Courtesy Photo | Access to short-term child care is one of several services offered through the...... read more read more
FORT LEE, Va. – During catastrophic weather events and other emergencies, community members here can take comfort in knowing there is an assistance and support apparatus available to them that’s capable of meeting a wide variety of human needs.
The Emergency Family Assistance Center – operated by the Army Community Service facility when activated – is comprised of a trained and dedicated staff of augmented personnel during a crisis. It serves as the community’s hub for information and critical resources such as temporary housing, food and financial needs during natural disasters, power outages and man-made tragedies.
“It’s a one-stop shop to which military personnel, family members and DOD Civilians can reach out in cases of a hazardous incident or event requiring emergency support,” said Frenchi N. Watts Kemp, EFAC manager.
A timely example, given the increased threat of “hurricane season” along the East Coast from June thru November, is a home being heavily damaged and made unlivable by high winds, flooding or a fire. The family could reach out to the EFAC, emphasizing their need for a place to live, and the staff of experts could put them in contact with agencies specializing in temporary shelter. By way of information, the center could offer details about water and food distribution points or where medical aid stations are located.
What constitutes an emergency and the levels of EFAC support are determined by the garrison commander, said Kimberly L. Evans, ACS Family Service Program manager.
“Commanders will make decisions to mobilize an eight- or 24-hour operation or otherwise,” she said. “The event’s magnitude determines how long the EFAC will be available.”
The circumstances surrounding each event also determine where and how the EFAC is mobilized, Watts Kemp noted.
“Depending on the emergency’s scale, the EFAC can be located at the ACS building or – in the case of a hybrid EFAC – at a physical location with online access,” she said. “A larger-scale operation will be located at the Memorial Chapel.”
Additionally, locations in surrounding communities are under consideration to serve as temporary EFAC sites, said Evans.
“We’re looking at organizations that will allow us to set up our operations off post,” she said, “because if something happened in which we could not access the installation, we still need to provide services.”
Among the organizations that provide support thru the EFAC are the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, the Installation Housing Office, Tricare and Army Emergency Relief, which assists with grants and loans.
“In addition to that,” said Watts Kemp, “we would offer short-term alternate child care, religious and counseling services, and of course, we would have on-hand case managers who would be conducting intake and assessments in efforts to ensure all of our family and service members are connected with the right resources in-house.”
The U.S. Army Disaster Personnel Accountability and Assessment System, commonly known as ADPAAS, also is an important component of EFAC’s operation. It is an information system that accounts, assesses, manages and monitors those affected by emergencies while allowing leaders to make strategic decisions to facilitate recovery operations.
As with any information system, ADPAAS is only as good as the information provided. Military members and government civilians are required to regularly update their ADPAAS information that includes telephone numbers, addresses and next of kin. This information is critical when users submit requests for emergency support using the system’s case submission feature.
“ADPAAS is essential, especially considering the times we’re living in,” said Watts Kemp, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. “The use of ADPAAS has allowed our service and family members to submit cases in the event of an emergency no matter where they are in the world.”
ADPAAS can be accessed via computer or mobile phone, said Watts Kemp.
“We are encouraging community members to download the ADPAAS app,” she said, noting the possibilities of power outages during emergencies.
ADPAAS can be downloaded from Google Play or the Apple Store.
For more information about the EFAC or ADPAAS, call 804-734-6762 or email Watts Kemp at frenchi.n.wattskemp.civ@army.mil.
| Date Taken: | 08.23.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.23.2022 14:54 |
| Story ID: | 427876 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 63 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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