NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

10/12/2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES -In times of crisis, the duty of first responders and public safety personnel is to protect those they serve. But what about the families of those first responders who may also need assistance?

A grant of $2,491,882 to the Gulf States Regional Center for Public Safety Innovations (GSRCPI) from the Department of Homeland Security is designed to help first responders and public service workers deal with some of the stresses that occur during a disaster. The Center is located at Northwestern State University.

GSRCPI will develop The Critical Employee Emergency Planning "CEEP" training course which will be delivered nationally to state and local government along with private entities. According to GSRCPI Director Daphne Levinson, the training is designed to target the families of public safety/first responders and critical infrastructure agencies and businesses, such as government and hospitals. Creating polices, planning and education for agencies, employees and their families who have one or more primary care givers is one of the goals of the training. This specifically addresses those who cannot leave when the rest of the population, including their own families, are ordered to evacuate.

"This training is critical because first responders and critical infrastructure employees cannot care for their families during an emergency when they are needed the most," said Levenson. "In addition, many of these professionals are married compounding the problem of who cares for the children and elderly family members when both mom and dad are required to stay behind."

Levenson said much of the content for this proposal and the course were taken from real life issues first responders and their families faced after Hurricane Katrina. In some cases, families were kicked out of hotels because they could not access their own funds; spouses and children know didn't if their loved ones were alive and well and elderly residents in nursing homes died where first responders believed they would receive adequate care or be evacuated.

"The vast majority of these professionals stayed on the job saving others without knowing where or how their own families were doing," she said. "The New Orleans Police Department was singled out as having people walk off the job but doctors, nurses, firefighters and public service workers left too."

"It's easy to say it's their duty, but remember they are only human. Asking them to stay behind and save our families and property and not think about their own loved ones is unrealistic. Divorce, suicide and alcoholism are extremely high in these professions. This type of stress compounds the problem. GSRCPI hopes to secure additional funding to conduct a study to reveal the extent of emotional damage caused by these catastrophic events."

Levenson said GSRCPI plans to use the grant to give agency decision makers, human resource personnel, trainers, and supervisors model polices to follow. Complete ready-to-deliver training will be available for employees which will help families be more prepared physically and mentally for the rigors of separation during an emergency.

"This training is not just for hurricane prone areas," said Levenson. "It will also address catastrophes such as a terrorist attack, a chemical spill or a major earthquake which also necessitates this type of planning, preparedness and response."

The curriculum will include specific information on: training and model policies on how to prepare employees and families for the 15 DHS Emergency Scenarios; limiting the number of employees that consider abandoning post, retiring or moving before, during or after a crisis due to family concerns/pressure and keeping experienced personnel on the job will enhance federal, state and local homeland security and emergency response.

Also included in the curriculum is information on implementing emergency plans and communication procedures so that families can maintain or resume contact as soon as possible during or after an emergency; developing mutual aid relationships with "sister" agencies and provide support and services for emergency responder/critical employee families and create realistic discussion, education, planning and expectations so that families of emergency response employees do not suffer undue stress which results in higher divorce rates, suicide, alcoholism and stress related illnesses.

"This training will strengthen agencies and companies by saving them money through keeping valuable, experienced employees; reduce the cost of new hire recruitment and training; reduce insurance cost and payouts due to stress related illnesses; and decrease lost time and productivity by employees having due to damaged family relationships," said Levenson.

According to Levenson, the first 12 months of the three-year project are for development with the next two years for national delivery of the training.

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has funded GSRCPI over the past 10 years, which has allowed for the training of over 23,000 public safety professionals and community members in addition to delivering thousands of hours of technical assistance.

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