ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. Leaders from the United Motorcoach Association attended the second annual Nursing Home Hurricane Summit here last month, and exchanged ideas with care home administrators on finding transportation for their residents during disasters.

Representing UMA at the two-day summit was association Chairman Brian Scott of Escot Bus Lines in Largo, Fla., Vice Chairman Godfrey Lebron of Paradise Trailways in New York, and Ken Presley, UMA vice president of industry relations.

Attending the conference were nursing home administrators and state emergency preparedness officials from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, and Texas.

Also on hand were representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal organizations.

'We first became interested in working with this group several months ago when we were introduced to them by Bob Watkins of Consolidated Safety Services,'

said Presley.

'No doubt it has been an education process for both administrative personnel from long-term, assisted-living caregivers and the motorcoach industry. There is at least some perception out there that our industry does not want to work with this market segment,' said Presley.

'This shouldnt be this hard,' said Scott. 'Both long-term care facilities and operators need to sit down and understand the different trigger points required in emergency evacuation and start planning,' he said.

'I have a personal stake in safe and effective transportation of long-term

care/assisted-living residents,' said Lebron, 'My mother is a resident of a nursing home and while I am beginning to understand the needs of long-term care facilities, I also understand I want my mother to be safe and well cared for in the process.'

Motorcoach companies and long-term care facilities 'need to work together all year long,' said Scott. 'We should be looking at working with long-term care and assisted-living facilities as a year-long business opportunity and the facilities should develop relationships with passenger transportation providers.'

During the meeting, Watkins of Consolidated Safety Services suggested that nursing homes buy buses retired by metropolitan transit authorities, such as New York, Atlanta or Chicago. Relatively cheap to buy, the buses could be maintained and driven for a fee by private bus companies, Watkins told the nursing home administrators.

The biggest advantage, he said, would be assurance that rides would be available when needed. 'It's a common-sense solution to a very big problem,' he said, adding that the buses typically cost $2,000 or less each, and he estimated annual maintenance at less than $1,000.

A key question, however, is who would pay for the buses.

Watkins said nursing homes could buy them and pay private bus companies to maintain their vehicles, or lease them to the firms on the condition they be available on call.

However, nursing home industry representatives argue that it makes more sense for the government to buy a fleet of used transit buses and make them available for emergency use.

'I think its a viable consideration for FEMA,' said one Florida nursing home official. 'We think this should be a national response, instead of an individual (nursing home) facility response.'

The nursing home industry has expressed frustration with the federal government for signing contracts with private companies for the right to use hundreds of buses in an emergency. In addition, nursing home representatives say FEMA has reserved the right to take control of other buses if needed.

'We don't have (access to) enough buses in the first place,' said Janice Zalen, a director with the American Health Care Association, a national organization of long-term care facilities.

'If I learned anything during the summit,' said Lebron, 'its that we, as an industry, must work harder and reach out to demonstrate we are part of the solution. As an industry, we have a societal responsibility.'

A suggestion by Lebron that assisted-living communities charter a motorcoach monthly so residents, staff and families can get acclimated to coach travel was well received.

Many nursing homes said they now include staff families and pets in their evacuation plans. Lebron proposed they also consider including the driver's family and pets as well to assure the drivers availability.

Scott brought an Escot Bus Lines motorcoach and a transit-style bus to the summit so participants could inspect the differences and various applications.

'It was a great event,' said Scott. 'Im truly looking forward to reaching out to this sector and developing an array of transportation options. Thats what we do.'