Survey to assess emergency preparedness level of Kauaʻi households this month

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health’s Kauaʻi District Health Office will conduct a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) survey to assess the emergency preparedness level of Kauaʻi households at the end of June.

Survey teams will go door to door Monday, June 23, through Friday, June 27, in 30 randomly selected census blocks. Seven houses within each block will be systematically selected and surveyed for a total of 210 attempted household-level surveys.

“By asking households about their emergency supplies and evacuation plans, CASPER surveys enable the Kauaʻi District Health Office and the county to better meet our community’s needs before, during, and after a disaster,” said Lauren Guest, deputy district health officer with the Kauaʻi Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity program. “CASPER surveys also serve as a valuable training opportunity for our staff so that they are adequately trained to conduct rapid needs assessments in the field prior to a local disaster.”

This will be the department’s eighth CASPER survey. The methodology was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to rapidly assess the health and other resource needs of a community after a disaster.

The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete, and participation is voluntary. All responses are confidential; no names or addresses will be collected. Selected households will be asked about their emergency and evacuation plans; concerns regarding climate change and infectious diseases; and general questions about life on Kauaʻi.

Teams will be comprised of Department of Health staff with support from the Kauaʻi Medical Reserve Corps and the Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency. They will be wearing vests identifying themselves as part of the survey team and will carry identification cards.

Selected households will be offered the opportunity to complete the survey over the phone, if preferred.