MorphoTrust Identity Verification Services

Transcription

1 WHITE PAPER MorphoTrust Identity Verification Services Non-Traditional Shelter Management Supplemental Nutritional Assistance For more information please contact: Mark DiFraia Senior Director, Solutions Strategy MorphoTrust USA Mobile:

2 Contents 3 DEFINITION: WHAT IS A NON-TRADITIONAL SHELTER? 3 KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES & SHELTER STAFFING 5 IDENTITY SENSITIVE OPERATIONS & PERSONNEL 1. RECEPTION 2. HEALTH & MEDICAL SUPPORT 3. PUBLIC SAFETY & SECURITY 4. SUPPORT SERVICES 5. LOGISTICS & BULK DISTRIBUTION 6. TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT 7. PUBLIC INFORMATION AT A SHELTER 8. COORDINATION WITH EMERGENCY HOUSEHOLD PET SHELTERING 9. RECOVERY TRANSITION NEEDS This document offers a white paper level focus into a typical Non- Traditional Shelter Management with a view toward the role of Identity Verification. Identity Verification solutions can add immense value in disaster relief efforts by both accelerating the delivery of aid on the basis of known victims while also creating the safest possible response scenes by ensuring emergency responders are properly identified. The purpose of this document is to highlight the instances in which Identity Verification will bolster the overall ability for governments to deliver services under the most stressful conditions. MorphoTrust USA 2014 All rights reserved. WP-IDVER_NonTradSnaoCoO

3 Identity Verification Consideration within Non-Traditional Shelter What is a Non-Traditional Shelter? The scope of a Non-Traditional Shelter is unique in that it operates in a manner that mirrors a small city or town in many ways. These facilities are larger in scale and usually associated to serving large populations within a single operation. Facilities may include large stadiums or fairgrounds and would offer a range of services that include healthcare/medical care, child services, bulk distribution, reuniting families, care for elderly, child services and other recovery care operations. Shelters of this nature will be a collection point both for evacuees truly impacted by an event as well as a variety of others that may look to opportunistically try to take advantage of the event as professional victims. Identity Verification will allow reception to welcome staff and evacuees in an efficient manner that ensures they know who is being admitted while also easing stress by demonstrating control, order and recognition of who everyone is as they join the NTS community. Common BPR goals and revamped processes in specific states are sourced from the "State's SNAP Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) Efforts" report from 2011 authored by the United States Department of Agriculture's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Modernization Workgroup Report Program Development Division 3

4 Key Roles & Responsibilities Non-Traditional shelters are complex in their need to allow for the coordinated efforts of many agencies and organizations within the facilities. For this reason it is recommended that an Incident Commander be named to manage and coordinate the various groups. Below is a list of common leadership positions that work together in Non-Traditional Shelters: a) Incident Commander b) Site Owner/Management c) Local emergency management d) State and Federal Representatives as needed The plan should consider the addition of an Incident Information Officer (IIO) or equivalent that can ensure the technology and information required to properly verify that the identity of Non-Traditional Shelter support personnel are (1) who they claim to be and (2) have the appropriate credentials to provide services. The IIO can also make available the necessary infrastructure to support the verified identification of people seeking services to enhance site safety and to facilitate the delivery of aid to those truly impacted by the incident. e) Deputy Incident Commander f) Public Information Officer g) Site Safety Officer h) Liaison Officer i) Incident Information Officer (MorphoTrust Recommendation) Shelter Staffing (Core & Expanded Functions) 1. Site Management 2. Reception 3. Mass Care 4. Public Information 5. Site Maintenance 6. Public Safety and Security 7. Logistics 8. Health & Medical 9. Basic Mental Health Crisis Counseling 10. Unaccompanied minors 11. Child Care 12. Spiritual care 13. Entertainment & recreation 14. Laundry services 15. Record keeping 16. Cost accounting 17. Information technology 18. Transportation 19. Family reunification 20. Bulk distribution 21. Parking and traffic control 22. Recovery assistance (i.e. FEMA representatives) 4

5 Highlighted operations functions are particularly sensitive to knowing that people within the facilities are who they claim to be with regard to delivering services to the site and serving residents. This is especially important when those affected are children, elderly or mentally disabled. Verification of evacuees at reception and throughout the operation, supports the ability to manage site safety and the efficient delivery of services. This identification can also be extended to accelerate the aid delivered by agencies like FEMA based on trust in the identity of the applicant. Each of these highlighted areas is explained in greater detail later in this document. Identity Sensitive Operations and Personnel The table below highlights the leadership team members and the key functions within the NTS that most require, and should depend on, the strength of verified identities to safely perform their duties. You will notice our recommended Incident Information Officer as a key individual who has responsibility for the rollout, use and support of Identity Verification solutions throughout the operation. Identity Sensitve Functions Incident Information Officer Incident Commander Site Owner / Mgt Local Emergency Mgt State & Federal Reps Deputy Incident Commander Public Information Officer Reception Site Maintenance Public Safety & Security Logistics Unaccompainied Minors Childcare Record Keeping Information Technology Family Reunification Recovery Assistance Laison Officer The ability to easily verify identities will support the diverse series of key functions listed above and support the leaders highlighted throughout that the NTS is in use. Efficiently leveraging identity verification solutions throughout the operation gives leaders the confidence that the site is serving the right people, that those in support roles within the facility are who they claim to be, and that aid can be administered efficiently to support recovery efforts. The next section provides more depth on each of these areas and the kinds of tools that can be provided to meet these goals. 5

6 Having a verified identity monitor of all the evacuees and staff that have come and gone from the facility could be made available as a smartphone app or other method to provide leaders with an intelligent view into the shelter population. Evacuees identities can be verified against a golden identity record provided through a state shared service so the NTS is able to efficiently coordinate services throughout the duration of the operation. A First Responder Authentication Credentials, (FRAC) model that relies on identity verification can be integrated with resources onsite within an NTS to ensure that first responders that may need to provide onsite support are able to be easily verified. Reception: The Reception function carries the responsibility for welcoming, registering and tracking evacuees as they come and go from the facility. They are responsible for maintaining awareness of all individuals entering and exiting the NTS which should also include any staff or services providers. Reception should partner with the Resource Unit to ensure that a master roster of all tactical resources is available and that staff check-in procedures are being followed. Site Maintenance: Site maintenance is a function that overlaps with many others throughout the operation including, but not limited to Dormitory Management, and Support Services (bulk distribution, facilities, receive/ storage, operational logistics, etc). Public Safety & Security: Identity verification used in site maintenance will help security staff and other leadership confidence that only authorized personnel are allowed access to appropriate areas. Minimizing the movement of staff to areas that they are not assigned to can minimize instances in Public Safety Security is responsible which safety can be threatened for providing appropriate security at (i.e. registered sex offenders the NTS as well as fire safety. Further, accessing a child care area) and the function also coordinates with inventory misused. off-site decontamination operations if needed. During the operation of an NTS it is conceivable that local law enforcement, contract security and even volunteers may be leveraged to provide the needed coverage. 6

7 Leaders responsible for the logistical operations of the NTS should be managing their staffs with the same identity verification practices as those providing site maintenance. NTS-wide adoption of these practices will minimize opportunities for breaches that could impact the security of evacuees and staff. Logistics: This area carries the responsibility for all logistics and operations including supplies, distribution, managing donations and the IT/Communications. The Logistics Chief will overlap with the Site Maintenance function frequently. Unaccompanied Minors & Childcare: Providing care for children requires monitoring by appropriately credentialed and authorized staff members to provide safety and appropriate care. Childcare and unaccompanied minors may be considered to both be within the Personal Assistance Provision area of the operation. Unaccompanied children also overlap with the family reunification function of the operation as it strives to bring families back together that may have been separated due to the emergency event. Childcare services are required when guardians need to be concerned with urgent tasks including registration for recovery services, locating adequate housing, etc. As with any vulnerable population, children under the care of NTS staff should be verified and trackable. Staff that are administering care also need to be verified. Use of the verification solutions will minimize the risk of harm to children, raise the confidence of parents in the care being provided to their children and again demonstrate control of the situation by emergency management leaders. In some shelters this area would deal with child concerns as well as any service animal needs for the population of the shelter. 7

8 Leveraging the verified identities of evacuees, against their golden records, as they entered the NTS gives state officials a unique ability to facilitate the fastest possible aid response by agencies like FEMA. Record keeping leaders can present FEMA with a pre-verified (leveraging a golden identity record) roster of evacuees and their pertinent information to minimize the time and process needed to deliver aid. Automated and expedited record keeping also supports the ability of jurisdictions to receive any expected reimbursements as quickly as possible. Record Keeping: NTS Finance and Administration will be responsible for collecting and maintain all record keeping and expenses for each function within the NTS. This function will work with FEMA s Government Assistance Grant Program and other sourcing of funding as appropriate based on the classification of the event (i.e. Presidential disaster declaration). NTS record keeping also calls for the ongoing ability to communicate current evacuee and staff count, disabled/special needs and classifications of the population. (number of evacuees in groups under 2 years of age, 3-7 years old, 8-12 years old, years old, adults years, adults 65+ years, unaccompanied minors, etc.) Information Technology: Working across functions, the Logistics Support and Resource Support branch of the operation will care for information technology needs and coordinating to establish important infrastructure including landlines, satellite phones, hand-held radios, cell/mobile phones, / internet/texting, social media access and even runners in extreme cases. Nearly all aspects of the NTS will be supported by these infrastructures to perform their roles safely and efficiently. Drawing from golden identity records, information technology leaders can enable all functions with the identity verification hardware, software and support to aid in safe/efficient operations. 8

9 Downloadable applications for guardians as well as NTS staff solutions will aid in bringing families back together. Pre-enrollment and association of guardians, children and even pets will further aid in the efficient execution of this function. When evacuees are displaced it is highly unlikely they will be able to meet all of the documentation requirements that would need to be met in order to complete reunification requirements. Identity verification combined with linked state records (pet ownership) can ease the stress families face during emergency situations as they strive to return to normalcy. Family Reunification: Each NTS operation typically will ensure one agency takes lead on the task of reuniting families and orchestrating the services of supporting agencies around that challenge. Upon receiving an unaccompanied minor, staff makes immediate attempts to contact the guardian(s) and reunite. As long as the minor is in the care of the NTS, they will be brought to a child care area of the facility and assigned to the care of one or more staffers until reunification is possible. Reunification also addresses the need to bring families and their pets together when a transition to permanent or temporary housing is taking place. Reunification staff will commonly require proof of ownership, positive ID and address verification in order to allow pets to leave the pet care facility and rejoin a family. Recovery Assistance: An NTS will coordinate with local, private sector and federal resources to address housing needs for evacuees. Coordination includes arranging access and logistical support for agencies involved in recovery services such as FEMA, Social Services agencies, unemployment office, Social Security and faith based organizations. The NTS Record Keeping and supporting functions can leverage Identity verification records and associated state information to accelerate recovery aid processing. Partnerships regarding the proper elements and structure of information can be established in advance to ensure efficiency at the time of need. 9

10 Pet Shelter Canteen Reception Security Staff Area Waiting Area NTS Offices & Unified Command Blue: General Evacuee Areas Gold: Health and Medical Areas Green: Pet Areas Gray: Authorized Staff Only Arrows: Entry and Exit Points Instances of Identity Verification Health & Medical Needs General Registration Recovery Service Reunification Pets Other Needs Evacuee Logistics Supply Management & Storage Site Logistics Management & Storage Phone Bank Public Information Message Board Food Service/ Dining Evacuee Kitchen Personal Supply Bulk Distribution Recreation Area Dormitory Area Single Men Toilets Medical Unit Dormitory Area Single Women Washrooms Washrooms Dormitory Area Families Childcare 10