Jonas Ballreich, Case Manager, Lutheran Disaster Response of New York, with CWS Emergency Response Specialist Sandra Kennedy-Owes, at the September 30, 2014, PrepareAthon event “Supporting the Latin American Community n the Face of Disasters.” Photo: Christine Calacsan/FEMA Corps
NEW YORK — October 2012’s Superstorm Sandy was still very much on the minds of New York and New Jersey Puerto Rican and Latin American community leaders as they met recently for training by Church World Service and other experts in how to prepare for future disasters.
Some 90 faith, consular and other community leaders came together in recognition that without know-how, relationships and a plan, good intentions alone get you nowhere in a disaster.
The Sept. 30 event, “Supporting the Latin American Community in the Face of Disasters,” was offered by the Northeast Regional Office of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration and the Coalition of the Latin American Consulates in New York.
Hosted by the Greater New York offices of the American Red Cross, it was one of many events held as part of the twice-yearly PrepareAthon, a nationwide, community-based campaign for action to increase emergency preparedness and resilience.
CWS Emergency Response Specialist Sandra Kennedy-Owes got the training started with an intensive hour-long overview of disaster preparedness. Whether anticipating a hurricane, tornado, flood, fire, wildfire, toxic spill or terror attack, she said, “individuals and communities need to be prepared for what happens before, during and after.”
Kennedy-Owes walked her audience through six phases of a disaster from warning to long-term recovery, detailing the role of churches and community organizations in extending material and spiritual assistance to survivors, especially those who face the greatest struggle to recover.
CWS’s contribution to the Sept. 30 event was part of its implementation of a grant from the American Red Cross for training and support of long-term recovery following Superstorm Sandy, including preparation for future disasters.
Event participant Fernando P. Tirado is no stranger to disaster recovery. Since Superstorm Sandy, he has helped small businesses and community organizations on Long Island and in the Bronx build technical and organizational capacity for long-term recovery.
“So often, organizations have the intention to help but not the skill sets,” said Tirado, Business Continuity Advisory with the Small Business Development Center at Lehman College, Bronx, N.Y. “I’ve helped with everything from surveying and data analysis to traditional and social media outreach.”
Kennedy-Owes’ presentation “reinforced a lot of the things I already know, but I appreciated learning about the specific services offered by a panoply of faith-based organizations,” Tirado said. “I also realize now that a local church is a sort of business that can provide various disaster services, from shelter to soup kitchen, from storage of construction materials to spiritual and emotional care.”
Julie Blanciak, Voluntary Agency Liaison for the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 2, said the Sept. 30 training supported a broader effort by New York’s Latin American community to prepare for future storms and other disasters. That is important, given current demographics in New York: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, almost 28.6 percent of New York City’s population is Latino.
“I really appreciated how Sandra Kennedy-Owes went beyond the basics of individual preparedness and really helped the participants understand the phases of a disaster and the impacts on vulnerable populations,” she said.
Blanciak added, “Not all attending were involved in Sandy response, but there was a layer of ‘best practices and lessons learned’ from Sandy. On September 30, we asked participants, ‘Were you prepared for Sandy? Did you know in advance what to do? What partnerships had you already established? Did people know they could come to you for services?’
“Superstorm Sandy reminded us that organizations that serve the community need to be prepared.”