AFN Team: Team Development

Step 1. Reach out to community social service organizations to recruit volunteers for the Access & Functional Needs (AFN) Team.

Step 2. Identify a Team Lead. 

Step 3. Have volunteers take FEMA IS-368 (Access and Functional Needs), FEMA IS-100 (Incident Command System), and IS-700 (National Incident Management System).

Step 4. Identify the AFN needs of your particular community.

Step 5. Predict how a disaster in your community is likely to affect the AFN population.

Step 6. Meet with leaders of social service organizations to identify pre-disaster education needs for the AFN populations and important considerations for other teams in your preparedness organization regarding those populations.

Step 7. Develop Standard Operating Procedures for the team.

Step 8. Identify pre- and post-disaster actions for your team.

Step 9. Develop and disseminate emergency preparedness education materials for AFN populations and those serving those populations (first responders, social service organizations, and preparedness organization teams). 

Step 10. Develop a PowerPoint for the Disaster Hubs Team about taking into consideration AFN when establishing and preparing the Disaster Hubs.

Step 11. Create an annual plan for the team and carry out its objectives.

Step 12. Provide annual exercises and training for volunteers.