What role is there for Industry in disaster response; lessons from the United States Joe Chapman, Technical Director
December 1, 2011
Overview
- US Disaster trends - Role of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - Private sector roles supporting FEMA - Non-federal private sector efforts
Trends in US Disasters
The role of FEMA in the US
“FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.�
FEMA Program Areas -Response •Urban Search & Rescue •Medical Response •Mobile Emergency Response Support •Preparedness Training -Recovery •Individual Assistance •Public Assistance -Preparedness and Planning •Flood mapping •Flood Insurance •Flood mitigation •Dam safety •Earthquake program •Building science
Disaster Management Cycle
Paragraph and Bullet Layout
Presentation Title
December 13, 2011
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Private Sector Role – Support 7,500 FEMA staff in responding to unpredictable events
2004 - “Florida Four”
4 Category 3-5 hurricanes in one month
2005 - Hurricane Katrina
Major Areas of Private Sector Support to FEMA •
Public Assistance – Technical Assistance Contract
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Individual Assistance – Technical Assistance Contract
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Hazard Mitigation Technical Assistance Program
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Long Term Recovery Planning
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Flood Mapping
Public Assistance – Technical Assistance Contract (PA-TAC) • Utilized for natural and mandisasters • Multiple on call contracts with 2448 hr deployment • Provides support for State, local governments and private nonprofit organizations requiring recovery services • • •
Damage assessment Cost estimating Eligibility determination
• AECOM has deployed ≈ 5,000 staff across US and territories over 15 years
Hurricane Katrina Damage Assessments - 2005 (PA-TAC) • Over $80 Billion in damage • Over 1,500 deaths • Deployed 500+ staff over 4 states • Damage assessments • Debris Management • Education Planning
Tropical Storm Allison, Houston, TX - 2001 (PA-TAC) • Significant flood to City of Houston • $5 Billion + in damages • Deployed 100+ staff • Debris Management • Damage assessments • Unique challenges • • •
Significant damage to Texas Medical Center Hundreds of lab animals were killed 190,000 tissue samples for cancer research destroyed
World Trade Center 9-11 (PA-TAC) • Deployed ≈ 200 staff • • • •
Debris management Environmental management Damage assessments Recovery planning
• Challenging security constraints • Significant environmental issues • Emergency transportation planning well above “typical” disaster • Huge stakeholder pool (FEMA, State, FDNY, NYPD, Port Authority, 1100+ PNPs)
New Orleans Education Facility Planning – Post Katrina (PA-TAC) • Over 70% of schools affected • $3 Billion in recovery funding • Installation of 1,000+ trailers • First example of FEMA engaging in education planning • Tasked to develop • • • • •
Program summary facility list General building requirements schedule Site size requirements Technology guidelines Furniture & equipment lists
Hazard Mitigation Technical Assistance Program • Utilized for natural and mandisasters • Multiple on call contracts • •
Typical deployments come 30 days post event Some tasks require 24-48 hr deployment
• Supports FEMA mitigation efforts through: • • • •
Post event data collection/flood verification Engineering assessment of flooding Flood recovery mapping Mitigation planning and project asistance to locals
Post Flood High Water Mark Collection May 2010 Tennessee Floods
- Flooding impacted over 50,000 sq km in TN
- Deployed 12 crews within a week to collect 400 HWM’s
- Rainfall amounts were up to 1,000 yr ARI
- Data used to: •
Test validity of existing flood maps
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Support updated modeling
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Perform loss avoidance studies
Investigation of Flood Control Operations & Procedures 2006/2007 New Hampshire Flooding
Evaluation of rainfall and runoff characteristics Computer simulation modeling Detailed investigations of dam operations during flood events
• • •
Evaluation of land use impacts Evaluation of forecast accuracy and utility Investigation of emergency operations and policies
Mitigation Plan and Project Application Reviews
Participate in annual review of project grant applications Provide input to FEMA on:
Eligibility Cost effectiveness Environmental compliance Cultural resource impacts
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Support FEMA Regional planners in Mitigation plan reviews Local plans are updated every 5 years
Building Performance Assessment and Loss Avoidance Studies •
Post-event assessment of building performance
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Recommended changes to building codes
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Documenting Mitigation successes
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Loss Avoidance Studies
Supporting Federal & State Emergency Managers FEMA Region 1 “Situation Awareness Tool” •
Web-based tool to help emergency managers in planning and response to riverine flooding
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Platform to collect and manage information from local officials about critical facilities
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Monitors NWS to gather real-time gauge levels
Supporting State Emergency Management North Carolina Hazards Analyst Tool •
Automated tool for data analyses of storm track projections and probable impacts
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Assists EM staff in deployment planning •
Evacuation centers
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Supplies
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Social services
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Provides State with visual analyses, commodity analyses, and risk analyses tools
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Assisted with data usage to determine evacuation plans
Volunteer Efforts in Flood Recovery Residential Substantial Damage Estimating (RSDE) • Volunteers supplemented local building inspection staff in post-flood damage estimates in Cobb County, GA • Used FEMA’s RSDE tools • Over 700 structures assessed county-wide • Helps facilitate faster claim processing
Flood Mapping Support • Multi-year master contracts with multiple firms • Annual task orders issued to perform updated flood hazard analysis and flood mapping • Funding has ranged from $50$250 Million per year • Extensive guidelines and standards ensure consistency of deliverables nationwide • Flood mapping is available online across US
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Risk MAP – Focus on Risk Communication • Flood mapping is evolving from a line on a map to portrayal of risk • Mapping of risk now includes assessment of impacts • Products are produced to allow for easier integration into local planning efforts
The next step for FEMA: “A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management” •
Understand and meet the actual needs of the whole community
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Engage and empower all parts of the community
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Strengthen what works well in the community on a daily basis
Thank You
Joe.chapman@aecom.com