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Evacuation of institutionalized and specialized populations

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7184620· OSTI ID:7184620
 [1]
  1. Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN (USA)

The purpose of this research was to assess the needs of organizations caring for institutional and specialized populations when faced with a threat or hazard requiring an evacuation. Individuals within specialized populations are unlike other victims of disaster because of their inherent dependency on organizational care givers and require different management strategies on the part of organizations and agencies in an evacuation. The research sought to identify those aspects of coping strategies that have been used successfully to manage an emergency evacuation. To identify special populations that have evacuated from institutions and similar facilities over a four-year period, a computerized search was conducted of media accounts describing such events. The search yielded a total of 1024 accounts from which four major subgroups were identified: nursing homes and related care facilities, hospitals, educational institutions, and correctional facilities. A miscellaneous group including housing for the elderly, apartments and other building complexes, workplaces and factories, public facilities, and places occupied by transient populations, such as transportation units and recreational facilities, could be used for future study. Among the factors found to affect evacuations were the extent of organizational resources (such as the number of staff or other individuals available at the time of the event), the type and number of clientele, and such community characteristics as population density. The study focuses on selected organizational characteristics of health care facilities (nursing homes and related care facilities and hospitals) which have recently experienced either a partial or complete evacuation of their facilities. 165 refs., 13 tabs.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
FEMA
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OR21400
OSTI ID:
7184620
Report Number(s):
ORNL/Sub-7685/1-T23; ON: DE90007967
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English