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Emergency Communications in Lamorinda

Learn about the importance of emergency communication in Lamorinda and how CERT and Ham Radio volunteers collaborate to provide effective and timely communication during disasters.

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Emergency Communications in Lamorinda

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  1. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda CERT and Ham Radio Working Together to provide Emergency Communications in the Lamorinda Area

  2. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda What is Emergency Communication ? How will it be used in an emergency ? Who will provide it in an emergency ? How will it actually be done ? What will be your role in Emergency Communication in Lamorinda ?

  3. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda What is Emergency Communication ?

  4. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda What is Emergency Communication ? Emergency Communication is a two-way communication system during a major disaster event, which reports what is happening in one place to someone in another place so that effective and timely remedial action can take place…….

  5. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda What is Emergency Communication ? Emergency Communication is a two-way communication system during a major disaster event, which reports what is happening in one place to someone in another place so that effective and timely remedial actioncan take place…….

  6. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda …..Things like: How many people are injured, and what kinds of injuries. How many buildings (homes) are damaged…. …….and how badly How many people need relocation to a shelter.

  7. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda …..Things like: Is there an eminent threat of fire or other menaces to persons in your area? What kinds of road hazards might responders encounter What kinds and quantities of supplies do you need

  8. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda What is Emergency Communication ? Typically, Emergency Communication starts with local community workers (CERT, and others) who canvass their neighborhoods looking for people and places which need help

  9. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda This kind of information, and more needs to be communicated from neighborhoods, (YOU) to those people who can bring the fastest and most effective relief to your area……

  10. Rapid Needs Assessment Neighborhood Assessment following a major incident. Lamorinda Law, Fire, CERT, HOA and Radio February 10, 2014

  11. The ability of local governments to perform a Rapid Needs Assessment accurately and within the first few hours after an incident or emergency is critical to providing a response designed to save lives and support life sustaining actions. FEMA G557

  12. Assessment Phases Assessment is Accomplished in 3 Phases • Rapid Needs Assessment (RNA) takes place during or immediately after the event and focuses on lifesaving needs, imminent hazards, critical lifelines and available resources. • Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) identifies and affixes a dollar value to damages. • Combined Verification includes a detailed inspection of damages to individual sites.

  13. Why is Damage Assessment Important? First Step to Recovery! Assists in identifying life safety issues. Assists in identifying resources needed, i.e. manpower, equipment, supplies. Assists in identifying available resources. Gives information to those that need to plan, coordinate, and act on the incident. Provides an accurate account and extent of the emergency by providing information in a standardized manner.

  14. The Form Rapid Needs Assessment form, Rev. 02/12/2014

  15. The Form Details Common terminology for describing damage

  16. The 4 Degrees of Damage • Affected • Minor Damage • Major Damage • Destroyed

  17. Affected The house has a tree on it. The roof is intact, the windows appear ok, and the house looks very livable. This residence is “affected”.

  18. Affected Masonry building with exposed cracks. Building may have additional damage but on the outside, it appears mostly normal and likely functional.

  19. Affected Less than 2” of water on floor. Foundation intact. No obvious structural damage.

  20. Affected This category includes dwellings with minimal damage to structure and/or contents and the home is habitable without repairs.

  21. Minor Damage The house has a tree on it. The roof is damaged, but only one area of the residence is affected. It’s repairable. Damage limited to 1 wall or roof.

  22. Minor Damage Partial wall collapse but clearly repairable. Not a complete wall failure; building probably needs further technical inspection.

  23. Minor Damage No Basement. Less than 1’ of water in residence.

  24. Minor Damage Minor damage encompasses a wide range of damage and is generally the most common type of damage. Minor damage exists when the home is damaged and uninhabitable or only partially habitable, but may be made habitable in a short period of time with home repairs. Some of the items that determine minor damage are listed below: • Will require less than 30 days to repair. • Windows or doors blown in. • One foot or more of water/sewer backup in basement (i.e., furnace, water heater damage). • Has less than 50% damage to structure.

  25. Major Damage The house has a tree that went through the roof to the ground. Multiple walls damaged. Heavy damage, may not be re-buildable.

  26. Major Damage Soft story failure in Santa Cruz mountains from Loma Prieta earthquake. The building, like many such red-tagged buildings may be repairable rather than demolished

  27. Major Damage 2 to 5 feet of water on the first floor. Potential for major damage in the structure.

  28. Major Damage Major damage exists when the home has sustained structural or significant damages, is uninhabitable and requires extensive repairs. Any one of the following may constitute major damage. • Substantial failure of structural elements of the residence (e.g., walls, roof, floors, foundation, etc.). • Has more than 50% damage to structure. • Will require more than 30 days to repair. • One foot or more of water on the first floor (of a home with basement).

  29. Examples of Major Damage Indicators Earthquake Damage may include failure of one or more of the following: stucco siding, in combination with failures to structural elements, such as chimney, roof, buckling of walls, foundation, broken windows, racking of structure, masonry and mortar failures, and plaster cracks. Failure of non-visual “in-ground” items could be commonplace and further exploration may be required (e.g., water, sewer, and gas lines, wells and septic systems, foundations). (Assumption: residence is a typical post-WW II, California home with stucco siding.) Fire Any one of, or a combination of, the following could constitute major fire damage: severe smoke damage, fire damage to residence (e.g., roof, exterior siding, windows, and doors) water and/or fire-suppressant chemical damage, imminent danger from ground-cover loss. (Assumption: damage is to a standard ranch home.)

  30. Examples of Major Damage Indicators Mudslide/Earth movement Any sign of earth movement that may affect the residence. (Note: there may be times when a hill shows signs of movement ¼ mile above a group of homes that are not (yet) damaged but all will be recorded as being in “imminent danger.” Other damage may include failures to structural elements of the dwelling walls, floors, or foundations.) (Assumption: typical ranch home built on or near a hillside.)

  31. Examples of Major Damage Indicators FLOOD If a house with a basement had more than 1 foot of water on the first floor, it ordinarily would have suffered Major damage, especially if the furnace and water heater are located in the basement. Without a basement, the threshold for Major damage would be in the 2 to 4 foot range, depending on length of time the home was inundated, home construction, and sediment content of the flood water. In most cases, 2 feet of water will require replacement of a 4 foot perimeter of sheetrock due to insulation wicking. With 4 feet of water there will most likely be a 6 foot cut of sheetrock required, if not full replacement. Two feet or more of water on the first floor also affects all appliances, lower cabinets, etc. (assumption: typical ranch home, quick rising and falling water levels, without velocity or chemical factors.)

  32. Destroyed ‘nuff said.

  33. Destroyed Greater than 5’ of water.

  34. Destroyed Destroyed means the structure is a total loss or damaged to such an extent that repairs are not economically feasible. Any one of the following may constitute a status of destroyed: • Structure is not economically feasible to repair. • Structure is permanently uninhabitable. • Complete failure of major structural components (e.g., collapse of basement walls/foundation, walls, or roof). • Only foundation remains.

  35. Destroyed(continued) Two or more walls destroyed and roof substantially damaged. House pushed off foundation An unaffected structure that will require removal or demolition (e.g., homes in imminent danger due to impending landslides, mudslides, or sinkholes; beachfront homes that must be removed due to local ordinance violations as a result of beach erosion).

  36. Inaccessible This group includes homes that are inaccessible by normal means, due to disaster-related road closures (e.g., bridge out, road flooded or blocked by landslide, mudslide, severe erosion, washed out, etc.).

  37. Photos of Damage • If you take photos of damage: • Take first photo of curb painted street address, if possible • If no address, use GPS location from your cell phone • Turn on Geo-tagging for photos or • Google Earth or other App • Mark it on paper for 1st photo • Avoid photographing people

  38. Other things to watch for: • Collapse of a major non-critical structure • Significant damage to residential areas • Major road blockage • Serious infrastructure damage • Looting • Large groups of stranded or uninhabited citizens

  39. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda ……So besides all the other responsibilities you may have as a disaster volunteer……you will need to communicate your needs to someone in another place, who can help you.

  40. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda To do this you will need: 1. A reliable damage assessment recording system. 2. A reliable communication device to get that information to those who can help……

  41. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda How will you do this?

  42. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda FIRST: A Reliable Damage Assessment Reporting device

  43. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda The Rapid Needs Assessment Form

  44. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda NEXT: A reliable communication device to get that information to those who can help

  45. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda OPTIONS: Use a cell phone?...Or a corded phone?

  46. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda CELL PHONE / CORDED PHONE • Are cell or corded phones in operation? ….They might be…chances are ??? ….Cell phones and corded use different lines • Are the lines jammed beyond use? • Do you know who to call? • Is 911 going to be much use to you?

  47. Emergency Communications in Lamorinda ……About 911…. In “Normal” Times Cell Phones connect to CHP….then to local Corded phones connect directly to local ….But the same issues of “crowded” circuits apply ….And, in a “real emergency” you, in the neighborhoods “on the ground” may not know what agency is working and where it will be!

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