Incident Command -Buncefield Oil Storage - Report Example

INCIDENT COMMAND-BUNCEFIELD OIL STORAGE Insert Name TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1.0 Importance of an Effective Command System 2.0 Levels of Command 3.0 Initial Risk Assessment and Action Plan 3.1 Initial Risk Assessment 3.2 Action Plan 4.0 Roles and Responsibilities of the Multi-Agencies 4.1 Local Police Authorities 4.2 Environmental Agency 4.3 Local Authorities 5.0 Effectiveness of a Media Liaison 6.0 Communication and Management of the Incident 7.0 Conclusion References Introduction This report seeks to analyse the events that unfolded at the Buncefield Oil Storage and transfer depot, Hemel Hempstead causing considerable damage to the proximal properties and the substantial deaths. Additionally, the report aims at discussing the various multi-agency impacts and roles as it is prepared for presentation to a multi-agency debrief meeting. Aspects covered in this report include the importance of an effective incident command system to contain disasters of such magnitude, establishment of various levels of command, post-disaster risk assessment activities to facilitate the development of action plans and the need for a liaison to maintain communication through the media. 1.0 Importance of an Effective Command System An incident command system (ICS) seeks to oversee effective response to a disaster that require immediate emergency and rescue services to ensure the protection of lives and property. The importance of having an effective command system includes:- a. Ensuring well coordinated responses among the various agencies to minimise deviations in the rescue exercise (The National Response Team, p4). The ICS deploys a high number of emergency personnel from various rescue agencies over a wide area and hence the need to coordinate the operations of the various agency personnel. This arises from the need of the rescue operations to achieve common rescue objectives through the multiple agencies. The ICS therefore seeks to ensure systematic rescue efforts to enhance the achievement of the rescue objectives. b. Harmonising the operations of the multiple response teams to enhance the achievement of the rescue objectives. Disaster response personnel from the several emergency agencies are trained differently on responding to emergencies. An agency’s approach to a disaster may negatively impact on another agency’s rescue approaches. To avoid this conflict in the rescue operations, the ICS seeks to establish a common approach that ensures the achievement of the various agency operations (The National Response Team, p4). The field teams need to receive orders from their seniors that are adequately represented in the executive level of the ICS. c. To have representatives from the multiple agencies are involved in overseeing the coordination of the rescue operations. Notably, several emergency agencies are set up to ensure adherence to pre-determined standards within their jurisdiction. These agencies are steered by experts with sufficient knowledge in their fields hence enabling them to formulate objective policies. Due to the several objectives and interests of these agencies, the ICS provides a common forum that develops an action plan to the disaster while considering the various objectives and interests of the agencies. As a result, inter-agency co-operations are enhanced and improve coordinated responses to an emergency (The National Response Team, p5). d. Provide the media with a source of information to update the members of the public on the effects of the disaster and the achievement of the rescue operations (The National Response Team, p4). Disasters of large magnitudes attract the attention of the public and hence there is need to keep them informed on the developments of the disaster. This is because individuals working within the site of the disaster are mostly locals and their families need to be informed on their health conditions. Additionally, such disasters attract the attention of the media and hence the need to provide them with adequate information to monitor the progress of the emergency services. The media assesses whether the disaster preparedness manuals were followed and highlight on the weak areas of the disaster preparedness exercise. e. To ensure the availability and distribution of emergency funds to the relevant rescue agencies to guarantee sustainable rescue operations. Multiple agencies involved in the rescue exercise ought to provide sufficient funds to ensure the acquisition of resources to facilitate the rescue efforts. 2.0 Levels of Command Decisions within the ICS are made by the top-most executive body that is known as the unified command. The unified command comprises of various representatives from the multiple agency who gather upon the occurrence of a disaster. The multiple agencies include the law enforcers, environmental agencies, local authorities and fire rescue authorities among other agencies. Agency representation at the unified command level ensures that their various interests and objectives are observed during the rescue exercise according to their independent and standardised operational procedures (The National Response Team, p7). On the other hand, representatives of the various agencies ought to communicate with their grounds men to ensure co-ordinated rescue operations. Under the unified command, the emergency operations are initiated under a single Incident Action Plan (IAP) that is prepared by the members of the unified command. Additionally, the unified level appoints an operations chief who is mandated with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of the IAP. The unified level serves as the strategic level that identifies the required resources, their utilisation and the rescue operations objectives. Second in authority to the unified command, are the chiefs of the various sections established to provide support to the rescue operations. The sectional level serves as the tactical level where sections are identified to support the rescue activities of the field teams. These sections are operational, planning, logistics and finance/administration sections (The National Response Team, p8). Chiefs heading these sections receive directions from the operational chief towards the acquisition and utilisation of the available resources in assisting the rescue operations. Similar to the unified command level, chiefs in this level should seek to implement their mandate as outlined by the IAP. Workers from the various agencies are required to arrive at the scene of the incident under the command of a supervisor. The supervisors ought to manage their respective teams according to the directions given by the operational chief. Matters arising in the field should be notified to the sectional chiefs through the supervisors on the ground. The National Response Team states that effective communication at this level is important as it greatly influences the decision making activities at the unified command level (9). This level is considered as the operational level where the decisions of the unified command at put in practice. Besides conducting rescue operations, law enforcers conduct investigations into disasters of such magnitudes. These investigations seek to shed light to the cause of the incident and identify precautionary measures to avert a re-occurrence of a similar disaster in future. As a result, taskforces are formed that constitute various members from the multiple agencies (The National Response Team, p10). Such taskforces are under the command of a leader that co-ordinates the inquiries of the various agency investigators, receives their reports and prepares a final report on the incident. This document is in turn used to formulate emergency preparedness policies as well as identify various precautionary measures. 3.0 Initial Risk Assessment and Action Plan 3.1 Initial Risk Assessment Upon the occurrence of the Buncefield incident, multiple agencies commenced investigations and assessment into the cause, effects and impacts of the fire explosions. Investigators ought to have assessed the site’s safety training regarding to the unloading of fuel from the tankers. The unloading of fuel requires the proximity of the trucks whose ignition can light up the fuel stored in the site that is widely believed to have been the cause of the incident (Charlton 2005, p3). Secondly, initial investigations should have been conducted into the presence of fire alarms within the site. This is because no fire alarms were set off during the fires and explosions indicating signs of unpreparedness among the site’s management. Alarms to detect increase in pressures, smoke, fire and heat ought to have been installed and assist in the safe evacuation of the occupants. Thirdly, an assessment into the provision of escape routes within the site should be conducted. The Buncefield oil facility’s perimeter was highly secured and did not provide emergency exits for such a disaster as required by the law (Charlton 2005, p2). Fourthly, an assessment into the preparedness of the first rescue teams to arrive at the scene should be conducted since they were unable to contain the fire that resulted into the subsequent explosions. Credible information provided to the public indicates that the rescue teams did not have gas masks for respiratory protection as well as helmets for head protection. Owing to the lack of adequate protective gear, the fire fighters were unable to control the fire and prevent it from spreading further. Lastly, an assessment should be conducted into the site’s casualty evacuation procedures whereby patients were admitted in local hospitals located on the downwind area of the site. Fumes emitted from the site were capable of causing respiratory problems to the patients in these hospitals hence the unacceptable casualty evacuation decisions (Charlton 2005, p2). 3.2 Action Plan An IAP into the Buncefield incident should take into consideration the various impacts of the fires and explosions. The actions should be systematically undertaken as follows:- a. Conduct immediate evacuation of the injured, hurt or dead to the identified local hospitals within the area. Due to the nature of the combustible substances, the rescue teams should seal off the entire site and conduct evacuations within the surrounding residential and commercial buildings. Individuals being evacuated should be provided with gas masks to prevent developing respiratory problems. b. Fire fighters should be allowed into the site to control the spread of fire and prevent further ignitions of the fuel tanks. Fire fighting water should be sourced from the site’s lagoon that seeks to provide fire fighting water for such incidents (Charlton 2005, p2). The fire fighters should have the necessary fire fighting equipment to avoid developing health complications. c. Once the fire is controlled, investigators from the various agencies should be allowed into the site to collect samples for their investigation purposes. However, the investigators should not be allowed to interfere with the rescue operations and should be provided with protective clothing. d. The fire fighters should not be allowed to leave the site in order to ensure that no further fires develop within the site causing further structural damages. e. The media liaison officer should hold press briefings after every thirty minutes during the early sessions of the rescue operations where the media will be provided with sufficient information pertaining to the incident. Afterwards, the media liaison officer ought to hold press briefing sessions when information arises within the course of the rescue operations. 4.0 Roles and Responsibilities of the Multi-Agencies 4.1 Local Police Authorities The roles and responsibilities of the local police include:- a. Restricting access to the site during the rescue and investigation activities. Movements at the incident site should be limited to members of the response teams to avoid additional losses as well as ensuring the preservation of evidence material. b. Facilitating the evacuation process by directing the individuals to a safe location hence avoiding unnecessary commotion. c. Preventing individuals from looting public property directly exposing their bodies to the imminent danger within the site. d. Coordinating the casualty evacuations by guiding the movements of ambulances within the facility. Similarly, the local police should coordinate the arrival of casualties at the health centres where they are admitted. e. Control traffic along the main roads and highways within the proximity of the site to enhance the evacuation process. 4.2 Environmental Agency Skinner and Mersham (2003, p64) provides the following as the roles and responsibilities of the environment agency that include:- a. Ensuring that the toxic fumes emanating from the disaster do not pose long-term threats to the environment and its occupants. b. Ensure contaminated water from the fire fighting exercise does not find its way to the water bodies where water for consumption is stored. c. Oversee that the equipment and materials used by the fire fighters is environment friendly and do not contain harmful elements that harm the environment. d. Ensure regular monitoring of the air quality following the incident to ensure the health safety of the local residents. e. Cooperate with other investigators from other agencies where their investigation activities overlap to facilitate the identification of the source of the incident. 4.3 Local Authorities The responsibilities of the local authorities include the following:- a. Ensure the release of fire fighting equipment to the site as provided for by the law b. Ensure that the fire fighting personnel are adequately equipped and have the necessary tools to control the spread of the fire. c. Conduct field audits into the site’s compliance to the standard requirements provided for by the law to prevent any major incidents from occurring. d. Conduct preliminary inspection on the site of the incident in order to categorically rank the incident and contact the relevant authorities. e. Provide the incident command with sufficient information pertaining to the status of the incident through the command structure. 5.0 Effectiveness of a Media Liaison The media liaison officer plays an important role during emergency management as they serve as the link between the field response team and the public. Public information on the progress of the rescue efforts and disaster management is important to enhance the response of the relevant authorities as well as to monitor the rescue operations. During major incidents such as the Buncefield Oil Field explosion, the roles of the media liaison officer includes:- a. Holding regular press briefings that seek to provide information to the public through the various media bodies. b. Where it is impossible to hold press briefings, the media liaison officer ought to prepare short reports containing information about the incident for release to the public. c. Foster community relations by providing information on how the impacts of the incident such as property damage and health risks will be mitigated (Schneid & Collins 2001, p101). On the other hand, the media liaison officer should possess effective communication skills and qualifications in the public relations sector. The officer should be able to study the mood of the public and handle the public tactically to avoid confrontations. Frequent information provided by the liaison officer should reflect the situation on the ground. The public has a right to be provided with updated information on the incident. In the absence of this information, the public might hamper the rescue efforts hence increasing the effects of the incidents. Lastly, the media liaison officer enables the public to understand the immediate danger they are in and provide them with adequate information on the precautionary measures they should undertake (Schneid & Collins 2001, p104). 6.0 Communication and Management of the Incident The first response team to arrive at the site should have contacted the local authorities that in turn should have contacted the multiple agencies involved as well as the respective government ministry. This would have enhanced the constitution of the ICS and hence the management of the incident without further delays. Additionally, Skinner and Mersham (2003, p169) suggests that the response teams could have been advised on the fire fighting equipment and resources required to contain the fires. The ICS should have requested for the use of special fire fighting material other than water that was constantly cut off to avoid the contamination of water for domestic use. 7.0 Conclusion The Buncefield incident showed the unpreparedness of the local rescue authorities to handle similar disasters involving petrochemical substances that pose physical and respiratory health effects. Incidents of such magnitudes require the establishment of an ICS that coordinates and cooperates with the ground teams in managing the incident and preventing an escalation of the fires. Towards ensuring harmonised operation, communication among the multi-agency responders, the various sectional chiefs and the ICS should be enhanced to facilitate decision making and the acquisition of the necessary resources. Additionally, the media liaison officer should constantly update the public by releasing information to the media representatives present during the briefing session. References Buncefield Major Incident Investigation Board 2007, Recommendations on the Emergency Preparedness for, Response to & Recovery from Incidents, Accessed on Feb. 20, 2010 from < http://www.buncefieldinvestigation.gov.uk/reports/preparedness.pdf > Charlton, J 2005, Buncefield Oil Storage Disaster, Accessed on February 20, 2010 from < http://www.idrisk.com/v2articles/buncefield_oil_storage_disaster.pdf > Schneid, TD & Collins, L 2001, Disaster Mgmt & Preparedness, Boston: CRC Press. Skinner, C & Mersham, G 2003, Disaster Mgmt: A Guide to Issues Mgmt & Crisis Mgmt, New York: Oxford USA Trade. The National Response Team, Incident Command Sys./Unified Command, Accessed on Feb. 20, 2010 from < http://www.nrt.org/Production/NRT/NRTWeb.nsf/AllAttachmentsByTitle/SA- 52ICSUCTA/$File/ICSUCTA.pdf?OpenElement > The Buncefield Oil Storage Depot Disaster as Covered by Ind. Fire Wrld 2005-2006, Accessed on Feb. 20, 2010 from < http://www.fireworld.com/pdf/BuncefieldFire.pdf >. Read More