Conference on Disaster Preparedness and Addressing Vulnerable Populations

University of Hawaiʻi
Contact:
Anna Daddario, (808) 956-0895
Continuing Education Specialist
Posted: Dec 30, 2008


Honolulu — The Pacific Emergency Management, Preparedness, and Response Information Network and Training Services (Pacific EMPRINTS) at the University of Hawaiʻi and Hawaii State Civil Defense are sponsoring the Second Annual Pacific Preparedness Conference on January 22- 23, 2009, at the Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio Hotel.

This unique train-the-trainer conference aims to help reduce risks during disasters with a special focus on addressing vulnerable populations and promoting collaborative efforts to improve preparedness and response in the Pacific region. The focus of the conference is capacity building and many sessions involve hands-on exercises, such as learning how to use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), identifying medical needs of victims, and triaging.

Conference attendees can select from among a diverse set of one- and two-day conference tracks based on their professional roles and interests: · PREPARE: Elderly and Disasters· Psychological First Aid in Practice: Helping People Cope During Disasters and Public Health Emergencies · Cultural Competencies / Limited English Proficient Populations · Disabilities / Shelter in Place for Special Needs Populations· Basic Disaster Life Support · Emergency Response Functional Role Skills Training· Serving People with Disabilities After a Disaster

The keynote speaker will be Amanda Ripley, award-winning TIME Magazine senior writer, journalist and author. Ms. Ripley has traveled the world studying disasters, natural and manmade. Her book, "The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why," is the first mass-market book to explain how the brain works in disasters - and how we can learn to do better. The New York Times describes it as a "fascinating and useful new book." It is being published in 15 countries.

The conference will close with a capstone tabletop exercise that encourages information-sharing among attendees as they apply what they've learned to a specific disaster scenario.

For registration information, go to http://www.emprints.hawaii.edu/conference2009.html or email emprints@hawaii.edu.

For more information, visit: http://www.emprints.hawaii.edu/conference2009.html