Emergency Operations Plan During Earthquake

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Emergency Operations Plan During Earthquake

Executive Summary

Timeliness and quality of response to environmental challenges are the primary factors that can save the lives of thousands of people. The urgent need to prevent the disaster was the principal reason for creating this plan. The emergency management plan takes into account an overview of the environment that identifies the most vulnerable places in the city. Moreover, it considers the available resources and the need to adjust them to the needs of the rescue teams. The plan includes both the public aspect and aims at clearly defining the response to the earthquake both before and after it occurs. Thus, all structural components of the new response strategy help prevent negative consequences, and their implementation is imperative.

Background

An earthquake is one of the most dangerous natural disasters. Entire buildings may collapse in the first seconds after it starts, burying people under their rubble (Cremen & Galasso, 2020). Hundreds or even thousands of buildings can be destroyed all at once, and it is often not possible to quickly remove all the rubble and get everyone who survived out in time. Moreover, to the destruction of buildings in Pleasantville, infrastructure may be destroyed, communications may be disrupted, electricity may be lost, and roads may be damaged, making it even more difficult to help those affected. Electrical and water line breakdowns can cause short circuits, resulting in fires.

Overview of the Environment

The influence of earthquakes on the city environment can be very diverse and significant. Among direct and most significant impacts of gravitational slope processes: landslides, slumps, landslides, and mudflows should be mentioned. During the most powerful earthquakes, cracks are formed on the earths surface, sometimes quite significant in size (Cremen & Galasso, 2020). Earthquake-induced tsunamis lead to the flooding of low-lying areas of the earths surface, which practically destroys the soil layer, leads to salinization of the underlying soils, and, consequently, to the death of almost all vegetation. Some of the greatest concerns relate to the fragile soil and the large number of buildings unable to withstand cataclysmic events.

Emergency Management Elements

Firstly, it must be comprehended that both local and federal agencies must be involved in the response and prevention of the aftermath of an earthquake. It is necessary to coordinate the nations emergency management offices efforts and involve the local sheriff, police, and medical personnel. Coordinating rescuers as secondary responders are vital and providing them with the necessary equipment and training (Cremen & Galasso, 2020). Control should be carried out by forces and means of the system of seismic observations, including a network of seismic stations and stations for observing changes in the Earths geomagnetic field in different regions of the United States. Earthquake prediction is one of the most critical activities in the system of control of seismic conditions to take timely measures to protect the population. However, considering the dangerous seismic zones, it is possible to have prepared forces and means for preventing and liquidating these disasters on any level. The forecast will facilitate a quicker response by primary and secondary responders. The level of coordination of their work is currently insufficient, which could lead to slow reactions and numerous victims, as seen in the example of the neighboring city (Cremen & Galasso, 2020). This case proves that preparation in advance is crucial because only then will the forces be able to save lives and infrastructure.

Engineering and Technical Measures

As preventive measures, it is correspondingly essential to reinforce the buildings and infrastructure of the city. The purpose of earthquake engineering is to minimize building damage and casualties. The level of stability of structures is determined based on economic feasibility. The durability of the most critical facilities: hospitals, fire stations, and rescue service buildings, should allow them to function even after an earthquake. For example, for other buildings during an earthquake of magnitude (M) 5.5-7.0, some damage is allowed while maintaining the feasibility of subsequent repairs (Cremen & Galasso, 2020). Facilities should keep people alive during solid earthquakes and not collapse, although they will no longer be usable. Particular attention should be paid to the exclusion of construction of potentially hazardous (predominantly nuclear and chemical hazardous) facilities.

Preventive Health Measures and Emergence Resources List

Preventive activities among the public to control possible epidemic diseases after an earthquake include stocking medical equipment. It likewise has several tools and medicines to provide assistance to the numerous people affected during the earthquake. Furthermore, medical facilities must be prepared to handle many injured and fractured victims (Cremen & Galasso, 2020). The authorities must go on a regime of high alert. The forecast of an expected earthquake by the State Emergency Situations Department must be based on data from seismic observations, estimation of its possible consequences, and preparation of offers on the decision for population protection.

Community Plan

The vulnerability of the human community to natural disasters, including major earthquakes, is steadily increasing due to Pleasantvilles growing population density, infrastructure complexity, and several vulnerable sites. The impact of seismic events on the population includes direct social damage (loss of life, physical or mental trauma, loss of shelter) and indirect social damage (Cremen & Galasso, 2020). Its severity depends on the size of the direct one and is caused by a strong background of material losses and changes in the moral and psychological situation. A strong earthquake in densely populated areas will inevitably lead to a disruption of living conditions for a specific time. It should also be considered that a large number of older people and children in Pleasantville are the primary vulnerable groups. The school district is one of the most at-risk places, as well as the city hospitals and nursing homes. Establishing operational reserves of supplies and food in earthquake-prone areas is essential since the elements disable housing and warehouses where current food supplies are stored. Therefore, stocks of food and equipment should be created with the expectation of an autonomous collection of the disaster zone for several days. They should be kept in airtight storage facilities, capable of withstanding the expected shocks of maximum strength and protecting food from contamination by the ACS released from the destroyed plants. If necessary, instructions a should be given on evacuating people to safe locations (Cremen & Galasso, 2020). It is important to put relevant forces and means (especially non-staff formations) on high alert to carry out rescue and other urgent work. In this case, the personnel of the buildings are withdrawn to tent camps and rescue equipment to open areas. The basis for planning and implementing preventive measures is seismic zoning of urban and industrial areas into regions of different seismic hazards. It is necessary to develop maps on the boundaries of zones of possible earthquakes with particular intensity. Planning for earthquake response is based on the results of earthquake forecasting. Moreover, the population should be warned about safety measures, which assumes competent preparation of communication facilities (Cremen & Galasso, 2020). If necessary, pre-emptive evacuation is carried out, with the population removed from their homes to open areas of land located nearby outside areas of possible debris. If evacuation is not possible during the warning, the population should be explained the procedure of preparing the premises for an earthquake. In order to prevent the earthquakes consequences, the response plan contains maintaining the public warning system in constant readiness. It involves the creation of backup warning systems in case the leading communication systems are destroyed, including the preparation of mobile notification means on vehicles with loudspeaker systems. To prepare personnel, students, and formations at economic objects and educational institutions, classes, pieces of training, and drills on actions in case of earthquakes and elimination of its consequences should be conducted (Cremen & Galasso, 2020). Developing psychological preparedness for an earthquake plays a unique role in preparing the population. Knowledge of the degree of risk, dangerous manifestations of underground elements, and recommendations on behavior during an earthquake allows people to maintain self-control and to act quickly and appropriately to the circumstances.

Emergency Call List

The population should be informed through discussions and mass media about recommendations on behavior during earthquakes. The people living in earthquake-prone areas must be constantly prepared and maintain their living quarters in readiness for sudden shocks (Cremen & Galasso, 2020) This aspect of the plan involves not only necessarily educating the public about the possible threat but correspondingly teaching people how to save themselves. Moreover, the citizens of Pleasantville must understand which authorities they can turn to in the event of a disaster and who can provide them with the necessary assistance. For this purpose, it is essential to place the contacts of emergency and urgent services in the media, which can provide the support required in the shortest possible time.

Resources List

The first necessary resource is the forces with the obligatory presence of engineering formations. Moreover, means such as search equipment, such as the acoustic system Peleng and the microwave motion detector, which detects a living person under rubble at a depth of 10 and 15 m, respectively, are necessary (Wald, 2020). Earthquake response food and water preparations should be made well in advance to ensure the readiness of forces and equipment to effectively carry out emergency operations, as well as the survival of the population. Creating a group of powers aimed at the expected earthquake is crucial. Moreover, it is vital to equip the forces for rescue and other emergency operations, especially in lifting and excavation tools and small-scale mechanization.

Response Plan

Immediately after the end of ground shaking, the control authorities must assess the actual situation. The most crucial action is to determine the destructions extent and nature prepare earthquake relief proposals and organize emergency aid. The sheriff must decide to eliminate the consequences of the earthquake and introduce an emergency regime (Wald, 2020). The population must be informed about the nature of destruction and measures to eliminate the effects of the earthquake. Emergency rescue operations shall be arranged to prevent and extinguish fires and detect accidents. In case of a strong earthquake, the disaster zone shall be organized by districts within the existing administrative and territorial divisions. The management of operations should be carried out by operative groups created by CoES or by its appointed heads of emergency response. In emergencies, they have the right to decide on evacuation measures. It is possible to stop the activities of industries and organizations in the disaster area (Wald, 2020). It is essential to take care the careful use of means of communication, transport, and other property located in the earthquake zone in the order established by the state legislature. Non-staff and public formations may be involved in the emergency response. The primary objects of the works are places of concentration of people. In case of an earthquake at night residential areas; during the day schools, preschool, medical institutions, economic facilities, and residential buildings. The response can involve formations equipped with bulldozers, excavators, cranes, and minor mechanical equipment. First, the injured are searched for and removed from the rubble in the earthquake area, brought out of half-destroyed and burning buildings, and rendered first aid to them (Wald, 2020). It is likewise essential to make passages in the rubble, localization, elimination of accidents on engineering networks, and collapse and reinforcement of buildings and structures. The homeless population should be accommodated in surviving structures, tents, or temporary constructions or evacuated from the earthquake area. Material provisioning must be organized for the affected people, supplying them with food, water, clothing, and necessities. During forecasting of possible situations, the volumes of possible destructions and engineering works, forces and means for their performance must be defined (Wald, 2020). The evaluation should be conducted according to methods developed following reference data, exercise data, and scientific studies.

Supportive List

The public is notified of the earthquake threat through local radio and television stations and, if time permits, through the press. The information includes the expected disasters nature, possible magnitude, and expected time of occurrence in the area, probable consequences, and recommendations on behavior before, during, and after the earthquake. Moreover, the citys website should include resources to help citizens prepare for an earthquake and its aftermath (Wald, 2020). Supporting documents have a significant role in preparing for a disaster because they provide the most critical information.

References

Cremen, G., & Galasso, C. (2020). Earthquake early warning: Recent advances and perspectives. Earth-science reviews, 205, 82-84.

Wald, D. J. (2020). Practical limitations of earthquake early warning. Earthquake Spectra, 36(3), 1412-1447.

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