Investigating Community Preparedness

Teachers: This exercise is appropriate for high school, and some middle school students. It allows the students to look at how their community is preparing for possible disasters and then allows a simulation that demonstrate how difficult handling disasters can be. The exercise involves such skills as: planning, interviewing, writing, public speaking and analysis and problem solving.

Focus Question: How would your community cope in the event of a natural disaster? Who are the people most responsible for your community’s survival and recovery?

All communities are subject to fire and flood. Others face such natural hazards as tornadoes, hurricanes or earthquakes. Any natural disaster can impact many people in the community, and all communities plan for such inevitabilities.

All these people and more may play a role in your community’s disaster preparedness planning and response:

• Mayor or City Administrator
• City Manager
• Public Information Officer
• Chief of Police
• Fire Chief
• Emergency Management Coordinator
• Superintendent of Schools
• School District Risk Manger
• City Building Code Inspector
• City Council Members
• City Geologist
• City Planner
• Coordinator of Roads and Transportation
• Director of Public Health
• Director of Public Works
• Superintendent of the Sewage Plant
• Superintendent of the Water Department
• Electric Company Emergency Officer
• Telephone Company Emergency Coordinator
• Hospital Safety and Security Manager
• Manager of Community’s Voluntary Organization Chapter (such as Red Cross)

Determine which individuals are most key to your community and/or to the specific natural hazard most common in your area. Add individuals who might be missing from the list. Assign students to contact the individuals and set up interviews. Each student will interview on individual to learn what they do and what roles he or she will play in the community’s emergency/disaster preparedness plan. The interviews could include these questions:

• What are the current emergency plans for this area?
• Have they ever been implemented?
• What is your role during an emergency?
• How many people answer to you?
• What are the lines of communication during an emergency?
• What is the budget of this department or organization?

Students may write a report or make a presentation based on the interview. Students could also invite the individual to come to the class.

Follow-up exercise: Disaster simulation

Students assume the roles of the disaster preparedness and planning officials in the community. They should begin by writing a job description. They should work together to develop a plan to respond to the scenario. You can add increasingly complex disaster effects as the scenario unfolds. Students should address three phases of the disaster: Response -- activities that provide emergency survival during a crisis; Short-term recovery -- restoration of vital services, provision of temporary housing and food; and Long-term recovery -- rebuilding and economic recovery.

Scenario: At 10:05 a.m. today, a hurricane/earthquake/tornado/flood hit the community of Edenton. The downtown area was hardest hit. People have reported damage to homes, and businesses have been affected as well. No fatalities have been reported. Three people with injuries have been taken to the Edenton Community Hospital, which is also reporting some damage. As many as 10 people are missing.

The downtown fire station is destroyed/inoperable. Two other fire stations are operational.

Other possible effects:

• A large fire has broken out in downtown
• Water mains are cut
• 10 percent of the population has sustained injuries
• Utility lines are down
• Animals in the zoo have escaped from their cages
• Looters are rampaging downtown
• Sewers have backed up, endangering public health
• Many houses are destroyed/inhabitable and shelters will be needed
• A hazardous spill has occurred.
• A major road has been affected.