About VPAT

Public Health - Seattle & King County has been working collaboratively with community based organizations through the Vulnerable Populations Action Team (VPAT) since 2006 to ensure that no one group is more impacted than another in an emergency. VPAT helps service providers get prepared, stay prepared and be ready to respond to their clients needs during times of disaster.

VPAT fully recognizes that without the partnership and assistance of community-based agencies that serve vulnerable individuals, we will not effectively reach these populations during an emergency. VPAT offers training and assistance to community-based organizations (CBOs), provides emergency information to residents through a communications network, and advocates on behalf of vulnerable populations for greater consideration in emergency preparedness.

VPAT works collaboratively with community based organizations to ensure that no one group is more impacted than another in an emergency. VPAT helps service providers get prepared, stay prepared and be ready to respond to their clients needs during times of disaster.

The following goals guide the VPAT work:

• We will identify and better understand the preparedness, response and recovery needs of community-based organizations that serve vulnerable populations.
• Community based organizations will be better prepared to continue delivery of service and have the skills/capacity to train their staff (and clients) to provide basic response and recovery services.
• Essential public health information will reach residents in all vulnerable population segments prior to and throughout an emergency event.
• Vulnerable population planning activities will be integrated into all government, healthcare, community based organization and internal public health systems.

The Community Communications Network (CCN) is designed to improve Public Health's ability to outreach to vulnerable communities during an emergency. Currently, the CCN includes more than 200 agencies and includes after hours contact information for the majority. In times of crisis, Public Health will use the Community Communications Network to contact agencies that provide services to vulnerable populations who may not have access to traditional communication channels. CBOs pass this information to the vulnerable populations that they serve, and notify VPAT if their clients need any further assistance, resources, or information that the CBO cannot provide.

• Join the network (PDF)