(St. Paul, April 13, 2009) Hundreds of residents and emergency responders are keeping watch as the Red River continues to rage out of its banks and into homes – forcing residents along the Fargo-Moorhead border to evacuate.
With the latest forecasts predicting a 75% probability that the second crest will be even higher than the record breaker set on March, 28, public health and safety officials are combing neighborhoods and circulating media updates to ensure that everyone has a safe place to stay.
Emergency, Community and Health Outreach (ECHO), which reached out to hundreds of Spanish, Somali, Croatian and Kurdish families during the first round of flood evacuation, has once again lined up an exceptional group of volunteers, standing by to translate and distribute print, audio and video messages on flood safety and re-entry procedures in over ten languages for limited English speaking communities the moment that information is relayed.
“Non English-speakers are especially at risk during an emergency like this,” said Lillian McDonald, Executive Director of ECHO. “Since they don’t understand the instructions in English they face the serious danger of getting left behind.”
“We called ECHO to see if they could help us notify our Spanish, Somali, Kurdish and Croatian-Bosnian-Serbian families preparing homes for evacuation,” said Kathy McKay, Director of Clay County Public Health. “We wanted everyone to know what to do in case they had to leave homes and jobs quickly.”
ECHO – one of several nonprofits recruited to assist with the evacuation on March, 27 – responded by activating their team of highly-skilled translators and community spokespersons. Within hours, multi-lingual resources were disseminated through ECHO web (www.echominnesota.org), ECHO phone (888.883.8831) and health and safety partner relays. ECHO also worked with Twin Cities Public Television (tpt) and Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN) to provide video resources in Spanish and Somali to cable-access stations in Fargo-Moorhead 24 hours after activation.
“It is a true test of our program, which is designed to provide health, safety and emergency information to nearly half a million Minnesotans whose primary language is not English” said McDonald. “But Croatian and Kurdish were two completely new languages for us. When we were alerted about the presence of strong Croatian and Kurdish populations in the Red River Valley, we had to quickly devise methods to recruit new volunteers that spoke these languages.”
ECHO’s ability to respond quickly and efficiently during an emergency may be put to the test once again, as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) gears up for another round of flood information, or re-entry task details.
“Either way, we will strive hard to be quick, efficient and complete in the services we provide,” McDonald said.
To learn more about ECHO programs, and to view ECHO’s audio, video and print flooding resources, visit www.echominnesota.org or call 888.883.8831.
(May 18th, St. Paul, MN) -- As H1N1 Novel Influenza spread across the country and around the world, ECHO (Emergency, Community and Health Outreach) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) worked closely to provide 500,000 non-English speaking Minnesotans with critical information on the new flu strain.
ECHO, in partnership with MDH, moved to produce a series of 60-second Public Service Announcements (PSAs) with general H1N1 influenza facts that broadcast on radio and television stations statewide in Spanish, Hmong and Somali. The PSAs, which were also available 24/7 on ECHO Phone (888.883.8831), directed audiences to ECHO’s website, where multi-language flu resources were posted since H1N1 first appeared in late April.
“It is our mission to provide health, safety and emergency preparedness information to LEP (limited English proficiency) communities throughout Minnesota. Our PSAs gave LEP Minnesotans the same prevention and treatment messages that English-speaking audiences receive automatically through mainstream media and other sources,” said ECHO Executive Director, Lillian McDonald.
MDH and local public health departments across the state worked long hours to keep the public informed about H1N1 and have information available in English and Spanish on their website. But more was needed to communicate directly with non-English speakers. “ECHO’s community connections, media resources and bi-lingual teams expanded our ability to reach LEP communities across the state.” said Buddy Ferguson, MDH Risk Communication Specialist.
Since 2005, ECHO, an independent non-profit, has produced health, safety and emergency readiness television shows in six languages, broadcasting monthly on Twin Cities Public Television’s Minnesota Channel, (tptMN). The shows are hosted by ECHO’s experienced ethnic spokespersons and feature bi-lingual, highly regarded guest experts.
In response to their communities’ need for access to reliable H1N1 flu information, ECHO’s bi-lingual teams volunteered their time to voice and record the PSAs. Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN) and KFAI AM/FM radio helped produce the spots, which broadcast on public cable and community radio stations across Minnesota.
“We broadcast the PSAs because of their high quality and encouraged our independent station partners to use them as well. The messages reached Hispanic, Southeast Asian and African audiences in St. Cloud, Willmar, Mankato and other locations,” said Janis Lane-Ewart, President of KFAI AM/FM radio.
ECHO, along with its media and health plan partners, donated broadcast time and translation services. In addition to the PSAs, ECHO produced multi-language fact sheets and fliers, available for distribution at www.echominnesota.org.
“Diseases like the H1N1 flu virus cross all boundaries and cultures and people like to come together and help each other stay healthy and safe no matter what language they speak,” said McDonald.