LIHU‘E — An effort to assess the emergency preparedness level and current well-being of local residents will get underway in early June.
The state Department of Health Kaua‘i District Health Office said it will conduct a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) survey from June 6-9.
“The responses will build upon prior CASPER surveys to assess household emergency preparedness and evacuation plans, as well as help us to understand how Kaua‘i households are faring as we emerge from the pandemic,” said Lauren Guest, deputy district health officer, in a statement.
“The information we learn enables our office and the county to better meet our community’s needs before, during and after a disaster. In addition, it serves as a valuable training opportunity for our staff.”
Survey teams will go door-to-door to 30 census tracts that are weighted more toward populated areas within the County of Kaua‘i. Seven houses within each tract will be systematically selected and surveyed.
The survey teams will be comprised of district health office staff. They will be supported by the Kaua‘i Medical Reserve Corps and American Red Cross. O‘ahu District Health Office staff will also participate and learn from the process.
Team members will wear vests identifying themselves as part of the survey teams, and will also carry identification cards. Survey team members will be wearing face masks, and physical distancing will be observed.
Participating households will also be afforded the opportunity to complete the survey via phone, if so desired.
“We greatly appreciated the participation of Kaua‘i residents in this island-wide survey effort,” said Dr. Janet Berreman, Kaua‘i district health officer, in a statement. “Mahalo for generously sharing your time and responses with our survey teams.”
The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Selected households will be asked about the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, emergency preparedness supply levels, emergency plans for various hazards, as well as general questions about life on the island.
All survey responses will be confidential. Also, survey teams will not collect names or addresses. The upcoming survey is the sixth to be conducted on Kaua‘i.
Survey methodology was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a means to quickly assess the health and other resource needs of a community after a disaster.
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Wyatt Haupt Jr., editor, can be reached at 808-245-0457 or whaupt@thegardenisland.com.
