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Review

Assessing the Emergency Response Role of Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) Serving People with Disabilities and Older Adults in Puerto Rico Post-Hurricane María and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by
Alina Engelman
1,*,
Mariana T. Guzzardo
2,
Marley Antolin Muñiz
1,
Laura Arenas
1 and
Aracely Gomez
1
1
Department of Public Health, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, CA 94542, USA
2
Department of Human Development and Women’s Studies, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, CA 94542, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 2156; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042156
Submission received: 28 December 2021 / Revised: 9 February 2022 / Accepted: 11 February 2022 / Published: 14 February 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Addressing Disability Inequities: Environments, Society and Wellbeing)
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Abstract

In Puerto Rico, a host of factors makes the role of community-based organizations (CBOs) critically important in emergency preparedness and response (EPR) and disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction (DiDRR) addressing the needs of people with disabilities and older adults. The territory has been the site of recurring hurricanes, earthquakes, medical crises, and human-made disasters. Political, social, and economic problems unique to the archipelago have historically limited the preparedness and response capacity of governmental authorities, especially for its most at-risk populations. In a context of severe constraints on government resources, CBOs are positioned to play an outsized role in providing services for disabled and older adults before, during, and after emergencies. This study assesses the emergency preparedness and response capacity of CBOs (n = 22) for addressing the needs of people with disabilities and the elderly. Semi-structured, largely closed-ended interviews were conducted in Spanish with key informants at Puerto Rican CBOs. The interviews included questions about emergency preparedness and response training, as well as organizational capacity during COVID-19 and post-Hurricane María. This study posits that conditions in Puerto Rico place CBOs at the forefront of critical responsibilities including emergency preparedness and response, warranting assessment of their practices and resources to assist them in fulfilling their mission.
Keywords: emergency response; community-based organizations; disability; older adults; Puerto Rico; COVID-19 emergency response; community-based organizations; disability; older adults; Puerto Rico; COVID-19

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MDPI and ACS Style

Engelman, A.; Guzzardo, M.T.; Antolin Muñiz, M.; Arenas, L.; Gomez, A. Assessing the Emergency Response Role of Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) Serving People with Disabilities and Older Adults in Puerto Rico Post-Hurricane María and during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 2156. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042156

AMA Style

Engelman A, Guzzardo MT, Antolin Muñiz M, Arenas L, Gomez A. Assessing the Emergency Response Role of Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) Serving People with Disabilities and Older Adults in Puerto Rico Post-Hurricane María and during the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(4):2156. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042156

Chicago/Turabian Style

Engelman, Alina, Mariana T. Guzzardo, Marley Antolin Muñiz, Laura Arenas, and Aracely Gomez. 2022. "Assessing the Emergency Response Role of Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) Serving People with Disabilities and Older Adults in Puerto Rico Post-Hurricane María and during the COVID-19 Pandemic" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 4: 2156. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042156

APA Style

Engelman, A., Guzzardo, M. T., Antolin Muñiz, M., Arenas, L., & Gomez, A. (2022). Assessing the Emergency Response Role of Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) Serving People with Disabilities and Older Adults in Puerto Rico Post-Hurricane María and during the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(4), 2156. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042156

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