Empowerment Through Preparedness

Most disaster response systems are designed for people who can walk, run, see, read, hear, speak, and quickly respond to alerts and instructions. For the millions of Americans who have disabilities or access and functional needs, emergencies such as fires, floods and acts of terrorism present significant additional challenges. The I/DD community can suffer severe and less forgiving consequences without essential resources, as the margin of resiliency in emergencies is smaller and the impact is higher.

To assist in keeping people informed, safe, and prepared, IRC offers emergency planning resources for clients, vendors, staff and families. IRC recognizes that ensuring personal preparedness during emergencies is essential to community resilience and promotes investment into emergency preparedness through its community engagement and support.

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Emergencies can happen at any time!

IRC clients are at high risk for:

Earthquake · Wildfire · Public Safety Power Shutoff · Extreme Heat · Drought · Terrorism

Are you ready?

During and after an emergency, people may need to survive on their own anywhere from several days to several weeks. Authorities recommend having a supply of food, water and other supplies to last for at least 72 hours, as well as preparing an emergency kit and creating an emergency plan.

  • Do you have a supply of emergency drinking water and food?
  • Do you have a plan for leaving home in an evacuation?
  • Do you have copies of important documents / information?
  • Meeting Place in emergencies?
  • Out of State contacts

Essential Preparedness Steps:

  • Get Informed: Learn about the common hazards in your area
  • Make a plan: Determine where to go and how to stay in touch
  • Build a kit: Gather essential supplies for two weeks
  • Stay Alert: Get connected with emergency alert and news services.
  • Practice – Stay Involved! Rehearse your plan, attend trainings, refresh supplies.

Test Your Readiness:

Are you prepared? Take our preparedness assessment to find out!

  1. If there was an evacuation order, what is the recommended route from where you live?
    a. If you don’t drive what are your options?
    b. Where is the nearest emergency shelter?
  2. Where are the shutoff valves for you household utilities (gas, electricity, water)
    a. Do you know how to use them?
    b. If you need special tools, are they kept handy?
  3. In an emergency, local phone service may be down for some time.
    a. Do you have an out-of-state emergency contact?
  4. Neighbors helping neighbors can be critical in an emergency.
    a. Do you know your neighbors?
    b. Do they know what special needs you may have?

Safe Return Program

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's “Safe Return” Program is a participatory regional photo-based information system designed to assist Law Enforcement agencies during contacts with members of the community who have disabilities such as, but not limited to, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Down syndrome, and other developmental and intellectual disabilities. This program aims to ensure a safe return home for participants.

To read more about the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Safe Return program, visit:

Upcoming Training Events:

March 7th – In-Roads Art Studio Redlands
1040 Nevada St, Suite 305, Redlands, CA, 92374
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

March 21st – OPARC Summit San Bernardino
732 E Carnegie Dr. Suite 150, San Bernardino, CA 92408
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

April 4th – Morning Star, San Bernardino
320 N E. St, Suite 207, San Bernardino, CA 92410
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

April 18th – ABLE (Adult basic Learning Environment) Redlands
1910 Orange Tree Ln, Suite 340, Redlands, CA, 92374
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

May 2nd – Unlimited Quest, Rialto
118 Foothill Blvd, Suite #A2 – A4, Rialto, CA 92376
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

May 16th – OPARC, Montclair CA
9029 Vernon Ave, Montclair, CA 91763
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

May 30th – VIP San Bernardino
1310 Riverview Dr, San Bernardino, CA 92408
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

June 26th – Anthesis, Montclair
10550 Ramona Ave, Montclair, CA 91763
10:00 AM- 12:00 PM

IRC Emergency Services Coordinator

IRC's Emergency Services Coordinator will assist in preparing IRC Clients, families, vendors, and IRC staff for any disaster and/or emergency, both natural and man-made. They will also serve as a liaison between all twenty-one Regional Centers, local and state agencies, and other local responding agencies while collaborating with local utility companies to prepare for planned outage/shutoff that may impact IRC clients. 

For more information, please contact:

Marquis Quinton - [email protected]
Office: (909) 890-3043