Oak Bay Seniors Mitigation &

Preparedness Project

Project Name Project No.

Seniors Mitigation & Preparedness Project Phase 1

Project Sponsor Target Project Completion Date

UBCM Seniors Housing & Support Initiative Age Friendly Grant (Phase 1) June 2010

Project Manager Version No. Version Date

Sonja Ruthe MSW. RSW. 2 July 12, 2009

Goals / Purpose Statement

A resilient community involves the ongoing ability of a community to work together, to identify their
strengths and challenges, to mobilize their assets, and to work collectively to meet their needs. Identifying
who is most at risk during an emergency and where these individuals reside will assist communities and
emergency management organizations to reduce risk and prioritize responses.

An age-friendly disaster resilient community has in place emergency polices, services and structures to
ensure the safety of all its citizens, including seniors and vulnerable populations who are then linked with
community resources who support emergency management initiatives.

The UBCM Age-friendly Seniors Housing & Support Initiative Grant will assist the community of Oak Bay
and Emergency Management to:
1) begin to determine where high densities of seniors and potentially vulnerable populations reside,
assess the level of preparedness of a total of 10 identified seniors facilities and potentially high-risk
sites and plot this on a social vulnerability GIS overlay;
2) educate the community, including seniors and vulnerable groups, on implementing low cost, easy to
do non-structural mitigation and preparedness strategies to increase individual resilience to the
impact of identified hazards;
3) engage Mayor, Council, community-based organizations and businesses as partners in mitigation
and preparedness, public awareness and volunteer initiatives; and
4) develop a policy to assist emergency management to establish safe response routes and identify
transportation needs required to get people to activated Emergency Social Services (ESS) facilities.

Objectives & Performance Measures

Objectives/Deliverables Performance Measures

GIS DATABASE
A. To develop a comprehensive database of all All seniors facilities and all 55+ condo
seniors facilities and 55 + condominiums within complexes are part of the initial database
the District of Oak Bay
Non- 55+ complexes identified by the
community to be potentially at-risk
Community emergency planning takes into
account the vulnerabilities and capacities of older
people

B. To identify the 10 sites for the project seniors Managers/staff from seniors facilities provide

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Seniors Mitigation & Preparedness Project
Objectives & Performance Measures
Objectives/Deliverables
facilities and other at-risk sites using vulnerability
determinants
C. To assess the level of preparedness for each of
the identified sites
D. To collect data for a GIS social vulnerability
overlay
MITIGATION & PREPAREDNESS EDUCATION
E. To develop a plan for a Non-structured Mitigation
and Preparedness Program to benefit seniors
within the community to increase individual
resilience in relation to identified hazards
Emergency preparedness initiatives and
education are offered at local community spots
where older people normally gather such as the
Monterey Seniors Centre, at convenient times
and at no cost
Older people are involved in the assessment,
planning and implementation of seniors
mitigation and preparedness initiatives
F. To develop an Education Workshop/presentation
for managers of identified sites on assessing their
vulnerabilities, strengths and levels of
preparedness as well as on non-structural
mitigation and preparedness strategies they can
implement
Community service facilities are safely
constructed with steps taken to implement non-
mitigation strategies (securing bookcases,
anchoring pictures, etc) to make them safe and
fully accessible before, during and after an
emergency or disaster
Version No: 2
Version Date: July 2, 2009
Performance Measures
input
Input from members of Fire, Police,
Municipality, Council
Vulnerability determinants identified and agreed
upon by the project team, the above
participants and randomly selected seniors who
reside within Oak Bay
Management/staff of the identified sites
complete the Seniors Facilities Emergency
Preparedness Information Sheet
Data extract
Social vulnerability map overlay
Multi-level education & information deliverables
on non-structural mitigation and preparedness
strategies for use by managers, volunteers,
seniors and general public
Webpage
Preparedness pamphlets & info sheets
incorporate non-structural mitigation
Seniors and others test, evaluate and accept
program
Displays, workshops and presentations are
offered at different locations & times within Oak
Bay
Lesson plan with visual & written materials,
preparedness level collection tool and
evaluation process
Collection tool for preparedness levels piloted
and evaluated
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Seniors Mitigation & Preparedness Project
Objectives & Performance Measures
Objectives/Deliverables
G. To develop a Train-the-Trainer training plan on
non-structural mitigation & preparedness for
volunteers to deliver to seniors, community-
based organizations (CBO) & public
H. To incorporate non-structural mitigation
strategies into Emergency Preparedness for
Seniors workshops
I. To develop written, visual and spoken materials
for use by seniors and the elderly
Printed & spoken communication on mitigation
and preparedness strategies are:
- readily accessible
- designed using large lettering
- in simple, easy to understand language
- redundant (variety of methods containing
consistent messages)
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
J. To engage Mayor, Municipal Council, community-
based organizations and businesses as partners
in mitigation and preparedness, public awareness
and volunteer initiatives
There is consistent outreach by Emergency
Managements Emergency Preparedness
Outreach and ESS programs, in partnership with
community-based and other organizations to
reach and include people at risk of social
isolation
People at risk of social isolation get one-on-one
information on mitigation and preparedness from
trusted individuals (facility managers, strata
councils, volunteer services, churches)
MEDIA/PR CAMPAIGN/COMMUNICATION
K. To develop a media/Public Awareness campaign
Version No: 2
Version Date: July 2, 2009
Performance Measures
Lesson plan with visual & written materials, and
evaluation process
CBOs offer training opportunity to their
volunteers and staff
Lesson plan incorporates visual & written non-
structural mitigation actions
Materials are developed with seniors as the
target audience and evaluated by seniors
Visual & written materials are clear and easy to
understand
Audio/visual materials portray seniors and the
elderly as educators and leaders in mitigation &
preparedness actions
Community Emergency Preparedness Outreach
team invited to speak at Council meeting, to the
BIA and to at least 5 CBOs (staff/board,
volunteers) on the goals of the project by
October 31st, 2009
3 CBOs agree to promote and encourage their
volunteers/staff to attend the train-the-trainer
workshops
20 volunteers from CBO and businesses agree
to be volunteers for the project and attend a
training session in the fall 2009
Two media events for the project are
scheduled- in early fall and a follow-up in late
spring
Articles written on various aspects of project
Best practices are highlighted through media
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 Version No: 2

Seniors Mitigation & Preparedness Project Version Date: July 2, 2009

Objectives & Performance Measures

Objectives/Deliverables Performance Measures

and other avenues

Presentation at a conference

L. To develop Public Awareness tools on non- A webpage for the public with an emphasis on
structural mitigation and preparedness for all easy to read and understand information on
residents, with an emphasis on seniors and mitigation and preparedness strategies linked to
potentially vulnerable groups other websites
Posters
Older people who are less well-off have access
to obtaining the tools, equipment (ie. Items to Public displays
retrofit ones home, Grab & Go Bags) and Lectures & presentations
assistance (volunteers, neighbours) to ensure
their safety during an emergency Media
Toolkits
Trained Volunteers from CBOs who assist their
constituents

M. To engage staff, CBOs and businesses to be
part of a redundant emergency management
information dissemination network who internally
promotes mitigation and preparedness initiatives
through newsletters, internal email dissemination
and/or other methods
Community-based organizations, facilities, and
businesses that serve seniors are part of a
redundant emergency management information
dissemination network
Information and/or links about mitigation &
preparedness are readily available:
a. Rec centre brochures/newsletters
b. Block Watch/Police emergency
preparedness link
c. OB Volunteer Services newsletter
d. Church bulletins and information boards
e. Community Association website
f. BIA website
g. Municipal website
h. Other avenues

VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT
N. To increase the volunteer base of the Emergency The current team of 6 members is increased to
Preparedness Outreach Team for this project by 26 for this project
20 volunteers engaging seniors and other
50 % of the Emergency Preparedness Outreach
potentially vulnerable residents to become
Team are seniors
volunteers

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 Version No: 2

Seniors Mitigation & Preparedness Project Version Date: July 2, 2009

Objectives & Performance Measures

Objectives/Deliverables Performance Measures

Scope

IN Scope OUT of Scope

Items that WILL be included as part of the work Items that WILL NOT be included as part of the work
performed by this project. performed by this project.
Database of seniors facilities and 55+ condos Facilities and condos outside of Oak Bay
within the District of Oak Bay Managers from other 55 + condo complexes
Managers from seniors facilities and other at- included on the database
risk sites will be asked to assess their Other seniors condos and apartments, seniors &
vulnerabilities, strengths and levels of the elderly living independently within their own
preparedness as well as receive education on homes, will not be part of the initial phase of the
non-structural mitigation and preparedness project
strategies Seniors and vulnerable populations residing
Other seniors condos and apartments, seniors within their own homes will not be asked to
& the elderly living independently within their targeted
own homes, will be given information if GIS overlay with other systems may be part of
requested but not be part of the initial phase of future phases
the project Structural mitigation & other non-structural
An evolving GIS social vulnerability overlay for mitigation except household & facility actions
Oak Bay will be developed Other education & information deliverables
Partnerships strengthened with Mayor, Council, Other hazards including the Sea Lane Hazmat
community-based organizations and Spill
businesses on mitigation, preparedness, public Other policies
awareness and volunteer initiatives Other tools
Multi-level education and information
deliverables on Non-structural Mitigation&
Preparedness in relation to identified Hazards-
fire, severe storm, pandemic, power outage
and earthquake
Media/communication Plan on project goals
Expanded screened and trained volunteer base
Experts engaged from GIS, Vulnerable
Populations, Webpage Design, Risk Reduction,
Project Management, HR, other as needed
Policy developed for emergency management
to establish safe response routes and identify
transportation needs required to get people to
activated Emergency Social Services (ESS)
facilities
Preparedness levels data collection tool is
developed, piloted and evaluated
Tracking and evaluation tools developed for
volunteer management and workshops/
education

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 Version No: 2

Seniors Mitigation & Preparedness Project Version Date: July 2, 2009

Funding
Category Total
Consultant for GIS Mapping 1,500.00
Project materials 1,500.00
Community engagement activities & meeting supplies 800.00
Project/Volunteer Management (includes consultants 5,200.00
and administration support)
Oak Bay Green Mapping Project 500.00
Web developer for Seniors Webpage 500.00

Total 10,000.00

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