Community Health Workers' Role in Local Emergency Preparedness for Southern California Latino Communities

Southern California is susceptible to natural and man-made environmental disasters, prone to wildfires, flooding, mudslides, and earthquakes, and chemical spills from freight train derailments. Despite the well-established responsibility of local Public Health Departments (LPHD) to engage communities, promote readiness, and foster resilience, work by the Loma Linda University Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center (LLU PERRC) has shown that time, budget, and cultural limitations hinder public health emergency preparedness and response by cash-strapped local LPHD. As a result, culturally, linguistically, and/or geographically isolated communities remain vulnerable to high-probability disasters. LLU PERRC proposed using promotores to facilitate communication and emergency preparedness education linkages between LPHD and Spanish-and English-speaking low income urban/rural communities in Riverside County. Promotores have been identified as a culturally viable strategy to promote wellness and positive community change for Latinos. LLU PERRC collaborated with promotores from local community-based organizations and the County Fire Department to promote Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and to recruit community members for future CERT trainings. Promotores were shown to be a valuable link to urban/rural communities in Riverside County by increasing awareness of probable local disasters, motivating community members to take action toward readiness, and serving as trusted liaisons. While promotores are not traditionally engaged by LPHD, they may be suitable partners for increasing community capacity and emergency preparedness. This session will examine challenges, lessons learned, and strategies used to connect promotores to LPHD to decrease community vulnerabilities to disaster. Similarities and differences observed when engaging urban and rural communities will be discussed.