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Immediate Disaster Response—Tornadoes: Helpful Links

Tornado-Specific Information | General Disaster Response
Special Populations: Children | Older Adults | Persons with Disabilities and Other Access and Functional Needs
Deployment Support Organizations | Psychological First Aid Training

Tornado-Specific Information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Tornadoes
The CDC's mission is to collaborate to create the expertise, information, and tools that people and communities need to protect their health; this is accomplished through health promotion; prevention of disease, injury, and disability; and preparedness for new health threats.
http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/tornadoes

National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN): Tornadoes
NCTSN is a unique collaboration whose mission is to raise the standard of care and increase access to services for traumatized children and their families. Its Tornadoes page is designed to assist parents and families before, during, and after a tornado.
http://www.nctsn.org/nccts/nav.do?pid=typ_nd_torn_recovery&disasterType=torn&navPid=typ_nd_torn_desc External Web Site Policy.

Ready: Tornadoes
This page includes safety information, tornado facts, and other helpful tips on what to do before, during, and after a tornado.
http://www.ready.gov/tornadoes

Tornadoes
The goal of this part of the Hurricane Preparedness website is to inform the public about tornadoes produced by hurricanes and provide knowledge that can be used to take action. This information can be used to save lives at work, at home, on the road, or on the water.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/tornadoes.shtml

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General Disaster Response

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
The ACF is responsible for Federal programs that promote the economic and social wellbeing of families, children, individuals, and communities.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov

CDC—Clinician Outreach and Community Activity (COCA)
COCA has established partnerships with national clinician organizations in order to quickly communicate information on disease outbreaks, terrorism events, and disaster response.
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/coca

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
FEMA is the U.S. Government's principal agency charged with building and supporting the nation's emergency management system.
http://www.fema.gov

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)
ASPR serves as the HHS Secretary's principal advisory staff on matters related to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies. It also coordinates interagency activities responsible for emergency preparedness and the protection of the civilian population from acts of bioterrorism and other public health emergencies.
http://www.hhs.gov/aspr

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
HHS is the U.S. Government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.
http://www.hhs.gov

U.S. Department of Homeland Security: FirstResponder.gov
The Department of Homeland Security website for first responders provides a portal that allows Federal, State, local, and tribal first responders to easily access and leverage Federal web services; information on resources, products, standards, testing, and evaluation; and best practices in a collaborative environment.
http://www.firstresponder.gov

U.S. Public Health Service Office of Force Readiness and Deployment (OFRD)
OFRD is America's uniformed service of public health professionals. The Commissioned Corps achieves its mission through rapid and effective response to public health needs, leadership and excellence in public health practices, and the advancement of public health science.
http://ccrf.hhs.gov/ccrf

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Special Populations: Children

Children & Disasters: Disaster Preparedness to Meet Children's Needs
The website of the American Academy of Pediatrics has numerous publications and guidance documents for pediatricians and families related to disasters.
http://www2.aap.org/healthtopics/disasters.cfm External Web Site Policy.

JoJo's Place
This website is designed for children who have been in a disaster. Materials are provided that help children understand how to cope with having experienced a disaster.
http://www.jojosplace.org External Web Site Policy.

Ready Kids
According to its website, “Ready Kids is a tool to help parents and teachers educate children in grades 4–5 about emergencies and how they can help get their family prepared. . . . The Ready Kids website features age-appropriate, step-by-step instructions on what families can do to be better prepared and the role kids can play in this effort.”
http://www.ready.gov/kids

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Special Populations: Older Adults

AARP
AARP is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for older adults. AARP promotes positive social change and provides its members with information, advocacy, and services.
http://www.aarp.org External Web Site Policy.

Eldercare Locator of the Administration on Aging
The Administration on Aging provides specific information for older adults and families on a variety of aging-related topics. This part of its website offers information on local area agencies in every State.
http://www.eldercare.gov/Eldercare.NET External Web Site Policy.

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Persons with Disabilities and Other Access and Functional Needs

Disabled People and Disaster Planning
This website contains many recommendations that were formulated to reduce or eliminate problems with accessibility that many disabled people experience during or following a disaster. The website also includes other information relevant to assisting people with disabilities prepare for and cope with disastrous earthquakes.
http://www.citycent.com/dp2/ External Web Site Policy.

Disabled World
This website provides a Disability News Service, Articles, and informative Videos related to health and disabilities around the world.
http://www.disabled-world.com/disability/emergency/ External Web Site Policy.

Disaster Survival Resources
This website provides resources and encouragement for those with special needs to be prepared for disasters, and provides tools that may assist with survival and recovery from disaster.
http://www.disaster-survival-resources.com/special-needs.html External Web Site Policy.

Individuals with Disabilities, the Elderly and Emergency Management
This website provides information from individual States describing their efforts concerning emergency management and individuals with disabilities, and the elderly. Also included is a listing of documents and Internet links from a variety of organizations that provide information on relevant topics.
http://www.add-idea-em.org/ External Web Site Policy.

Office of Disability Integration and Coordination (ODIC), Federal Emergency Management Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
This website provides information about ODIC's mission, resources, and other news related to FEMA's integration and coordination of emergency preparedness, response and recovery for children and adults with disabilities and others with access and functional needs before, during and after a disaster.
http://www.fema.gov/about/odic/

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Deployment Support Organizations

The Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project
The Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project promotes an awareness and understanding of compassion fatigue.
http://www.compassionfatigue.org External Web Site Policy.

Emergency Wound Management for Healthcare Professionals
The CDC posted this page to help disaster victims and first responders avoid infection or other serious negative consequences of wounds after disasters.
http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/emergwoundhcp.asp External Web Site Policy.

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Psychological First Aid (PFA) Training

Psychological First Aid Competencies for Public Health Workers
This training tool examines the change in public health policies related to PFA after September 11, 2001.
http://www.jhsph.edu/preparedness/training/online/dis_mtl_hlth_comp.html External Web Site Policy.

PFA Online
According to its online description, PFA Online features an "interactive course that puts the participant in the role of a provider in a post-disaster scene. . . . It features innovative activities, video demonstrations, and mentor tips from the nation's trauma experts and survivors."
http://learn.nctsn.org/course/category.php?id=11 External Web Site Policy.

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Last updated 3/28/2013

Find Help

Disaster Distress Lifeline 1-800-985-5990 text TalkWithUs to 66746 Click here for the Suicide Hotline

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