Emergency Preparedness

The Georgia Emergency Preparedness Coalition for Individuals with Disabilities and Older Adults (Coalition) is a key component in statewide preparedness efforts. It consists of stake-holder agencies throughout Georgia. The Coalition’s purpose is to: (1) serve as a comprehensive clearinghouse between local advocacy groups serving individuals with disabilities and older adults and Georgia agencies responsible for emergency preparedness under the Georgia Emergency Operations Plan (GCEP); (2) promote and maintain an active dialogue by serving as a conduit between individuals with disabilities and older adults and Georgia agencies responsible for emergency preparedness under the Georgia Emergency Operations Plan; and (3) provide subject matter expertise to: (a) Emergency response planners to ensure that all emergency plans incorporate the needs of people with disabilities and older adults; and (b) Organizations throughout Georgia that serve and advocate for people with disabilities and older adults enabling them to share disaster preparedness and response information with their constituencies. The Coalition is now comprised of state and federally-funded agencies and organizations involved in emergency preparedness planning and response and/or are working on behalf of individuals with disabilities or older adults. Coalition partners are:

• American Red Cross-Atlanta
• Atlanta Autism Consortium
• Center for Advanced Communications Policy - Georgia Institute of Technology
• DeKalb Emergency Management Agency (DEMA)
• Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Service (DAS)
• Department of Human Services, Office of Facilities and Support Services (OFSS)
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• Friends of Disabled Adults & Children (FODAC)
• Georgia Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Georgia Advocacy Office (GAO)
• Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
• Georgia Department of Public Health, Division of Health Protection, Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response
• Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA)
• Georgia State Financing & Investment Commission-State ADA Coordinator’s Office
• Gwinnett, Newton, Rockdale County Health Departments
• Project Independence: A Function of the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency
• Shepherd Center
• Southeast ADA Center
• Tools for Life - The Alternative Media Access Network - Georgia Institute of Technology Enterprise Innovation Institute

For more information on the Coalition, please check out the Coalition Information Fact Sheet.

The Georgia Emergency Preparedness Coalition for Individuals with Disabilities and Older Adults (GEPC) has a Facebook page.  To access this page, please visit: GEPC Facebook.