The Current Status of the Community Emergency Response Plan - Coursework Example

rеsроnd rероrt fоr СBRN ассidеnt Name Professor University Date Abstract This report evaluates the current status of the community emergency response plan ability to engage the four phases of response for emergencies. The four phases include; discovery, initial response, sustained and termination phase. The report outlines the command team involved in emergency response and their roles. Also, the outlines the emergency shutdown procedure and CAN report example applied to summarize the status of an emergency. The report covers the termination proclamation of an emergency. 1.0. Introduction Emergency response can be described as the effort by the community to control the release of hazardous substance. The plan includes individuals trained to manage hazardous substances by containing, controlling and cleaning up ammonia incidentals spill (U.S Department of Education, nd). 2.0. Emergency Response An emergency committee was formed to deal with issues concerning emergencies preparedness and response. The committee includes representatives from local government such as law enforcers, local industry, media, community groups, health and medical organizations and transportation organisation (Enbridge, 2013). The community’s emergency response plan includes processes for informing the public and emergency response organisations about releases, detailed first Aid procedures and emergency medical treatment for exposure to chemicals and processes and measures for chemical emergency response. The emergency response includes four phases; discovery, initial response, sustained response and termination (Enbridge, 2013). 2.1. Discovery phase According to Triton Environmental, Inc, (2007), the response team is trained to recognize a potential emergency situation through use of facility-specific understanding and hazard training. In case of an emergency, first responders are supposed to contact the emergency coordinator. The emergency coordinator determines the best response in adherence with the control processes. The emergency providers provide phone numbers that can be used to reach them when not present at the incident scene. The emergency coordinators are given detailed information concerning the nature of the emergency, location of the emergency, any injuries, emergency extent and materials involved (State of Alaska, 2013). During an emergency, the response team observes the source, site, material type, nature, extent and human injuries. The next step involves informing the Control Room and the Emergency Response Coordinator in case of potentially dangerous conditions. The community provides essential information needed by the ERC to evaluate the condition and determine the efficient first response action (Hills, 2014). 2.1.1. Command Team Incident commander (IC) coordinates with the police, regional, State and federal agencies. Emergency response coordinator supervises operations, control room and operator (U.S Department of Education, nd). Control room is managed by the Power Plant Personnel. The function of the control room is to receive all emergency calls, collect emergency information and dispatch the First Responder to the emergency site. The control room acts as the communication centre between the notifier, First Responder, Emergency response officers and off-site resources. Evacuation Aides to help members of the community to exit the hazardous areas (safe work Australia, 2012). Others include; Fire departments, Law, Enforcement Agencies, 911 Dispatch Centres, Local Emergency Planning committees and Medical Responders. The containment activities are conducted at a safe distance from the chemical release area. The shortest isolation distance is 45.7 meters while the shortest protective Action Distance is 320 meters. This implies that during chemical spills and fire outbreak, that’s the minimum distance for isolating the unprotected members of the community. For huge spills the protective distance is 8km which is ideally the distance harmful gases travel within 30 minutes at a speed of 2.68 m/s (American Petroleum institute, 2013). Fig 1. Emergency response management plan 2.2. Initial response The main objective of implementing an emergency shutdown procedure for systems is to shut down systems safely and prevent injury to members of the community. Additionally, it helps to prevent damage to equipment, reduce emissions, and reduce extent of the fire. Immediate containment of the chemical release includes blocking of neighbouring drains, constructing dikes using safe containment resources (Safe work Australia, 2012). In case of an emergency, isolation points include; Electricity: shut down electricity power supply to all equipments via the main Electrical Distribution Board Gas: Supply of gas is isolated at meter enclosure on the location perimeter. Water: water supply should not be isolated in case of a fire outbreak Injured people should only be moved to safe location by a trained personnel unless the situation is life threatening. People should not access the emergency area unless specifically allowed by the Emergency Coordinator. The report includes a CAN report used to determine how efficient the response team is doing, the conditions the team is facing and any resource needs or support required. 2.2.1 CAN report example Conditions 2 people trapped in the building Difficulty containing the spread of ammonia gases Actions Giving first Aid to injured people Using fire extinguisher to contain the fire Needs Dispatch ambulance Send another fire engine to assist Image 1. Ambulance and fire truck After the emergency Coordinator is notified of the emergency, he/she evaluate the situation to determine the dangers involved, extent of the emergency, resources damaged, and any need for evacuation of materials or exclusion of the zone (Lopizich, 2015). The emergency coordinator and the alternate evacuate all community within the area using the designated routes when necessary. The emergency coordinator reports any suspected threat to members of the community or the environment. Additionally, the coordinator informs the appropriate state or local regulatory bodies (Lopizich, 2015). 2.3. Sustained Response First responders start control procedures immediately while awaiting arrival of the emergency Coordinator. They utilize all the available resources and trained manpower available (State of Alaska, 2013). Hazmat response Team protects contains, stop and clean up hazardous material incidents. The team has extensive defensive and cleanup capabilities and on-site and off-site resources. The community emergency response team has four levels of personal protective equipment according to OSHA general regulations. Level A protects against chemical and respiratory risks. Level B entails self-controlled breathing tools and chemical over-suit for protection against chemical vapour. Level C provides air-purifying respirator and skin protection. Level D is work uniform which provides protection for every day hazards (State of Alaska, 2013). Image 2. Protective clothing for emergency response 2.3. Termination The termination process is divided into three phases: incident debriefing, post-incident analysis, and critiquing the incident. Debriefing starts immediately after the emergency phase of the process is finished. Usually before the first responders leave the emergency location, and it involves the Hazmat response team, agency representatives, and public information and sector officers. Termination process involves identifying equipment damage and dangerous conditions requiring attention or isolation until further assessment. A post-incident analysis is conducted to create an understanding of the emergency response for further evaluation. The termination evaluates whether the situation is under control, the harmful gases have been properly contained, and there is a need for off-site response contractors and an on-site emergency response team. The incident commander declares when the incident is over and an Emergency Response Incident Report should be completed. The report which is normally completed by the Incident commander includes any pertinent information collected during the response procedure. Backups of all records are made during the backups. Reports copies are printed to be presented to state or federal agencies (Triton Environmental, Inc, 2007). The incident Commander proclaims that the Emergency situation is over when all the conditions resulting in the emergency have been contained, mitigated and unlikely to reoccur. The community has a written Proclamation that is signed and dated. The signed Termination allows the Plant Incident commander to start recover and Restart action plans (Triton Environmental, Inc, 2007). Incident Termination Proclamation Fig 2. Incident Termination Proclamation References American Petroleum institute, (2013).Guidance for Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration, Production and Pipeline Facility Operators, API Publishing Services, 1220 L Street, NW, Washington Enbridge, (2013). Integrated Contingency Plan, Enbridge Pipelines Inc. Hills, D, (2014). Emergency operations plan, California State University Lopizich, J. (2015). Emergency operations plan, Sierra Joint Community College District Lri, (2016). Emergency Response Team, retrieved 20th September, 2016 . Safe work Australia, (2012). Guide for major Hazard facilities; Emergency plans, safe work Australia, ISBN 978-0-642-33376-6 State of Alaska, (2013). Alaska Emergency Response Guide for Small Communities, homeland Security & Emergency Management Triton Environmental, Inc, (2007). Integrated contingency plan, 385 Church Street, Suite 201, Guilford, Connecticut 06437 U.S Department of Education, (nd). Creating Emergency management plans, ERCM Express Vol 2, issue 8. Read More