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Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Tool (RVAT)
Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Steps Critical Facilities AnalysisExtended Discussion | Interact with Data | Print Version Why would I do this analysis?This analysis focuses on determining the vulnerabilities of key individual facilities, lifelines, or resources within the community. Because these facilities play a central role in disaster response and recovery, it is important to protect critical facilities to ensure that service interruption is reduced or eliminated. Usually, it is not feasible to conduct a structural and/or operational analysis for every structure in a community. This step helps to prioritize which facilities are most vulnerable, so that individual assessments may be performed later. Read the extended discussion for detailed information on the critical facilities analysis. Give me an example of something I might do in this analysis.Once you have completed an inventory of critical facilities in your area, you should have data on facility type and location. These facilities include police stations, fire and rescue facilities, hospitals, shelters, schools, nursing homes, and any other structures deemed essential by the community. You then overlay the critical facility locations with your existing risk areas layer. You find that a number of critical facilities are located within hazard areas, yet scarce resources limit you to analyzing only those facilities that are located within the highest risk hazard zones. You then perform in-depth structural and operational analyses on the selected facilities, collecting data such as construction type and quality, age, size, footprint, building capacity, presence or absence of auxiliary power, we well as other pertinent information. You then educate facility personnel on potential hazards and collaborate with them to identify hazard mitigation measures to prevent or reduce future losses. What are my steps?
What data will I need?Specific Datasets/layers for types of critical facilities:
Recommended information for each facility inventory:
Recommended information to be collected during individual assessments:Structural:
Operational:
Where can I obtain these data and information?Some of the data listed above are made available through the Internet. Regional and state agencies are likely to have downloadable data. Data not available through the Internet can potentially be obtained directly from each facility. Contacting the facility or building manager can yield valuable information about the site. Listed below are possible locations for data. You may also want to visit the Data Dictionary for an extensive listing of spatial data.
Who do I need to work with? What agencies can help me locate the necessary data and information?To access many of these governmental and organizational Web sites, view the Links page. A complete list of agencies and stakeholders is also available. Local (county or municipality) — Department of Transportation, Utility and Power Companies, Communications, Housing Authority, Business Groups/Associations, Chamber of Commerce, Historical Preservation Office, School Boards, Colleges and Universities, Property Developers, Planning Office, Public Works, Nursing Homes, Hospitals, Animal Care, Landfill/Solid Waste sites, Pump Stations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as the American Red Cross, and other. Regional (state or states) — State Division of Emergency Management, State Department of Environmental Protection, County GIS Office, and other. National (federal) — FEMA (HAZUS loss estimation methodology), BPAT (Building Performance Assessment Team) facility vulnerability assessment program, NGOs, NASA, Military, and other. Interact with the DataFollow this link to view and interact with data pertaining to the Critical Facilities Analysis. |