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15 <br />15 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Several comments reflected on a need for government be involved in the local fast-moving <br />conversations about hazards in person, online, and via community-based organizations at the local <br />community level to share resources when they are most needed. Participants wanted to educate the <br />community on how to reach out to local government, and to let people know it is ok to call your <br />city/county and ask for help. Another suggestion was for better coordination between agencies, so <br />information does not contradict. <br />Emergency Planning and Community Role <br />There was interest in community-wide involvement in Emergency Planning to include partnerships with <br />trusted community-based organizations, increased investment in community capacity building in socially <br />vulnerable neighborhoods and more community-tailored communication, outreach and opportunity for <br />leadership and input. People expressed that government processes should include youth and residents. <br />There were many concerns about effective inclusion of socially vulnerable populations in Emergency <br />Planning. Participants asked for approaches including: <br /> Expert staff, responder training, and oversight by people with disabilities, to assure effective <br />inclusion of people with disabilities and medical needs including technology, disability legal <br />rights, etc. during an emergency. <br /> It was noted that older adults, monolingual people and low-literacy people need assistance to <br />access response and recovery resources, especially those that require filling out applications. <br /> More trauma/ mental health training and services during emergencies. <br /> A clearly communicated policy that undocumented immigrants would be served respectfully. <br />There were many comments asking for an emergency plan, wanting to know where it was and wishing <br />there was more outreach about emergency plans and opportunities to participate in the planning. <br />Community members also requested designated emergency areas, evacuation routes and advance lists <br />of cooling centers. <br />There was desire for the County to be more proactive in “solving hazard issues, creating disaster plans, <br />and increasing community awareness of the plans” and concern that Office of Emergency Services only <br />responds when “the threat level is very high”, indicating that response thresholds for heat, smoke and <br />COVID, did not seem adequate to communities experiencing hazard impacts. In particular, community <br />members were concerned that they didn’t know whether and where cooling centers would open and <br />felt there were not enough of them, they were not open when needed, and that they should also <br />address clean air. Many community members indicated they could not afford to buy air conditioners, air <br />purifiers or fans and funding or loaned equipment was recommended. <br />There were numerous comments about how community members would like to be involved in planning <br />for hazards, particularly for emergency communications, evacuation, preparedness and response. <br />Support for block organizing and local preparedness capacity building such as Block Action Teams (BAT) <br />and Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) was recommended. For context fewer of these <br />programs are active in socially vulnerable communities and they may need to be adapted to be <br />culturally and linguistically competent and accessible to people with disabilities. <br />There were recommendations to work with community-based organizations and promatoras (Latino <br />community outreach workers) to reach community members due to their established relationships of