8587.2.
(a) The Director of the Office of Emergency Services shall create the position of Deputy Director for Access and Functional Needs Coordination within the office. This individual shall be responsible for creating an access and functional needs state plan ensuring that access and functional needs are included in all state plans related to emergency preparedness, planning, and response, overseeing the training of emergency personnel for its implementation
regarding access and functional needs, and coordinating with state and local agencies to ensure that the plan is access and functional needs are included in all state disaster preparedness documents and training.(b) The deputy director shall oversee and ensure adequate planning that incorporates the diverse needs of people with functional limitations and disabilities in all state preparedness, response, and recovery activities. This includes, but is not limited to, building capacity so that emergency programs and services are accessible to, accommodate, and are inclusive of these populations and minimize adverse impacts.
(c) The deputy director shall ensure that
community-based organizations serving populations with functional limitations and disabilities are integrated into the planning and implementation of all state disaster preparedness documents and training.
(d) The deputy director shall be responsible for the ongoing coordination of the disability community participation in the standardized emergency management system specialist committees pursuant to Section 8588.15, and shall ensure that recommendations made by these committees regarding preparedness, planning, and response procedures, and other items pertaining to people with disabilities and functional limitations are reported to the Director of the Office of Emergency Services.
(e) Notwithstanding Section 7550.5, the deputy director shall track and report annually to the
Legislature on the committee recommendations made pursuant to Section 8588.15, and the effectiveness and implementation of the access and functional needs state plan in all state plans and activities related to emergency preparedness, planning, and response. The report shall also be made available to the public.
(f) The Director of the Office of Emergency Services shall also create functional assessment and service teams (FAST) under the direction of the deputy director, to consist of trained and registered community-based organizations and nongovernmental organization personnel ready to respond to and be deployed to disaster areas. The purpose of the teams shall be to plan
for and offer service assistance to populations with functional limitations during emergencies.
(g) For the purposes of this section, “functional limitation” includes, but is not limited to, any condition that reduces an individual’s ability to move, see, hear, learn, communicate, or maintain independence. Individuals with functional limitations may or may not identify as a “person with a disability.”