National Public Health Week: Don’t Panic! Disaster Preparedness & Farmworkers

The theme for day 2 of 2014 National Public Health Week is disaster preparedness. In recent years, natural disasters in the U.S. have heightened awareness of both individual and community-wide strategies for best preparing for, surviving, and rebuilding after a natural disaster. We have also learned that some populations within our communities fare worse than others and that special consideration should be taken to prepare these populations and to respond to diverse needs before, during, and after a disaster.

Farmworkers and other rural immigrant communities may not receive education on disaster preparedness when it is not culturally-appropriate, written in their primary language, or distributed at venues they trust and frequent. During a disaster, farmworker homes may not be easy to physically locate, as they are sometimes hidden and isolated or “off the grid.” Emergency services may not have records indicating where farmworkers live or their residences may be inaccessible. When seeking help, farmworkers may have difficulty communicating in English with emergency responders and may not know how to access assistance.

In 2007, wildfires in San Diego County, California burned 368,316 acres and destroyed 1,751 homes. Farmworker communities were unprepared to respond to the disaster and were especially vulnerable to the effects of the fire. Safety net providers in the community were not equipped to respond to the cultural, linguistic, economic, and health needs of this displaced community. There were fears about the presence of the Border Patrol and other law enforcement agencies. Few had information about shelters and other available assistance. As a result of the fire, many farmworkers lost their work and homes and were unable to access food, water and health care.

After the wildfires, the FarmWorker CARE Coalition (FWCC), a coalition of health centers, community-based organizations, government agencies and academic institutions in San Diego County, developed an emergency preparedness plan for farmworker communities. The emergency preparedness plan relies on community leaders to educate and prepare community members in the event of a disaster. In addition, the FWCC advocates at the local, state and national level to improve access to emergency preparedness information, resources and relief for limited English proficient, hard-to-reach communities.

Farmworker communities need access to information about available resources in the event of a disaster. In preparing the community for a disaster, community-based organizations and leaders in the farmworker community should be involved to engage farmworkers in creating an emergency plan. An effective emergency plan will include culturally- and linguistically-appropriate education and resources to prepare farmworkers before a disaster; a way to most effectively contact and distribute safety messages to farmworkers and their families during an event; and also a plan for identifying and reaching families or individuals who may need help.

To support community health centers, community-based organizations, and others in farmworker communities with disaster and emergency preparedness planning, We have developed materials on available disaster-related food, housing, and income assistance which are available for download from our website. Farmworkers should not be left out of community emergency preparedness. By working together and planning ahead, everyone in our communities will be better prepared and better served during a natural disaster.
 

The theme for day 2 of 2014 National Public Health Week is disaster preparedness. In recent years, natural disasters in the U.S. have heightened awareness of both individual and community-wide strategies for best preparing for, surviving, and rebuilding after a natural disaster. We have also learned that some populations within our communities fare worse than others and that special consideration should be taken to prepare these populations and to respond to diverse needs before, during, and after a disaster.

Farmworkers and other rural immigrant communities may not receive education on disaster preparedness when it is not culturally-appropriate, written in their primary language, or distributed at venues they trust and frequent. During a disaster, farmworker homes may not be easy to physically locate, as they are sometimes hidden and isolated or “off the grid.” Emergency services may not have records indicating where farmworkers live or their residences may be inaccessible. When seeking help, farmworkers may have difficulty communicating in English with emergency responders and may not know how to access assistance.

In 2007, wildfires in San Diego County, California burned 368,316 acres and destroyed 1,751 homes. Farmworker communities were unprepared to respond to the disaster and were especially vulnerable to the effects of the fire. Safety net providers in the community were not equipped to respond to the cultural, linguistic, economic, and health needs of this displaced community. There were fears about the presence of the Border Patrol and other law enforcement agencies. Few had information about shelters and other available assistance. As a result of the fire, many farmworkers lost their work and homes and were unable to access food, water and health care.

After the wildfires, the FarmWorker CARE Coalition (FWCC), a coalition of health centers, community-based organizations, government agencies and academic institutions in San Diego County, developed an emergency preparedness plan for farmworker communities. The emergency preparedness plan relies on community leaders to educate and prepare community members in the event of a disaster. In addition, the FWCC advocates at the local, state and national level to improve access to emergency preparedness information, resources and relief for limited English proficient, hard-to-reach communities.

Farmworker communities need access to information about available resources in the event of a disaster. In preparing the community for a disaster, community-based organizations and leaders in the farmworker community should be involved to engage farmworkers in creating an emergency plan. An effective emergency plan will include culturally- and linguistically-appropriate education and resources to prepare farmworkers before a disaster; a way to most effectively contact and distribute safety messages to farmworkers and their families during an event; and also a plan for identifying and reaching families or individuals who may need help.

To support community health centers, community-based organizations, and others in farmworker communities with disaster and emergency preparedness planning, We have developed materials on available disaster-related food, housing, and income assistance which are available for download from our website. Farmworkers should not be left out of community emergency preparedness. By working together and planning ahead, everyone in our communities will be better prepared and better served during a natural disaster.