LARRI & NWI COADWERE FORMED

Recovery from a devastating stormin September 2008

in Northwest Indiana

SEPTEMBER 14 & 15, 2008

13+ inches of rain fell on Northwest Indiana in 2 days

THE RESULTS WERE

DEVASTATING

FLOODING EVERYWHERE! FLOODED HOSPITALS

EVACUATED! I-94 FLOODED, TRAVEL IN

MIDWEST DISRUPTED! BUSINESSES CLOSED! HOMES DESTROYED!

HELPStarted

ToAppear

Lakeshore Area Regional

Recovery of Indiana Long Term

Recovery CommitteeIs Formed In

December, 2008

17,943 FEMA APPLICANTS

Lake County, IN – 15,261 Porter County, IN – 1,350

La Porte County, IN – 1,332

Steering & Executive

Committees Instrumental in obtaining $12.7 million in funding from

the Lilly Endowment that was critical to operational success

Established Steering Committee dedicated to seeing mission through to end to ensure close, detailed attention to mission

Steering Committee delegated authority to Subcommittee Chairs tasked with responsibility to create qualification policies for all phases of process

Created a comprehensive Policy & Procedure Manual

ADMINISTRATION Program Director was chosen who had history of

unique model and system implementation, team building skills and strong media background

Extreme organization required to meet grant timeline for completion

Developed parallel strategies to ramp up operations to meet grant timelines while planning shut-down operations

Detailed reporting on expenses & progress

HOW TO MEASURE?(LARRI’s Golden Rules)

Set reasonable goals and make them work

Gain efficiency where ever possible Work harder than you think possible Measure progress objectively Fix it immediately if it didn’t work well –

and be ok with the do-overs Track results obsessively Remain kind, caring and considerate

LARRI GOAL Contact EVERYFEMA Applicant!

Help EVERYONE who qualifies to the greatest

extent possible.

HOW TO CONTACT? Developed 4 week project to contact people in Q4 2009 Invited volunteers to make outbound calls - 6 workstations Goal was to make an estimated 15,000+ outbound calls,

8am to 8pm Monday thru Saturday Introduced Amish ladies to phones! 8-9 calls per hour per person on average Mission completed – ON TIME Total budget – MINIMAL (6 phones & headphones,

donated computers, office supplies)

16,680DIRECT CONTACTS

Lake County, IN – 14,229 Porter County, IN – 1,240

La Porte County, IN – 1,212

93% FEMA APPLICANTS CONTACTED

WE PROVIDED SPIRITUAL & EMOTIONAL CARE TO

FLOOD VICTIMSA NEW COLORING BOOK FOR

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, “THERE WAS A REBUILD”,

WAS DISTRIBUTED TO FAMILIES, PROVIDED AT

COMMUNITY EVENTS AND VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT

ACTIVITIES.

CASE MANAGEMENT Initial use of 211 NWICA as gatekeeper into the

LARRI process until Case Management could be set up. 211 continued to act as referral agency for unmet needs not offered by LARRI

Realtor as Chair of Unmet Needs Committee Employed independent, experienced case managers

to guide clients through qualification process Required all Case Managers to complete UMCOR

training

CASE MANAGEMENTPROCESS

Case Managers had equal case loads Set amount of time allotted to process each case Reviewed by Case Manager Supervisor for completeness and

probability of Unmet Needs Committee approval Case turned over to Construction of complete damage assessment and

cost estimate and returned to CM Title search done on property to assure no liens Client signs off on scope of work Case Manager Supervisor signs off and Case scheduled for Unmet

Needs Committee review/approval or denial Case scheduled for Construction Committee review/approval or denial Unmet Needs & Construction Committees meet back to back to

process cases ready for approval or denial

INITIAL QUALIFIERS(and strict guidelines)

Must be the homeowner Must have spent FEMA funds correctly Must have applied for SBA loan Order of submission to Unmet Needs & approvals

determined by income level & special circumstances; i.e. disabilities, etc. FIRST PRIORITY: at or below poverty level income SECOND PRIORITY: 100% or less above poverty level income THIRD PRIORITY: 200% or less above poverty level income FOURTH PRIORITY: 300% or less above poverty level income

Case Management Results

3,395CASES OPENED & CLOSED

Lake County, IN – 3,086 Porter County, IN – 151

La Porte County, IN – 158

18.9% of total FEMA applicants

CONSTRUCTION 5 Teams Overseen by Construction Manager

Each headed by Team Leader responsible for material ordering, scheduling/oversight for contractors

Site Supervisors and volunteers moved from job to job to complete build-out

As many as 30 jobs per Team in progress at any given time Supply driver & Home Depot delivery for all sites All material & tool kits on site for day construction began Specialty Mechanical Team to do minor electrical &

plumbing jobs not requiring inspection

JOBS PRE-ASSESSED & PRICED Repair assessment done by Construction Manager & Estimator

prior to case being submitted to Case Management & Unmet Needs Committees for approval

Home Depot estimating software used in-house at LARRI office for pricing all building materials

Mechanical estimates done by approved contractors from bid list supplied by NWI Building Trades on rotational basis

Title searches conducted on all properties that met qualifying criteria for LARRI help

Separate Scope of Work developed for contractors and construction teams for each site and reviewed prior to site opening for work – all work approved by Client

All costs tracked to stay on approved budget

HOME DEPOT ADVANTAGE In-house use of HD estimating software 5 area HD stores for supply availability Discounted pricing - same day pick up Free delivery over certain $$ amount Material guaranteed ready for LARRI Driver Helped set up “LARRI STORE” for clients in LARRI offices –

all clients received SAME quality Small materials room on-site delivered by HD 2% cash back from US Communities – more $$ to help

people Volunteered on work sites annually

What surprised us . . . MOLD, GROUND WATER

& ROOFS High degree of mold remediation required to

ensure health of workers and residents Ground water pressures damaged more

foundations that was originally thought Even though deferred maintenance, roof repair and

replacement was agreed to be necessary to safeguard internal home repairs

RELATIONSHIPS Constructive business relationships established with

local government & business leaders across three counties

Constructive relationships established with local building departments to ensure code & permit compliance, inspections & approvals

Developed good working relationships & cost saving measures with more than 50 local contractors Plumbers agreement for sewer check valves Electricians agreement for outlet replacements

Construction Results

645REPAIRS, REBUILDS &

RELOCATES208 Major renovations under $10,000437 Major renovations over $10,000

Includes 5 total rebuilds & 26 families relocated

18.9 % of total LARRI cases

Construction Completed By Year

44 completed in 2009 294 completed in 2010 307 completed in 2011

VOLUNTEERS

More than 5,200 volunteers assisted for a

total of more than 222,000 hours Engaged assistance from national faith based

volunteer groups. National sites at LARRI set up by: CRWRC, now World Renew MDS, Mennonite Disaster Services BDM, Brethren Disaster Ministries AmeriCorps NCCC – 6 rounds

VOLUNTEERS Had use of 5-7 housing opportunities for volunteers Use of churches & schools for large groups Participated in Disney GIVE A DAY/GET A DAY

promotion to attract several hundred additional volunteers

Attracted national youth groups 400 Southern Baptist World Changers & Lutheran Hands

volunteers in one week in July Obtained Home Depot grant to repair parks and public

areas in Gary, East Chicago, Hammond, Lake Station & Portage

EXTERNALCOMMUNICATIONS

Created strong media presence in NWI & Chicago with over 60 media contacts

Established media partnership with leading regional newspaper for continual coverage

Created outdoor awareness campaign for volunteerism

Created Champions of Hope presentations for churches, business & service organizations

Celebrated & publicized home blessings upon completion of work for rebuilds & relocations

INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS We tracked & planned everything and shared

results with employees & volunteers Created LARRI team building opportunities by

implementing employee events and activitiesLARRI softball teamLARRI day at Railcats baseball gameMonthly birthday celebrations for personnel

and volunteers to create fellowship time and to celebrate accomplishments

DIFFICULTIES Keeping local communities involved in effort for the

long haul. Many thought everything was over despite extensive media coverage

Offering “volunteer only” projects to FEMA applicants prior to having been qualified for LARRI help drained resources needed for construction efforts

Continued free muck & guts to anyone who asked used too many volunteer resources needed for reconstruction efforts

And, of course, getting organized . . .

LAKESHORE AREAREGIONAL RECOVERY

OF INDIANACOMPLETED THE

MISSION ONOCTOBER 30, 2011EVERYONE WHO QUALIFIED FOR

LARRI’S HELP WAS SERVED

NWI COAD FORMED In the second quarter of 2011, OFBCI (Office of Faith

Based & Community Initiatives) for the State of Indiana offered a $50,000 grant to start COADs to continue communicating, learning, assessing and be ready to act in the event of future disasters.

The ensuing organization that formed in January 2012 was named NWI COAD: NORTHWEST INDIANA COMMUNITIES

ORGANIZED TO ASSIST IN DISASTERS Many of the new COAD’s original members had served on

LARRI’s Steering Committee.

NWI COAD Mission StatementNWI COAD agencies and

volunteers proactively look for ways to mitigate against disasters

at the local level by sharing programs, policies, information,

joint planning and training.

NWI COAD MEMBERSAmerican Legion, American Red Cross of Greater Chicago Region, American Red Cross of Northwest Indiana, American Red Cross,

External Ops, Center for Life Change, Duneland Family YMCA, Div Emergency Disaster Services, Director, EMA Volunteer, Family and Youth Services Bureau, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Geminus Corporation,

Hope Crisis Response Network, Humane Society Calumet Area, IN Department of Homeland Security, Indiana Department of Health,

INVOAD, Jasper County EMA, La Porte County American Red Cross, La Porte County EMA, Lake Area United Way, Lake Co. Homeland

Security/EMA, Lake County EMA, La Porte County EMA, LARRI Director, LCDHS Ham Radio, LCMS IN Disaster District Response, Lutheran

Emergency Response Team, March2Recovery-Catholic Charities, Meals on Wheels, Methodist Hospital EAP, Michigan City Chaplains Division, North Township Trustee, Northwest Indiana Community Action, NWICA

211, Pettit Accounting, Porter County American Red Cross, Porter County EMA, Porter County Health Department, Porter County Safe Schools,

Purdue Extension Service, Salvation Army of W. MI & NWI, Senior Advocate, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, UMCOR,

United Way of Porter Co., Fiscal Agent, World Renew

In Northwest Indiana, we work together in the following Emergency Response

Planning Groups:

District One Task Force District Planning Council HSIN- Homeland Security Information Network

The sharing group, now titled Lakefront Infrastructure Security Group NWI District 1

District 1 Bioterrorism and Community Stakeholders.

RCPT- Regional Catastrophic Planning Team Chicago Area

Tornado Emergency Response Drill – September 2012

Tornado drill testing community response. Mental health at reception center at off site hospital, in the field with District 1 first responders, with United Way spontaneous volunteers and at Prompt Ambulance drilling a mock morgue and family assistance center.

Full Scale Blast Impact Exercise Sept. 2012

11 hospitals participated with District 1 Task Force, local police and fire, hazmat, mental health and other agencies.

United Way Volunteer Center successfully tested spontaneous volunteer center enrollment.

Family assistance center set up at La Porte Hospital with mental health, CISM, spiritual care and social services.

211 Weekend Call Center contacted and could begin data sharing so that operators could respond.

American Red Cross successfully tested system to locate individuals in a disaster…Patient Connection for hospitals and Safe and Well for the general public.

If a dirty bomb or radiation event happens, we’ve tested the

response.

We work together with the Indiana K-9 Comfort Dogs and provide ongoing education for disaster mental health team members.

United Way of Porter County, Lake Area United Way, Methodist Hospitals and the NWI COAD sponsored a two day CISM workshop for 40 participants on Emotional and Spiritual Care in a Disaster.

NWI COAD MEMBERS AT WORK!

District 1 Task Force Responders Went to New Jersey During Super Storm Sandy

Members of the District 1 Task Force Emergency Management Operations went to the aid of the communities of Southern Indiana during the tornado disaster and to Long Beach in NY during Super Storm Sandy

NWI COAD We stand ready

to respond!

JOIN US!