Emergency Planning for the City of Inglewood's Limited English Proficient (LEP) Populations

Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals have a limited ability to speak, read, write, or understand the English language. LEP populations include:
Individuals who are fluent in languages other than English. Individuals who have low literacy in English or any other native language. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and may or may not be fluent in American Sign Language. Individuals with communication or speech related medical issues or disabilities.

April 4th, 2011 - A family huddles outside on the grass in Calexico, California after a 7.2 scale quake rocked the Baja California and San Diego County region.
SOURCE: Getty Images

A Vulnerable Population - Language and Literacy

During emergencies, individuals who are Limited English Proficient (LEP) are atrisk because their needs cannot be fully addressed by traditional service providers. The City of Inglewood faces significant risk for natural and manmade disasters. To help address the disparities and risks faced by LEP individuals, the City of Inglewood should consider creating lasting relationships with LEP communities through a Community Outreach Information Network (COIN) in order to establish trust, disseminate information, and identify organizations and individuals within these communities to serve as resources during an emergency. The City of Inglewood is at risk for a number of natural and manmade disasters. The NewportInglewood fault runs through the City of Inglewood, and Southern California has an 86% probability of experiencing a magnitude 7.0 or greater earthquake in the next 30 years. In addition to earthquakes, Inglewoodisalsoatriskforeventssuchas planecrashes,hazardousmaterialrelease, pandemic flu, civil disorder, rolling blackouts, food or water contamination, terrorism,andtemperatureextremes. As a city located in central Los Angeles County, Inglewood must also be prepared for the ancillary impact of disastersoccurringinotherregionsofLos Angeles,includingfiresandtsunamis, Limited English Proficient (LEP) individualshavealimitedabilitytospeak, read, write, or understand the English language. Over half of Inglewood's population of 100,000 residents over the age of five speak a language other than Englishathome(54.4%),andhalfofthese residents (27.4%) do not speak English proficiently. Fortynine percent of InglewoodresidentsspeakSpanish;halfof these Spanishspeaking residents (25.4%) donotspeakEnglishproficiently.A2004 studybyUnitedWayfoundthatonly15% to 35% of Inglewood's population is level 3literate(eg.readsEnglishwellenoughto understandanduseabusschedule.) Culturalandlinguisticcommunication challenges are major barriers for communicatingwithLEPcommunitiesand communitiesofcolorduringemergencies. Asaresult,duringanaturalormanmade disaster,LEPindividualsandcommunities face difficulty in accessing the standard resources offered during preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. LEP individuals and families who have low levelsofincomeorlowlevelsofeducation may not have the information necessary to prepare for and survive an emergency situation.

27.4%
of Inglewood residents do not speak English proficiently

54.4%
of Inglewood residents speak a language other than English at home.
SOURCE: 2010 American Community Survey

Marissa Lee University of California, Los Angeles Social Welfare 240A Policy Brief Assignment

Limitations to Current LEP Outreach Actions

We werent hurt and our apartment was virtually untouched, but Grama didnt speak English. Even at such a young age, with such a limited Spanish vocabulary, I too understood that if disaster struck, we wouldnt have been able to communicate.
Jorge Rivas, GivenInglewood'scurrentbudget constraints, the City does not specifically target LEP populations in emergencypreparednessactivities. With the understanding that Inglewood has a large Spanish speaking population, the City of Inglewood produces emergency preparedness fliers in both Spanish and English. The official website for the City has translation options for Spanish and Chinese using the automated Google Translate service, which does not always deliver accuratetranslations. LEP residents of Inglewood also have access to the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response website, which contains emergency preparedness literature in twelvedifferentlanguages. TheCityandtheCountydistribute translated materials via the internet, which poses a substantial barrier for residents who may not have internet access, or residents who are not English proficient enough to navigate Englishlanguagegovernmentwebsites in order to find literature in the languagetheyneed. Relianceonwrittenliteraturealso does not take into account Inglewood's low literacy rates. Sixty five to eightyfive percent of Inglewood residents cannot read English well enough to use a bus schedule. Traditional methods of communication with a community fail to reach LEP individuals. The City of Inglewood must take more steps to prepare these communities for emergencies.

on experiencing the Whittier Narrows 5.9 scale earthquake in 1987 with his grandmother when he was four years old.

Introducing the COIN Model

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses the following descriptive categoriestogroup"atrisk"populations: EconomicDisadvantage LanguageandLiteracy Medical Issues and Disability (physical, mental, cognitiveorsensory) Isolation(cultural,geographic,social) Age(minors,olderadults) Manyindividualsandfamiliesspanmorethanoneof these categories. After a disaster, affected individuals thatwerenot"atrisk"beforetheeventmayfallintoone ofthesecategories. In response to Hurricane Katrina (2005) and the Pandemic and All Hands Preparedness Act (2006), the CDC began to promote the concept of a Community Outreach Information Network (COIN). TheCOINisagrassrootsnetworkoftrustedleaders and community members who can assist in delivering information to atrisk populations before, during, and afteremergencies.COINhelpsemergencypreparedness planners reach out to and engage hardtoreach, atrisk groups. The City of Inglewood can use COIN, an established and successful practice, to reach out to LEP individualsandcommunities.
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Vietnamese American mother Thao Tran comforts her baby in a Houston shelter after Hurricane Katrina. Many of Houstons 15,000 Vietnamese American Hurricane Katrina refugees were Limited English Proficient (LEP). Prior to Katrina, New Orleans was home to one of the largest concentrated communities of Vietnamese Americans in the U.S. When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, immigrants whose primary languages were neither English nor Spanish had little access to safety information. For example, callers trying to reach FEMA via telephone were only given the choice of either English or Spanish, despite the large numbers of impacted LEP Vietnamese residents. SOURCES: Associated Press, National Immigration Law Center

Marissa Lee University of California, Los Angeles Social Welfare 240A Policy Brief Assignment

Creating a COIN for the City of Inglewood

1. Define AtRisk Populations in the City of Inglewood
LeverageresourcesavailableinInglewoodtoidentifypopulationcategoriesat riskandthenumberofpeopleatriskinInglewood.Forexample,byreferring to2010AmericanCommunitySurveydata,theCitycannotethatthemajority ofLEPindividualsintheCityofInglewoodspeakSpanish(26,300individuals.) Fromthere,theCitycanbegintoidentifyexistingoverarchingorganizations, agencies,trustedleaders,andkeycontactsthatcanhelpconnecttheCityto membersofLEPgroups.LEPdirectserviceprovidersareexpertsat disseminatinginformationtoLEPpopulations. RepresentativesfromtheCityshouldestablishrelationshipswithandforma networkofkeycontacts.Thesekeycontactscouldincludebroadcastradio andmedia,religiousleaders,teachers,andnonprofitsorganizations. WorkwithkeycontactstodiscusshowtheCityofInglewoodshouldproceed inservingLEPpopulationsbefore,after,andduringdisasters. TheCityshouldcreateadatabaseofatriskpopulationsandcrediblekey contacts.Thisdatabaseshouldbealivingdocumentthatiscontinuously updatedandexpandedtobestreflectavailableresourcesforLEPpopulations.

Unique barriers and concerns faced by LEP individuals during an emergency situation:
Limited emergency education prior to event Inability to understand or comply with warning information and evacuation orders Difficulty communicating with first responders and relief service providers Inability to understand directives from law enforcement personnel Fear of law enforcement or immigration enforcement, inhibiting individuals from seeking basic services Marginalization or rejection from service providers unable to accommodate LEP language needs

2. Locate AtRisk Populations in the City of Inglewood

UseaGeographicInformationSystem(GIS)tomapatriskpopulationstogeta clearideaofwhereLEPindividualsinInglewoodlive,work,andcongregate. IdentifyandmapplaceswhereLEPindividualsgather,includingcommunity centers,shoppingplazas,schools,andchurches.Theselocalesarefocal pointsfordisseminatinginformationaboutemergencies. IdentifyandmaptrustedsourcesinLEPcommunities,includingformaland informalcommunityleaders,organizations,andmediaoutlets. EngageorganizationsandcommunityleaderstojointheCOINandestablish clearproceduresandpoliciesforcollaborationduringemergencies.This collaborationwillbuildfamiliaritybetweentheagenciesandtheCityof Inglewood.

3. Reach AtRisk Populations in the City of Inglewood

Usecommunityassessmenttechniques(surveysandfocusgroups)tolearn aboutthebestpracticesforreachingLEPcommunitiesinInglewood,aswell asuniquecommunicationneedsandchallengesfacedbyatriskpopulations. COINmemberscanparticipateinfocusgroups,communityroundtables,and surveysand/orhelptheCityofInglewooddirectlysurveymembersofLEP populations. TheCOINshoulddeterminethemostandleasttrustedmessengersof informationduringanemergency,whotheLEPpopulationswouldcontactto confirminformationreceived,andthemostpreferredwayfortheinformation tobepresentedtoLEPindividuals,includingpreferredtranslators. Datacanthenbeanalyzedandusedtoidentifyappropriateandtrusted messengerstodeliverinformationbefore,during,andafterdisasters. Withthisinformation,theCityofInglewoodcanreviseitscommunication plantoincludetacticstoreachLEPpopulations,andtakeactiontodoso. OncetheCOINisfirmlyestablished,itcanbeincludedinpreparedness exercisesanddrillstotestitscapacitytodisseminateinformationtoLEP populations.(ThescopeoftheCOINcanevenbeexpandedtodisseminate nonemergencypublichealthmessages!)Thesedrillscanbeusedtoexamine andmendgapsinmessagedelivery.
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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has created a children's picture book on disaster preparedness translated in 12 languages designed for parents to read with their children. The Tomas Rivera Policy Institute and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California interviewed focus groups comprised of Latino and Asian residents of Southern California and found that households with children were more prepared for emergencies and in addition, received disasterpreparedness information from their children's schools.

Marissa Lee University of California, Los Angeles Social Welfare 240A Policy Brief Assignment

Communication strategies to reach LEP populations:

Short and concise messaging with low reading level Use visual aids and large fonts to reinforce key messages Provide materials translated in different languages Identify preferred communication methods and develop messages accordingly Identify preferred media sources and develop messages accordingly

Concrete Next Steps for the City of Inglewood

UnlesstheCityofInglewoodtakes specificstepstoprepareforservingitsLow EnglishProficiencypopulations,tensof thousandsofourresidentscouldface disparitiesintheeventofamajordisaster. EventhoughthemajorityofInglewood residentshavelowliteracyand1outof4 Inglewoodresidentsarenotfluentin English,theLEPdemographicisnot mentionedintheCityofInglewoodAll HazardsMitigationPlan.Thesepopulations arenotreachedbyInglewood'scurrent emergencypreparednesseducation activities,whichprimarilyfocusonwritten, onlineresources. TheCDChasrecognizedthat communicatingwithatriskpopulations, includingLEP,isvitalduringanemergency. Communicationmechanismsandmessage contentmustbedeterminedbeforea disasterstrikes.TheCOINconceptwas developedtohelpcommunitiesliketheCity ofInglewoodestablishtrustedchannelsof communicationtomitigatecommunication barriersandstrengthenlocalsafetynets. Ratherthanrelyingonthecreationof newinfrastructuretoreachLEP populations,theCOINmodelsstrengthens andconnectsexistingservicestoreachLEP populations.CreatingaCOINfortheCityof InglewoodwillhelpensureInglewood meetsTitleVIrequirementsoftheCivil RightsAct,streamlineemergency preparednessanddisasterrelief communicationsandservices,andmost importantly,savelives.

65%
of people injured during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake did not speak fluent English
SOURCE: CDC Prevention Study, Seattle Times

During the next annual revision of the City of Inglewood AllHazards Mitigation Plan, the City should: Revisetheplan'sDemographics sectionto recognizeandincludeinformationonLEP populationsintheCityofInglewood. AddthedevelopmentofaCommunity OutreachInformationNetworkasa mitigation measure,identifiedasan ongoing,longtermhighpriority. AssignthecreationofaCOINtothe EmergencyPreparednessCoordinator,but viewimplementationasan interdepartmentaltask. LeveragetheLocalAdvisoryTaskForce, businessandprofessionalcommunities, neighborhoodgroups,andCERTtrained citizensthatprovidedfeedbacktotheAll HazardsMitigationPlanasastartingbase forcreatinganexpandednetworkforthe InglewoodCOIN.

Executive Order 13166

"Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency, was issued by President Bill Clinton in 2000.

LEP populations qualify for the same anti-discrimination protection designated for race, color, or national origin under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act .

Additional Resources
Public Health Workbook to Define, Locate, and Reach Special, Vulnerable, and At-risk Populations in an Emergency,CDC

ProvidesanoverviewoftheCommunityOutreachInformationNetworkmodelandcomprehensiveguideonhowtoformone. http://emergency.cdc.gov/workbook/pdf/ph_workbookFINAL.pdf
Disaster Preparedness in Urban Immigrant Communities: Lessons Learned from Recent Catastrophic Events and Their Relevance to Latino and Asian Communities in Southern California,Tomas Rivera Policy Institute and Asian Pacific American Legal Center Report

AjointprojectthatexaminedLEPimmigrantcommunitiesinSouthernCalifornia,includinginterviewsandfocusgroups. http://demographics.apalc.org/wpcontent/uploads/2008/07/disasterreport_final.pdf
National Resource Center on Advancing Emergency Preparedness for Culturally Diverse Communities, Center for Public Health Readiness & Communication at the Drexel University School of Public Health

Aclearinghouseforinformationonemergencypreparednessonengagingandintegratingculturallydiversecommunities. http://www.diversitypreparedness.org/
Guidance for Integrating Culturally Diverse Communities into Planning for and Responding to Emergencies: A Toolkit, National Consensus Panel on Emergency Preparedness and Cultural Diversity

Practicalstrategies,resourcesandmodelsforimprovinganddevelopingactivitiesandprogramsfordiversecommunities. http://www.healthpolicyinstitute.org/files/OMHDiversityPreparednessToolkit.pdf

References
1. Andrulis,D.P.,Siddiqui,N.J.,&Purtle,J.P.(2011).Guidance for integrating culturally diverse communities into planning for and responding to emergencies: A toolkit.U.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServices'OfficeofMinorityHealth: NationalConsensusPanelonEmergencyPreparednessandCulturalDiversity.Website: http://www.healthpolicyinstitute.org/files/OMHDiversityPreparednessToolkit.pdf 2. ArgonzaGomez,T.(2011).County of Los Angeles emergency survival guide.RetrievedfromCountyofLosAngelesOfficeof EmergencyManagementwebsite:http://lacoa.org/PDF/EmergencySurvivalGuideLowRes.pdf 3. Blazer,J.,&Murphy,B.(2008).AddressingtheneedsofimmigrantsandlimitedEnglishcommunitiesindisaster planning.Immigrants' Rights Update,22(8),Retrievedfromhttp://140.174.87.56/disaster_assistance/disaster planningrelief20081028.pdf 4. Colon,A.(1996,January18).QuakesafetyinmanylanguagesSeattlepickedtodebutreadinessworkshopfornonEnglish speakers.Seattle Times.Retrievedfrom http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19960118&slug=2309513 5. CountyofLosAngelesPublicHealth.(n.d.).Emergencypreparednessandresponseprogram:Preparednesscampaign multilingualassistance.Retrievedfromhttp://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eprp/lingual.htm 6. I.T.CrisisServices.(2010).City of Inglewood all hazards mitigation plan.RetrievedfromCaliforniaEmergencyManagement Agencywebsite: http://hazardmitigation.calema.ca.gov/docs/approved_lhmps_under_2008_fema_guidance/City_of_Inglewood_All_Ha zards_Mitigation_Plan__FINAL.pdf 7. Literacy @ Work the LA Workforce Literary Project Summary Report.LosAngeles,CA:UnitedWayLosAngeles. (2004) Website:http://www.unitedwayla.org/getinformed/news/Documents/literacyatworkexecsum.pdf 8. LA emergencies and threats.(2011).Retrievedfrom http://emergency.lacity.org/EmergencyCheckList/LAEmergenciesThreats/index.htm 9. Matthew,A.B.,&Kelly,K.(2008)Disaster preparedness in urban immigrant communities: Lessons learned from recent catastrophic events and their relevance to Latino and Asian communities in Southern California.RetrievedfromThe TomasRiveraPolicyInstitutewebsite:http://demographics.apalc.org/wpcontent/uploads/2008/07/disaster report_final.pdf 10. Public health workbook to define, locate, and reach special, vulnerable, and atrisk populations in an emergency.(2007) RetrievedfromCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(CDC)website:http://www.bt.cdc.gov/workbook 11. Rivas,J.(2009,May20).WhatdisastercouldlooklikeinsouthernCalifornia.Colorlines,Retrievedfrom http://colorlines.com/archives/2009/05/what_disaster_could_look_like_1.html 12. U.S.CensusBureau.(2010).LanguageSpokenatHome:Inglewood,CARetrievedNovember1st,2011,from http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_10_1YR_S1601&prodType=ta ble

Risk Matrix for Inglewood, California

High Risk Earthquake: (NewportInglewoodFault,86% probabilityof7.0orgreaterearthquakein southernCaliforniaoverthenext30years.) Landslide(connectedtoEarthquakes) Public Health (eg:PandemicFlu) Civil Disorder/Riots Terrorism Extreme Heat Rolling Blackouts Food Contamination (Hepatitis,Listeria,Mad Cow,etc.) Cyber Crime Low Risk Plane Crash:(flyoverzoneforLAX) Water Contamination Hazardous Material Release(Inglewoodis locatednearwastewaterplants,etc.) Invasion (foreignoralien)

High Impact

Low Impact

Fire Severe Weather and Flooding Hurricane Tornado (lasthitInglewoodin2004) Tsunami Terrorist Attack Landslides