National Academies Press: OpenBook

Managing Catastrophic Transportation Emergencies: A Guide for Transportation Executives (2014)

Chapter: Types of Emergency Incidents and Events

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Suggested Citation:"Types of Emergency Incidents and Events." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Managing Catastrophic Transportation Emergencies: A Guide for Transportation Executives. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22304.
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Suggested Citation:"Types of Emergency Incidents and Events." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Managing Catastrophic Transportation Emergencies: A Guide for Transportation Executives. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22304.
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Page 8

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Types of Emergency Incidents and Events The term all hazards includes a broad range of incidents and events that have potential to affect transportation system operations. Figure 2 illustrates the types and frequency of events that transportation agencies may encounter. These events may require coordination with other agencies (local, state, and federal) depending on the severity or complexity of the incident. Planned activities range from frequent local or regional events such as sporting events, concerts, and parades to less- frequent national security special events (NSSE) such as political conventions and presidential inaugurations. Weather-related incidents span the range of predictability, with extreme weather events increasing in frequency. Weather events not only disrupt service, but can also damage infrastructure. Transportation plays a critical role in an emergency situation. Other state agencies rely on the DOT to provide support during a major disaster. As a former executive director said, “Our focus is simple. We will provide the road to safety, we will clear the road to recovery, and we will maintain the road home." As the CEO, you need to know what is out there. Understand what types of events are likely to occur in your state and what potential impacts those events can have on your agency. By anticipating the events and the potential impacts, you can plan in advance and be prepared when the events occur. Because other local, state, and federal agencies may be involved along with your agency, a CEO needs to understand the specific procedures and protocols that have been established for managing emergencies and ensuring the staff stays current regarding the applicable state and national standards for emergency preparedness and response. The federal government expects state DOTs to incorporate principles and concepts of national initiatives that provide common approaches to incident management and response in emergency response plans and operations. National initiatives include the NRF, with its designed emergency support functions (ESFs), and the National Incident Management System (NIMS), with its protocols for multiagency interaction and communication. State and local NIMS compliance is a prerequisite for federal preparedness funds. An overview of key initiatives and their implications for transportation agencies is provided in the Appendix B. Figure 2. Agency involvement by incident level. Source: Lockwood et al., 2005. NCHRP Report 525: Surface Transportation Security, Vol. 6: Guide for Emergency Transportation Operations. 5

•State DOTs must be prepared to effectively respond to and quickly recover from many types of events. •State and regional agencies rely on the DOT to provide support during response to an emergency event. Transportation is ESF #1 for a reason. •State DOTs must use the Incident Command System (ICS)/NIMS in order to maintain federal funding. •NIMS integrates best practices into a comprehensive framework for use by emergency management personnel nationwide. What You NEED TO KNOW •Assessing risks and impacts of potential events •Planning for multi-agency response •Ensuring that your agency understands response protocols •Providing input on priorities, goals, and direction YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES •Maintain awareness of events that are likely to occur and their potential impacts on your agency. Learn from the agency's historical critical events. •Understand the sensitivity of system assets, infrastructure, and services to different types of events. •Monitor likely problem areas and explore mitigation and resiliency strategies to miminze impacts. •Create and maintain a response and continuity of operations plan consistent with the requirements of the federal goverment. What You NEED TO DO 6

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TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Web-Only Document 206: Managing Catastrophic Transportation Emergencies: A Guide for Transportation Executives provides guidance to new chief executive officers (CEOs) about the roles and actions that CEOs take during emergency events.

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