Engineering and Emergency Response

My newsletter article from June 2021 focused on hurricane preparedness. Turns out that the 2021 hurricane season, when viewed along with that of the prior year, has gone down in history as the first time that two consecutive seasons have exhausted the list of 21 storm names. In preparation for the 2022 hurricane season, which is again forecasted to have a higher than an average number of named storms, this year’s article will continue the discussion with a focus on business continuity and recommendations for mobilizing teams of engineers for emergency response.

In recent memory, New England has experienced numerous weather-related natural disasters - and if you get the sense that they are occurring with more frequency, you’re not wrong. Major Category 5 hurricanes Hugo (1989), Andrew (1992), and Katrina (2005) wreaked havoc from Louisiana to New England. Other local storms of note include the ‘Perfect Storm’ (1991), the Mother’s Day Flood (2006), the 2008 Ice storm, the ‘Great Rhode Island Flood’ (2010), Hurricane Irene (2011), Superstorm Sandy (2012), and Hurricane Ida (2021). Between these major events, annual nor’easters and tropical storms routinely cause coastal erosion, flooding, and associated damages.

As engineers, we must be prepared to respond quickly and safely to emergencies. In the immediate aftermath of many of the above-mentioned disasters, it is common for bridges and roadways to be inaccessible, power outages are widespread, and waterways to be at historic flood levels. Advanced planning of qualified staff and equipment, providing the ability quickly deploy teams of engineers to assess damage is an important part of our responsibility for the care of critical infrastructure.

Business Continuity
The first step in emergency response is pre-planning to assure that our businesses can function through the emergency. Business Continuity Planning is a term that describes the process of maintaining essential business functions when normal operations are disrupted. 

There are several resources available for Business Continuity Planning, the most comprehensive (and free) resources are provided by the federal government through the ready.gov and FEMA programs. The general approach is to first perform a business self-assessment to identify and prioritize risks and essential functions. Next, develop a written plan, often called an Incident Management Plan (IMP), that defines preparedness, incident response procedures, and lines of communications. Lastly, maintain readiness through periodic updates of the IMP and regular employee training.

Emergency Response
While Business Continuity Planning and IMP’s are crucial for maintaining operations during natural disasters, the act of sending staff and equipment into emergency situations requires another level of planning and coordination. 

There are several accepted guidelines for field investigation practices that can be used to prepare and train teams for field work prior to deployment after a coastal disaster event:

• The National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) developed a manual and training package for rapid structural assessment for building structures, however, the procedures are applicable for a variety of structure types. The manual, called the SEERPlan Manual: Structural Engineers Emergency Response Plan, was developed from experience gained in the responses to 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy in NYC.
• In the late 1990s, the Applied Technology Council (ATC) developed and published the Post-Earthquake Safety Evaluation of Buildings (ATC–20), with an updated ATC-20-1 published in 2005. The ATC has also published guidelines on safety evaluations of buildings after windstorms and floods (ATC–45). The ATC–20-1 and ATC–45 reports and field manuals can be ordered online here.
• There are some other industry-specific guides for emergency structural assessments, however, there currently exists a need in the United States and abroad for more formalized, cohesive, and multi-sectoral agreement on the protocols to be followed during post-event field investigations.

Familiarity with local disaster response protocol, forethought regarding equipment required to achieve field team self-sufficiency, and practice-based knowledge of appropriate techniques for various inspection methodologies are essential components for successful field deployment. Close attention should be paid to the inspection equipment selected for use in the field bearing in mind the likelihood of hazardous conditions beyond those to be expected during normal operations and the need for self-sufficiency.  The use of new technologies such as drones with photogrammetry or LiDAR capabilities has proven to be excellent tools for the rapid assessment of disaster areas.

Modifications to Inspection Approach for Post-Disaster Response
A critical component of preparedness strategy for post-disaster inspection is consideration of modifications to typical field operations well in advance of the occurrence of a disaster event.  The following sections describe aspects of the situational awareness that are likely necessary to capture these differences before and after an event takes place

Incident Command System
An Incident Command System (ICS) is "a systematic tool used for the command, control, and coordination of emergency response" according to the United States Federal Highway Administration (FHWA, 2014).  A more specific definition of ICS according to the United States Center for Excellence in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance is “a set of personnel, policies, procedures, facilities, and equipment, integrated into a common organizational structure designed to improve emergency response operations of all types and complexities. ICS is a subcomponent of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), as released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.”, (NIMS, 3rd Ed. 2017).

In essence, the ICS serves to provide a transferable and scalable structure for the coordination of multiple agencies in response to a myriad of disaster event types.  Field investigation teams will very likely find themselves in the midst of ICS coordinated operations while trying to gain access to a site. It is, therefore, useful to not only be familiar with but also to have a Team Leader trained to function within an ICS.  There are several methods with which to procure ICS training including web-based options through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (www.fema.gov).

Additional Inspection Team Selection Consideration and Training
Team members should be alerted to the reality of what they are undertaking when deploying to the field after a disaster. A team should be preselected specifically for post-event response based in part on an ability to thrive under adverse conditions for an extended period. To accommodate this important team composition factor, it is recommended that team members be interviewed, selected, and coordinated in anticipation of a short-notice deployment after a disaster event.  A suggested way to facilitate team introductions, familiarity, and training prior to field deployment is to utilize archival data from previous post-disaster field investigations for group analysis and discussion. Several web-based resources are available for this purpose including the “Learning from Earthquakes” section of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute website (www.eeri.org).

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
During and after a post-disaster field investigation it is important to monitor the mental health of the inspection crew. If crew members are showing signs of fatigue or post-traumatic stress it may be useful to conduct a critical incident stress debriefing. The general goal of a debrief is to use prescribed techniques to assist in understanding and coping with what was seen and discovered during the field investigation. The use of a facilitator experienced with post-disaster investigation but not directly involved with the fieldwork performed by the team is highly recommended.

Conclusion
With another active storm season upon us, it is past time for area engineering firms to update, or create, their business continuity plans. Through careful consideration and planning prior to a disaster, an experienced engineering team can be rapidly deployed to gather accurate and timely structural performance data.  Team members should have prior experience and training with emergency response field investigations and have the mental and physical conditioning to perform at high efficiency while under duress.