[Blindtlk] Survey on Experiences with Police, Fire and EMS Workers

[Julie]

I have been asked to widely circulate the following:

David Andrews, List Owner


I have been asked to help with developing a training program and 
manual for first responders in New York State being conducted through 
Niagara University.  This will cover all disability groups, but my 
part focuses primarily on all areas concerning people with visual 
impairment and blindness and our experiences with police, fire and 
EMS workers, Include any experiences that you have had with emergency 
preparedness issues.    We would like to hear from New York State 
residents who are blind or visually impaired no matter how 
insignificant you think your story is.  Include incidences with guide 
dogs, reporting criminal activities against you, your own contacts 
with first responders , and how you were treated and so on.  a more 
complete explanation of the program is below.

I am including a survey below that will help guide you.  Please 
consider taking a few moments to think about this and send me your 
completed survey.  You can send it to me privately 
at 
<mailto:blindfirstresponderny at verizon.net>blindfirstresponderny at verizon.net

or if you are more comfortable contacting him yourself

David V. Whalen

Statewide Project Coordinator

First-Responders Disability Awareness Training

Niagara University, NY

716-286-7355

<mailto:dwhalen at niagara.edu>dwhalen at niagara.edu



Niagara University

First Responder Disability Awareness Training



Niagara University

First Responder Disability Awareness Training



Niagara University (NU) has received the New York State Developmental 
Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) First Responder (FR) Disability 
Awareness Training (DAT) grant. Over the course of the next three 
years we will be developing the curriculum for law enforcement, fire 
fighters, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in regards to proper 
response to individuals with disabilities (IWDs) and all that this 
entails. Included in this curriculum will be Emergency Management 
(EM) and the needs that go with serving IWDs in emergency and 
disaster situations.



NU has hired David Whalen, Disability Awareness Training, as the 
Statewide Project Coordinator to oversee this project. David has been 
training First Responders for the past five years. NU and Mr. Whalen 
were awarded a grant from Verizon to train law enforcement in 2006. 
David is actively involved in many areas of the disability community 
and serves on a number of councils, associations, and Boards .(  The 
intent of this project is to develop a standard, information filled, 
accurate and appropriate training curriculum that provides all First 
Responders with the knowledge necessary to best serve and respond to 
IWDs. However, developing and implementing the curriculum and having 
it accepted and embraced by First Responders will be a challenge. We 
realize that training schedules are quite full, that budget cuts 
hamper areas training opportunities, and that there are complexities 
involved in running training programs; however the need for training 
in the area of IWDs is critical.



As we launch this initiative, we are in the process of informing a 
large number of state agencies, statewide associations, commissions, 
councils, service providers, parents, and individuals across the 
First Responder and disability spectrum to ensure all entities are 
aware of the curriculum development that is taking place.



First Responder Disability Awareness Training

Niagara University



Content Expert Information sheet



1.     What is your experience with First Responders?



A.   Law enforcement



B.    Fire fighters



C.   Emergency management services



D.   Emergency Medical Technicians



E.    Ambulance



2.     Have you experienced or been informed of issues or matters of 
concern regarding First Responders. Please elaborate. Provide 
specific incidences.



3.     What did you do to correct the matter?



4.     Was it handled to your liking?



5.     Was there any on-going involvement from your organization? Did 
you train the entity, did you start or join a committee, on-going 1:1 
dialogue, etc.



6.     Did it have the results you desired?



7.     Is it still on-going?



8.     Have you ever trained First Responders or do you have material 
relevant to training them?



9.     If so, who has received this training/curriculum?



10.  Is this still on-going within their department?



11.  How is it measured to be effective? Is there data available?



12.  Has it ever been updated?



13.  Do you a professional relationship with any First Responder 
agency, association, department, or individual?



14.  If so, do you think they would be a valuable contributor to this project?



15.  Any thoughts or ideas you have that would make this project a success.



Thank you for your participation.



Julie Phillipson M. Ed.