Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
FNSS Overview
Traditionally, sheltering has occurred using a variety of means including general
population shelters, special needs shelters, and medical shelters, none of which share
universal definitions across the country. After Hurricane Katrina, many lawsuits
were filed regarding the manner in which mass care and sheltering was performed
in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane and for many months following the
devastation in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. In 2007, the DOJ signed an
amended settlement agreement
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calling for, among other things, development of
new emergency management plans, which include provisions for accommodating
people with disabilities.
In April 2010 and under contract by FEMA, Baptist Child and Family Services
released a document titled, “Guidance on Planning for Integration of Functional
Needs Support Services in General Population Shelters.” In late 2010, FEMA
issued an official guidance document under the same title. In short, this document
was developed to provide guidance to integrate children and adults with disabilities
and functional needs into emergency shelter planning and response. This section
describes the legal foundations of the FNSS Guide, application of the guide to sup-
port integrative planning, and other considerations to support holistic shelter and
mass care planning.
Legal Foundation
“Children and adults with disabilities have the same rights to services
in general population shelters as other residents.”
—FEMA, Guidance on Planning for Integration of Functional
Needs Support Services in General Population Shelters, 2010, p. 8
The FNSS Guide cites the Stafford Act, PKEMRA, and federal civil rights laws as
mandates to integration and equal opportunity for people with disabilities in gen-
eral population shelters. In addition to citing laws and legal authorities, the FNSS
Guide identifies nondiscrimination concepts and examples of how these concepts
apply in sheltering and mass care operations:
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1. Self-Determination—People with disabilities or functional needs are most
knowledgeable about their own needs.
2. One Size Does Not Fit All—People with disabilities do not all require the
same assistance and do not all have the same needs. Different types of disabil-
ities affect people in different ways. Preparations should be made for people
with a variety of functional needs, including people who use mobility aids,
require medication or portable medical equipment, use service animals, need
information in alternate formats, or rely on a caregiver.
