, VERY CHALLENGING FOR THEM AND THEIR PARENTS. JUST TOO MUCH NOISE, CLOSE QUARTERS. IT WAS JUST OVERLOAD FOR THEIR SENSES. AND THERE WAS NO QUIET SPACE FOR THEM TO GO TO. AND THEY WERE ALREADY ON OVERLOAD FROM THEIR EXPERIENCE EVACUATING. SO BEING THERE DID NOT HELP THAT. I WORK FOR FREE AND SOME OF OUR STAFF WENT THERE TO DELIVER DURABLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT WE GOT DONATED FOR PEOPLE THAT NEEDED IT. AND FOUND ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES FOR PEOPLE WITH WALKERS AND WHEELCHAIRS GETTING IN AND OUT OF DIFFERENT AREAS. >> IT WAS A GOOD TIME FOR TINA TO TALK TO US. >> YES. AGAIN, THE REASON WE CHOSE NOT TO EVEN CONSIDER A SHELTER IS ALL THOSE ISSUES THAT SURROUND PEOPLE WITH AUTISM. OVER STIMULATION. MY DAUGHTER PROBABLY WOULD HAVE RAN BACK AND FORTH AND MAYBE TUMBLED OVER PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE SHE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HANDLE BEING AROUND A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE ALL AT ONCE. SO WE JUST FELT FOR HER SAFETY, AND FOR EVERYBODY ELSE, IT WOULD BE BETTER JUST TO GO AHEAD AND EVEN DRIVE AS LONG AS WE HAD TO THE FIND A HOTEL TO STAY AT UNTIL WE KNEW WHERE WE STOOD AS FAR AS THE LONG TERM FOR THE EVACUATION. >> THANK YOU. SO DID ANYONE HERE EVEN STAY AT A SHELTER? SO YOU ALL DID? DID YOU ALL WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT AT ANY POINT? >> THE FOOD WAS GOOD. WE ALL STOOD IN LINE WAITING FOR FOOD AND EVERYTHING. ONE PROBABLY HARDEST, IF YOU HAVE A BREATHING MACHINE, A BIPAP MACHINE, IT'S HARD TO USE YOUR MACHINE IF YOU ARE INSIDE WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE AND NO POWER. IT'S PROBABLY LESS OXYGEN. AND I HAD TO REPLACE MINE. >> [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] >> STILL HAS [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] SO... I DON'T REMEMBER ANY SPECIFIC WHILE WE WERE THERE OTHER THAN PEOPLE WERE HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THEIR ANIMALS AND LIKE THEY HAD A SERVICE ANIMAL, LIKE YOU SAID. AND THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM. AND IT WAS A TIME WHEN THEY NEEDED THAT ANIMAL ESPECIALLY. AND... >> [ OFF MIC ] >> YEAH. I WANTED TO SHARE, WE ENDED UP NOT HAVING TO EVACUATE WITH EITHER FIRE. MY SON IS MEDICALLY FRAGILE. I CAN SPEAK FOR OTHER PEOPLE THAT AREN'T HERE TODAY. HE HAS MEDICAL EQUIPMENT THAT TAKES POWER. HOW ARE YOU TO IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION GIVEN MINUTES NOTICE ABLE TO EVACUATE WITH THAT STUFF. WITH A HOSPITAL BED, THERE IS NO WAY. YOU GO TO AN EVACUATION CENTER, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE THAT? HE'S GOING TO END UP IN THE HOSPITAL WITHOUT IT. THOSE WERE MAJOR ISSUES. YES, WE [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] WALKERS, OTHER THINGS DONATED BUT NOT THE BIG ITEMS. >> [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] IF WE TALK ABOUT ANY CHALLENGES THAT YOU ENCOUNTERED, DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK? >> IN REGARDS TO THE SHELTERS, I DO KNOW THAT GOING TO THE SHELTERS THE FOOD WAS PROVIDED, ACTIVITIES WERE PROVIDED FOR CHILDREN. SOME OF THE BIGGER AGENCIES THAT PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE INDIVIDUALS THAT CHOSE TO MAYBE [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE QUALITY OF SERVICES TO THOSE THEY SUPPORT. HAVE ACCESS TO MEDICATIONS. THAT THEY DEAL WITH POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THAT COULD BE IN THE COMMUNITY CHURCH VERSUS THE SHELTER WHICH TENDED TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL. >> THANK YOU. SO DOES ANYONE WANT TO SHARE ANY CHALLENGES OUTSIDE OF THE SHELTER? ONE OF THE [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] EITHER TO A RELATIVE OR FRIEND'S HOUSE OR SOME OTHER BUILDING OUTSIDE OF YOUR OWN. >> SO THERE WASN'T ENOUGH ROOM FOR MY JOY NORMS FAMILY. MY FRIENDS' DOG DOESN'T LIKE OTHER DOGS EITHER. THAT DIDN'T WORK WELL WITH MY DOG. HE HAD TO BE COOPED UP IN A LITTLE ROOM FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND WE HAD TO GO IN SHIFTS TO LET HIM OUTSIDE. MY DOGS WERE JUST BECAUSE THEY HAD NEVER REALLY BEEN REMOVED FROM THEIR HOME BEFORE -- PROBABLY TWO TIMES A DAY CLEANING UP A MESS THEY MADE EVERYWHERE. AND HAVING TO -- BECAUSE I HAVE A FOUR-YEAR-OLD, HAVING TO GET HIM SITUATED IN A NEW HOME WAS REALLY HARD. HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OF HIS TOYS. HE DIDN'T, OTHER THAN THE COUPLE HE BROUGHT IN THE CAR. HE DIDN'T HAVE HIS BED. HE DIDN'T HAVE HIS NORMAL. HE DIDN'T HAVE NORMAL. AND THAT'S WHEN THE TANTRUMS AND NIGHT TERRORS STARTED. AND IT WAS PRETTY BAD FOR A WHILE. AND THEN IN THE MEANTIME, WHILE I'M TAKING CARE OF HIM AND MY DAUGHTER AND DAD AND DOGS, AND WAS [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] PAYING ATTENTION TO MYSELF. BECAUSE I HAD THEM TO TAKE CARE OF. IT WAS HARD. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS RULES IN SOMEBODY ELSE'S HOUSE. DIFFERENT WAY THINGS ARE DONE. IT'S A HUGE ADJUSTMENT. AND [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] >> ANYONE ELSE? ONE OF THE REASONS WE ARE ASKING SOME OF THE QUESTIONS, NOT REALLY TO ALLOW YOU TO RELIEVE ANY OF THE PAIN THAT YOU ARE FEELING, BUT TO HELP JOG YOUR MEMORY SO THAT WHENEVER WE GET TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS PORTION, YOU ARE ABLE TO HELP US WITH THE PAPER, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD BE USEFUL MOVING FORWARD IN THE CASE OF ANOTHER DISASTER EMERGENCY. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY RELATING TO WHEN YOU ARE SHELTERED OUTSIDE OF YOUR OWN HOME? >> HE'S NOT ABLE TO COME TODAY. HE CAME TO OUR SEPTEMBER EVENT, BRIAN. HE GAVE PERMISSION TO SHARE HIS STORY HERE. HE HAS PRETTY SEVERE DISABILITIES. AND GOT EVACUATED TO A NURSING HOME AND GOT STUCK THERE FOR MORE THAN SIX MONTHS. IT TOOK HIM UNTIL JANUARY TO GET A REPLACEMENT CHAIR, FOR THREE MONTHS. HE HAD TO SIT IN A BED. FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SEVERE, GOT PUT ALL OVER YUBA CITY INTO NURSING HOMES AND THEN FORGOTTEN. AND NOBODY WAS THERE TO HELP THEM MOVE BACK OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY. AND HE LOST EVERYTHING, SOCIAL SECURITY CARD, BIRTH CERTIFICATE. TRYING TO GET HIM THE I.D. HE DIDN'T HAVE THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK TO GET IT. HE HAD TO CALL RELATIVES SAYING DO YOU HAVE HIS DAD'S INFORMATION. A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE CAUGHT FORGOTTEN BECAUSE THEY GOT PUT IN NURSING HOMES. THEY ARE SAFE. CHECK, NOW MOVE ONTO THE NEXT PERSON. AND THEY GOT STUCK THERE. >> DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH THOSE FOLKS? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT TO 2017 -- >> SOME ARE IN NURSING HOMES. I PERSONALLY HELPED BRIAN FIND A PLACE IN CHESTNUT. >> YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT CHALLENGES WITH SHELTERS. ONE THING AND SAW MANY OF OUR CONSUMER SAID WERE TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES. WE HAD PEOPLE IN SHELTERS FAR AWAY FROM PUBLIC TRANSIT. THEY COULDN'T GO OUT AND ACQUIRE THE SERVICES THEY NEED. THEY WERE STUCK. IT TOOK SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE THE CITY ARRANGED FOR BUS SERVICES. NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO CARS OR MAYBE THEY HAD TO LEAVE WITHOUT THEIR CARS FOR THE EVACUATION PROCESS, TRANSPORTATION WAS A HUGE CHALLENGE FOR EVERYBODY. >> THAT HAS BEEN A COMMON NEED ACROSS -- I MEAN TRANSPORTATION IS ALWAYS A NEED. ESPECIALLY DURING EMERGENCIES OR DISASTER, IT'S MORE OF A CRISIS TO GET TRANSPORTATION. ESPECIALLY [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] TRANSPORTATION. SO I WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE AND SHIFT OUR THINKING NOW AND THINK ABOUT RECOVERY. YOU HAVE GOTTEN THE ALERT, EVACUATED, HOPEFULLY FOUND A PLACE TO BE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] LONGER PLACE AND YOU ARE SAFE. AND NOW RECOVERY AT SOME POINT BEGINS FOR YOU WHEN YOU ARE READY. PRETTY SURE THEY ARE RECOVERY, THERE ARE A LOT OF NEEDS AROUND RECOVERY. QUESTION WOULD BE THOSE NEEDS. WERE YOU ABLE TO ACCESS EITHER THE RESOURCES, SUPPORT OR [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] NEEDED TO ASSIST WITH RECOVERY? >> WE RELOCATED TO [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] SACRAMENTO. THE EVACUATION ORDINANCE WAS LIFTED. [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] WORKING DAYS, 16 DAYS AFTER IT WAS INITIALLY GIVEN. AND I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET TO GO BACK TO [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] UP THERE. BUT MY NEIGHBORS DECIDED TO LOOT EVERYTHING. THEY STOLE EVERYTHING I OWNED AND DESTROYED THE INSIDE OF THE HOUSE. AND I HAVEN'T GOTTEN -- I WENT TO THE AUTHORITIES AND HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE SUPPORT FROM THAT THAT I SHOULD HAVE. I KNOW IT WAS THE NEIGHBORS BECAUSE MY STUFF WAS ON THEIR PROPERTY. I TRIED TO GET -- I KIND OF CRASHED BACK IN APRIL. I TRIED TO GET MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT THROUGH THE DOCTORS. I HAD MEDCAL. AND THEN ALL OF IT WAS SHOWING I HAD A PRIOR INSURANCE AND COULDN'T GO TO THE DOCTOR BECAUSE I COULDN'T PAY FOR THE BILLS. I HAVEN'T BEEN BACK TO THE DOCTOR. AFTER I HELPED MY DAD AND REST OF MY FAMILY, I CRASHED. AND I WAS THERE SUPPORT. AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE THAT ANYMORE. BECAUSE I COULDN'T TAKE CARE OF MYSELF ANYMORE. THEN I GOT THIS REALLY COOL JOB. [CHUCKLING] >> I HAD LIVED UP ON THE RIDGE, BASICALLY, MY WHOLE LIFE. SO IT'S BEEN ABOUT 30 YEARS. THAT WAS ONE OF THE HARDEST DAYS OF MY LIFE. AND I'M STILL RECOVERING. YOUR STORIES ARE MAKING ME CRY. IT'S A LONG PROCESS. MY DAD IS DOING OKAY EXCEPT FOR THE FACT HE WANTS TO LIVE IN THE WOODS AND WE CAN'T. MY DAUGHTER IS OKAY. MY SON IS DOING BETTER. I'M DOING BETTER THAN I WAS. BUT IT TAKES A LOT OF PURPOSEFUL INTENT TO GET THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE SUPPORT FROM OTHERS, AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM UP THERE WERE ALONE, THEY DON'T HAVE THAT SUPPORT. IT'S SIGNIFICANT IN RECOVERING. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYBODY THERE FOR YOU, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO RECOVER. >> I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT OFF AND ON SINCE THE CAMPFIRE WITH THIS ONE COUPLE WHO DID NOT HAVE THE PROPER DOCUMENTATION TO GET FEMA HELP. THEY LOST EVERYTHING IN THE FIRE. THEY LIVED IN A TRAILER ON SOMEBODY'S PROPERTY WHERE THEY JUST PAID THEM A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY TO KEEP THEIR TRAILER THERE. AND THEY HAD NOT BEEN THERE VERY LONG. SO THEY HADN'T CHANGED THE ADDRESS ON THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE. THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PROPER PAPER TRAIL TO DOCUMENT WHO THEY WERE AND WHERE THEY HAD LIVED. BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY ARE STILL HOMELESS. THEY ARE STILL STRUGGLING. I SEE THEM PROBABLY ONCE A MONTH THEY COME BY AND FILL ME IN ON WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THEM. AND IT'S BEEN VERY TRAUMATIC FOR THEM TO RECOVER FROM THE FIRE. THEY ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOME COGNITIVE DISABILITY. SO THEY -- THEY ARE NOT [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] TRYING TO MANEUVER THROUGH THE SYSTEMS THEY HAVE TO MANEUVER THROUGH. WE'VE TRIED TO BE WRAP-AROUND SUPPORT FOR THEM. BECAUSE THEY ARE HOMELESS, THEY MOVE AROUND. AND ARE IN SURVIVAL MODE STILL. AND IT'S BEEN QUITE A WHILE NOW. >> ANYONE ELSE? >> MY PARENTS HAD A PLACE IN McELLIOTT, AND THEIR INSURANCE DIDN'T COVER THEIR HOUSE. ONLY COVERED LIKE 80% OF IT. SO THEY LOST EVERYTHING. SO THEY WENT FROM THE SHELTER TO RENO. THEN FOUND OUT THAT THEY COULDN'T HAVE ANY MEDICAL, THEY LOST ALL THEIR MEDICAL. MY WIFE ASKED THEM TO MOVE IN WITH US. STILL, THEY ARE STRUGGLING. BECAUSE THEY OWE $8,000 TO THE HOUSE. THAT WAS BURNT. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT. IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S SAD. THANK YOU. >> I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY HIS MOTHER [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] IS A [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] AND HE IS A [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] AND FAR NORTHERN CLIENT. JUST SO YOU KNOW A LITTLE BIT OF THE BACKGROUND. AND SO WHEN THEY WENT TO RENO, SHE LOST ALL OF HER FAR NORTHERN SERVICES. AND ACL WORKER. AND SO NOW THAT WE TOOK THEM BACK INTO OUR HOUSE, WHICH IS AN OKAY SITUATION, IT'S WORKING FOR NOW. YOU KNOW, SHE'S ABLE TO GET [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] SET UP AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT. BUT IF [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] OPEN TO THEM [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] BECAUSE HE'S A FAR NORTHERN CLIENT. AND HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO GET BACK HERE SO WE CAN GET SET BACK UP WITH FAR NORTHERN. YOU KNOW, HE'S TRYING TO [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] WE HAVE IN OKLAHOMA. IT'S ANNOYING PROCESS. A LOT OF STRUGGLES. DEFINITELY SOME LINGERING CHALLENGES. >> SULLIVAN HANES WITH VIEW GLENN 211. A VERY SIGNIFICANT UNMET NEED THAT CONTINUES TO [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] [ OFF MIC ] -- IN A RECOVERY PLAN TO DISCOVER OPTIONS THAT THEY CAN ACCESS FOR IMMEDIATE NEEDS. AND TO GUIDE THEM IN NEXT STEPS FOR THEIR ONGOING RECOVERY. AND SINCE JUNE OF 2019, 211 HAS FUNCTIONED AS THE CENTRAL INTAKE AND EXCEPT FOR CAMPFIRE SURVIVORS TO GET CONNECTED TO CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES. PRESENTLY, THERE ARE EIGHT AGENCIES THAT 211 WOULD REFER A SURVIVOR TO FOR CASE MANAGEMENT. BUT WE CAN ONLY DO THAT WHEN THERE ARE OPENINGS. SO THIS DISASTER IS SEVERELY UNDERSERVED IN TERMS OF THE CAPACITY OF THE NUMBER OF CASE MANAGERS THAT WERE DEPLOYED TO RESPOND. AND I THINK IT'S A REALLY CRITICAL NEED, ESPECIALLY COMPOUNDED FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITIES. BECAUSE THEY ARE A POPULATION OF FOLKS WHO PROBABLY REALLY NEED THAT EXTRA SET OF HANDS, EYES AND EARS, THAT EXTRA NAVIGATION THROUGH THE MAZE OF RESOURCES, FIGURING OUT HOUSING OPTIONS, REEMPLOYMENT OPTIONS, TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS. AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT A CASE MANAGER HELPS SOMEBODY WITH. THERE IS A FORMULA THAT WAS USED FOR THIS DISASTER THAT ONLY ALLOCATED 13 CASE MANAGERS FUNDED BY FEMA TO THE CAMPFIRE. ANOTHER 14 ARE PRIVATELY FUNDED. BUT SINCE JUNE, 211 HAS HAD 3,000 PEOPLE ON OUR INTAKE FOR CASE MANAGEMENT. WE'VE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO REFER 452 SURVIVORS. THOSE OTHER FOLKS ARE REALLY IN A WAITING SITUATION FOR THAT TYPE OF ASSISTANCE, WHICH IS CRUCIAL TO THEIR RECOVERY. IT'S COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT MANY OF THE RECOVERY SERVICES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE TO YOU IF YOU HAVE A CASE MANAGER. SO IT'S REALLY A CATCH 22. AND I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, A LOOK AT HOW CASE MANAGEMENT ALLOCATION FORMULAS ARE DEVISED FOR A FIRE SITUATION. APPARENTLY, IT WAS BASED ON THE FEMA, [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT]. WHERE THERE WAS NO GOING HOME. SO MASSIVE DISLOCATION. THAT IN ITSELF UNDERSCORES THE NEED FOR A CASE MANAGEMENT TO ASSIST PEOPLE TO FIND PERMANENT, STABLE HOUSING IN A REGION WHERE THERE IS NOT MUCH AFFORDABLE PERMANENT HOUSING AVAILABLE. I THINK LOOKING AT THAT FORMULA PIECE OF HOW THE ALLOCATION IS ESTABLISHED IS REALLY CRUCIAL FOR NOT ONLY THIS DISASTER IN RETO EXPECT BUT ANYTHING LIKE THIS GOING FORWARD. WHETHER FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL COMBINED EFFORT SAID I'M HOPING FOCUS CAN BE BROUGHT TO THAT. >> SOME OF THE PEOPLE TOUCHED ON THINGS LIKE MEDICAL. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WASN'T RIGHTLY ADDRESSED WAS PEOPLE'S MEDICATIONS BEING ABLE TO GET THEM. SOME PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES HAVE SPECIALTY SHOTS THAT HAD TO BE DELIVERED. AND OTHER MEDICATIONS THAT MAYBE I DON'T KNOW ABOUT. MOST OF THE DOCTORS WE'VE HAD WERE UP AT THE RIDGE. SO EVEN THOUGH AT THIS TIME WE WERE LIVING IN CHICO AND THE ONLY PROBLEM WE HAD ABOUT GETTING MEDICATIONS AND MEETING WITH DOCTORS BECAUSE ALL OF THE DOCTORS THAT WERE UP ON THE RIDGE OR A BIG PORTION LEFT AND SCATTERED. AT THE TIME WE HAD THE BLUE CROSS MANAGED HEALTH CARE PLAN. BECAUSE THEY LUMP YOU INTO GROUPINGS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A -- GET INTO A GROUP OF DOCTORS. YOU CAN'T JUST GO ANYWHERE. IT KIND OF LIMITED PEOPLE. AND IT JUST -- THAT NEEDED TO BE MORE ASSESSED BETTER AS FAR AS GETTING OPENING UP THE DOORS. SAYING LET'S THROW THE, YOU HAVE TO BE IN THIS SPECIAL GROUPING NETWORK THERE. LET'S GET RID OF IT AND NOT WORRY ABOUT IT TOO MUCH. I DID MANAGE TO GET TO THE OMNIBUS OFFICE. THEY SWITCHED MY DAUGHTER TO STRAIGHT MEDI-CAL. BUT NOW I GOT MAILING YOU HAVE TO GO INTO A GROUPING AGAIN. THE ISSUE HASN'T BEEN REPAIRED FOR THOSE DOCTORS THAT WERE IN PARADISE, WHO ARE NOW ORVILLE, AND DIFFERENT AREAS -- ORVILLE, HORNING. THEY HAVE KIND OF SCATTERED. YOU CAN'T BE IN A GROUPING IF DOCTORS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE. >> [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] COORDINATOR FOR DOING [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] NO HOUSING LEFT. ALL THOSE PEOPLE [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] TO MOVE FROM ALL THE HOMES BURNT BETWEEN THE TWO FIRES AND YOU GO FOR ANY [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT]. NOT ONLY IS THERE [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] IF YOU FIND SOMETHING, IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE. THE PRICES HAVE GONE SKY HIGH. SO IF THERE IS ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, THAT WOULD BE, I THINK, IT WOULD JUST BY AMAZING FOR SO MANY PEOPLE. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE SUBSIDIZED. I DON'T KNOW. I THINK A LOT OF PRICES ARE GOUGED. >> IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE MY DAUGHTER WHO WASN'T EVACUATED WAS TOLD TO MOVE OUT WHEN HER LEASE WAS UP BECAUSE THEY COULD JACK UP THE RENT AND GET SOMEBODY WITH INSURANCE. SHE ENDED UP BEING HOMELESS SEARCHING FOR A HOUSE SHE COULD AFFORD. >> SO I DIDN'T GET FEMA OR THE OTHER STUFF EVERYBODY ELSE WAS ABLE TO SEEK OUT. I WAS BAD AND DIDN'T CHANGE MY ADDRESS ON MY DRIVER'S LICENSE. SO I COULDN'T PROVE I LIVED UP THERE. AND I DIDN'T HAVE MY LEASE BECAUSE OF THE NEIGHBORS STOLE IT. I DIDN'T HAVE THAT PROOF OR BILLS. BUT I HAD AN INHERITANCE FROM MY GRANDMOTHER PASSING AWAY [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT]. IT WASN'T A USUAL SITUATION WITH THE HOUSE I'M IN. IT'S A RENT TO OWN. BUT THE RENT I PAY DOESN'T GO TOWARDS THE PURCHASE PRICE AND I HAD TO PAY $7,000 UP FRONT. SO I DID BECAUSE I HAD IT OUT OF MY INHERITANCE AND I NEEDED A HOUSE. BUT I WAS SEARCHING FOREVER TRYING TO FIND A PLACE TO LIVE THAT WAS BIG ENOUGH FOR MY FAMILY. NOT WITHOUT PIGS $2,500 OR 3,000 A MONTH. >> SO DEFINITELY, WITH WHAT'S BEEN SHARED WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WITH THE DISASTER CASE MANAGEMENT, CASE MANAGEMENT IN GENERAL WITH THE MEDICATIONS AND FLEXIBILITY OF INSURANCES DURING EMERGENCIES TO ALLOW YOU TO SEEK DOCTORS OUTSIDE OF THE NETWORK THESE ARE SOME THINGS WE'VE HEARD IN OTHER STATES AS PRICE GOUGING, AND LISTENED TO OUTSIDE OF LISTENING SESSIONS. [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] BUT WHAT I ALSO HEAR HERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES. SOME ASKS THAT CAN TURN INTO RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH WE'RE GOING TO MOVE SHORTLY TO. I ASK YOU TO THINK ABOUT THOSE AND PUT ON CREATIVITY HATS TO PUT ON GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS. A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I HAVE ARE AROUND MENTAL HEALTH. WAS THERE SUFFICIENT COUNSELORS AROUND TO ASSIST FOLKS WITH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES? WAS THAT AN AREA OF [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] >> LIKE I SAID, I ALREADY HAD ANXIETY. NOW I HAVE SEVERE ANXIETY. THERE WAS A TIME WHERE I [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] WITHOUT BREAKING DOWN CRYING. THERE WAS A POINT IN TIME I COULDN'T DRIVE AT ALL. I HAD ONE COUNSELING APPOINTMENT THAT GOT PAID FOR BEFORE MY MEDI-CAL MESSED UP. AND THAT COUNSELOR HAD NO IDEA. HAD NO CLUE WHAT TO EVEN SAY TO ME. AND I WAS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M HERE. [CHUCKLING] BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO IDEA. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS ACTUALLY AVAILABLE IN BUTTE COUNTY BECAUSE I DIDN'T GET TO COME BACK. AND THERE WAS NOTHING IN YUBA OR SUTOR COUNTY. I THINK ONE SUPPORT GROUP. NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE SHOWED UP SO THAT STOPPED. BUT I TRIED SEARCHING FOR THINGS. I JUST DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS. BECAUSE I WAS NO LONGER HERE. AND IT WAS ALMOST LIKE BECAUSE [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] ANYMORE. >> YOU COULDN'T COME BACK, YOU DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND SUPPORT. AGAIN, IN YUBA CITY AFTER THE CAMPFIRE, THE SHELTERS WERE FULL. AND I AM AWARE -- I KNOW SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORK AT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OVER THERE. THERE WAS ONE GENTLEMAN, DR. MARK WHO BASICALLY CAMPED OUT AT THE SHELTERS IN ORDER TO SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO WERE HAVING ANXIETY OR PANIC ATTACKS, WHO WERE EXPERIENCING PTSD, NIGHTMARES, I MEAN, JUST THE GAMUT OF THE AFTER EFFECTS. AND I'VE SPOKEN WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL DEALING WITH THOSE THINGS. AND THEY ARE HAVING A VERY DIFFICULT TIME FINDING MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR THOSE COUNTIES THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HAS ALWAYS BEEN SHORT STAFFED. I DON'T KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT BUTTE AND GLENN COUNTIES. BUT THERE ALSO IS THIS THING OF, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH YOU ALL. >> I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. BECAUSE I'M NOT FROM BUTTE COUNTY. I'M UP FROM SISKIYOU. SO WHEN WE HAD THE BULLS FIRE, RED CROSS CAME IN AND THEY PROVIDED COUNSELORS. BUT THEY WERE THERE ONLY AS LONG AS RED CROSS WAS. SO FOR ABOUT PROBABLY TWO WEEKS THERE WAS COUNSELORS AVAILABLE. IT WAS REALLY ONLY ANNOUNCED WORD OF MOUTH. IT WASN'T ANYWHERE -- I'M SURE IT WAS POSTED IN CERTAIN PLACES. TALKING FROM SOME OF THE MY CLIENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THOSE SERVICES WERE AVAILABLE. AND AFTER THE FACT, IT JUST, [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] RED CROSS [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] YOU KNOW, FIRE HAPPENED, HERE YOU GO. START OVER. [CHUCKLING] >> WE HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE WHERE THE COUNSELORS IN THE EVACUATION CENTERS WERE THERE AND GREAT DURING THAT TIME. BUT ONCE THE EVACUATION CENTER STARTED CLOSING UP, PEOPLE REACHED OUT FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND GOT PUT ON A WAIT LIST. >> THE NEED FOR ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND SERVICES DURING THE LONG-TERM RECOVERY. SO I WANT TO SHIFT TO ONE LAST QUESTION BEFORE OUR ACTIVITY. AS A RESULT OF YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THE MOST RECENT DISASTER, WHETHER IT WAS THE FLOODING OR THE FIRES, HOW HAS YOUR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND PLANNING CHANGED? >> THERE IS ALWAYS GAS IN MY CARS. AND MY DAD IS 72 SO HE'LL FORGET SOMETIMES. IF I SEE THAT IT'S DOWN LOW, I DO GET SNIPPY. I DON'T MEAN TO. BUT IT JUST IS A PART OF MY ANXIETY AND PTSD NOW. IT HAS TO BE AT LEAST HALF A TANK. IF NOT MORE. AND ALL OF MY DOCUMENTATION IS IN A LOCK BOX RIGHT WHERE BASICALLY ANYTHING I WANT TO GRAB IS RIGHT THERE. I HAVEN'T EVEN UNPACKED ALL MY STUFF BECAUSE IT'S IN BOXES WHERE I CAN GRAB IT AND THROW IT IN MY CAR. >> ANYONE ELSE? >> I JUST -- WE DIDN'T HAVE TO EVACUATE BUT I THINK THE BODY GOES INTO ADRENALINE POISONING WHEN IT'S EMINENT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THAT. I WAS WONDERING IF EVERYBODY THAT HAD TO EVACUATE, HOW MANY STILL HAVE YOUR STUFF IN CRATES? I KNOW I DO. >> ANYONE ELSE? HAS IT CHANGED THE WAY YOU PLAN? >> I KNOW THAT OUR COMPANY HAS INSTILLED EMERGENCY ASSISTANT PLANS AS WELL AS DOING MONTHLY MEDLIST. SO THEY ARE UP TO DATE FOR OUR CLIENTS. LET'S SEE HERE. OTHER THAN THAT, ALSO CONTACTING NATURAL SUPPORTS TO YOU KNOW, ESTABLISH WHERE THEY ARE GOING IN A CASE OF EMERGENCY. IF WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE A CLIENT LIVES AT HOME STILL. NOTHING IS COMING TO MIND. >> I WAS AT THE SESSION THAT WE DID, WAS IT IN SEPTEMBER? AND I LEARNED A LOT FROM BOB. THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID. AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS WE'VE IMPLEMENTED. FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF CLIENTS WITH CELIACS DISEASE. WE MAKE SURE GO BAGS HAVE OBVIOUSLY GLUTEN-FREE OTHER FOOD ALLERGIES. AND COMFORT ITEMS WAS BIG. THE PAST GO BAGS WERE STANDARD, PANTS, UNDERWEAR, SHOCKS, SHIRTS. WE HAVE NOW A COMFORT ITEM, GAMES AND IMPLEMENTING FACILITY BAGS WHERE THE WHOLE FACILITY, WE HAVE EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] AND STAFF IN THAT FACILITY BAG. SO WE'RE THINKING BIGGER THAN JUST, WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE THIS MINUTE AND DRESS THESE PEOPLE. WE NEED TO BE COMFORTABLE ALSO, THAT'S ESSENTIAL. AND ALL THE ATTENTION BOB GAVE TO HIS VERY, VERY INSIGHTFUL. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR STAFF ARE COMFORTABLE WHEREVER THEY HAVE TO EVACUATE TO. >> I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS I'M IN THE SAME SITUATION AS THE MOM HERE. I HAVE A SON WHO HAS MANY ISSUES. BUT WE HAVE FIVE ACRES. AND HIS COMFORT IS HIS ANIMALS. HE HAS A LOT OF THEM. SO I GOT TALKING TO HIM. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO IF WE HAVE TO EVACUATE? WE HAVE MORE ANIMALS THAN WILL FIT IN OUR MOTOR HOME. I'LL GET ON MY SCOOTER AND LEAD MY COW DOWN 44. THAT'S NOT HAPPENING. WE HAD TO HAVE A FRANK CONVERSATION ON WHAT ANIMALS COULD WE TAKE AND WHICH ONES ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE BEHIND SO I DON'T HAVE A MELT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF AN EVACUATION. HE KNOWS WHO IS GOING AND WHO IS STAYING AND WE HOPE FOR THE BEST. >> [ OFF MIC ] >> THE OTHER THING THAT AT FIRST I DIDN'T REALIZE I WAS DOING, IT WAS SUBCONSCIOUSLY HAPPENING WHEN WE WOULD LOOK AT A HOUSE, IS HOW TO GET OUT. THERE WAS ONE HOUSE IT WAS [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] LOVED IT. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. AFFORDABLE. ONLY TWO WAYS OUT AND IT WAS A ONE-LANE ROAD. WE TURNED IT DOWN BECAUSE IF SOMETHING HAPPENED WE WOULDN'T GET OUT. NOW I HAVE SIX WAYS OUT. ALL FLAT. [CHUCKLING] >> SO I'M OKAY. >> IT'S PRETTY AMAZING HOW WHEN AFTER DISASTERS AND WE DO OUR OWN SELF-ASSESSMENT, THE THINGS WE THOUGHT WE WERE READY FOR, BUT NOT READY FOR. AND HOW TO BE IN A BETTER SITUATION SHOULD AN EVENT OCCUR. IT'S GREAT TO HEAR AWARENESS IS THERE AND ACTION IS DONE TO POSITION YOURSELF AND BE MORE RESILIENT. WE'RE GOING TO BE CLOSING IN ABOUT HALF HOUR-ISH. I WANTED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE-ISH AND MOVE US FORWARD INTO THE MOMENT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR, THE RECOMMENDATIONS. I'M GOING TO HAVE OPHILIA WALK US THROUGH THE PROCESS. >> WHERE YOU ARE MAYBE COMFORTABLE. WHAT I WILL END UP DOING IS TO MY RIGHT I POSTED [AUDIO CUTTING IN AND OUT] POSTERS RELATING TO THE QUESTION THAT WE NEED TO ANSWER: IS THERE A PERSON, PROCESS OR SYSTEM THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO BETTER ASSIST IN YOUR EMERGENCY PLANNING AND PREPAREDNESS. THERE IS ONE AT THE TABLE AT THE FRONT WHERE KIM WAS, IN CASE YOU DON'T WANT TO GO ACROSS, I WILL HAND THE MARKER TO THE CLOSEST PERSON TO THE PAPER. IF YOU WANT TO BE THE SCRIBE, YOU CAN. IF NOT, JUST PASS IT TO THE NEXT PERSON. WHAT WE'LL DO IS MAYBE ABOUT 15 MINUTES OR SO, HAVE A DISCUSSION AMONG YOURSELVES OR WITH THE SCRIBE, WHOEVER I GIVE THIS TO, TO DECIDE WHAT KIND OF RECOMMENDATIONS DO WE NEED MOVING FORWARD? WHAT CAN WE DO DIFFERENTLY AS WE PREPARE FOR DISASTERS? OR WHO SHOULD BE INVOLVED? SHOULD IT BE A COMMUNICATION THING? SHOULD IT BE WE SHOULD COLLABORATE WITH SOMEONE? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE IN PLACE? WHO SHOULD BE PART OF THAT RECOMMENDATION? SO IF YOU ALL COULD, IN THE NEXT 15 MINUTES OR SO, GO AHEAD AND WRITE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS. AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO REPORT OUT TO EVERYONE, OKAY? [ GROUP ACTIVITY ] >> IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE MAKING SOME REALLY GOOD PROGRESS. ON RECOMMENDATIONS. SO WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IS PUT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS BACK UP -- THANK YOU. AND YOU WERE GIVEN LITTLE STICKER. ONE WAS RED AND YELLOW AND ONE BLUE. SO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO WITH YOUR STICKERS, WE WOULD FIRST LIKE YOU TO GO AROUND THE ROOM. ALL OF THE LISTS THAT WERE PUT UP AND USE YOUR STICKERS. THE RED IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT SO WE WOULD LIKE TO PRIORITIZE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS. SO THE ONE THAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU, USE YOUR RED STICKER TO IT. YOUR SECOND IMPORTANT ONE WOULD BE THE YELLOW. AND THE LAST ONE IS THE BLUE. SO ON ANY OF THESE LISTS, YOU CAN USE YOUR THREE STICKERS. DON'T USE THEM ALL AT THE SAME PLACE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO, OR YOU CAN USE THEM IN THE SAME PLACE. IT DOESN'T MATTER. YOU ARE BEING GIVEN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES TO DO SO. OKAY, SO WE HAVE BEEN DOING SOME REALLY GOOD -- SO I WILL GO TO OUR SCRIBES AND ASK THEM TO REPORT OUT FOR US. IF YOU CAN REPORT OUT -- >> OKAY. ON OUR LIST, STANDARDIZED PROCESS. WHEN WE HAVE THESE DISASTERS, THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION. THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION AS FAR AS WHERE TO GET THEM. HOW THAT PROCESS, THAT PRACTICE -- NOT ONLY EARLY ON BUT ALSO FURTHER DOWN IN THE PROCESS . [ NO AUD IO [ -- [ NO AUDIO ] >> AS A TEAM, IS THERE A PERSON, PROCESS OR SYSTEM THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO BETTER ASSIST YOU AND YOUR EMERGENCY PLANNING PREPAREDNESS? ONE ALERT FOR DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING COMMUNITY. TWO, BETTER INFORM INSURANCE AGENTS, KNOW YOUR POLICIES AND PROVIDE BETTER SERVICES. POLICIES AND RULES SHOULD BE MODIFIED FOR DISASTER AND EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. COPY SHOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. COSTS SHOULD BE WAIVED AND DEFERRED. OTHER SYSTEMS ENHANCED. CELL TOWERS TO INCLUDE SOLAR POWER ALERT AND FIRE PROOFING CELL TOWERS. ACCESSIBLE EMERGENCY PLANNING. MULTIPLE LANGUAGES INCLUDING BRAILLE, SPANISH, ETC. ACCESSIBLE ROUTES FROM ALL LOCATIONS. SYSTEMS FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE. HOUSING PRICES NEED TO REMAIN STABLE FOR TWO YEARS AFTER DISASTER. HOUSING COSTS REMAIN STABLE FOR TWO YEARS POST-DISASTER. DISASTER PREPAREDNESS TRAINING REQUIRED. EMERGENCY DRILLED FOR PREPAREDNESS. >> WHO DOES THIS ONE BELONG TO? OKAY. SO THEY HAVE PRIORITIZED THREE OF THEM. ONE IS TRANSPORTATION, NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS OR SIREN SYSTEM. ANOTHER IS ALLOWING FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH I.I.D. TO HAVE SPECIAL FUND FOR EMERGENCY SITUATION. AND OPEN THE SHELTER FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH I.D.D. IN SMALLER BUILDINGS. THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS THAT ARE UNDER USED. CHECK WITH THE LOCAL HOSPITAL TO OPEN BED SPACE FOR MEDICAL LEAVE, FRAGILE PERSONS. SO THOSE WERE THE THREE AREAS THAT WERE PRIORITIZED ON THIS LIST. WHO DOES THIS ONE BELONG TO? >> OKAY, LET'S LOTS OF GOOD IDEAS BUT BETTER TRAFFIC CONTROL TO GET OUT OF EVACUATED AREAS, THAT'S WITH THE MOST RED DOTS. A.D.A. COMPLIANT UNITS, BATHROOMS. ENLIST ASSISTANCE FOR COUNSELING REMOTELY FROM UNAFFECTED AREAS. AND DISASTER TRAINED SHELTER STAFF. CREATE PLANS NOW AS INDIVIDUALS THAT INCLUDE LONG TERM SOLUTIONS. THAT'S A GREAT ONE. WE WILL ADD THAT TO OUR FLYER. AND THEN FURTHER DOWN ON THE LIST IS TAKE YOUR SERVICE COMPANION ANIMAL TO THE RED CROSS TO SEE IF IT WILL BE PERMITTED. WE HAVE TALKED TO RED CROSS AT SEVERAL EMERGENCY FARES. THEY SAY THEY DO NOT HAVE TO PERMIT COMPANION ANIMALS, BUT SERVICE ANIMALS. THE ONLY QUESTION THEY CAN ASK IS WHAT DOES YOUR ANIMAL DO FOR YOU. LET'S SEE. HOUSING PRICES BEFORE, COMPARED TO AFTER. AND THEN MAKE SURE NOT FORGOTTEN THAT [OFF MIC] CREATE PLANS NOW AS INDIVIDUALS THAT INCLUDE LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS. AND P.S.B.S. EVENTS STILL AFFECTING EVERYONE. GIVE OUT GENERATORS IF IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE. OKAY? SO DID ANYONE SEE OR HEAR ANYTHING THAT WAS NEW TO THEM? SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE TODAY WE HAVE TAKEN SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES THAT WE HAVE HAD AND WE TURNED THEM INTO RECOMMENDATIONS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE IS IF WE HAVE, FOR INSTANCE, ANY LEADER OF ANY SELF ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS OR ANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, YOU CAN TAKE A PICTURE OF ALL OF THESE SO THIS WOULD ENCOURAGE YOUR NEXT SET OF CONVERSATIONS RELATING TO EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE ENCOURAGING. IF YOU FIND, AFTER TODAY, THAT YOU HAVE EVEN MORE RECOMMENDATIONS, BECAUSE THINGS ALL OF THE SUDDEN START BUBBLING FOR YOU, PLEASE GO TO THE WEBSITE AND SEND US EITHER AN EMAIL OR GO AHEAD AND JUST GET TO THE WEBSITE, THAT IS WWW.ACLLISTENS2019.COM IT'S AT THE BOTTOM. SO YOU CAN STOP BY THERE TO PROVIDE US WITH ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS. THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. BEFORE WE GO, WE WOULD LIKE AARON CARRUTHERS TO STOP BY AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME. AND INTRODUCE YOU TO ANY OTHER PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE NOT MET, WHILE YOU WERE HERE. >> I'M AARON CA -- CARRUTHERS OUT OF OUR SACRAMENTO OFFICE. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR DOING A FANTASTIC JOB TODAY AND FOR ALL OF YOU FOR COMING OUT. THIS IS A RARE OPPORTUNITY AND THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BEING ADDED TO THE VOICES FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY. YOUR VOICES ADDING TO THOSE VOICES. AND THOSE VOICES WILL CREATE A CHORUS AND THAT WILL BE SUNG BACK TO D.C. FROM THE WORK YOU HAVE DONE TODAY. THANK YOU BOTH. AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK. [ APPLAUSE ] >> IS THIS STILL ON? OH, IT IS. I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING, PARTICIPATING. THIS WAS REALLY, A REALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE. BUT IT'S BECAUSE YOU WERE HERE, YOU KNOW? SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WANT TO ALSO ENCOURAGE ANY LAST MOMENTS OF, I GOT TO GET SOME SNACKS. YOU KNOW ME, I'VE BEEN PUSHING FOOD ALL DAY. HELP YOURSELF TO SOME COFFEE. THANK YOU AND HAVE A -- MARILYN, DO YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING? THANKS, AGAIN. THERE'S ALWAYS ONE LAST THING TO SAY. WE ARE HONORED THAT LITTLE RED HEN DONATED THE FLOWERS AND MASON JARS. AND THIS IS WHERE YOU GET TO TAKE THEM HOME! SO, PLEASE, WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO TAKE THEM HOME. I THINK THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. YOU CAN TAKE THEM WHERE EVER YOU WANT, MY LOVELY LAURIE. OKAY. THANK