Using AI for Inclusive Emergency Management Models (Literature Review)

  • FEMA IPAWS: “Alerting People with Disabilities and AFN.” Practical baseline for accessible alerts (multilingual, special tones/vibration, CAP ecosystem). Great place to anchor vendor requirements for MEMA/VT DEMHS/NH HSEM. FEMA

  • Colorado statewide “Inclusive Emergency Alerts” study (mixed‑methods). Actionable best practices that map well to New England alert workflows (plain language, ASL options, multilingual). Natural Hazards Center

  • ASL emergency alerts over ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) pilots. Feasibility demos of an animated ASL avatar layer for broadcast alerts—replicable by PBS in New England markets. TV News CheckTV TechShow Me Mizzou

  • WHO guidance on LMMs (ethics & governance). 40+ recommendations for safe, rights‑based use of generative AI in public health contexts—relevant to emergency comms, triage, and shelter ops. World Health Organization

  • Systematic review: AI for disaster triage (BMC Public Health, 2024). Finds potential gains in speed/consistency but flags risks if data and design don’t include atypical presentations and disability needs. BioMed CentralPMC

  • ML for post‑disaster community risk/resilience (Nature, 2025). An ML index using human–infrastructure features; extend with disability/AFN indicators to avoid inequitable recovery. Nature

  • Evacuation modeling for mobility‑impaired occupants (2025). Simulation evidence for design/operations (areas of refuge, lifts) to close egress gaps; useful for hospitals, dorms, and towers in New England. PMC

  • ERMES emergency chatbot (IJDRR, 2024). Bidirectional, multilingual citizen–authority communications; a strong blueprint for a regional, inclusive info bot during floods/winter storms. ScienceDirect

  • DHS AI Use‑Case Inventory (FEMA entries). Official look at FEMA’s AI pilots (e.g., guidance chatbots)—a hint at where federal–state integration for accessible survivor support is headed. U.S. Department of Homeland Security

  • FCC accessibility actions around EAS/WEA. Public notices and proceedings underscore obligations for accessible emergency info; complements AI‑assisted multilingual/ASL pipelines. Federal Communications CommissionFederal RegisterFCC Docs

  • FEMA Language Access Plan (2025). Clear standards for translation/interpretation; warns against relying on raw auto‑translation for vital interactions—important when piloting AI translation. U.S. Department of Homeland Security

  • Vermont focus: UVM’s ML flood‑mapping research improving local inundation predictions—directly relevant to July 2023–2024 flood lessons and CT River basin planning for VT/MA/NH. Vermont PublicPBS

  • Concept/pilot: AI “Alert Assistant” for originators. Explores NLP to help write clearer, audience‑appropriate, multilingual warnings—good fit for PIO desks with human‑in‑the‑loop. Guidehouse

  • Massachusetts tie‑in: MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s incident command platform (NICS) used globally; opportunity to integrate AFN overlays and accessible comms tooling with MA partners. MIT News

    Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery relating to People with Disabilities and other Vulnerable Populations

    Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery relating to People with Disabilities and other Vulnerable Populations

    Preparedness

  • Policy frameworks, planning standards, and inclusion

    The “whole community” approach in FEMA’s Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101 is the U.S. planning baseline; the May 2025 update emphasizes community-based, risk-informed planning and integrating AFN needs directly into Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs), rather than in separate annexes. FEMA+1

    Globally, the Sendai Framework (2015–2030) obligates disability inclusion throughout disaster risk reduction (DRR); UNDRR translates this into practice notes and policy, stressing disaggregated data and meaningful participation of organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs). UNDRR+2UNDRR+2

    At U.S. national level, the National Council on Disability’s landmark report (2009) documented systemic gaps and provided practice recommendations across the disaster cycle; it remains a touchstone for equity and compliance work. GAO has since examined FEMA’s progress and continuing barriers in assistance access for people with disabilities. ERICncd.govGovernment Accountability Office

  • Operational models (CMIST/AFN) and public-health integration

    The CMIST framework—Communication, Maintaining health, Independence, Support/Safety/Self-determination, and Transportation—remains the dominant operational model to integrate AFN into planning, adopted across ASPR/HHS and CDC toolkits for risk comms and operations. aspr.hhs.govCDCEmergency Medical Services Utah

    Public-health–emergency guidance from WHO’s Health EDRM (Health Emergency & Disaster Risk Management) aligns global research collaborations with Sendai and emphasizes inclusive risk communication, continuity of care, and rights-based approaches. World Health Organization

  • Personal and household preparedness gaps

    UNDRR’s 2023 global survey found that 84% of respondents with disabilities lacked a personal disaster plan and only 8% reported local DRR plans that addressed disability needs—clear evidence of persistent preparedness gaps and limited participation. UNDRR+1

  • Power-dependent medical/assistive technology

    Electricity-dependent durable medical equipment (DME) is a critical preparedness issue. ASPR TRACIE provides actionable DME planning guidance; ADA National Network’s power-planning checklists are widely used by health, aging, and disability partners. The HHS emPOWER Program supplies data, GIS, and AI-enabled tools to identify and support Medicare beneficiaries reliant on electricity-dependent devices before and during outages. ASPR TRACIEADA National Networkjik.comempowerprogram.hhs.gov+1cpo.noaa.gov

    Response

  • Disproportionate impact and mortality

    Evidence from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake shows stark disparities: mortality among persons with disabilities was roughly double—or higher in some locales—compared with the general population, highlighting barriers in warning, evacuation, and support. Similar work links age, institutionalization, and disability to elevated disaster mortality risk. dinf.ne.jp+1内閣府ホームページGeoscience World

  • Accessible alerting and evacuation

    Inclusive alerting is central to equitable response. Recent reviews synthesize barriers and best practices for accessible alerts (plain language, multilingual, ASL, multiple modalities). Broadcast pilots using NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) demonstrated an ASL avatar overlay for emergency messages—promising for real-time signed warnings, pending community validation. FEMA’s planning considerations also provide evacuation/shelter-in-place job aids that stress whole-community engagement. ScienceDirectWorld Health OrganizationFEMA

    Mass care and emergency assistance doctrine underscores integration of FNSS (Functional Needs Support Services) in congregate and non-congregate sheltering to protect independence, health maintenance, and communication access; FEMA’s ESF-6 materials and 2024 AFN support fact sheet outline roles, accommodations, and interagency coordination. FEMA+1

    Recovery

  • Access to assistance and housing

    GAO has repeatedly identified barriers for people with disabilities in accessing FEMA Individual Assistance and navigating complex recovery systems. FEMA’s 2025 Planning Considerations: Disaster Housing recognizes diverse needs during short- and long-term housing and the need to incorporate accessibility, services, and supports into local housing plans. Government Accountability OfficeFEMA

  • Health continuity and long-tail effects

    Power-outage planning resources updated in 2024–2025 emphasize continuity for DME users during prolonged recovery phases. Public-health partners (ASTHO) recommend broader adoption of emPOWER data for medically fragile populations. Post-disaster studies from Fukushima also illustrate years-long health and mortality impacts, underscoring the need for disability-aware recovery services. ASPR TRACIEASTHOPMC

    Cross-cutting themes

  • Rights and compliance. CDC’s disability-inclusion resources reaffirm ADA requirements for equal access, physical accessibility, and equally effective communication during emergencies—implications that cut across alerting, sheltering, distribution, and recovery services. CDC+1

  • Meaningful participation & data. UNDRR urges disaggregated data (including disability) in loss accounting and calls for active participation of persons with disabilities in DRR decision-making; current reporting remains sparse in many countries. UNDRR+1

  • Practice toolkits. FEMA’s long-standing FNSS shelter guidance, national mass-care resources, and state/local AFN toolkits (e.g., Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s toolkit for local public health) provide operational checklists that planners can localize. FEMAnationalmasscarestrategy.org+1Mass.gov

  • Technology & AI. Health EDRM and U.S. programs (e.g., emPOWER) show how data and AI-enabled tools can target outreach to power-dependent households, while inclusive-alerting research and broadcast pilots highlight opportunities and risks (e.g., quality, intelligibility, and governance for automated translation/ASL). World Health Organizationempowerprogram.hhs.govScienceDirect

    Key sources (quick list)