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Ramsey County │ Annex H: Mass Care and Shelter 7 <br />disasters. The health and safety of the County’s population is the priority for all Ramsey County MCS <br />activities. The focus of the initial lines of effort is to meet the immediate basic sustainment (shelter, <br />food, water, basic supplies, and information) needs of disaster survivors. The basic services provided will <br />not replicate pre-disaster living conditions and standards, but they must provide an environment <br />conducive to the physical and emotional safety of all community members displaced from the places <br />they normally live and work. <br />Accessibility of all services complies with federal laws governing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) <br />directives and is considered a top priority for sheltering/care site services, as is the communications <br />about those services. Addressing the needs of not only those with disabilities/disability integration <br />needs and access and functional needs (DAFN) but also addressing the unique cultural needs of those <br />from diverse communities within a jurisdiction requires a whole community, collaborative effort. This <br />Annex prioritizes the planning and provision of equitable care and shelter services for all culturally <br />diverse members of the communities in the County. Meeting the legal mandates requires transparency, <br />ensuring there is no discrimination in the planning for or provision of MCS assistance. Those working in <br />or supporting MCS must respond to the displaced population by providing all services, aids, and benefits <br />with consideration for the specific functional and access needs of all individuals, making every <br />reasonable effort to provide equitable access to services for all. <br />Shelter assistance and services will be offered to any person whose homes and/or normal living <br />situation have been impacted by a disaster, regardless of personal status or circumstances. The County <br />does not discriminate based on nationality, race, religious beliefs, class, disability, political opinions, <br />sexual orientation, gender identity, or documentation status. Increased social vulnerabilities and <br />marginalized minority groups have become touchpoints across the nation, with COVID-19 highlighting <br />many long-standing systemic health and social inequities that have put communities of racial and ethnic <br />minorities at risk. MCS services will assist individuals who traditionally may face discrimination and are <br />vulnerable to exploitation or victimization. Therefore, equitably addressing the needs and <br />considerations of all individuals displaced by disaster and maintaining a safe and healthy environment in <br />the shelter site, is a MCS operational priority. <br />Needs that will be considered and addressed may include, but are not limited to, cultural considerations <br />informed by race and ethnicity, including indigenous peoples, communities of color, and immigrant and <br />refugee communities; gender, including women; age, including the elderly and youth; sexual and gender <br />minorities; people with disabilities; occupation and income level including low-income individuals and <br />the unhoused; education level; people with no or limited English language proficiency; limited digital <br />access; and geographic location. <br />In the effort to meet this equity commitment, the County will do due diligence for ensuring cultural <br />competence in delivering MCS services through the following approaches and tasks: <br />• Engage and integrate people from the spectrum of representative demographics of local <br />jurisdictions in MCS planning efforts and incorporating their input to provide quality assurance <br />that the unique individual needs of all community members are addressed during response <br />activities.