“Just After the Earthquake”
Working Group
Presentation
Chile Observatories Earthquake Readiness Workshop
Hotel La Serena Club Resort
La Serena, IV Region
Chile
December 3rd & 4th 2007
“Just After” Issues
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Plan – Train – Act. How well people have planned and trained + how
well people have reacted in the immediate aftermath set the scene
for this stage of the response
The grade of response should be appropriate to the grade or
magnitude of the event
Benchmarking and comparing operational notes are excellent
initiatives, but it is critically important to create plans that are
based firmly in the reality of your Observatory’s specific
operational circumstances e.g. closeness of work sites to
family members of staff; development stage of the organization;
size of the organization; daytime, nighttime, weekend operations etc
We have assumed we’re dealing with a major/high risk event
We have defined “just after” as the period from when the shaking stops
(at least of the building, if not our own!) to the stage when
intermediate response steps are beginning to get underway
We should adopt the same emergency response concepts when dealing
with non-seismic disasters e.g. fire
“Just After” Issues
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“Define” the event – value of seismic monitoring and displays; in the
absence of such, consider the worst case scenario to begin with
“Who is in charge?” – decision criteria for choosing response leaders;
the importance of leadership + planning (neither on its own is
sufficient); consider a team focus, substitutes where necessary,
concentrate on leadership characteristics/preferred outcomes
rather on formal leadership roles; create a flexible/adaptive
decision-making structures
SITUATION ASSESSMENT #1 : People focused – Count them, Who?
Where? Dead? Injured? Missing? Panicking? Not available?
Technical Focus – Direct, simple observations where possible (pick up
the phone for a dial tone, radio with batteries, TV, web etc
Note that in some ways in doesn’t matter how earnest your people
focused efforts or your technical focused efforts are, if you don’t
employ a communications focus. Without one, your efforts will be
frustrated
“Just After” Issues
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Launch only the most critical actions after the first situation
assessment e.g. gas, electricity, fuel spills, major structural issues,
most fundamental telescope checks
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Work to a “response skills” inventory/check list
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Work to a “resources required” inventory/check list
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Do what you can.....with what you’ve got........NOW
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The more practically based and intelligent pre-planning will help by
by helping people work on “auto-pilot” (drill based) in high stress
situation
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SITUATION ASSESSMENT # 2 then ACTIONS # 2
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SITUATION ASSESSMENT # 3 then ACTIONS # 3 and so on..........
“ONLY BITE OFF WHAT YOU CAN CHEW” – IMPORTANCE OF PRACTICAL BASED ACTIONS & CONTINUOUS REVIEW
(the graph below depicts only one type of response, of many possible responses)
SOPHISTICATION / DEPTH OF ANALYSIS
EVALUATE
EVALUATE
EVALUATE
EVALUATE
EVALUATE
EVALUATE
TECHNICAL ISSUES
ACT
ACT
ACT
ACT
ACT
ACT
ACT
PEOPLE ISSUES
REPORT
REPORT
REPORT
REPORT
REMEMBER THAT AFTERSHOCKS MIGHT THROW YOUR PLANS OFF – SO PLAN FOR AFTERSHOCKS
REPORT
REPOR
TIME