Browsing by Author "Schossow, Megan"

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    Building Community Resilience to Emergencies in Vulnerable Populations
    (Resilient Communities Project (RCP), University of Minnesota, 2019) Chong, Hannah; Opoku, Akua Y.; Redmond, Meghan; Schossow, Megan
    This project was completed as part of the 2018-2019 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with Ramsey County. Ramsey County knows little about social assets or vulnerabilities to emergencies among many demographic groups in the community that would potentially increase or reduce their resiliency in the face of natural and human-created disasters. Ramsey County project lead Karma Kumlin-Diers worked with a team of students in PA 8081: Planning and Public Policy Capstone, taught by Dr. Dan Milz, to identify indicators of social vulnerability and resiliency specific to the identified communities of Ramsey County; use data collected to inform internal and external processes related to outreach, communication, and collaboration in working with vulnerable communities; and provide a template for effectively engaging with vulnerable communities. The students' final report and presentation are available.
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    Building Community Resilience to Emergencies in Vulnerable Populations: A Human Centered Approach to Community Outreach and Engagement
    (2019-05) Chong, Hannah; Opoku, Akua Y; Redmond, Meghan; Schossow, Megan
    Ramsey County Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (RCEMHS) has a knowledge gap in vital information about preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters in vulnerable communities. This study focused on three key vulnerable communities within Ramsey County: older adults (60 years or older), children under five, and the Karen population. Qualitative analysis of interviews was conducted with individuals, organizations, and government departments within Ramsey County. Due to the trans-boundary and trans-jurisdictional nature of natural and human-caused disasters, coordination within agencies and with nonprofit and private organizations is necessary. The study found that many vulnerable populations interact with public benefit programs, providing insight into disaster resilience. These touch-points can be trust and resilience-building exchanges. The communities have a lack of knowledge of RCEMHS and emergency management, and which may reinforce complacency towards emergency preparedness. To counter a lack of knowledge and engagement in emergency preparedness by communities, we recommend RCEMHS adopt a human centered approach in preparation and planning activities, where communities hold valuable expertise about their assets and vulnerabilities in regard to disasters. This study developed five recommendations for more effective outreach and engagement in emergency management. Each of the recommendations can use human centered design strategies and are aligned within a community resilience framework.