I Of Course We Have A Plan - Texas Emergency … Conferenc… · West Fork (San Jacinto River): ... People Assisted – 309 Animals Assisted ... • Their Needs vs. Response Needs

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Of Course We Have A Plan

Tax Day Flood

• April 17-18, 2016

• Total Rainfall: 12.0 – 16.0 inches

• 12-HR Rainfall: ◦ Cypress Creek: above 500-yr

◦ Spring Creek: between 50-yr and 100-yr

◦ Willow Creek: at or above 100-yr

◦ West Fork (San Jacinto River): above 10-yr

◦ Langham Creek: above 100-yr

◦ Willow Creek: at or above 100-yr

Set the Stage

• Assets available in Harris County

RESOURCE TYPE # OF RESOURCES

36 9

4 13

15 11

Sub-Total FD/ESD 55

Sub-Total LE 33

Total 88

Flat Bottom

Inflatable

Deep Hull

FMTV

Responses – 4/18-22/2017

94 Incidents

426 Incidents

451 Incident

People Assisted – 309 Animals Assisted - 125

People Assisted – 495 Animals Assisted - 177

Atria Assisted Living

• Corporate Assisted Living Facility

• Staffing

• 8 onsite support personnel

• Residents

• 50 adults > 65 years of age

• Various medical equipment needs

• Various mental statuses

• Existing Response Plans

• Hurricane Evacuation Plan

• Fire Response Plan

Dispatch Audio

Living Center Concerns

• People • Age 65> yrs. or older

• Mobility Bed & Wheelchair Bound

• Mental Status Dementia & Alzheimer's

• Medical Needs Oxygen, Medications, Etc…

• Company • Their Needs vs. Response Needs

• Response • Assessment of Facility (Early)

• Methods of Extraction

• Credentialing

• Environmental

• Accountability

People Concerns

• Independent Living = Independent Decision Making

• Calls for Help ◦ Residents calling 911

◦ Company calling 911

◦ Residents calling Family, who then called 911

• Mobility Concerns

• Multiple Residents wheelchair or bed bound

• All Residents presented evacuation mobility issues

People Concerns

• Mental Status

• Alzheimer’s and Dementia Patients ◦ How do you explain what’s going on?

◦ How do you convince them to evacuate?

◦ What is the best method to evacuate? Boats vs. High Water Vehicles

• Medical Needs

• Medications ◦ Do they have all their medications?

◦ Does the right person have the right medications?

◦ When was the last time they took their medications?

We have plans, but do Responders know about these concerns?

Company Concerns

• Does it have to be US vs. THEM?

• Initially

• Mass confusion

• Corporate was trying to make their own assessments, from another State

• Corporate wanted to move all people to the 2nd level and shelter in place

• Corporate was trying to dictate the response

• How’d we do it

• “It’s All About Relationships” ◦ CMOC worked with Corporate about their Concerns

Response Concerns

• Assessment of Facility (Initial)

• No one could say, how bad is bad!!

• Method of Extraction

• Boats vs. High Water Rescue Vehicles ◦ Boats

– Pros: Swift, Agile, and Easier to Navigate

– Cons: Minimum number of people and can’t safely secure altered mental status and bed-bound patients

◦ High Water Rescue Vehicles

– Pros: Large carrying capacity, secure people better, and can address bed-bound patients

– Cons: Slower, Access Concerns, and Loading Patients

Response Concerns

• Credentialing • Everyone wants to help

◦ Are they trained, certified, and properly equipped?

• Ask yourself ◦ Are you willing to accept the risk when you can verify?

• Environmental • Facility

◦ Electrical hazards – no one secured the power

◦ Rising water – people using elevator that was full of water

• Rescue ◦ Steel trucks with no canopy and the sun was shining

◦ Heat and humidity, effects on elderly

• Collection Point ◦ Evacuated personnel sitting in asphalt parking lot, minimal covering

◦ Indoor rehab location was slow to establish

Response Concerns

• Accountability

• No person left behind ◦ Check off at door

◦ Check off at truck

◦ Check off at collection point

◦ Check off at corporate bus to final destination

Lessons Learned (Good)

• Establish medical branch at collection point

• Treat injuries on site (if possible) then released for movement

• Assist in assessments of patients ◦ Specifically medication needs

• Close coordination with Harris County EOC

• Knew what resources we had

• Right people talking to the right people

• Transforming confusion to coordination ◦ Sending Subject Matter Expert (LOFR) to the field

◦ Overhead coordination bringing Fire, EMS, and Law Enforcement together

• CMOC

• Working with Atria Corporate to secure transportation and alternative locations instead of filling shelters

Lessons Learned (Bad)

• Plans weren’t known, plans weren’t executed

• Everyone wants to help

• I have “X” and I can do “Y” – “Put me to work”

• Normal Operations vs. Disaster Operations

• Mission Creep

• Folks that normally don’t do, were doing

• Support Resources

• Not enough USCG approved Life Vests

• Not all trucks had ladders = direct lifts ◦ Took away from manpower

Autumn Leaf

Naturalistic Decision Making

Situation

Cues

Story Patterns

Action Script

REGIONAL PLAN DEPLOYMENT

Regional Plans Deployment

Regional Plans - ISSUE

• No one plan provide enough tactical guidance

• No one knew the plans on the ground

• Everyone was in charge or in command

• Fire/EMS vs. Law Enforcement

• Wide area devastation, everyone needed resources

• Duplication of 911 calls (Fire & Law Enforcement)

• Lead to duplication of responses

Considerations for YOUR Plan

• Do you have a plan for rising water response?

• Does everyone know it?

• Do you exercise it?

• Is your plan inclusive of all response partners (real or potential)?

• Relationships

• Do you interact with all your response partners?

• Do they know you, so there won’t be a power struggle during a disaster?

Considerations for YOUR Plan

• Management of Resources

• “You are hit first, but with water, which way is it going?”

• Do you know where your assets are?

• Do you know what you can get quickly?

• Does your Dispatch (PSAP) know your plans and how resources are managed during disaster operations?

• Training

• Is swift water certification what you really need?

Here’s What We Did (Doing) • Blue NIMS – “From the Schoolhouse to the Shoot House”

• Everyday application of Type IV/V incident NIMS/ICS for Law Enforcement ◦ Status – Approved and training being implemented

• HC-RCC – Resource Coordination Centers • Establish Coordination Centers at local dispatch to communicate with Fire Branch • Center location for coordinated situational awareness and resource requirements • Location for law enforcement coordination with Fire/EMS

• Updating of Resources and Contact Information • Web-based Fire Department Profile

• Building Relationships • Identifying target hazard locations and working with them • Creating inclusive relationships with both public and private entities

• Updating Plans • Including field operations and tactical ground considerations

◦ Not just focusing at 50,000’

• Integrating command structures with multiple agencies

Questions

Contact

Chris Collier

Emergency Service and Response Coordinator, SETRAC

[email protected]

Rodney Reed

Assistant Chief, HCFMO

[email protected]