"Preparing for Floods in a
Disaster Plan"Stacy LeBlanc-Marco, MS, MBA, LATG
Animal Facility Operations Manager
Department of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, TexasContents: Before/After - Institutional Policies - Preparation - Monitor Weather - Flood Protection - Evacuation
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) has developed an extensive Emergency Plan,which includes procedures for inclement weather. Institutional facilities personnel are trained on emergency response procedures through both classroom training and unscheduled response drills. The Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (DVMS) has developed an additional plan specific to animal housing and support facilities.
In May of each year, DVMS conducts Severe Weather Preparedness training for all staff. Training attendees are given a copy of the departmental emergency plan, as well as Federal Emergency Management Agency home and family preparedness brochures ( http://www.fema.gov/ ) and City of Houston Hurricane Preparedness information
(http://www.ci.houston.tx.us/OEM/hurricane/ ).This presentation describes an overall plan for severe weather preparedness and how to implement it. The written plan must be supported with annual training and practice. Careful planning and diligent preparation can minimize, possibly prevent, damage caused by severe weather and its sequela.
When the unthinkable happens…
12” of rain in less than 12 hours following a week of steady rain
Before Allison…
…After Allison
In June 2001, after a week of rain, Tropical Storm Allison inundated The Texas Medical Center with more than 12” of rainfall in 12 hours. Area street flooding began around 7pm and worsened steadily through the evening and into the night. Water was also rising fast in the 2-story deep construction hole adjacent to the MDACC complex. Although engineering evaluations have determined that MDACC would have been safe even without it, the construction hole was estimated to hold 20 million gallons of water.
Since the emergency situation evolved very rapidly and after normal business hours on a Friday evening, there was no time for a formal implementation of emergency response procedures. As a result of annual training and regular practice, however, Facilities and DVMS staff knew what to do. Second-shift Facilities personnel were able to install flood barriers quickly, before water rose high enough to threaten the building. DVMS personnel, although they had already left for the weekend, continued monitoring weather conditions. Without being called, a few individuals who could make it back to the institution returned to implement the emergency procedures on which they had been trained. Because of these trained individuals, MDACC was prepared and able to take in animals rescued from other flooded TMC facilities.
An effective plan for severe weather preparedness is multi-pronged. A written plan is just a base on which to build and is only effective if staff members know how to implement it. The plan should include these elements:
The written plan itself should include instructions on how to prepare for a severe weather event, defend the facility through the event, and recover from the event. The instructions should be clear, concise, and easy to follow. It should be specific enough to provide adequate guidance, but not so specific that flexibility is lost.
Institutional Policies & Procedures
The institution’s overall plan is typically a global document concerning protection of the institution as a whole. As part of the institutional information distribution system, a central contact point to which employees can reach for current information is extremely useful. For example, MDACC operates a “RING Line,” which has a recorded message, stating the current emergency level and any other pertinent information about institutional operations. During emergency situations, the RING Line is updated at regular intervals; the recorded message states when the next update will be made. MDACC has developed the following Emergency Levels, implemented through Emergency Preparedness Officers (EPO). Team assignments are described below.
Emergency Preparedness Officers: The institution has appointed Emergency Preparedness Officers in critical areas, including DVMS. The EPOs are responsible for maintaining emergency plans, providing training, and ensuring readiness. During an emergency situation, the EPOs serve as liaisons between institutional emergency management personnel and departmental personnel. The EPOs ensure adequate staff coverage during emergencies and oversee implementation of the emergency plan. EPOs assign staff members to teams (described below) and are responsible for team acitivities during emergency situations.
Normal Operations: No weather threat exists at the time. During this time, the institutional and departmental plans are reviewed periodically and kept updated to assure constant readiness.
Emergency Level 1: Localized actions may be required; actions may be restricted to an area or department or group. There is no significant effect. No disruption of function. Very little damage. No apparent threat to personnel or patient safety. This level includes severe storm or weather watch / warning.
Emergency Level 2: Institution is open for all business operations, including patient appointments. All staff will report to duty as scheduled. Notification will be made to appropriate management. The Preparation Team and Ride-Out Team are put on notice, in case weather conditions deteriorate. RING line will be updated. Modification of operations may be necessary, but patient care can be maintained. One major function may be disrupted, but effect is anticipated to be temporary. Potential threat to personnel or patient safety may exist in limited areas. Horizontal evacuation of limited areas may be required. This level includes minor flooding and/or high probability of severe weather.
Emergency Level 3: Non-essential staff will be released from duty or will not report for duty. The Ride-Out Team is release with instructions on when to return to the institution. The Preparation Team initiates preparation procedures. The Preparation Team is released as soon as the Ride-Out Team returns. Incident Command Center will be activated. Institution will usually be open for all scheduled patient appointments. Notification will be made to appropriate management. RING line will be updated. Care may be impaired. One or more major functions may be severely disrupted. Vertical evacuation of a partial or total floor may be required. This level includes major flooding and/or hurricane threatening the area.
Emergency Level 4: All patient appointments will be cancelled. Typically, this level is only necessary during a hurricane or severe emergency conditions. Incident Command Center is activated. Essential staff is released from duty when the Ride Out teams have taken over the operations of the institution. This is applicable to hurricanes only. Essential staff is not released from duty during other emergency conditions. Notification is made to the appropriate management and the EPOs. RING line is updated. Care is severely impaired. Severe damage to physical plant. Dire threat to personnel or patient life and safety exists. Vertical evacuation of several floors or total evacuation is required. This level includes hurricane threatening Houston area and/or severe emergency conditions.
Animal Care Specific Procedures: In addition to overall institution protection, there must be specific procedures for protecting the animals and animal housing facilities. These specific plans should complement, not contradict, the institutional plan. The plan for animal care should include procedures for stockpiling adequate water, food, and supplies for at least a three day period, in case utilities are lost. The plan should also address procedures for powering down non-essential equipment, consolidating refrigerator/freezer/incubator contents into units connected to emergency power, and other protective measures for animal care support equipment.
Preparation, Ride-Out, Recovery Teams: In order to effectively carry out preparedness plans, all participants must know their roles and responsibilities. Staff members should be assigned to teams, with each team responsible for a specific aspect of emergency preparedness. Each staff member should have a primary assignment, as well as an alternate assignment. It is very important to have an acknowledgement form for each Team member. By signing the form, each individual acknolwledges their responsibility to remain aware of the insititution’s emergency level, ensure that their supervisor has current home phone number and other contact information, and any other relevant insititutional requirements. The MDACC form also includes information on meals and sleeping arrangements, parking, prohibition on family and pets in the institution, etc.
Preparation Team: The Preparation Team is responsible for preparing the facility for the hurricane or imminent severe weather. A list of required supplies and equipment is included in the plan and shows where the items are located. When the institution moves to Emergency Level 2, the Preparation and Ride Out Teams are contacted and given additional specific instructions. At this time, a determination is made as to when the Ride-Out Team will be released and subsequently expected to return to the facility. Upon return of the Ride-Out Team members, the Preparation Team is released from the facility.
Ride-Out Team: During the preparation phase, the Ride-Out Team is expected to secure their families and/or personal property. At the time determined at the start of the preparation phase, the Ride-Out Team returns to maintain the facility during the hurricane. During ride-out, animal housing areas are monitored for signs of significant temperature changes, flooding, and any other detrimental conditions. If any of these conditions threaten, measures will be taken to reduce their impact. Measures to be taken will be decided by the Veterinarian in charge, or his/her designee.
Recovery Team: Recovery procedures will depend on the nature and severity of any damage resulting from the emergency. Each employee is responsible for contacting the the RING Line to determine the current situation and to find out when they will be able to return to work. All staff are expected to return to the facility as soon as safely possible to assist in recovery activities. The Ride-Out Team is released when an adequate number of staff has returned following the storm.
Annual Training: Training is the cornerstone of an effective plan. It must be done at least annually for all staff members expected to carry out the plan. All staff must be trained on all aspects of the plan, regardless of their primary Team assignments. Cross training is very important, since primary Team members may be out at the time of an emergency, thus requiring staff members to participate in their alternate Team assignments.
• www.weatherdata.com
• www.weather.com
• www.univ-wea.com
• Local TV & Radio
Flood Alert System to monitor storm sewer levels It is imperative that weather conditions be monitored throughout the year, since severe weather is not limited to hurricane season. In addition to television and radio weather reports, the internet is an excellent source of weather forecasting information. The Weather Channel, National Weather Service, and commercial weather forecasting companies, such as Universal Weather, are excellent sources of information.
Rice University, in conjunction with The Texas Medical Center, has developed the Brays Bayou Flood Alert System. An important part of the system is the “BayouCam.” This camera is trained on the Harris Gulley, which drains all storm sewers in The Texas Medical Center into Brays Bayou. Street flooding in the TMC is directly related to the amount of water being discharged through the Harris Gulley, making it a valuable flooding predictor during periods of heavy rain. The “BayouCam” allows anyone, from anywhere in the world, to monitor the level of water being discharged into Brays Bayou.
When the threat of flooding exists, precautions must be taken to protect facilities from water entry. Flood protection equipment should be kept close to the area in which they will be installed for use. Regular, unscheduled training ensures that staff know exactly how to correctly install the devices in the shortest possible amount of time. In the case of TS Allison, flooding occurred within a few hours. It is imperative that staff be very familiar with and able to install flood control measures quickly and competently.
Sandbags are economical for protecting against minimal flooding and can be placed relatively rapidly, if they are available. Floodgates are an excellent method for controlling moderate to severe flooding. A combination of the two should be incorporated into the plan in order to provide flexible protection depending on the nature and severity of the flooding threat. Storage of floodgate sections and installation equipment must be kept in very close proximity to their in-use position. The closer they are, the faster they can be installed. As was learned in TS Allison, it is extremely critical to be able to institute protective measures very quickly.
During an emergency is NOT the time to think about where to move animals!
Decide IN ADVANCE where they go! There must be a well defined plan for relocation of animals in the event the housing area is threatened. Animals should be moved out of the area before the facility is compromised in any way, particularly if elevators must be used. The emergency plan should include instructions on how, when, and by whom the decision to move animals will be made. The DVMS plan states that the animal colony veterinarian or his/her designee will decide on moving animals. This decision will be based on the weather conditions, how fast water is rising, available staff, and other current conditions. Each housing area has a different degree of threat from flooding; therefore, procedures are specific for each area’s location. The water level and rate of rise in the Harris Gulley is used as the basis for the veterinarian’s decision.
Transport methods: Once the emergency relocation area is identified, transport methods for each species to be moved must be determined. Adequate transportation should be readily available. Ideally, carts, leashes, and other transport equipment are brought to the animal housing area from their normal storage location by the Preparation Team, in anticipation of weather condition deterioration.
Facilities personnel: Onsite facilities personnel can be an important aid in relocating animals in an emergency, particularly after hours when animal care staff is not present. Severe weather training should include a session for facilities staff to learn proper procedures associated with animal relocation. Animal care staff emergency contact phone lists should be provided to facilities supervisors, as well as posted in the animal housing facilities. Transport equipment should be located in an easily accessible, readily visible area.
Care while displaced: When developing the Ride-Out Team, thought should be given to the number of staff members required to care for animals outside the housing facility, should that become necessary. Extra personnel may be needed to handle additional workloads, such as handwashing of housing and feeding equipment if mechanical washers are inoperable or inaccessible. Procedures for protecting the health of both animal and personnel in areas without adequate ventilation and/or air filtering are essential.
Don’t forget the food & water: In addition to temporary storage of clean and soiled caging, provisions must be made for storage of feed and water supplies. If refrigeration is unavailable, dry ice may be needed to keep food from spoiling. This is especially important during high temperature conditions, as are common during hurricane season.
When the emergency has passed and animals have been returned to the normal housing facilities, researchers must be updated. During the emergency, records should be kept including environmental conditions, exact location, husbandry procedures, species adjacencies, and any other information that would help the researchers preserve as much animal data as possible.
PLAN the preparation and response - know what you need to do before you need to do it!
DO a small scale test - try it out first.
CHECK the results, adjust as needed - if at first you don’t succeed . . . make changes.
ACT to implement the Plan - make sure you’re ready for the real thing!Real Life Disasters - Disaster Planning - Facility Planning - Assets Protection - Web Links - Home
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