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Chapter 31. Disaster and Large Incident Response. Introduction. Every community vulnerable to a large incident Disaster: incident that overwhelms a community’s resources Large incident: encompasses incidents not thought of as disasters
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Chapter 31 Disaster and Large Incident Response
Introduction • Every community vulnerable to a large incident • Disaster: incident that overwhelms a community’s resources • Large incident: encompasses incidents not thought of as disasters • Examples: warehouse fire, hazardous materials incident at a school
Types of Disasters andLarge Incidents • Disasters may be the result of natural events or human actions • May cause short-term or long-term problems • Can lead to other disasters • Example: weather event that causes a dam break, flooding, power outages, and public health problems • Fire departments must have specific plans • Connected with local government’s disaster management plans
Water-Related Emergencies • Result from flooding or weather conditions • May result from critical infrastructure failure, such as a dam failure • Flooding is often result of prolonged rain conditions, tsunamis, hurricanes, and melting of large amounts of snow and ice • Flooding can strand people, cause massive damage, create fires, and prohibit response • Tsunami: series of enormous waves caused by underwater event
Figure 31-1 This photo shows a portion of New Orleans, Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina hit in September 2005. The widespread flooding resulted from both the weather conditions and the failure of dams. (Courtesy of FEMA/Michael Rieger)
(B) (A) Figure 31-2 Far inland areas of Sumatra experienced minor flooding during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami (A); however, the coastlines experienced massive devastation (B). (Courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey/Guy Gelfenbaum)
Earthquakes and Landslides • Earthquakes result from shifts in plates of Earth’s crust along geographic fault lines • Typically result in injuries, fires, and damage to buildings and infrastructure • Require substantial resources • Landslides: large areas of rock, earth, and debris that shift unexpectedly down a slope • Result from earthquakes and prolonged rain • Can also result from human alterations to the land
Figure 31-4 Major damage to community infrastructure as a result of an earthquake. (Courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey/E. V. Leyendecker)
Severe Weather Incidents • Hurricanes: low-pressure weather systems that form in the tropics • Large amounts of rain, flooding, landslides, and major structural damage • Tornados: violent winds rotating in funnel-shaped cloud • Major structural damage • Severe storms may also be large-scale incident • Large incidents can result from temperature extremes
Fires and Explosions • Major fire can result in significant response by emergency services • Wildfires can rapidly become a disaster • Traverse many acres of land • Threaten homes, businesses, and infrastructure • Explosions may be result of weather emergency • May be caused by equipment failures • May be intentional • Large-scale fires, wildfires, and explosions cause structural and environmental damage
Power Outages • Humans rely on power supplied to homes and businesses • Mass power outage or prolonged outage leads rapidly to large incident or disaster • Power outages can adversely affect fire stations and fire department resources • Make it more difficult to respond to calls for help
Hazardous Materials Emergencies • Hazardous materials emergencies quickly become disasters • Depends on type of product leaked or spilled • Result in mass evacuations • Result in infrastructure damage, explosions, fires, large numbers of sick or injured • Some chemical scenarios affect citizens 15 to 20 miles away from chemical release • May kill or injure hundreds of people
Volcanic Emergencies • Volcanoes are mountains that open beneath the Earth’s crust to molten rock • Pressure from gases in molten rock can build • Result is upward expulsion through center of mountain • Lava flows are destructive • Take down everything in their path • Generate fires along periphery of flow • Eruptions release large quantities of ash into the air
Nuclear Power Plant Emergencies • Emergency involving a nuclear power plant can be devastating • Very rare • Nuclear power plants closely monitored by government agencies • Employ several safety measures • Greatest risk is human exposure to radiation • Path of radioactive materials and plume • Exposure to high levels of radiation causes serious illnesses and death
Terrorism • Acts of terrorism often large-scale emergencies or disasters • Number of victims; significant structural and infrastructural damage • Complexity of responding agencies • Terrorists’ main objective is to terrorize the community • To create an event that overwhelms community’s ability to respond effectively
Responding to Disastersand Large Incidents • First responders represent the front lines of disaster and large-incident response • Local governments have emergency plans for dealing with disasters in general • Hazard-specific annexes to the plan that go into more detail for specific incident types • Fire department has a role in every emergency because they are the first to arrive
Mutual Aid • Local emergency resources will be overwhelmed in large incidents and disasters • Mutual aid units required to assist in response • Can occur through mutual aid agreements or inter-jurisdictional plans • In disasters, mutual aid may be requested from beyond normal scope of agreements • From neighboring states or across the country • Certain regional resources designed for certain aspects of an incident
Expanding Response • Each state has a state Emergency Management Agency or Emergency Response Commission • State focal point for all disaster coordination • State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) notifies counties affected • Neither EOC nor FEMA have mass resources to handle any disaster • FEMA reimburses local government for expenses • Formal written disaster declaration from the governor
Federal Disaster Resources • Governor requests disaster declaration and commits state funds and resources • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) evaluates the request • Recommends action to the White House • Department of Homeland Security (DHS) becomes involved • Federal response structured by the National Response Plan
Figure 31-13 A USAR team in action. (Courtesy of Fairfax County, Virginia, Fire and Rescue Department’s Virginia Task Force 1 USAR Team)
Other Resources • Large incidents and disasters can exhaust many resources • Often help is needed faster than governments can mobilize • Private sector organizations often play a role • Example: Red Cross • Many local communities include private sector organizations in emergency plans
National IncidentManagement System • National Incident Management System (NIMS) has two concepts: flexibility and standardization • Designed to be flexible enough to adapt to wide variety of disasters and responders • Provides standardized organizational structures and processes • Improves interoperability between agencies and governments • Standardization applies to processes and terminology
The Firefighter inDisaster Response • The firefighter is the critical link in the disaster response chain • Training important in disaster response • Communication a critical factor • Firefighters should recall knowledge of department accountability and safety procedures • Freelancing is dangerous and may damage effectiveness of operation
Figure 31-15 New York City firefighters search through the rubble for victims of the World Trade Center collapse in September 2001. (Courtesy of FEMA/Michael Rieger)
Lessons Learned • Disasters and large incidents are a great burden on emergency response system • Firefighters often act for extended operational periods • Disaster brings resources from wide variety of agencies • Disasters affect communities for years • Firefighter is a vital connection between victim and army of responders
