Emergency planning/operation 417M3C

CASE ASSIGNMENT : EARTHQUAKE DISASTER

Case Assignment : Earthquake Disaster

CASE ASSIGNMENT : EARTHQUAKE DISASTER PAGE 1 of 3

In this particular case the logical choice for the incident commander would be the Fire Chief . Fire Departments are all risk emergency services agencies . Fire departments routinely respond to fires emergency medical calls , auto accidents , technical rescue incidents and structural collapse . An earthquake will cause structural collapse and will result in a mass casualty emergency medical incident . The first priority of the initial response will be to preserve life and then to stabilize the

incident . It will be the fire department that will coordinate the rescue attempts and fire suppression that will be needed initially

This decision to choose the Fire Chief over the Police Chief does depend on the type of the disaster . If the disaster was the result of a criminal act the incident is a crime scene . The logical choice in that case may well be the Police Chief . The actors who caused the event may still be present at the scene . If the disaster was caused by an explosive device , then the police department will have to coordinate a search for any secondary explosive devices . The safety of the responders needs to be considered in any disaster situation , but it is paramount at a disaster scene caused by a criminal act . Secondarily evidence protection must be considered . Fire departments are not generally equipped or trained to deal with criminals , hidden explosive devices , or crime scenes

Mitigation plans are living documents . Review and evaluation of the plan is a necessity . The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA suggests that mitigation plans and implementation be done using a planning team that encompasses governmental , political , and business interests . Since evaluation is part of the mitigation planning process this planning team should do the evaluation (FEMA 2002

CASE ASSIGNMENT : EARTHQUAKE DISASTER PAGE 2 of 3

Mitigation is defined as any action that reduces the effects of future disasters (FEMA 2002 ,

. V . In the context of the earthquake , this would include building code changes to require buildings to be earthquake resistant , fire code changes to require sprinkler systems to be anchored and preplanned routes for emergency vehicular traffic . It would include procedures for hospital notification , public education for mitigation efforts before and after the event , and procedures for the continuation of governmental operations . Mitigation would also include plans and priorities for rebuilding infrastructure after the event , long term care of the disabled and long term food and shelter for those displaced by the event . The responsibility for implementing the mitigation measures rests with the legislatively appointed body . This would start at the state level and migrate down to the local City Council . Mitigation measures are going to require funding and political support . The elected officials are the source of both (FEMA 2002 ,

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The question of who is in charge should be determined ahead of time during the planning stage . This is one of the examples where a unified command would be advantageous...