Emergency Plan for Tornado - Research Paper Example

 Ashford University Clinton County Emergency Plan for Tornado (flooding, storms) Table of contents 1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………3 2. Purpose………………………………………………………………………………...….3 3. Activation of Plan………………………………………………………………………...4 4. The Tornado Threat in Iowa…………………………………………………………….4 5. Planning Context……………………………………………………………………….....6 6. Ashford University Clinton County tornado Management Frame work……………..6 7. Legislation and State Strategies…………………………………………………………..6 8. Agency Roles……………………………………………………………………………….6 9. Functional Groups…………………………………………………………………………7 10. Tornado Notifications…………………………………………………………………….7 11. Authority and Responsibility……………………………………………………………..7 12. Notification………………………………………………………………………………...8 13. Recovery……………………………………………………………………………………9 14. Response Actions……………………………………………………………………………9 1. Introduction A Clinton County Emergency management service is the control agency for emergency response in Iowa. In order to ensure adequate preparation for a natural disaster (tornado, flooding, strong storms) at Ashford University’s main campus in Clinton, Iowa, Clinton County Emergency management in partnership with support agencies and other organizations collaborate to ensure that response, recovery, preparedness and planning associated with natural disasters like tornado, flooding and strong storms are managed. It is necessary to have the following in order to protect the environment, property and life. • An in-depth knowledge of these hazards • A program for mitigation • An informed and prepared community • Identification of relevant emergency response agencies and their resource utilization • Cooperation between emergency services and other agencies • Recovery from emergencies support. 2. Purpose The aim of this crisis plan is to act as a compass in providing guidance for managing natural disasters (tornado, flooding and strong storms) at Ashford University’s main campus in Clinton County, Iowa. The plan describes: • Roles and responsibilities of agencies and organizations • Ashford University’s response framework describing the elements that should be considered for emergency planning 3. Activation of Plan Ashford University’s emergency can be applied at any moment, thus it should be active 24/7 to respond to these natural disasters. 4. Tornadoes Tornadoes are associated with large thunderstorms that often grow to over 30,000 feet. A column of warm humid air begins to rise rapidly. This causes a horizontal rotating column of wind. If this column of wind increases in velocity, the result is a funnel cloud. The rain and hail in the thunderstorm causes the funnel to reach the surface, thus creating a tornado. When there is more water volume than can be harnessed by the available water systems system like rivers and stream, floods occur and water escapes and accumulates in the region. Storm is a form of unstable weather, characterized by lightning (Armitage & Moisan, 2005). A tornado is something most Iowans are familiar with, as Iowa is in the middle of “Tornado Alley,” a notoriously deadly tornado zone. Because tornadoes are highly unpredictable, climatologists say it is hard to predict accurately what lies ahead for the 2012 tornado season. Storm Prediction Center (SPC) is an arm of the National Weather Service which is charged with the responsibility of making forecasts and watches for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in the US. The SPC is based in Norman, Oklahoma. Types of Tornadoes Tornadoes are categorized from F0-F5 as per its measuring scale known as the Fujita-Pearson-S -F0 - light -F1 - moderate -F2 - considerable -F3 - severe -F4 - devastating -F5 - incredibly powerful Facts Tornados came from a Spanish word with the same name. Other names are twisters or cyclones. . They usually leave a path of destruction at ground level, wide by about 50 miles with a length of about 8 to 24 kilometers. Effects of tornadoes Houses and other properties are destroyed People and animals can be killed Crops are destroyed Spread of diseases especially water borne diseases Contamination of water Communities are demolished Trauma for some of the survivors Background information on tornadoes in USA Northern Alabama, northern Mississippi and western Tennessee are the main areas estimated to be with very high frequency of long path F3 to F5 tornadoes. This is the largest continuous area that is tornadoes prone, comprising of long track F3 to F5 tornadoes per about 900 square miles in the United States. The highest frequency in the United States has been felt by Union County in northeast Mississippi, with 19.28 long tracks F3 to F5 tornadoes per 1000 square miles. During the 124 year period, this fairly small county had eight long tracks F3 to F5 tornadoes. The greatest tornado to ever sweep over Iowa was formed from a hail storm in Calhoun and Webster counties prairies, on Sunday, June 3, 1860. 5. Planning Context The development of this emergency plan is based on community approach that recognizes the interdependencies of prevention, preparedness, response and recovery activities. The awareness of the University as a community especially through education is crucial to effective response (Cuny, 1983). 6. Ashford University’s main campus in Clinton, Iowa Natural disaster Management Framework The successful response to natural disasters depends on effective integration of prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Good relationships with key partners will each be having responsibility in the overall natural disaster management activities. 7. Legislation and Campus Strategies This plan should be read and conducted under supervision by relevant legislation and plans, which have the capability of identifying more strategies and resources with the basis for planning for tornado events that Ashford University’s main campus in Clinton, Iowa is exposed to. 8. Agency Roles Natural disaster emergencies need a multi-agency response. Clinton County Emergency management services as the control agency for natural disaster response and Homeland security natural disaster management, responsible for coordinating recovery planning and management will also work with Iowa Army National Guard (Haddow & Jane, 2003). 9. Functional Groups Clinton County Emergency Management will identify organizations highly capable in effective response. The State Controller working with the University Emergency Management Team will decide on the effective groups like the Iowa Army National Guard and Clinton County Fire department. 10. Tornado Notifications Clinton County Emergency Management has developed a detailed notification process for tornado events, which is documented in its “Standard Operating Procedures”. 11. Authority and Responsibility The relevant authorities stated have the following roles and tasks: University Police Department is responsible for: 1. Receiving confirmation reports on tornadoes. 2. Notifying the high risk facilities of impending tornado warning. 3. Monitoring and giving information on indicators of confirmed tornado, and warning faculty students of the impending dangers. 4. Notifying the appropriate University contact to issue Alerts to the campus community. The campus community health and safety responsibility bodies are responsible for: 1. Providing an “On-Call” Safety Officers 20/4/7 2. Maintaining communication with the local authorities 3. Notifying campus administration periodic status reports 4. Notifying risk management and any departments affected by floods or potential flooding. 5. Using the relevant media services such as the campus radio station in issuing and providing guidance for various faculty students. Campus radio Departments and other relevant forms of media are responsible for: 1. Programming the campus community alert radio 2. Ensuring the radios are always on 3. Ensuring the campus community radios are fully functioning. 4. Ensuring these radios have sufficient energy backup. 5. Communicating with the campus environmental health and safety department, being constantly updated on the status of the public alert radio 6. Ensuring that these alert radios are secure from damage and theft. 12. Notification The National Weather Service is responsible for issuing tornado watches and tornado warnings.  These are broadcasted through public radio stations which in this case will operate as alert radio stations. Also, television stations and other media services will be used. Some of these public alert radios should be located in the following Campus divisions/departments: University Police Department Environmental Health and Safety Office Lab Schools School of Business Divinity School Law School School of Medicine Administration Building Library School of social sciences 13. Recovery Recovery activities will start in the early stages of response. Environmental health and safety department management team will ensure that there is a flawless transition from response to recovery. The response constituent will be considered to go on until the following situations are met: • All rescue operation activities have been duly accomplished • All the injured have been fully attended to • The very essential services such as water, power and other resource management systems have been fully restored • Restoration of almost all the necessary communications • All the critical buildings in the campus like the administration block have undergone temporary repairs Procedure When a tornado warning is issued for the campus area, an alert will be broadcasted over the campus public alert radio and various TV and radio stations within the county. There is an emergency siren and the University alerts for tornado watches. The campus community will be on alert incase of further indications that a tornado is developing or that conditions are getting worse. Therefore, when a tornado warning is issued for the campus area, the campus public alert radio will alert the relevant authorities who will be equipped, and the University Police Department will notify the rest of the University community and the whole area will be alerted.  The University community will be notified via sirens or other relevant and appropriate forms.  University Police Department will make an extra point to notify all the representatives of the faculties, by contacting the designated contact personnel for the facilities.  The information given shall pertain to the level of agency of the warning, the time of when the warning will expire, and any further directives (Lindell, Prater, and Perry, 2006). The University Police Department will also send off squad cars that are operational with community address systems to operate throughout the campus, to alert students of the tornado warning with directives to look for protection inside the adjoining structures. The Ashford University Campus emergency sirens will continuously be sounded during the event of a tornado alert.  The siren cycle interval will be for three minutes. Then, the siren will give a long blast for approximately 30 seconds after the “all clear” signal has been given. Since there is no guarantee that the siren will be heard throughout all of campus premises and adjacent areas to be affected, media devices will be employed. The media machinery and authorities will be used to signal that an all clear has been given, and radio and TV stations, the Clinton County emergency management public alert radios and campus radio will also be used too. 14. Response Actions A procedure list will be made to better inform the community on how to respond during a tornado warning. Inside buildings: Maintain distance from the doors and windows Be in a central location of a building. Maintain a safe proximal from large open areas with a long roof span Be in a foetal body position. Remain in sheltered area until all is clear. Outside of buildings: Seek protection in the nearest building when instructed or conditions demand Stay away from all windows and doors Move to a central corridor away from the windows Stay away from large glassed-in areas like the walkways, atriums, lobbies and other large open areas with a long roof length Lie in a trench/ditch or other earthen depression if there is no shelter available around you Under no circumstance should you attempt to outrun a tornado. As soon as the all-clear signal has been given, follow the procedure stated below: Go back to your previous location if the building was not affected by the tornado incident Try to safely go out of the building if your building was affected by the incident and if you are unable to do so, look for help by calling the University Police Department. The following response actions will be printed and distributed to various faculties. They will be sent to the students via social media services like Facebook and Twitter. They will also be stuck on various faculty buildings, hall ways, entertainment joints, sports premises and libraries (Alexander, 2002). References Alexander, D. (2002). Principles of Emergency planning and Management. Harpenden: Terra Publishing. Armitage, D., & Moisan, A. M. (2005). Strategic Forum No. 218. Washington, D.C: National Defense University. Cuny, F. C. (1983). Disasters and Development. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Haddow, G.D., & Jane, A .B. (2003). Introduction to emergency management. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann. Lindell, M., Prater, C., and Perry, R. (2006). Fundamentals of Emergency Management. Retrieved from http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu/fem.asp. Read More