Wiley Pathways Emergency Planning - Softcover

Perry, Ronald W.; Lindell, Michael K.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0471920770 ISBN 13: 9780471920779

Publisher: Wiley, 2006

Synopsis

In order for a community to be truly prepared to respond to any type of emergency, it must develop effective emergency planning. Emergency Planning guides readers through the steps of developing these plans, offering a number of strategies that will help ensure success. It delves into the patterns of human disaster behavior, social psychology, and communication as well as the basics of generic protective actions, planning concepts, implementation, and action.

About this title

About the Author

Ronald W. Perry joined Arizona State University in 1983 as Professor of Public Affairs. He has studied natural and technological hazards and terrorism since 1971. His principal interests are incident management systems, citizen warning behavior, public education and community preparedness. He has published more than a dozen books and many journal articles. Perry currently serves on the Steering Committees of the Phoenix Urban Areas Strategic Initiative and the Phoenix Metropolitan Medical Response System. He also serves on the Arizona Council for Earthquake Safety and on the Fire Chiefs’ Advisory Committees for the Arizona Cities of Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix and Tempe. He holds the Award for Excellence in Emergency Management from the Arizona Emergency Services Association and the Pearce Memorial Award for Contributions to Hazardous Incident Response from the Phoenix Fire Department. He also holds both the Award for Outstanding Environmental Achievement by a Team from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a Certificate of Recognition from Vice President Gore’s National Partnership for Reinventing Government.

Michael K. Lindell is the former Director of the Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center (HRRC) at Texas A&M University and has 30 years of experience in the field of emergency management, conducting research on community adjustment to floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and releases of radiological and toxic materials. He worked for many years as an emergency preparedness contractor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and has provided technical assistance on radiological emergency preparedness for the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Department of Energy, and nuclear utilities. In addition, he has trained as a Hazardous Materials Specialist at the Michigan Hazardous Materials Training Center and worked on hazardous materials emergency preparedness with state emergency response commissions, local emergency planning committees, and chemical companies. In the past few years, Lindell directed HRRC staff performing hurricane hazard analysis and evacuation planning for the entire Texas Gulf coast. He has made over 120 presentations before scientific societies and short courses for emergency planners, and he has been an invited participant in workshops on risk communication and emergency management in this country and abroad. Lindell has also written extensively on emergency management and is the author of over 120 technical reports and journal articles, as well as five books.

From the Back Cover

You can get there

Where do you want to go? You might already be working in the emergency management field, and may be looking to expand your skills. You might be setting out on a new career path. Or, you might want to learn more about exciting opportunities in emergency management.

Wherever you want to go, Emergency Planning will help you get there. Easy-to-read, practical, and up-to-date, this text not only helps you learn fundamental emergency planning concepts; it also helps you master the core competencies and skills you need to succeed in the classroom and beyond. The book’s brief, modular format and variety of built-in learning resources enable you to learn at your own pace and focus your studies.

With this book, you will be able to:
Understand how emergency planning fits within the field of emergency management.
Examine the components of an emergency plan, principles that guide the planning process, and resources that can be used in the planning process.
Learn about the impacts of disasters on people’s mental and physical health.
Assemble an emergency planning team, motivate the team members, and train the team.
Learn how people can protect themselves from the impact of different types of disasters.
Estimate hazard exposure.
Write a professional emergency plan.
Implement continuity plans for both the government and businesses.
Explore the relationship between emergency planning and mitigation planning.
Detect disasters and warn the population of the disaster.
Learn the best ways to communicate hazard adjustments to the public.
Understand the role of the EmergencyOperationsCenter and the Incident Management System.
Balance local needs with federal laws and requirements.
Explore opportunities and trends in the profession of emergency planning
Wiley Pathways helps you achieve your goals

When it comes to learning about emergency management, not everyone is on the same path. But everyone wants to succeed. The new Wiley Pathways series in Emergency Management helps you achieve your goals with its brief, inviting format, clear language, and focus on core competencies and skills.

The books in this series––Introduction to Emergency Management, Hazard Mitigation and Preparedness, Emergency Planning, Technology in Emergency Management, and Disaster Response and Recovery––offer a coordinated curriculum for learning emergency management. Learn more at www.wiley.com/go/pathways.

From the Inside Flap

You can get there

Where do you want to go? You might already be working in the emergency management field, and may be looking to expand your skills. You might be setting out on a new career path. Or, you might want to learn more about exciting opportunities in emergency management.

Wherever you want to go, Emergency Planning will help you get there. Easy-to-read, practical, and up-to-date, this text not only helps you learn fundamental emergency planning concepts; it also helps you master the core competencies and skills you need to succeed in the classroom and beyond. The book’s brief, modular format and variety of built-in learning resources enable you to learn at your own pace and focus your studies.

With this book, you will be able to:

Understand how emergency planning fits within the field of emergency management.
Examine the components of an emergency plan, principles that guide the planning process, and resources that can be used in the planning process.
Learn about the impacts of disasters on people’s mental and physical health.
Assemble an emergency planning team, motivate the team members, and train the team.
Learn how people can protect themselves from the impact of different types of disasters.
Estimate hazard exposure.
Write a professional emergency plan.
Implement continuity plans for both the government and businesses.
Explore the relationship between emergency planning and mitigation planning.
Detect disasters and warn the population of the disaster.
Learn the best ways to communicate hazard adjustments to the public.
Understand the role of the Emergency Operations Center and the Incident Management System.
Balance local needs with federal laws and requirements.
Explore opportunities and trends in the profession of emergency planning

Wiley Pathways helps you achieve your goals

When it comes to learning about emergency management, not everyone is on the same path. But everyone wants to succeed. The new Wiley Pathways series in Emergency Management helps you achieve your goals with its brief, inviting format, clear language, and focus on core competencies and skills.

The books in this series––Introduction to Emergency Management, Hazard Mitigation and Preparedness, Emergency Planning, Technology in Emergency Management, and Disaster Response and Recovery––offer a coordinated curriculum for learning emergency management. Learn more at www.wiley.com/go/pathways.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Wiley Pathways Emergency Planning

By Ronald W. Perry Michael K. Lindell

Jossey-Bass

Copyright © 2006 Ronald W. Perry .
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-471-92077-9

Chapter One

THE EMERGENCY PLANNING PROCESS

Mandates, Structure, and Guidelines

Starting Point

Go to www.wiley.com/college/Perry to assess your knowledge of the emergency planning process.

Determine where you need to concentrate your effort.

What You'll Learn in This Chapter

* The process used to develop a government emergency plan

* The elements of the private sector emergency planning process

* The professional standards and rules governing emergency planning

* The steps to conduct hazard/vulnerability analyses

* The principles that guide the process of emergency planning

After Studying This Chapter, You'll Be Able To

* Assemble and motivate a planning team

* Organize private and nonprofit agencies into the planning process

* Formulate specific government and professional mandates in the planning process

* Manage the planning process and ensure it is comprehensive

* Analyze the connection of planning to operations through the IMS, EOC, and consultation

Goals and Outcomes

* Assess the link between emergency planning process with community preparedness

* Assess a review of an emergency plan

* Assemble vulnerability and resource information into a definition of response needs

* Evaluate agent-generated and response-generated demands for the planning process

* Design the milestones for government- and business-planning processes

INTRODUCTION

Emergency planning is the critical path to community preparedness. It is a process achieved through consultation, equipping, training, exercises, and critiques. Emergency planning practices vary among communities. Some jurisdictions conduct a formal process, assigning specific tasks to a Local Emergency Management Agency (LEMA). In other communities, planning is done informally. In these settings, assigned tasks can be loosely defined, and a limited budget may be dispersed among many agencies within the jurisdiction.

The products of planning may be written or unwritten. The nature of the planning process often depends on the size of the community. Big communities, which have many governmental offices, resources, and personnel, tend to have formalized processes. They rely more on written documentation and agreements. In smaller communities, the planning process may have few written products. They may rely on informal relationships. Formalization of the planning process also differs with the frequency of hazard impact. In communities that face the same threats often, emergency response may be a practiced skill. Thus, in a town subject to seasonal floods, citizens may be routinely warned and evacuated by fire and police. Their actions may not require documentation. Their knowledge and skills may be part of agency standard operating procedures (SOP). Skills may be passed on to newer responders in training or simply by responding to events. Because it happens often, responsibilities are known and practiced.

We advocate having a formal planning process even for small communities. There is value to formalization because it:

* Explicitly defines vulnerability and how it is to be monitored.

* Stabilizes response strategies and tactics.

* Defines responsibilities of internal and external agencies.

* Increases the likelihood that backup safety systems are developed.

* Decreases the likelihood of system breakdowns due to forgetting.

* Ensures important training and exercise functions will be implemented.

* Increases the probability of a successful emergency response.

A formal process helps to ensure a continuing planning process. It also enhances compliance with administrative rules and statutory demands for emergency planning and plans (OSHA requirements, the Clean Air Act, and SARA Title III). Written documentation provides a record of a jurisdiction's planning progress. This information may be used in court.

Professional associations and government set standards for formal planning processes. The top among these are the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The NFPA supports Standard 1600. "Recommended Practice for Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs." NFPA standards are reviewed and revised on a 5-year cycle. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, International Association of Emergency Managers, and the National Emergency Management Association participated in creating the standard. This standard covers private sector business programs. NFPA 1600 sets criteria for creating and operating successful emergency management programs. The standard can be used to assess and improve existing programs. It can be used to create new programs. NFPA defines 11 program elements that look at mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

NFPA 1600 emphasizes vulnerability analysis and mitigation. Programs should contain an element for hazard identification. Risk assessment should address a wide range of hazards. It defines nine elements of vulnerability analysis. The analysis should include likely impacts on the health and safety of the public. It should also cover responders, infrastructure, and continuity of operations. The environment, economic viability, and regulatory and contractual obligations are also examined. A mitigation strategy is required. This strategy must consider building codes, land use practices, retrofitting structures, and other mitigation tactics.

The standard addresses the need for current inventories of internal and external resources. LEMAs are encouraged to make mutual aid agreements. Programs are directed to establish and evaluate performance goals. The vulnerability analysis is outlined to include personnel, equipment, and facilities needed for each threat. These resources should be calculated in terms of quantity required, response times, and capabilities. NFPA 1600 also requires program elements that address the planning protocol and plan content. It delineates emergency management roles and tasks. NFPA 1600 assumes that a formal planning process supports the emergency management program.

This standard is important to you for several reasons. First, it was issued from a respected and established authority. Professionals in government and industry recognize the NFPA standard. Second, NFPA 1600 can be used to evaluate programs. The standard is a model for self-assessment and for use by external evaluators. Finally, NFPA 1600 can serve as a basis for planning. It can help create an emergency management program. It can also enhance an existing program. Government has limited resources. When emergency managers defend budgets or seek funds, NFPA 1600 compliance serves as a solid basis for claims.

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is a government-issued guideline for emergency planning. All federal agencies must adopt NIMS. All state and local organizations must adopt NIMS as a condition for federal preparedness funding. NIMS addresses disaster response capabilities in the context of emergency planning. There are six components to NIMS:

* Command and management addresses the traditional part of Incident Command Systems (ICSs).

* Preparedness addresses the conduct of planning, training, exercises, equipment acquisition, and certification standards.

* Resource management creates a "resource-typing system" and sets rules for managing resources.

* Communication and information management sets standards for communications.

* Supporting technologies for emergency response addresses acquisition of new technology.

* Ongoing management and maintenance requires plan review and strategic assessments.

The planning community has serious doubts about NIMS. The NIMS was devised by using a top-down approach. Everything is centrally coordinated by DHS. Views differ on the scope and intent in developing NIMS (Hess and Gerard, 2004). The detail in which NIMS specifies resources, protocols, and processes concern municipal agencies. More important is the question of whether such detailed specification promotes or retards the effective management of disasters. During Hurricane Katrina's 2005 assault on New Orleans, many federal agencies, as well as state and local agencies, were unable to successfully implement NIMS (Walker, 2006).

There is no doubt DHS has the legal authority to require adoption of NIMS. However, implementation is quite a different matter. NIMS adoption and the reality of an executable capability at the local level are by no means the same. There are many practical challenges for both DHS and local agencies. For DHS to produce standards, they require many resources. For example, they must annually test and certify every command officer in the United States. DHS has created a NIMS Integration Center (www.fema.gov/nims) to oversee the implementation of NIMS, to issue NIMS standards, to test and certify NIMS skills, and to monitor system development. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute offers on-line classes on NIMS and basic ICS. Unfortunately, computer system limitations have plagued these efforts. DHS has violated many established guidelines for planning processes. Nonetheless, making federal funding contingent on NIMS adoption exerts powerful pressure on local governments.

2.1 Planning Practice

Many people believe that written plans define preparedness, but it is important to avoid equating a plan with preparedness. Planning should be a continuing process. The plan itself represents a picture of that process at a specific point in time. A written plan does not guarantee the presence of hazard/vulnerability analyses, ongoing monitoring, personnel training, and system exercising that really define preparedness. Preparedness is a dynamic state. The planning process drives continual monitoring of the threat environment and technology. A written plan is an important part of community emergency preparedness. Being ready results from a process in which a community looks at its full range of weaknesses. Vulnerability, resources, and organizational structures can change over time. Performance skills may disappear when not trained and exercised. These actions maintain preparedness. The planning process is the only path to community preparedness.

Emergency planning is driven by two goals: hazard assessment and risk reduction. Hazard assessment involves documenting known threats and finding new threats. Hazard assessment help can come from intergovernmental partnerships. Federal agencies operate formal programs to share complex information with state and local jurisdictions. As we move from the federal to the municipal level, the availability of technology and expert resources generally decrease. By contrast, as one moves down the intergovernmental structure, knowledge of local risks and resources increases. The assessment of risks includes a technical study of the scale of the impacts on a community's safety, health, property, and social and economic activity. It also includes information about the likelihood of events. For example, FEMA flood maps show how flooding recurs in an area ("100-year flood"). However, the availability and accuracy of data are different between hazard types (see Figure 2-1).

Risk reduction analysis is the specification of the actions necessary to decrease the known or projected levels of danger. It also identifies needed resources for effective action. Because no one has enough resources to eliminate all risks, this process defines the level of acceptable risk. Acceptable risk is the amount of risk exposure that individuals, organizations, or jurisdictions deem appropriate to tolerate. Local powers define the level of acceptable risk. It can vary between jurisdictions. Addressing a risk depends on the presence of technology and the amount of resources that are marshaled. Hazard assessment measures, monitors, and evaluates risks. Risk reduction balances the consequences of risk with the state of technology and the resources that can be devoted to abatement.

The practice of planning varies among governments and organizations. It is a fact of the profession. Like any other human activity, planning depends on those engaging in that activity. It is the resources available from state and national governments that level the playing field. These governments provide resources for planning that all local governments or private organizations can use. We are concerned with the planning practices of public and private organizations. Because emergency planning processes, authorities, and motivations differ between these types of organizations, each is addressed separately here.

2.1.1 Planning for Public Jurisdictions

The structure of the planning process can vary widely, yet many approaches can adequately address all the key issues in a timely manner. Most jurisdictions already have an emergency operations plan (EOP), or perhaps they have a set of plans for a few hazards. And many have set up an authority for such planning, usually a LEMA. Thus, you rarely start a process or a written plan from scratch. That's an advantage. Most often, emergency planners use the planning process to review an existing EOP. An effective planning process has seven milestones.

1. Assemble the planning group or team.

2. Examine hazard vulnerability.

3. Establish task assignments.

4. Conduct resource analysis.

5. Define roles and responsibilities under the plan.

6. Ensure the management structure is adequate.

7. Revise or prepare the written plan.

The first milestone is to make a planning group. Even in LEMAs, the planning team should be gathered in terms of anticipated agent-generated and response-generated demands. For any given threat, create a matrix (Table 2-1) that compares agent-generated with response-generated demands. By completing the matrix, you not only identify who should be part of the planning team but also what resources are needed.

The table names a threat agent and lists demands on the emergency response system. By examining "Who is responsible," you identify departments that should be represented on the planning team. Answering "What is the disaster demand?" helps you to define what must be accomplished, how and by whom.

Defining vulnerability in communities with established plans begins with study of the most recent hazard/vulnerability assessment (H/VA). You look for changes in the aspects of identified threats. You also look for new threats. This process must also include study of the changes in the community that may increase or decrease vulnerability. Has a new levee system been constructed? Is the existing levee system weakening with age? Has the population grown? Are new developments built in hazard-prone areas? Stockton and Sacramento, California, are partly protected from flood inundation by an old levee system built when the populations were much smaller. The hurricane-caused collapse of the New Orleans levees led California authorities to carefully monitor their levees in the 2006 rainy season. Has the population changed in a way that affects response-generated demands? For example, communities in the Southwest have a Hispanic population with different cultural traditions. David Alexander (2003: 98) found that an H/VA should address five features:

1. Physical characteristics of the threat:

Seasonality, probability, speed of onset, duration of impact, identification of exposed areas, and issues associated with multiple impacts.

2. Predictability of the threat:

The state of prediction and detection technology, and length of forewarning.

3. Controllability of the threat:

Are structural mitigations available and implemented? Can the force of impact be channeled into places or forms that are less dangerous?

4. Sociocultural factors related to the threat:

What is the level of citizen awareness? Has the population significantly changed in size or composition or distribution? Is population density increasing? Has the ethnic or cultural character of the area changed, which might produce cultural norms counter to normal emergency response or possibly language/communication difficulties?

5. Ecological factors related to the threat:

Is the impact of the focal agent likely to create other disasters? Floods cause public health dangers, whereas earthquakes cause hazardous materials releases. What is the likelihood that the threat or its secondary features will produce harm to the environment (water table contamination, soil contamination, dangers to wildlife)? What kinds of measures will be required to restore or protect a contaminated environment?

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Wiley Pathways Emergency Planningby Ronald W. Perry Michael K. Lindell Copyright © 2006 by Ronald W. Perry .. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0471920770
• ISBN 13: 9780471920779
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 560