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Office of Emergency Management
Office of Emergency Management

Help family, friends, and neighbors

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In recent years, FEMA’s Office of Disability Integration and Coordination defines the term “others with Access and Functional Needs” (AFN) as individuals who may have additional needs before, during and after an incident in functional areas, including but not limited to maintaining independence, communication, transportation, supervision, and maintain health (C-MIST). Individuals needing additional response assistance may include those with disabilities; live in institutionalized settings, are seniors; are children; are from diverse cultures; have limited English proficiency or non-English speaking or are transportation disadvantaged.”

The California Government Code Section 8593.3 defines Access and Functional Needs as “Individuals who have: Developmental, intellectual, or physical disabilities; Chronic conditions or injuries; Limited English proficiency or non-English speaking; Or individuals who are: older adults, children, or pregnant; living in institutional settings; or Low-income, homeless, and/or transportation disadvantaged.”

The Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is in alignment with both FEMA and the California Government Code Section 8593.3. It uses the Communications, Maintaining Health, Independence, Support, Safety and Self-Determination, and Transportation (C-MIST) framework to integrate vulnerable populations in all aspects of Emergency Management.

Let us break it down for you. If you have one of the following needs, you are a person with access and functional needs. The AFN community members below is an example of some of the AFN categories and is not limited to just those listed.

AFN community members are:

  • Persons with low vision or have no vision including people who wear glasses and contacts
  • Persons who are hard of hearing or have no hearing
  • Households with infants and small children
  • Multi-generational households where grandparents or older adults live within the household
  • Multi-lingual speakers or those with limited English proficiency
  • Persons who rely on medical devices and equipment for mobility including crutches and wheelchairs
  • Persons without transportation or rely on other forms of transportation including paratransit and public transportation
  • Households with pets, farm animals (large and small) and service animals
  • Unsheltered community members and / or persons experiencing homelessness
  • Persons with cognitive or physical disabilities

CMIST framework

CMIST stands for Communications, Maintaining Health, Independence, Support, Safety and Self-Determination, and Transportation. Learn more about the building block of the CMIST Framework.

Two woman communicating in sign language

Communications

Improving communication with those who have limited English proficiency and the ability to speak, see, hear, or understand.

Improve communications to help the AFN community
Manual breast pump and milk bottle with a mother who is nursing her baby behind it

Maintaining health

Reducing negative impacts of a disaster or emergency on individuals who require medications, services, durable medical equipment (DME), electricity for life-maintaining equipment, breastfeeding parents and childcare, or nutrition.

How the AFN community can maintain good health
A blind man sitting on a bench with a lady and his service dog

Independence

Striving to ensure continuity of access to necessary mobility devices or assistive technology, vision and communication aids, and services animals that assist individuals in maintaining their independence.

Help the AFN community maintain their independence
Two persons sitting across each other. One person has a clipboard on one hand and another hand is placed on top of the hands of the person across.

Support, safety, and self-determination

Linking community members with resources that provide additional personal care assistance to those experiencing higher levels of distress and need support for anxiety, psychological, or behavioral health needs; or require a trauma-informed approach or support for personal safety, health, and welfare post-discharge.

Wellness for AFN community
A man in a wheelchair on a ramp and making his way into a car

Transportation

Facilitating coordination with mass transit and accessible transportation services providers for those community members who have limited mobility or need additional transportation support in emergencies and disasters.

How AFN community can get transportation support
A man's hands holding a phone with an alert graphic icon

Register for alerts

Step 1: Register for alerts

A clipboard with checked checkboxes

Make a plan

Step 2: Make a plan

Emergency kit being laid out which includes water, crackers, cash, first aid kit, cans, toilet paper rolls, and a bag

Build an emergency supply kit

Step 3: Build an emergency supply kit

Two pair of hands holding one another

Help family, friends, and neighbors

Step 4: Help family, friends, and neighbors