18. DISASTER AND EMERGENCY PLANNING

Transcription

1 18. DISASTER AND EMERGENCY PLANNING Intrductin All cmmunities within the state f Arizna are vulnerable t the adverse effects f peacetime r wartime disasters. T reduce the lss f life, scial disruptin, and prperty damage assciated with such disasters, the Federal Gvernment has mandated that all states prepare and maintain an emergency respnse plan t prvide and manage the resurces needed t deal with these emergencies. The Federal Emergency Management Assistance Agency (FEMA) develped prttype plans fr use by the state in develping their individual plans. The State, in turn, has prepared a prttype plan fr use by lcal agencies. FEMA prvides the funding t develp and maintain these state and lcal plans. Initially, the majr thrust n the federal level was directed tward civil defense preparedness. Over the past decades, the emphasis has shifted tward peacetime disasters; such as, flds, earthquakes, windstrms, fire, hazardus material incident, etc. The current (1982) Emergency Respnse Plan fr the State f Arizna (peacetime disasters) was develped under the fllwing authrity: Chapter 2, Title 26, Arizna Revised Statutes Chapter 1, Title 35, Sectin 192, Arizna Revised Statutes Executive Order 76-7 Essentially, the plan is structured t define and rganize the resurces that can be mbilized against the threat r ccurrence f any type f disaster. Figure 18-1 shws the basic rganizatins and their respnsibilities. On bth a state and cunty level, almst all agencies are invlved t sme extent in emergency respnse. Figure 18-2 shws the majr cmpnents f the Emergency Respnse Plan, the varius agencies invlved, and their level f respnsibility. ARS states that "state agencies, when designated by the gvernr, and cunties, cities and twns may make, amend and rescind rders, rules, and regulatins necessary fr emergency functins but such shall nt be incnsistent with rders, rules and regulatins prmulgated by the gvernr. This chapter abstracts thse sectins f the Emergency Respnse Plan f particular relevance t the cunty highway engineer. It shuld be stressed that every cunty gvernment shuld have a lcal frm f this plan and that the cunty highway engineering r public wrks staff be familiar with its cntents as well as their individual respnsibilities. Types f Disasters Any natural r man-caused event that may result in the lss f life, scial disruptin, and prperty damage, may be cnsidered a state f disaster. Sme frms f disaster are predictable prir t ccurrence; such as, windstrms, snwstrms, etc., while thers may ccur withut Arizna Cunties Highway Manual 18-1 Rev. 1/99

2 warning, e.g., earthquakes. Sme f the pssible hazards that culd ptentially create a disaster are summarized belw. Flds Flds caused by lcal thunderstrms are the mst frequent severe natural statewide hazard in Arizna. Peridically, verbank flws f rivers r streams result in partial r cmplete inundatin f the adjacent fldplain. Transprtatin crridrs, recreatin areas r cmmunities within fld plain areas are als highly vulnerable t flash flds. Flash flds are f shrt duratin n streams r washes, while ravine flds ccur n river systems whse tributaries drain large gegraphic areas and encmpass several independent river basins and may last fr days. Rain- caused flash flds are difficult t predict as t time and/r lcatin. Over 80 fld-prne cmmunities have been designated in Arizna. Dam failure is a pssible disaster agent similar t extreme flash flding dwnstream frm any f mre than 300 dams in Arizna. Flding f a less severe nature may als be caused by cntrlled releases frm dams. Earthquakes Earthquakes are infrequent, but culd be ptentially devastating (particularly in Gila, Ccnin, Yuma, Cchise, and Greenlee Cunties). Damaging secndary effects frm earthquakes include landslides, dam failure, fire, explsin, utility failure, and envirnmental cntaminatin. Lack f capability t accurately predict earthquakes requires immediate initiatin f lifesaving measures, mitigatin f secndary effects, and majr recvery actins. Nuclear Ptential radiatin leaks may ccur frm nuclear generating facilities. Windstrms Windstrms with wind speeds up t trnad frce ccur in Arizna during the summer mnths. Warning time is minimal and ften dependent n lcal sightings. Dust strms (sands blwn upn high winds) are als extremely hazardus, particularly in the desert cunties. Snwstrms Snwstrms frequently ccur in the higher elevatins and upper plateaus f nrthern Arizna during the winter mnths. These are relatively predictable. Fire Bth structural and wilderness fires are ptentially disastrus especially under drught cnditins with lw humidity and high winds as ccur in perids frm April t mid-july and frm late September thrugh Octber. Hazardus Material Events Arizna Cunties Highway Manual 18-2 Rev. 1/99

3 The manufacture, transprt, strage, use, and dispsal f hazardus materials creates a substantial risk. It is pssible that, at sme time, cntrl ver such material will break dwn causing a spill r ther dangerus cnditin. In such event, it is likely that the first persn n the scene will be unfamiliar with the precautinary prcedures necessary t prtect the public and the envirnment. It is als likely that lcal agencies will nt be equipped with the specialized knwledge and tls t cpe with the situatin. Respnse, therefre, must invlve the timely reprting and crdinating mechanisms t state and federal agencies and the private sectr t mitigate the effects f hazardus materials. Respnsibilities It is the respnsibility f cunty gvernment t plan fr a crdinated mitigatin f, and respnse t, disaster in accrdance with knwn lcal hazards and lcal studies f vulnerability t disasters. Peacetime disasters frequently result in damage t public facilities such as, radways, bridges, drainage and fld cntrl facilities, etc. In additin, large accumulatins f debris may develp which culd increase vulnerability and impede emergency peratins. Such disruptin and damage can imperil lcal inhabitants. It is therefre critical that rapid restratin and repair be undertaken in a well-crdinated, timely way. These effrts will generally include such public wrks activities as remving debris frm radways, repairing rads and bridges, sandbagging fr fld cntrl, and implementing rad clsures r deturs. A.R.S defines the respnsibilities f each cunty's emergency services rganizatin: 1. Establish and maintain a current and detailed rster f public and private rganizatins within the cunty which have persnnel trained and available fr assisting in meeting emergency needs including search r rescue. 2. Establish and maintain a current detailed inventry f facilities, equipment, supplies and ther resurces within the cunty available fr use in meeting emergency needs including search r rescue. 3. Prvide a summary f the infrmatin required in paragraphs 1 and 2 t the state directr f emergency services. The cunty engineer's ffice shuld have in place an peratin prcedure that wuld g int effect as sn as an alert r warning is received. Fr example, areas likely t fld shuld be mnitred t determine if, and when, street clsures r deturs are needed. Required resurces such as barriers, warnings signs, sandbags, etc., shuld be easily accessible tgether with available staff t prperly and safely implement the respnse. Damage Assessment Arizna Cunties Highway Manual 18-3 Rev. 1/99

4 Effective disaster respnse and recvery peratins require immediate, accurate, and cmprehensive appraisal f existing r develping cnditins in the disaster area. Damage assessment can be defined as the prcess f gathering, cmpiling, and evaluating infrmatin s that a realistic appraisal f the situatin can be frmulated. This prcess is usually undertaken within the first 48 hurs after a disaster has ccurred. Lcal preliminary damage recnnaissance prduces descriptive measures f the severity and magnitude f the disaster. This recnnaissance determines: Respnse requirements and capabilities Effectiveness f initial respnse activities Requirement fr supplemental assistance Sme disaster-prne cunties shuld have a standing damage assessment team that has been assigned and trained in the functin f damage recnnaissance. This team will generally be respnsibility fr the fllwing activities: Cnduct damage recnnaissance using resurces under their cntrl. Assist incrprated cities and twns upn request. If state assistance is anticipated, assist in cnslidating data and accurately reprting infrmatin t the Divisin f Emergency Services as sn as pssible. This includes identifying and anntating damaged sites n maps fr use by the State Damage Assessment Teams. Prvide knwledgeable cunty persnnel t assist State Team, as requested. The detailed rles and respnsibilities f lcal, state, and federal agencies are defined in the Emergency Respnse Plan (peacetime) fr the state r Arizna. Arizna Cunties Highway Manual 18-4 Rev. 1/99

5 REFERENCES 1. Dynamic Evacuatin Analyses: Nuclear Pwer Statins, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Washingtn, D.C., 1981, vp. 2. A Guide fr Highway Traffic Regulatin in an Emergency: Plice Functin in Highway Traffic Regulatin in an Emergency, Federal Highway Administratin, Washingtn, D.C., 1974, 2 vls. 3. Hicks, H., et al., Practical Guide fr Public Safety Crisis Relcatin Planning, Santa Barbara, CA., Ryland Research, 1980, vp. 4. JHK & Assciates (JHK), Crisis Relcatin Transprtatin Requirements, San Francisc, 1977, 4 vls. 5. Kartez, J.D., "Crisis Respnse Planning: Tward a Cntingency Analysis," Jurnal f the American Planning Assn., V.50:1, Winter 1984, pp Paxtn, K., et al., Crisis Relcatin Exercise Handbk (RS ), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Pal Alt, CA., 1979, vp. 7. Presby, R.A., Crisis Relcatin Planning Bibligraphy, San Francisc, JHK & Assciates, 1982, vp. Arizna Cunties Highway Manual 18-5 Rev. 1/99