british columbia earthquake response plan

8/12/2019 British Columbia Earthquake Response Plan

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ii Bri ti sh Columb ia Earthquake Response Plan (1999)

FUNDAMENTALS OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT:

AN EARTHQUAKE PERSPECTIVE

Emergency Management is a comprehensive, four-part system set up by governments, theprivate sector, and individuals to address natural haza rds. Some components of that systemare general in nature, and not specific to earthquake planning. Narrowing the perspective ofemergency management to earthquakes, the components are:

# PREVENTION: mitigation of earthquake effects through public educa tion,building codes, building and land-use regulation, and tax and insuranceincentives/disincentives.

# PREPAREDNESS: those measures undertaken in advance to ensure thatindividuals and agencies will be ready to react, such as emergency plans, mutual

aid agreements, resource inventories, training, exercises, and emergencycommunications systems.

# RESPONSE: those measures undertaken immediately after the earthq uake has

occurred and for a limited period thereafter, primarily to save human life, treatthe injured, a nd prevent further injury and other forms of loss. They includeresponse plan activation, opening and staffing of emergency operations centres,mobilization of resources, issuance of warnings and directions, provision of aid,and may include d eclaration of states of emergency.

# RECOVERY: those measures undertaken to restore normal cond itions. The timeframe for recovery begins as soon as a reduction in critical response activities

permits the re-allocation of resources to longer-term recovery activities.Recovery measures can extend over years, and could include physicalrestoration and reconstruction, financial assistance programs, counselling,temporary housing or relocation assistance, health and safety programs, andeconomic impact studies.

This response plandoes not add ress prevention a nd recovery measures. How ever, itsimplementation will benefit the state of preparedness and provide the structural frameworkfor timely initiation of recovery activities.


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Brit ish Columb ia Earthquake Response Plan (1999) ii i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

FUND AMENTALS OF EMERGENCY MANAG EMENT:AN EARTHQUAKE PERSPECTIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii

Part 1 - BASIC PLAN

1.1 PURPOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.2 SCOPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1a. Provincial Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

b. National/International Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1.3 AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1.4 PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2a. Earthquake Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

(1) "Moderate" and "Major" Earthquakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3(2) "Catastrophic" Earthq uake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

b. Emergency Preparedness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

1.5 GENERAL OPERATIONAL CONCEPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5a. Local Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

b. Provincial G overnment Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6c. Federal Government Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6d. Operational Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7e. Operational Phases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

1.6 RESPONSIBILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7a. Key Ministry (Ministry Responsible for the Provincial Emergency Program) . . 7b. O ther Provincial Ministries and Crow n Corporations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

1.7 FUNCTIONAL RESPONSE CONCEPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8a. Response Req uirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8b. Primary Supporting Ministry/Secondary Supporting Agency Definitions . . . . . 8

c. Primary Supporting Ministry Assignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Part 2 - PROVINCIAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE MANAGEMENT

2.1 GENERAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11a. Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11b. Provincial Response Management Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11


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c. National Earthq uake Support Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

2.2 PRO VINCIAL MANAG EMENTREQ UIREMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

2.3 ESCALATION OF RESPONSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14a. Local Emergency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14b. Major Emergency/Disaster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

2.4 PRO VINCIAL FIELD RESPO NSE CENTRE (PFRC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15a. Tasks - Immediate Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15b. Tasks - Sustained Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

2.5 PRO VINCIAL EMERG ENCY CO O RD INATIO N CENTRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Part 3 - EMERGENCY RESPONSE FUNCTIONS

3.1 SELECTIO N O F EMERG ENCY RESPO NSE FU NCTIO NS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

3.2 RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PROVINCIAL RESPONSE PLANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

3.3 REQ UIREMENTFO R DETAILED PLANNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Emergency Response Function Descriptions and Responsibilities

Annex A - HEALTH SERVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Annex B - EMERG ENCY SOCIAL SERVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Annex C - LAW AND ORDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Annex D - U RBAN SEARCH AND HEAVY RESCU E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Annex E - COMMUNICATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Annex F - DAMAG E ASSESSMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Annex G - FIREFIG HTING/RESCUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Annex H - TRANSPORTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Annex I - ENG INEERING AND CO NSTRUCTIO N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Annex J - HUMAN RESOURCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57


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Annex K - RESOURCE SUPPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Annex L - CORONER/MORTUARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Annex M - HAZARDOUS MATERIALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Annex N - PUBLIC INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Annex O - FOOD AND AG RICULTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Annex P - FINANCE AND CLAIMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Annex Q - UTILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Appendix 1- AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES,DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS

1. AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

2. DEFINITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

3. ABBREVIATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Appendix 2- THE EARTHQUAKE THREAT

1 EARTHQUAKES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

2. HAZARD ASSESSMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85


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Brit ish Columb ia Earthquake Response Plan (1999) 1

Part 1

BASIC PLAN

1.1 PURPOSE

This plan describes the provincial response system in the event of a major ea rthquake in BritishColumbia. It identifies the total response which should be provided by a ll levels of government,by describing expected operational activities and by assigning responsibilities to conductad ditiona l planning, coordination, and implementation of emergency capabilities.

Pa rt 1 is an overview w hich identifies basic policies, planning assumptions, and the concept forresponse in a variety of situations related to the ea rthq uake haza rd.

Part 2 identifies the concept for management of the provincial government response effort,including national support resources, in a major emergency or disaster situation.

Part 3 comprises operational annexes for each of the specific earthquake response functionswithin the jurisdiction of the provincial government. These annexes identify the ta sks to beaccomplished by provincial ministries and agencies, and the support agreed to be provided tothem by non-government organizations (NGO) and from na tional sources. These conceptsrequire the development of detailed primary supporting ministry plans by the responsibleministries, either as stand-alone earthquake plans or as a part of general ministry disaster

response plans.

1.2 SCOPE

a. Provincial Response

i. Local authorities are required to plan for, and to respond to emergencysituations within their jurisdictions and capab ilities. Where appropriate , theircapabilities may be augmented by mutual aid agreements w ith neighbouringlocal authorities.

ii. If a local authority requests assistance from the provincial government, thatassistance may be provided from provincial ministries and crowncorporations. Provincial assistance may also include federal governmentassistance o r private sector and NGO support which has been arranged bythe provincial government.

iii. The provincial response also includes those functional areas where theprovincial government has reta ined jurisdiction.


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2 Bri ti sh Columb ia Earthquake Response Plan (1999)

b. National/International Response

i. If an emergency situation should prove to be beyond the capabilities of the

provincial response, additional resources may be requested from theGovernment of Canada, from o ther provinces, or from internationa l sources.

ii. Any national/international response w ill be in support of, and coordinated bythe provincial government regardless of its origin.

1.3 AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES

This plan is written in compliance w ith the Emergency Program Act, 1996, and regulationspromulgated under the authority of the Act. These, and other pertinent references used in thisplan, will be found at Appendix 1.

1.4 PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS

a. Earthquake Scenarios

i. See Appendix 2 for the hazard assessment related to earthquakes in BritishColumbia. While earthq uakes can be measured in terms of their energyrelease, there is no universally accepted method o f categorising them by theirgeneral da maging effects or the response effort required. For da magingearthquakes, the following assumptions are considered relevant:

! Earthq uakes occur without warning and pre-event response activity willnot be possible.

! The probab ility o f the event occurring during non-working hours isbetter than 3:1.

! Dama ge to sensitive telecommunications systems, even if onlytemporary after a moderate earthquake, will interfere with responsemanagement.

! Aftershocks follow ing a da maging earthq uake will likely occur and causeadditional damage, interfere with response efforts, and cause severe

unease among the populace.

! Damage, even if not severe, may be widespread.

This plan, as w ell as the National Earthquake Support Plan (NESP), attempts to categorizeearthquakes by the broad scope of damage (and thus the response effort expected) as follows:


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(1) "Moderate" and "Major" Earthquakes. Clearly not all earthquakescause severe damage or initiate a need for massive emergency

response. While generally accepted tha t even a "mod erate" Richtermagnitude 6.0 earthq uake is capableof causing dama ge to man-madestructures (buildings, bridges, roads, etc.), the distance from theepicentre, soil conditions etc. are important considerations whichcanno t be accurately pre-conceived. A moderate quake can triggerother hazards, ground displacement and land slides in pa rticular, w hichhave a greater potential for damage tha n the earthquake shaking itself.The consideration of what constitutes a "major earthquake" is thusdependent upon the degree of damage which is caused, and suggestsconsiderable response activity due to more significant damage havingbeen caused.

(2) "Catastrophic" Earthquake.This term is commonly used to describe anearthquake which has or wo uld likely cause severe d amage over a largearea, such as a subduction zone event near southwestern BritishColumbia. It is generally accepted that such an earthquake couldexceed Richter magnitude 8.5, and once again the dama ge that wouldbe caused is dependent upon the distance from the epicentre.Although a formal hazard assessment related to this calibre of event hasnot been done, sufficient scientific and technical analysis has beenconsidered to apply some planning assumptions to British Columbiasscenario. Addi tionally, because Brit ish Columbia has not experienced anearthquake of such magnitude in centuries, some of the detailed data

forecast for an 8.3 Richter earthquake in southern California, near a

major population centre, have been extrapolated in the assump tionsbelow.

! Severe d ama ge w ill be widespread (possibly 100+ kilometresfrom the epicentre) and large numbers of casualties will occur.Moderate damage, with additional limited areas of severedamage, could occur 300+ kilometres from the epicentre.Outside the main area of severe damage close to the epicentre,the severity of damage is increased in areas of certain groundconditions, and vulnerable construction characteristics.

! Subduction earthquakes produce low-frequency seismic waves

which can continue to be generated for several minutes.Liquefaction effects are particularly enhanced under thesecircumstances. Tall structures may sway if their harmoniccharacteristics react, causing them smash against adjacentbuildings or topple over.

! Commercial electrical, telephone , and many transportationservices may be inoperable for at least 24 hours.


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! Landslides will be triggered in those areas with a tendency toproduce slides under other circumstances.

! Seismic sea w aves (tsunamis) w ill likely be generated. A tsunamigenerated by a subduction earthquake off the coast of BritishColumbia would provide little or no warning to the coastal areasof the province and would result in major damage to vulnerablelocations.

! The principal cause of d ea ths and injury w ill be the collapse ofbuildings and o ther manmade structures, pa rticularly older, multi-storey, and unreinforced masonry buildings. Structures in thosecategories include many of our schools and hospitals, w hich areexpected to suffer at least 50%uninhabitability due to partial orcomplete collapse. While some modern buildings have been

constructed to building codes with a degree of seismic protectionincorporated, they do no t meet the degree of seismic resistancefor an earthquake of this magnitude (8+ ), and some failure is tobe expected. Most residential housing is not specifically built toany seismic resistance standard at all (one and two storey housesare exempt from building code seismic provisions). However,houses will sustain damage of only a moderate nature if of fairlyrecent conventional (eg., wood-frame, rectangular footprint)construction.

! Fire of major proportion, as seen in some previous earthquakessuch as the 1906 San Francisco and 1996 Kobe, Japan events, is

not likely to materialize due to the incorporation of fire-resistantmaterials in modern Canadian buildings and improved fire-fightingtechniques. Smaller fires may be numerous, how ever; and acombination o f dry w eather cond itions, failure of w ater supply orpressure, and the inability of firefighters to respond due tocasualties or transportation system breakdown could lead to anurban wildfire.

! Casualty estimates vary with the time of d ay o f the event, from alow while most people are at home in bed, to about three timeshigher while people are at work or in school, and four timeshigher while people are betw een home and w ork or school where

they are out in the open, unprotected, and unable to orientthemselves. Injuries req uiring medical treatment exceed fata litiesby a ratio of at lea st 30:1. Injuries requiring hospitalizationexceed fatalities by at least 4:1.


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b. Emergency Preparedness

i. The preparedness of local authorities and responding agencies to d eal with"routine" emergencies, and possibly disasters within their area, is the key tothe evolution of an effective plan by a coordinating level of government.Based on normal conditions and current legislation and strategies, it isassumed tha t:

! "First Respond ers" w ill be on duty (normal shift) and will have a plan toautoma tically augment duty personnel in the event of an ea rthq uake.

! Emergency Operations Centres (planned by local governments,supporting ministries, etc.) can be a ctivated on very short notice and beeffective in their response management role under the stated

earthquake conditions. Response resources provided in augmentationof surviving integral capabilities will be operationally managed fromthese EOCs.

! The Provincial Emergency Program can activate , on short notice, one ormore Provincial Field Response Centres (based initially upon theProvincial Emergency Program regional management staff), to receiverequests for provincial government response assistance and tocoordinate provincial response in the local area.

! The Provincial Emergency Program can activate , on short notice, aProvincial Emergency Coordination Centre with the capability to

communicate with the other response management componentsrequired for effective earthquake response. That centre would be inVictoria unless the earthquake conditions required government tooperate from an a lternative location.

! Provincial ministries are able to implement their mandated emergencyresponse functions and have internal plans which are in accordancewith the requirements of this overall plan.

1.5 GENERAL OPERATIONAL CONCEPT

The suddenness of a major earthq uake must lead to a seq uence o f response actions structuredto overcome the difficulties of damage assessment, determination of the resource capabilitiesneeded to respond , and the time needed to escalate the level of response management as theseriousness of the situation becomes apparent. These emergency management cond itions areinherent in the Brit ish Columbia Emergency Response Management System (BCERMS)and theProvincial Government Strategy for Response.


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a. Local Response

At the local level, initial response actions must be virtually automatic and based on

existing (perhaps surviving) ava ilab le capabilities to deal w ith emergencies. Loca lauthorities must immediately advise persons present in their jurisdiction of the hazardthreat(s) and what actions people are expected to take.

Loca l governments may a lso have pre-arranged a id from neighbouring jurisdictions, anddirect assistance by loca lly situated provincial and federal agencies. Under thesecircumstances, the responsibility for the management of all response actions andresources rests with the local authority, w ithin its jurisdiction. A local autho rityemergency operations centre (EOC) should be quickly established, and initial liaisonfrom external resource agencies will be made to that EOC.

Extraordinary powers are available to a local authority through declaration of a State of

Loca l Emergency under the Emergency Program Act. These pow ers might be needed toimplement the evacuation of a threatened area, and prevent return to it by theevacuees.

Add itiona l assistance ma y be req uested from the province through the Provincial FieldResponse Centre (PFRC), if activated, or if not from PEP Headquarters, Victoria.

b. Provincial Government Response

Depending on the scope o f response to be provided by the province, which in turn isdependent on the damage caused (or anticipated), and the local government'scapabilities, a variety of approa ches to response are available. Also, there are conditions

which may instigate a provincial government response action for provincial jurisdictionalrequirements even if no local authority has requested assistance.

If required, the province will activate a Provincial Field Response Centre (PFRC) tocoordinate provincial support to local government response operations and to directoperations within the province's jurisdiction. The PFRC will include the involvedprovincial agencies' representa tives and be configured as required to suit the situation.(Part 2 explains in further detail).

A major disaster could require response actions that may only be possible under thelegislated powers which accompany a State of Emergency declared by the AttorneyGeneral. Examples of special powers which could be invoked by the province include

control over police and fire fighting operations.

c. Federal Government Response

Some federal departments and crown corporations have provisions for direct routineassistance to any level of government, without the necessity for coordination or formalpassage of the req uest to Ottawa. While this applies primarily to matters in the federaljurisdiction (such as marine search and rescue) the Ca nadian Forces Commander, LandForces Western Area may use any resources under command to provide assistance to


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any civilian a gency for the purpose of preventing loss of human life or suffering. It is alsopossible to obta in national level Canad ian Forces assistance through a request to O ttaw a,

or on loca l authority if unable to communica te with Ottaw a. The federal level supportof this type should be incorporated in provincial ministry and local authority plans, eventhough it will be subject to coordination measures by the provincial governmentresponse management structure.

d. Operational Areas

A major disaster will probably affect an area larger than that encompassed by a singleloca l authoritys jurisdiction. The province will define an Operational Area (or Areas)which includes the region req uiring a provincial response effort. An Operational Areamay coincide with an existing geographical or political division, eg., a regional district,or a Provincial Emergency Program Region. The purpose of such a distinction is to

delineate the bo undaries within which emergency pow ers and other arrangements (eg.,claims for disaster financial assistance) will apply.

e. Operational Phases

During the response operations there w ill tend to be tw o pha ses categorized by theirurgency and, to a certain extent, the resources available. The response function ta sks tobe carried out may fit into the category of Immediate Phase or Sustained Phase ofresponse as a manner of priorizing response actions.

1.6 RESPONSIBILITIES

a. Key Ministry- (Ministry Responsible for the Provincial Emergency Program)

The minister responsible for the Provincial Emergency Program has the responsibility forthe overall effectiveness of provincial government response to an ea rthquake. Theoverall planning and response coordination required are vested in the Director,Provincial Emergency Program.

The D irector of the Provincial Emergency Program is directly responsible for carrying outthe provisions of the Emergency Program Act. Tha t includes the responsibility for thepreparation o f plans on behalf of the Lieutenant G overnor in Co uncil, the coordinationof the provincial response, and the integration and coordination o f planning w ith the

federal government and o ther provinces. Other functions in a disaster situation may beassigned on order of the Lieutenant G overnor in Council, or on declaration of a State ofEmergency.

The D irector, Provincial Emergency Program maintains on a permanent basis sufficientstaff and facilities to provide initial provincial coordination of response efforts, andmaintain plans and capabilities which will permit mobilization to augment provincialoperational control and coordination.


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The D irector, Provincial Emergency Program, shall make recommenda tion to theminister responsible as to the need for a state of emergency to be declared, and theneed to request the G overnment of Cana da to declare a Public Welfare Emergency.

b. Other Provincial Ministries and Crown Corporations

The responsibilities of provincial ministries and crown corporations are mandated bytheir ow n legislation, a nd they have been given emergency functions therein, a nd underthe provisions of emergency management regulations. This plan ident ifies the tota lprovincial response expected after an earthquake, and thus identifies likely tasks forministries and crown corporations in the various components of the plan which may notnow be specifically incorporated in their mandates. It has been necessary to assign themfor an effective response.

Provincial Government agencies tasked by this plan agree to incorporate the assigned

responsibilities in their ow n ministry or corporate emergency plan(s). Those plans shouldinclude specific procedures to accomplish the stated tasks, and note w hether or not thetask is dependent upon extraordinary powers attainable only on d eclaration of a Stateof Emergency.

1.7 FUNCTIONAL RESPONSE CONCEPT

a. Response Requirements

A major earthquake will generate a large number of response requirements, and thereare a number of agencies which can respond at all levels of government and in the

private sector. As many of the response activities to be performed require coordinatedactions by multiple agencies, a functional organization for response has been used tomake this feasible.

The range of ta sks to be performed have been categorized into "Emergency ResponseFunctions". The emergency response functions have been assigned to PrimarySupporting Ministries for the development of subsidiary plans with the assistance of stillother Second ary Supporting Agencies.

b. Primary Supporting Ministry/Secondary Supporting Agency Definitions

The Primary Supporting Ministry for an emergency response function is that organiza tion

which has the most authorities, resources, capabilities, or expertise in tha t area. A PrimarySupporting Ministry is usually the Key Ministry for single-hazard response as identified inemergency management regulations, but the complexities of coordination planning requiread ditiona l functions. The Primary Supporting Ministry is responsible for the detailed planningfor the function, and for its management during response. Second ary Supporting Agencies areidentified (in the functiona l annexes to this plan) to assist the Primary Supporting Ministry whenrequested to do so, subject to their coordination by the provincial government responsemanagement structure.


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c. Primary Supporting Ministry Assignment

The emergency response functions have been assigned to provincial governmentministries, with the exception of the Utilities function, which will be achieved by theutilities corporations themselves in cooperation with the provincial responsemanagement structure.

FUNCTION

Health Services

Emergency Social Services

Law and Order

Heavy Urban Search andRescue

Communications

Damage Assessment

Firefighting/Rescue

Transportation

Engineering andConstruction

Human Resources

Resource Support

Coroner/Mortuary

Hazardous Materials

Public Information

Food and Agriculture

Finance and C laims

Utilities

PRIMARY SUPPORTING MINISTRY

Ministry responsible for Health

Ministry responsible for Social Services

Ministry responsible for Policing

Ministry responsible for the Provincial Emergency Program,staff coo rdination only

Ministry responsible for the Provincial Emergency Program

Ministry responsible for the Provincial Emergency Program,staff coo rdination only

Ministry responsible for the Office of the FireCommissioner

Ministry responsible for Transportation and Highways

BC Buildings Corporation

Ministry responsible for the Public Service EmployeeRelations Co mmission

Ministry responsible for the Purchasing C ommission

Ministry responsible for the Office of the Coroner

Ministry responsible for the Environment

Ministry responsible for Government Communications

Ministry responsible for Agriculture

Ministry responsible for Finance

(no Primary Supporting Ministry required)


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10 Brit ish Columb ia Earthquake Response Plan (1999)


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Part 2

PROVINCIAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE MANAGEMENT

2.1 GENERAL

a. Orientation

The G overnment of British Columbia recognizes the fundamental obligation to providefor the safety and security of all British Columbians. Accordingly, it has legislated theresponsibilities of ministries and other provincial agencies, local authorities, and citizensin relation to emergency and d isaster response. It clearly has the authority to plan forthe overall response expected; and extraordinarily during response, it may direct thoseactions which are routinely delegated to subordinate levels of government.

b. Provincial Response Management Strategy

The Inter-Agency Emergency Preparedness Council has developed the d ocumentProvincial Government Emergency Response Management: A Strategy for Response. Adiagram o f the generic provincial emergency response mana gement structure from thatdocument is at Fig. 2.1.

In the interest of speed and simplicity, response management should be carried out atthe lowest possible level of government organization, with a minimum of reorganiza tiononce an event has occurred. Coordina tion of existing, highly decentralized arrangementsis preferable to the implementation o f new structures and procedures. However, w henresources are extremely scarce, there may be no cho ice but to control their employmentcentrally in order to use them w here they are need ed most. Furthermore, an influx ofadditional resources in support of the provincial response effort needs to be centrallymana ged in the disaster operational area.

All provincial government ministries and agencies have agreed to conduct operationsusing the Brit ish Columbia Emergency Response Management System (BCERMS),whichexists within the Response Management Strategy. BCERMS is under development as thisplan is written, and it acknow ledges as a fundamenta l principle that there are four levelsof response:

!Site (incident/multiple incidents)

!Site Support (by local authority, ministry, etc.)

!Provincial Regional Coordination

!P rovincial Central Co ordination


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Figure 2.1


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c. National Earthquake Support Plan

In the event of a ca tastrophic earthqua ke, the G overnment of Canada will activate theNational Earthquake Support Plan (NESP) to direct and coordinate the provision ofsupport to the British Columbia response effort. The point of coo rdination with thefederal government response will be centralized at the Provincial EmergencyCoordination Centre.

2.2 PROVINCIAL MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS

Ministry of Attorney G eneral will provide the personnel to fill the appointments req uired by theemergency management structure as follows:

! Minister Responsible- Attorney G eneral

! Deputy Minister Responsible- Deputy Attorney General

(The Emergency Committees of C ab inet and Deputy Ministers will likelyreflect the composition of the C entral Coordination G roup.)

! Central Coordination Group (CCG)

Cha ir- Director, Provincial Emergency Program

(Ministry representa tives should be from those ministries which [will] have anactive role in response, as called by the Chair.)

! Provincial Emergency Coordination Centre (PECC)- Based on the ProvincialEmergency Program Emergency Coordina tion C entre (PEP ECC), Victoria. The PEPECC maintains a 24-hour operations capability, and Director PEP can activate thenucleus of a provincial coordination staff from within Provincial EmergencyProgram head q uarters.

! Provincia l Field Response Centre(s) (PFRC)- Based on the manager of eachProvincial Emergency Program region, augmented by other provincial ministriesstaff.

Ministries and Agencies are expected to establish their own central Emergency OperationsCentre (EOC) to coordinate operations w ith the PECC, when the emergency response functionsfor w hich they a re responsible a re resulting in significant a ctivity. They should also estab lishregional EOCs which coordinate with PFRCs, under similar conditions.


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2.3 ESCALATION OF RESPONSE

a. Local Emergency

Should a local government be capable of response to an emergency with its ownresources, augmented through direct assistance from other sources, the provincialgovernment management req uirement is one of coordina tion only. During a localgovernment response, the Provincial Emergency Program may activate the VictoriaProvincial Emergency Coo rdination Centre. A liaison officer may be attached to thelocal authority Emergency Operations Centre in order that the provincial governmentcan be informed of the situation. A Provincial Field Response Centre (PFRC) withminimal staff and capabilities may a lso be activated .

b. Major Emergency/Disaster

A major emergency ma y overwhelm local authority response, and require a n enha ncedprovincial response management structure because:

! resources are in demand over a wide area, and mutual aid agreements breakdown;

! the d emands for provincial level resources exceed the existing capab ilities of pre-arrangements to provide;

! the uncertainties associated with damage assessment over a wide area requireprovincial government action to produce an accurate total situation analysis; or

! the provincial government ma y choose to be represented in the disasteroperational area to express its concern, to provide a wider scope to publicinformation, a nd to perform provincial government functions in a manner whichis clearly seen to be directed at the response effort.

Under these conditions a PFRC will almost certainly be activated in or close to theoperationa l area, and the PECC will be in operation in Victoria. The PFRC can:

! establish communications within the operational area with all local governmentslikely to be affected by the disaster, and with those local governments not a ffectedbut who a re able to provide assistance;

! establish and maintain communication from the operational area to the ProvincialEmergency Coordination Centre in Victoria;

! gather damage assessments from loca l autho rities in the area, define theoperational area, and produce a summary report which w ill form the basis of futureprovincial government actions;


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! receive, collate and forward requests for assistance from local authorities in theoperational area;

! provide on-the-spot coordination on behalf of the provincial government, wherepossible; and

! plan for, and be the nucleus of expansion to a PFRC w ith greatly enhancedcapabilities and responsibilities should that be directed by government.

2.4 PROVINCIAL FIELD RESPONSE CENTRE (PFRC)

To meet an unknow n requirement with a structure capable of a flexible response to a possiblyescalating scena rio is a cha llenge. In the discussion of PFRC tasks below , the orientation is

tow ards a ma jor event. The actual configuration o f a PFRC during a response operation w ill bethe result of on-the-scene adapta tion to actual conditions. The manual, PFRC Guidance andProcedures,includes more details.

a. Tasks - Immediate Phase

The immed iate pha se response is centred on o perations which are the responsibility oflocal governments, and life-saving and life-preserving operations o f the British ColumbiaAmbulance Service. However, during this phase significant requests for provincialassistance are possible. Inadeq uacies of loca l government response capabilities may alsobeco me evident and req uire provincial government action. The staff availab le forestablishment of the PFRC must be capable of these tasks:

! communicating by telephone, radio or personal liaison with all local governmentsin the area to determine the extent of the damage and thus the size of theexpected operational area. This will be a progressively demanding task, but theinitial assessment must be rapid a nd a ccurate enough to permit selection o f a sitefor the PFRC and to allow provincial government action to commence anexpanded management role.

! communicating with the Provincial Emergency Program Headq uarters/ProvincialEmergency Coordination Centre in Victoria to provide the initial analysis of thesituation and to recommend further provincial government action.

! functioning as a central collection point for requests for assistance from localgovernments, providing immediate coordination where necessary, and ifauthorized by the Director, Provincial Emergency Program, managing the totalresponse in the operational area as needed.


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b. Tasks - Sustained Phase

For sustained phase operations full coordination capa bilities are needed in the PFRC to

manage the overall response as resources become ava ilab le and response actions in thedisaster area become more method ical. The thrust of the activity swings from immediatelife-saving requirements to the prevention of further loss of life and other forms ofsuffering, detailed damage assessment, and the prevention of further damage toproperty. The sustained phase tasks imply a high level of resource alloca tion to loca lgovernments for some functions, and a need for centralized control of resources forother functions. The PFRC tasks include:

! mainta ining operationa l direction or coordination of the provincial response e ffortuntil responsibility is released to "normal arrangements" on a function-by-functionbasis.

! self-administration, and coordination of unforeseen self-administration needs ofother provincial ministries involved in the response effort.

! planning for future operations, including commencement of recovery activities asthese become feasible.

! financial management of the provincial government response effort, includingadministration of any disaster financial assistance programs that could becomeavailable.

! operating a public information centre in the operational area.

! arranging for the receipt, stockpiling, and dispatch of resources.

! coordinating disaster response communications requirements.

2.5 PROVINCIAL EMERGENCY COORDINATION CENTRE

The Provincial Emergency Coordina tion Centre is activated only when necessitated by themagnitude of the provincial response, a s a means of coordination of more than one ProvincialField Response Centre, and to serve as a staff channel betw een the Central Coordination G roupand the PFRC(s).

The Provincial Emergency Co ordina tion Centre is the loca tion designated for liaison w ith theFederal Coordination Officer (normally the Regional Director of Emergency PreparednessCanada).


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Part 3

EMERGENCY RESPONSE FUNCTIONS

3.1 SELECTION OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE FUNCTIONS

This part of the plan identifies those specific response actions w hich have been consideredpossible in the earthquake event scenarios as they will affect British Columbia; ie., the hazarddescribed in Append ix 2.

Emergency response functions have been selected considering:

a. Orientation towa rds those tasks which are within the jurisdiction of the provincialgovernment: ministries, crown corporations, and subordina te levels of government(loca l authorities).

b. There is no need to elaborate on routine responsibilities of local authorities,ministries, and crown corporations even though some of their activities maybecome much more intense during a major emergency. For example, highwaymaintenance is a routine responsibility of the Ministry of Transportation andHighways which can be dealt with by that ministry without a coordinatedprovincial response, and without the need to identify highway ma intenance as anemergency response function in this plan.

Nevertheless, it is acknow ledged that situations may o ccur which are beyond the expectationsof this plan. Also, loca l authorities may request assistance from the province when they areunab le to cope with the magnitude of any emergency. In these instances the provincialemergency response mana gement system will formulate an appropriate response based on thefundamental guidance contained in the Strategy for Response, a nd emergency legislation andregulations.

3.2 RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PROVINCIAL RESPONSE PLANS

Other established plans, no tably the British Columbia Flood Plan,may require implementationduring earthquake response. As the agency tasks related to flood ing are contained in that plan,they are not repeated here. Priorities and responsibilities in other plans may require adjustmentby the provincial response management structure.


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3.3 REQUIREMENT FOR DETAILED PLANNING

Each emergency response function identifies a Primary Supporting Ministry (often the agency

identified in emergency management regulations), and (usually) one or more SecondarySupporting Agencies. The Primary Supporting Ministry is responsible for the development ofplans to achieve the stated ta sks in accordance w ith the operational concept. Some agenciesmay be responsible for more than one emergency response function, and they may choose toreflect their combined responsibilities in a single plan.

Below, each function is addressed with an indication of the follow-on detailed planningexpected:

HEALTH SERVICES (Annex A)

The ministry responsible for Healthwill incorporate task requirements into the Ministrysemergency/disaster plans and supervise the acceptance a nd implementation of responserequirements by the components of the health services delivery system: the BC AmbulanceService, regional health boards, and Secondary Supporting Agencies.

Regional health boardswill develop plans in conjunction with the local authorities they serve,and their regiona l BC Ambulance Service counterpart, in a ccordance w ith guidance providedby the ministry responsible for Health.

EMERGENCY SOCIAL SERVICES (Annex B)

The ministry responsible for Social Services will incorporate task requirements into theMinistrys emergency/disaster plans and supervise the acceptance a nd implementa tion ofresponse requirements by Secondary Supporting Agencies and other components of theprovincial emergency social services delivery system.

Local authoritiespotentially affected by an earthquake scenario will adapt their emergencysocial services plans in accordance with the local hazard and risk, and in accordance withguidance provided by the ministry responsible for Emergency Social Services.

LAW AND ORDER (Annex C)

Theministry responsible for Police Services(w ith the Commanding Officer E Division RCMP)will incorporate task req uirements into emergency/disaster plans and supervise the acceptanceand implementation of response requirements by Secondary Supporting Agencies.

Local authoritiespotentially affected by a n earthq uake scenario will adapt their law and orderplans in accordance w ith the local hazard and risk, and ensure compatibility with the RCMPDisaster Plan.


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URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE (Annex D)

Local authoritiespotentially a ffected by an earthquake scenario w ill ada pt their plans to reflectthe possible need for search and light rescue from da maged buildings, and for a heavy urbansearch and rescue capability.

The ministry responsible for Mine Safetyw ill plan for the provision of mine rescue teams andrescue eq uipment.

The Provincial Emergency Programwill continue to develop provincial plans for Heavy UrbanSearch and Rescue team creation and deployment, and encourage incorporation of anyearthquake-specific techniques and capabilities.

COMMUNICATIONS (Annex E)

The Provincial Emergency Programwill coordinate development of a Provincial EmergencyCommunications Plan, to ensure tha t response coordination co mmunications are available andad eq uately sustained . The Communica tions Plan need no t be earthq uake-specific, but it mustad eq uately provide for post-earthquake cond itions.

Local authorities, ministries and agenciesinvolved in earthq uake response will prepare plansand acq uire some initial capability to communicate in the expected absence or degradation ofthe telephone system.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT (Annex F)

The Provincial Emergency Program will coordinate development of a Provincial Da mageAssessment Plan, with a view to assessing overall damage for, and on behalf of the provincialgovernment.

Local authoritiesw ill plan for the prompt gathering of earthquake d amage information fromwithin their jurisdictions, and communicate that information to the provincial responsemana gement system for the purpose of damage assessment.

Damage Assessment w ill be a PFRC and PECC (Planning/Intelligence Section) staff function.

Note that damage assessment in the context of this annex relates to the gathering andevaluation o f damage information in order that provincial priorities can be q uickly estab lishedand resources cab be applied in an appropriate manner. It does NOT relate to detailedtechnical assessment o f da mage to a pa rticular structure or facility by professional engineers orsimilar specialists. (For which see Engineering and Construction, Annex I.)


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FIREFIGHTING/RESCUE (Annex G)

The ministry responsible for the Office of the Fire Commissionerw ill develop plans for a fire

disaster resulting from an earthquake scenario, and be prepared to provide a liaison officer toa Provincial Field Response Centre to coordina te provincial major fire response with secondarysupporting a gencies.

Local authorities subject to an earthquake risk will develop plans which include post-earthquake firefighting and light rescue capabilities in accordance with guidance provided bythe Office of the Fire Commissioner.

TRANSPORTATION (Annex H)

The ministry responsible for Transportation and Highways will incorporate potential

requirements of this plan in a Transportation P lan, w ith the assistance o f Secondary SupportingAgencies.

Transportation will be a PFRC/PECC (Logistics Section) staff function.

ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION (Annex I)

The ministry responsible for Engineering and Construction will incorporate potentialrequirements of this plan in an Engineering and Construction Plan, with the assistance ofSecond ary Supporting Agencies.

Engineering and Construction w ill be a PFRC/PECC (Logistics Section) staff function.

HUMAN RESOURCES (Annex J)

Theministry responsible for Human Resourceswill incorporate potential req uirements of thisplan in a Human Resources Plan, with the assistance of Secondary Supporting Agencies.

Human Resources will be a PFRC/PECC (Logistics Section) staff function.

RESOURCE SUPPORT (Annex K)

The ministry responsible for the BC Purchasing Commission will incorporate potentialrequirements of this plan in a Resource Support Plan, with the assistance of SecondarySupporting Agencies.

Resource Support w ill be a PFRC/PECC (Logistics Section) staff function.


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CORONER/MORTUARY (Annex L)

Theministry responsible for the Office of the Chief Coronerw ill further develop their disasterplan to incorporate tasks required by this function, w ith the assistance o f Secondary SupportingAgencies.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS (Annex M)

The ministry responsible for the Environment will incorporate the tasks implicit in thisfunction in ministry disaster response plans, with the assistance of Secondary SupportingAgencies.

Local Governments will acknowledge earthquake-related hazardous materials risks in their

emergency response plans.

PUBLIC INFORMATION (Annex N)

Theministry responsible for Government Communicationw ill incorporate the tasks requiredby this annex in the BC Emergency Public Information Plan.

Pub lic Informa tion w ill be a PFRC/PECC staff function.

Local authoritieswill plan for the delivery of public information within the context of the BCEmergency Public Information Plan.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE (Annex O)

The ministry responsible for Food and Agriculture will adapt their emergency plans toincorporate ea rthq uake haza rds, and to implement tasks in this annex with the a ssistance ofSecond ary Supporting Agencies.

When w arranted , Food and Agriculture will be a PFRC/PECC (Logistics Section) staff function.

FINANCE AND CLAIMS (Annex P)

Theministry responsible for Finance and Corporate Relationswill develop plans to financiallymana ge provincial response to an ea rthq uake event, and to consider and process claims (withthe cooperation of the Provincial Emergency Program, for Disaster Financial Assistance.) Onimplementation o f a formal Recovery management structure, C laims activities w ill be transferredto it.

Finance and Claims will be a staff function of the PFRC/PECC (Finance and AdministrationSection).


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UTILITIES (Annex Q)

Utilities companies (eg., BC Hyd ro, BC G as, BC Tel) and regional/local authority utilities

providers(water/sewa ge) will develop plans to dea l with the effects of an earthq uake.

If wa rranted, utilities companies/providers will plan to provide a regiona l utilities coordina torin liaison to the Command Staff of the Provincial Field Response Centre.


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Part 3, Annex A

Emergency Response Function

HEALTH SERVICES

1. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS

a. Introduction

A severe earthquake is characterized by its effects on the health care delivery systemperhaps more than in any other way. Not only are there likely to be ma ny injured

persons, the types of injury experienced by persons rescued after being trapped underrubble req uire urgent hospital care. At the same time, the facilities required by thehealth care system are subjected to damage which can incapacitate them and requirethe evacua tion of their existing patients. A throw back of the health care system toSpartan arrangements, such as exists when emergency medical facilities must be used,is rarely exercised. Disrupted roads interfere w ith ambulance movement, requiringsome dependence upon on-scene paramedic treatment and first aid until removal tomedical facilities is possible. The decentralized local operation of health services whichis normal in British Columbia will not suffice in the event of a major disaster.

This concept must therefore establish the arrangements necessary when local capab ilitiesare overwhelmed or incapacitated, even when only one pa rticular hea lth services aspect

is affected (eg, ambulances) in that the health services delivery system is dependent onthe efficient operation of most of its component parts.

Though outside the scope of this plan, past experience in earthquakes has emphasizedthat self-help and first aid have saved countless lives. In the first few hours after anearthquake, the ab ility of ne ighbourhood s and office o r apartment building occupantsto function collectively and independently to meet basic emergency needs is paramount.It is particularly so in regard to medical care. Loca l governments, the hea lth care system,industry and community groups should accept the responsibility to facilitate such formsof self-help through simple organizational assistance, basic and advanced first aidtraining, and the promulgation of the location of the nearest professional medicalassistance a t any hour of the day.

b. Scope of Response Function

The function includes all provincia l hea lth services responsibilities which must bemobilized to provide emergency medical treatment to the injured; sustained hospitalcare to the seriously injured or seriously ill; continued care at an appropriate level toclients in ho spital and out-patients at the time of the earthquake response; evacuationof the sick and injured to a location where care can be provided; as well as sustained


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emergency care until evacuation can be carried out with medical or paramedicalsupervision. It also includes provincial coordination o f delivery of medica l supplies,blood and blood products; operation of ambulance services; prevention of epidemic

through ed ucation of the general population, the ca rrying out of health inspections offood and water supplies, and the initiation of vaccination programs under pandemicconditions. Radiological and toxicological services could be in increased demand andrequire an expanded response. There will also be a need to provide initial establishingof death, and the temporary safe storage of human remains in support of coroneroperations.

c. Response Levels

Many health services are routinely in the emergency response mode (eg., hospitals,ambulances). How ever, there is a threshold of response beyond which day-to-daydecentralized arrangements will proba bly break dow n and health service components

will seek assistance. This threshold can be q uickly reached with the volume of ca sualtiesan earthquake can produce, or perhaps with the sudden loss of use of one or morehospitals.

i. In response to a moderate localized earthquake, it is expected that plannedemergency measures would be able to dea l with the situation w ithout havingto resort to special procedures. Any coordination of medical or non-medicalsupport to local facilities would be under regiona l hea lth board direction, a ndwith the assistance of the Provincial Field Response Centre (PFRC)(ifnecessary) to provide non-medical resource support.

ii. A major earthquake w ould probably require a much greater degree of control

of resources within the Operational Area, and would necessitate theestablishment of a regional health services coordina tion centre. The healthservices team chief of that centre would also participate in PFRC decision-making affecting the Health Services function.

d. Probable Tasks

i. Immediate Phase. Inventory damaged health services facilities andcapabilities remaining operational in the disaster area; identify emergencypatient holding facilities; transfer patients which can be removed fromhospitals to make room for the injured; where necessary implement a systemof staging casualty collection, treatment, and evacuation to availab le facilities

(probably outside the O perationa l Area); inventory and muster health servicespersonnel to staff bo th permanent and temporary facilities at an appropriatelevel; arrange delivery of emergency med ical supplies; a rrange for temporarysuitable storage of the dead until taken over by the coroner.

ii. Sustained Phase. Attain a stable state in which all casualties are in acceptablehea lth care facilities or a re otherwise receiving necessary out-patient services;prevent disease outbreak or spread; attend to mental hea lth requirements;expand local public health services as necessary, particularly the supply of


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essential drugs and pharmaceuticals in areas where the private sectorsuppliers have ceased to function; carry out sanitary inspections.

2. PRIMARY SUPPORTING MINISTRY- MINISTRY RESPONSIBLE FOR HEALTH

3. SECONDARY SUPPORTING AGENCIES

a. Health and Social Services ESF.(National Earthq uake Support Plan)- supplementalresources from other provinces, na tional services, international assistance. Nationalsurvival emergency hospitals and other facilities, including manpower.

b. Other Emergency Response Functions.Resource support and planning assistance

for major evacuations, patient relocations, delivery of supplies, erection ofemergency hospitals, public information on health matters, establishment ofmorgue facilities, etc .

c. Canadian Blood Transfusion Agency. Blood supplies and transfusion services.

d. St. John Ambulance. Auxiliary patient care and a mbulance services. Add itiona lly,during a declared state o f emergency, St. John Ambulance has agreed to operateunder command of the British Columbia Ambulance Service.


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Part 3, Annex B


EMERGENCY SOCIAL SERVICES


a. Introduction

A severe ea rthquake in British Columbia w ill leave a large number of people in need o fshelter and feeding; family members may be separated from one another and there will

be an overwhelming demand for information about survivors' whereabouts andcondition from both w ithin and outside the Province. Many people will requireimmediate emotional support and crisis counselling. Although primary responsibilityfor provision of Emergency Social Services (ESS) rests with municipalities, a severeearthquake will cut across municipal boundaries and demand for ESS will exceed mostmunicipal resources.

Damage will be unevenly spread across the affected region, with some communitiesexperiencing a high need for services and few operational resources, and others havingfew evacuees and more resources than required for their residents.


Emergency Social Services includes feed ing, clothing, shelter, reception, registration andinquiry, and persona l services provided to evacuees, victims, and response wo rkers. Theservices are defined as follows:

i. Personal Services- Counselling of victims and response w orkers, greeting ofevacuees at entrance to reception centres in order to screen for need and togive information, and supervision and support of groups of dependantindividuals including children separated from their parents, frail elderly, andthe handicapped.

ii. Registration and Inquiry- Registering individua ls and families involved in the

disaster, answering inquiries from relatives and friends concerning victims'whereabouts, reuniting separated family members, and providing informationto response workers on the whereabouts and numbers of evacuees.

iii. Clothing- Emergency clothing, blankets, toiletry articles, ba by supplies, andother related goods necessary to protect health and safety.

iv. Shelter- Temporary housing or sleeping space for individuals and familiesforced to leave their dw ellings. Does not include shelter for domestic animals.


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v. Feeding- Provision of meals, hot beverages and snacks to protect health, tomaintain strength of response personnel, and to reassure victims.

c. Response Levels

A flexible and variable response is planned based initially upon the loca l authoritys pre-arrangements for de livery of ESS. The response is demand-driven and can vary widelyin the extent of ea ch of the five ESS components. The ESS function is coordina ted w ithother provincial government operations by the Operations Section of the PFRC.

i. Provincial government involvement in response to a moderate demand forESS could include the augmentation of a local government's ESS responsecapabilities with the agencies in the ESS Team (eg, support agencies listedbelow), and mobilization of the capabilities of other local governments toassist. An ESS EOC may be estab lished in the a ffected a rea.

ii. Response to a major earthquake would probably centre around therequirements of a large number of homeless families and individuals. Itwould include establishment of centralized control of the ESS functionswithin the operational area in the interest of efficiency and co ntrol. An ESScontrol headquarters would require considerable support from otheragencies, arranged through the PFRC. It should attempt to loca te near thePFRC to ease coo rdination and communications problems.

d. Probable Tasks

i. Immediate Phase- open and staff reception centres in all affected

communities and alert first responders and the public to their location;mobilize feeding units to provide support to response workers on location;coordinate supporting debriefing, counselling, and related services forresponders and victims; inventory the available habitable shelter supply;begin registering all persons involved in the earthq uake.

ii. Sustained Phase- continue basic emergency social services to all evacuees,victims and responders; continue the registration process and respond toenquiries from around the world; initiate public information services onemotional responses to disasters; transform reception centres into multi-service centres; lay basis for outreach, self-help, and educational programs.

2. PRIMARY SUPPORTING MINISTRY- MINISTRY RESPONSIBLE FOR SOCIAL SERVICES


a. Ministry responsible for children and families welfare

b. Health and Social Services ESF. (National Earthq uake Support Plan).


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c. Canadian Red Cross. Responsible for a registration and inq uiry service.

d. Salvation Army. Responsible for personal services (counselling and support).

e. BC Housing Management Commission. Responsible for emergency shelter.

f. Restaurant and Foodservices Association of British Columbia.Responsible foremergency feeding.

g. Retail Merchants' Association of British Columbia. Responsible for emergencyclothing.


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Part 3, Annex C


LAW AND ORDER


a. General

The Law and O rder function encompasses a broad range of routine policing activities.Certain of these activities are made more difficult by ea rthq uake dama ge and the general

disaster scenario can ca use a greatly increased w orkload for police forces. The responsefunction has as its primary goal the maintenance of law and order activities, and, ifnecessary the restoration of law and order should there be a breakdown within thenormally law-abiding community. The visible presence of police forces has a ca lminginfluence for most British Columbians.


The Law and O rder function in an earthq uake scena rio is particularly concerned w iththe preservation of life and the protection of property, traffic control problems, thedetection, investigation and prevention of criminal activity, and support to the Coroner,Light and Heavy Rescue, Communications, and Damage Assessment emergency

response functions.

Larger municipal jurisdictions tend to have their own police forces, w hereas the RCMPin its Contract Po licing role provides the ba lance o f local police forces. The RCMP a lsoperforms "Provincial Po licing" and "Federal Policing" roles from E Division Head quarters,Vancouver.

Police forces have integral internal radio communications and can be relied upon as animmediately available backup communication system, locally within policedepartments/detachments, and also within RCMP d istricts.

Private po lice forces exist, w ith limited policing responsibilities, as well as private security

agencies and the Canad ian Forces Military Police. Federal legislation provides for theuse of the Canadian Forces to provide armed assistance to the RCMP, and for theprovince to request military Aid of the Civil Power in the event of a breakdown of lawand order. The latter situation is not envisaged by this plan, but it is conceivable toexperience a breakdown of law and order coincident w ith disaster response.

The possibility exists that an earthquake may cause a breach o f physical security at apenitentiary or provincial gaol and lead to the possibility of an internal riot or escape.


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The disruption of transportation routes will inhibit police from performing many requiredtasks, and is a critical problem to be dealt with by the po lice forces themselves on behalfof the total response effort.

c. Response Levels

i. Response in a localized or moderate earthquake might include augmentationof local police forces by the RCMP with its own available personnel, or withother available forces from the secondary supporting agencies.

ii. A major law and order response may require the Commanding Officer ofE Division, RCMP to control police force activity in the operationa l area . Ifrequired, police liaison staff to the PFRC will be provided in order to musteran effective response with the help of available secondary supportingagencies. This emergency response function is coordinated by the

Operations component of the PFRC, in concert with the RCMP DivisionEOC.

d. Probable Tasks

i. Immediate Phase- carry out any necessary actions to save lives and preventinjury or damage to property; effect operationa l command of evacuations;carry out route damage assessment to permit identification of usableemergency routes; assess and report other damage within capabilities;mainta in a control over traffic with priority to emergency services; assist withthe movement of emergency traffic; assist the Coroner as requested toprovide investigation of cause of deaths, security of body staging areas,

protection of personal effects, and identification of bodies; assist in thedissemina tion of emergency notifications; a ssist in the manning of EOC's andthe provision of immediate radio communications to them, if necessary.

ii. Sustained Phase- maintain emergency functions and restore normalcy asquickly as possible; provide personnel to protect aba ndoned and condemnedproperties and areas which may a ttract the curious and tempt the criminalelements; augment penitentiary and gaol facility staffs as needed to ma intaina peaceful situation.

2. PRIMARY SUPPORTING MINISTRY- MINISTRY RESPONSIBLE FOR POLICE SERVICES

In the event of a multi-jurisdictional emergency, the C ommanding O fficer of E Division, RCMPis the senior police authority in the province, responsible to the Attorney G eneral. The CO ofE Division may also respond in the capacity of a federal police official.


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a. Public Order ESF. (National Earthq uake Support P lan).

b. Canadian Forces. Assistance under Aid of the Civil Power regulations. (OtherCanadian Forces assistance, armed or unarmed, is part of the Public Order ESF).

c. Private security firms.

d. Auxiliaries, special constables, provincial sheriffs, conservation officers.

e. Note that untrained volunteers should not be used to perform the duties of a peaceofficer, although they may assist police to alert residents of potential evacuationunder direct police supervision, for example.


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Note Concerni ng Provincial Government Role

There is no legislated provision for the provincial government to assume anyresponsibility for this function, which is in the purview of those local governments whichcan ident ify that a risk exists to their jurisdict ions. Nevertheless, as the field is a relativelynew one, it is recognized that municipalities might uti lize a provincially standardisedconceptual approach as the basis for their own planning and development of HeavyUrban Search and Rescue capabilit ies.

This functional concept identifies such an approach, which w ill be used as adoct rinal model by the primary support ing ministry in the development of trainingprograms and other support as resources allow .

During response operations, the provincial management role for this functionwil l be essentially limited to the provision of other useful p rovincial governmentresources, generic resources (human and material), and to the arranging of assistance byrescue teams from unaffected areas and other jurisdict ions.

Part 3, Annex D


HEAVY URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE


a. Introduction

The Firefighting/Rescue concept (Annex G) alludes to the routine rescue ca pabilities offire depa rtments. In the urban environment, the collapse of buildings may includerescue situations well beyo nd the ca pabilities of firefighters to resolve (possibly many ofthem a t the same time). These situations are cha racterized by extensive rubble, whichcan make it unclear if a rescue is need ed. In some rescue situations heavy objects mustbe mo ved or cut to extricate trapped persons; perhaps tunnelling techniques may beneeded; and in other situations further collapse could occur if an unskilled rescue

attempt is made . Often there are circumstances where other specialized skills shouldbe a pplied, such as on-scene medical care beyond first aid treatment.

While an ad hocrescue might be put together for many such earthquake scenarios, thelack of a coordinated, specialized urban search and heavy rescue capability has beenfrequently cited as a contributor to the loss of life in several modern events. A level ofpermanent organizational integrity should exist to allow training and exercising of thetechniques and skills required, and to permit the other functional responders to orienttheir skills in concert with those of the U rban Search and H eavy Rescue function. The


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possible tota l preoccupation o f firefighters w ith fire suppression at the critical time forrescue also suggests that a capability to coordinate the total organized rescue effortwould be desirable, utilizing other manpower sources that possess basic rescue skills

similar to those of the firefighter.

b. Organizational Requirement

This plan conceptua lizes a Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team which would meetthe needs outlined above. The ob jectives of the team would be to locate and removeinjured people who are trapped in the wreckage of damaged buildings and otherstructures; to ascertain the safety of da maged buildings and structures; to provide on-sitemedical treatment; a nd to remove the dead .

The Heavy Urba n Search a nd Rescue Team is a local government organized structure.While a single team is described here, more than one team could be assembled (from

unaffected areas and perhaps from out of province) to provide support to the affectedmunicipalities. Formation of a tea m could also be on a regional basis, with sharedsupport by municipal governments.

c. Response Levels

Mutual aid agreements with other loca l governments should be the basis for increasingresponse capabilities in a localized situation. In response to a major requirement,attempts to provide additional teams would be coordinated by the PFRC Operationscomponent. G eneric human resources, or related eq uipment and supplies, would beobtained by the PFRC Logistics Section staff.

d. Probable Tasks

i. Immediate Phase. Local teams respond to incidents under local governmentcontrol. The PFRC, if req uested , assembles tea m(s) and/or resources anddispatches them to the Operational Area to be under control of a localauthority EOC, with priority to life-saving tasks.

ii. Sustained Phase. Assist in removal of the dead from collapsed structures.

e. Team Organization (Conceptual)

The Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team should be o rganized as follows (see

Fig. 3D .1):

i. Team Command. The command element should be closely integrated withother loca l government first responders. A trained Team Chief and Deputyconstitute a minimum requirement, and there should be a clear chain ofreporting from the Team Command through to the local autho rity EOC.

ii. Headq uarters G roup. This component includes the team management andresponse coordination personnel, as well as specialist expertise. Loca l


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Fig. 3D.1- Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team Organization (Conceptual)

emergency conditions may make staffing of some of these positionsimpracticable, and suggest alternative arrangements. Out-of-area resources

can be requested to fill vacancies, but that will impose some delays uponeffective operation of this group:

- Team command personnel, including integral communications;

- Documentation and clerical personnel;

- A logistics chief;

- Search dogs and handlers;

- A structural engineer; and

- A doctor (medical chief) with trauma surgery qualifications.


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iii. Heavy Rescue Group. This component includes one or more sections, eachone of w hich could be assigned responsibility for search and rescue tasks fora site. Skills include basic rescue techniques including improvisation of

rescue equipment; tunnelling, cutting, shoring, hoisting with mechanicaleq uipment, searching in confined areas, operating in hazardous conditions(eg, with self-contained breathing apparatus), recognition of hazardousenvironments, and patient stabilization and emergency treatment toparamedic standards. Each section should comprise about five to sevenpersons and hold some light specialized equipment, including an integralvehicle.

iv. Heavy Equipment Group. This component holds heavy eq uipment andheavy eq uipment operators, or maintains an inventory of w here they can beobtained, and trains equipment operators in the application of their skills to

heavy rescue situations. Elements of this group w ould be a ssigned to a HeavyRescue Group for the duration of a task and then re-alloca ted.

v. Auxiliary Rescue G roup. This component includes numbers of volunteers and(idea lly) Basic Rescue qualified search and rescue personnel whose skills canbe used in less demand ing tasks than those of the Hea vy Rescue G roup. Ifassistance is provided to the team for rescue operations by semi-skilledpersons (eg., military personnel) they should be utilized in this part of theteam.

The exact size, composition and duties of the team are subject to further developments asexpertise is acquired and training doctrine is developed.

2. PRIMARY SUPPORTING MINISTRY- MINISTRY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROVINCIALEMERGENCY PROGRAM

The provincial government role is one of planning to a ssist local governments through theprovision of resources and out-of-area teams; and, during response operations, to coordinatethe provision of that assistance through the Provincial Field Response Centres.


a. Unaffected Local Governments. Specific resources, and complete sections orteams may be available from municipalities who do not require their use.

b. Provincial Government Sources. Specific rescue resources (such as mine rescueteams) may be appropriate and a vailab le. Other emergency response functionscan provide non-specialised logistic support (eg., transportation and labourers).Specialised personnel (eg., med ical and pa ramed ical) may be ava ilab le through theHealth Services function.


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c. Federal and Out-of-Province Sources. With support of the National EarthquakeSupport Plan agencies, provision of specialized heavy equipment and suitable

personnel, a ir/marine transportation if needed, add itiona l light stores, vehicles, andcommunications for an expanded role.

d. Private Sector. Hea vy eq uipment and operators, search dogs and handlers,engineering expertise, and rescue specialists.


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Part 3, Annex E


COMMUNICATIONS


a. Introduction

It is accepted that telepho ne service will be d isrupted in a ma jor earthquake for a periodof time. Not all components of the telephone system w ill be equally affected, but initially

the fa ilure of land-based components (which also comprise links in the radio telephonesystems) will cause a general failure of the total system's reliability. As the telephonesystem is grad ually brought back into service in accorda nce w ith the priorities given toit, it may allow limited use by the response organization within a matter of hours afterthe earthquake.

As this is not a dependable or even predictable situation, this plan must require thecapability to carry out emergency response independ ent o f the commercial telephonesystem. While the use o f existing rad io systems is an o bvious solution, the simultaneousbreakdown in de livery of electric pow er distribution may limit those capabilities as well.More Spartan means of communication, such as handwritten memo delivered bycourier, and verbal communication through personal liaison, will also be necessary.


This function is limited to the emergency communications requirements of the responsestructure. Public sector communications restoration is addressed in the Utilitiesemergency response function.

The internal emergency communications requirements of responding ministries,agencies and local governments are the responsibility of those functional organizationsor local governments.

The provincial government response mana gement communica tions req uirements are:

- communication betw een the affected local government(s) and the Provincial FieldResponse Centre(s).

- communication betw een the responding ministries' EOCs in the Operational Areaand the Provincial Field Response Centre(s).

- communication betw een the Provincial Field Response Centre(s) and the ProvincialEmergency Coordination C entre.


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- communication within the PFRC.

c. Response Levels

All communications contingencies noted above are a possibility regardless of themagnitude of the earthquake.

d. Probable Tasks

i. Immediate Phase. The emergency communications requirements in thisconcept are not directly connected with life-saving operations as such. Ifcritical communications req uirements are identified which are related to life-saving operation, they should be dealt with in the appropriate emergencyresponse function o rganizations. The significant immediate task is theassessment of damage to the telecommunications system, the availability of

radio resources and their effectiveness, and the mobilization o f resources forsustained operations.

ii. Sustained Phase. Establish emergency communications in order of priorityto the functions and loca tions most in need of them for the mitigation of life-threatening situations and the relief of human suffering. Provide acommunications ad visory function and internal communications organizationfor the PFRC. Monitor and control, where possible, the re-establishment oftelephone services to give highest priority to response efforts.

2. PRIMARY SUPPORTING MINISTRY- MINISTRY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROVINCIAL

EMERGENCY PROGRAM

The Provincial Emergency P rogram (PEP) has experience in the organiza tion o f an emergencycommunications system utilising volunteer amateur radio operators. PEP Amateur Radio iscapable of being augmented and expanded to meet many of the requirements of thisemergency response function.


a. Amateur Radio Clubs. Already being used by PEP, these organizations provideradio operators with their own radio equipment, and their own vehicles kitted with

appropriate rad io eq uipment.

b. Ministry responsible for science and technology. Assistance in prioritizedrestoration of telecommunications. Activation and staffing of Internet web siterequirements for emergency ma nagement and public information.

c. Other Provincial Ministries and Agencies. These organizations, though perhapsnot otherwise directly connected with earthquake response, provide a source of


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emergency communications which cover the province (eg, Ministry of Forests, E DivisionRCMP).

d. Private Sector Telecommunications. Provision of emergency eq uipment, and re-establishment of normal systems with priority to the response effort.

e. Communications ESF. (National Earthquake Support Plan). Augmentation,frequency management. Mobile self-pow ered field communications facilities (Canadian Forces).Federal rad io nets, eg. Transport Canada Vessel Traffic Management, Air Traffic Control.

f. Volunteers. Operators, couriers, message recorders.


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Part 3, Annex F


DAMAGE ASSESSMENT


a. Introduction

The Damage Assessment function

british columbia earthquake response plan

Documents