Shelter and Mass Care Planning

Project Overview

The New England Regional Catastrophic Planning Initiative (NERCPI) aimed to enhance disaster preparedness across New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. The initiative focused on developing plans for organization, coordination, and response. It specifically addressed the displacement and care of up to 15 percent of their populations after a catastrophic event. A key focus was addressing shelter and mass care needs to ensure efficient recovery and response in the aftermath of a disaster.

Understanding the Mission

NERCPI contracted Hagerty to facilitate the development of a comprehensive Shelter and Mass Care Coordination Annex and Playbook. To ensure the success of the project, Hagerty’s team was tasked with:

• Gathering information on best practices for mass care;
• Assessing the region’s available resources, capabilities, and gaps; and
• Developing a detailed action plan for moving forward.

The Hagerty Advantage

Hagerty kicked off the project by conducting research on best practices and analyses of mass care needs in catastrophic multi-jurisdictional disasters. This included reviewing existing NERCPI plans, After Action Reports (AARs) from global incidents, mass care tools, and field expert studies. Ultimately, the team compiled all findings in a comprehensive Mass Care Best Practice Report.

In the second phase, Hagerty developed a detailed capability assessment and catastrophic mass care gap analysis. The team asked jurisdictions across the region to complete a questionnaire on their current mass care and sheltering capabilities. Once complete, they compared responses to the region’s projected needs for catastrophic mass care. The comparison leveraged key federal guidance, established mass care standards, and expert insights. The results informed the creation of the Regional Improvement Action Plan, providing critical information to guide long-term mass care and capacity building.

The final phase involved creating the Shelter and Mass Care Coordination Annex and Playbook, along with supplementary tools. The annex serves as a coordination guide for regional mass care planning during catastrophic events. It includes an Executive Playbook, outlining clear procedures for regional mass care leadership during a disaster. Additional tools developed include a Functional Needs Support Services Checklist and a Household Pet Sheltering Checklist, ensuring comprehensive support for all affected populations.

Achieving Results

As a result of our efforts, the client extended Hagerty’s contract and requested that several workshops be developed for Functional Needs Support Services (FNSS).