Information for people with disabilities and their families who have
been affected by Hurricane Katrina.

In light of everything happening along the Gulf Coast quite literally as I put this update together, I felt it important to alert you to the ways in which the federal government is quickly and decisively preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Rita both within and outside the disability context.

EARLIER TODAY, PRESIDENT BUSH TRAVELED TO FEMA HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON, DC, AND NORTHERN COMMAND IN COLORADO TO MONITOR HURRICANE RITA PREPARATIONS.

The President was briefed on preparations for the arrival of Hurricane
Rita and evacuation efforts at Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) headquarters. The President then traveled to Northern Command
headquarters in Colorado to assess the federal government's efforts to
respond to Rita in coordination with state and local officials.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS MADE PREPARATIONS FOR HURRICANE RITA.

Working with other federal, state, and local agencies, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FEMA have prepared for Hurricane Rita. The Federal government is pre-positioning personnel and supplies immediately to respond.

* President Bush Has Declared States Of Emergency In Louisiana And Texas. Emergency declarations will help expedite the federal response in the wake of Hurricane Rita. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has declared Hurricane Rita an "incident of national
significance" and has ordered U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Rear Admiral Hereth to Texas to coordinate federal relief efforts.

* The Federal Government Has Pre-Positioned Supplies In The Region. Forty-five truckloads of water, 45 truckloads of ice, and 25 truckloads of meals are pre-staging at federal facilities in Texas. In Louisiana, 140 truckloads of water, 120 truckloads of ice, and 73 truckloads of meals are also pre-positioned. FEMA is moving additional personnel and commodities to Texas.

* The Department Of Transportation (DOT) And The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Are Assisting With Evacuation Efforts. The TSA sent an additional 150 screeners to Houston to assist in moving people through the airports to evacuate them from the city. DOT has provided over 650 buses to Texas and Louisiana to support preparations for Hurricane Rita.

* USCG Aircraft And Ships Are Positioned To Support Relief Efforts. Thirteen Coast Guard aircraft in Corpus Christi and Houston are being readied to evacuate and relocate to a staging position to respond quickly, once the storm passes. USCG relief aircrews and aircraft from around the country are arriving at staging areas in Texas. Four additional HH-60 Jayhawk helicopters are being pre-staged in San Antonio. Six major USCG cutters are in the Gulf of Mexico and will be pre-positioned to follow the storm to provide immediate support for search and rescue, command and control, and waterways assessment. Additional USCG personnel, disaster assistance teams, and environmental pollution strike teams are ready to respond.

* The Texas National Guard Has Been Activated. Nearly 3,500 National Guardsmen in Texas are on state active duty, and Governor Perry has authorized the activation of up to 5,000 of the more than 10,000 National Guardsmen currently available in the state. Approximately 1,350 Texas National Guardsmen serving in Louisiana have returned to Texas in anticipation of the storm.

* The Department Of Defense (DOD) Is Providing Military Helicopters And Police. DOD has a mission assignment for 6 heavy-lift helicopters at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, and 6 heavy-lift helicopters at Ft. Worth, Texas, for search and rescue support. The military is also deploying communications teams to assist first responders in search and rescue efforts. DOD is making available 2,000 active duty "security forces" such as military police, and active-duty troops in the Gulf Coast region are on stand-by to deploy to Texas.

* Medical Personnel And Volunteers Are On Stand-By. Over 450 medical team personnel and almost 900 urban search and rescue personnel are pre-staging in Texas. In Louisiana, 450 search and rescue personnel are already positioned. An aggressive recruitment campaign has
identified civilian volunteers, including more than 200 physicians and more than 400 registered nurses who could be deployed in response to Hurricane Rita.

* DHS Leading on Federal Emergency Response to Meet the Needs of the almost 1 million Individuals with Disabilities in the Affected Area. U.S. Census data indicates a high number of individuals with disabilities in the area to be affected by Hurricane Rita. Concerned by the suffering these individuals have already experienced from the last hurricane to strike the Gulf Coast region, Secretary Chertoff today has directed the Principal Federal Officials (PFO's) responsible for operations for Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita (Admirals Allen and Hereth respectively), to add to their staffs individuals who are specialists in issues affecting individuals with disabilities. These specialists, to be deployed by early next week as soon as travel is practicable after Rita has passed, are to be charged with helping the PFO's to confront and meaningfully address issues including the provision of durable medical equipment (such as mobility aids, adaptive accessories, and hearing aids), adequate stocks of medicine that people with disabilities need, accessible housing, and other pressing issues of vital importance. In addition, the Incident Management Team of DHS's Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities (ICC) has already been activated and has remained in place since Hurricane Katrina. Composed of the departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Justice, Labor, and Transportation as well as the Federal Communications Commission and the Office of Personnel Management, this core group troubleshoots problems and meets as often as necessary to resolve time-sensitive issues.

DHS IS PREPARING TO RESTORE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.

Infrastructure Protection division is assessing the potential consequences to critical infrastructure located in the storm's projected path, along with the requirements to secure and restore these facilities in the storm's aftermath. Based upon these assessments, DHS will work with private sector partners and state and local government officials during the
recovery phase.

DHS WILL REVIEW EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLANS, FACTORING IN THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.

The President has tasked DHS rapidly
to conduct joint reviews of Emergency Operations Plans for all of the major
urban areas in the country. These reviews will be conducted over the
upcoming months.

In a memorandum signed earlier today and issued to Acting FEMA Director David Paulison, the Hurricane Katrina and Rita PFO's, and Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Director Daniel W. Sutherland, DHS Secretary Chertoff recognized the critical importance of incorporating the needs of individuals with disabilities into future emergency preparedness planning. He ordered these reviews to include a rigorous examination of how these communities plan to prepare, inform, evacuate, and care for people with disabilities. He also recognized the vital role played by disability organizations in the affected region and around the country.

The ICC, created under Executive Order 13347 in July 2004 and chaired by Secretary Chertoff, will continue to play the leading role in coordinating federal efforts to respond to the emergency-related needs of members of the disability community. The ICC's ongoing work, which also includes collaborating closely with local and state government officials, disability organizations at all levels, and other entities, will continue proactively to put an integrated infrastructure into place that will positively enhance emergency planning, preparation, response, and recovery. This infrastructure will continue to take into account the needs of individuals with disabilities and the ways in which they themselves may promote personal and community safety.

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Olegario D. Cantos VII
Special Assistant to the Acting Assistant Attorney General
Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 5529
Washington, DC 20530
Voice: (202) 616-7920
TDD: (202) 514-0617
Fax: (202) 307-2839
Email: Ollie.Cantos@usdoj.gov