Navigating Legal Landscapes for Disaster Preparedness

WHY WE CREATED ELI

Disaster responders are a vital asset – they are critical for both national health security and emergency response efforts. Disaster responders provided invaluable services following terrorist attacks (such as 9/11 and the Boston Marathon bombings), natural disasters (such as Hurricanes Ida and Ian, and wildfires in Maui and California), and infectious disease emergencies (such as the H1N1 Influenza and COVID-19 pandemics).

 

Disaster responders come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including clinical and non-clinical professions, which is both beneficial and challenging. Diversity among professions is a strength because it allows participation in numerous activities, like training exercises, establishment of emergency sheltering, provision of disaster medical support, and coping with medical facility surge capacity. But the lack of uniformity also creates division, impedes the standardization of disaster responses, and makes it difficult to create a baseline for knowledge and skills.

 

Laws impact disaster response activities and can influence decision-making; however, accessing and summarizing laws can be difficult. The Emergency Law Inventory (ELI) is a tool developed by the Temple University College of Public Health that helps individuals navigate through over 1,800 disaster response laws enacted by the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, 8 territories and freely associated states, and the federal government. ELI gives clear, concise summaries of laws impacting disaster responders. The laws are searchable by profession, jurisdiction, legal topic, and keyword so users can quickly identify the provisions that are important to them.

 

A project overview can be downloaded here.

Please contact us if a law needs to be updated.