COMMUNITY

RESILIENCE BUILDING

AND PLANNING FOR RAD/NUC

DEFINITION

COMMUNITY RESILIENCE:

A process of collective adaptation and recovery to restore community structure and functioning

- eg, after a RAD/NUC disaster

COMMUNITY RESILIENCE IN ACTION: REBUILDING HIROSHIMA

"Hiroshima was dealt a devastating blow by a single atomic bomb. One rumor had it that no trees of plants would grow for 75 years. Many felt recovery would prove impossible. But emergency restoration measures were taken almost immediately, and over time the people turned resolutely toward full-scale rebuilding.

It was a harsh, painful process. The survivors lived with intense anxiety about their health and finances. The administrators of the Hiroshima Prefectural government and others who were involved in the restoration activity were pressed to their limits."

http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/frame/Virtual_e/visit_e/estPanel_4a.html

RESILIENCE: RESTORATION OF HIROSHIMA

Temporary housing erected Orphanages built School resumed – open air classrooms Rapid building of new uniform temporary housing units Inauguration of Peace Restoration Festival Rubble cleaned up, damaged buildings restored, wooden

buildings erected Monuments built Public heath centers for treatment of survivors' injuries Peace Boulevard ("One Hundred-Meter Boulevard") and

Peace Memorial Park to symbolize Hiroshima's rebirth

http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/frame/Virtual_e/visit_e/estPanel_4a.html

RESILIENCE: RESTORATION OF YOURTOWN Clean up physical signs of community devastation

Work toward resuming business and usual activities Governmental, school, church, sports & cultural events, festivals

Restore social and mental health services

Restore and use communication systems to inform

Gather groups to work on community and social projects

Create meaning & purpose Commemorations, ceremonies, memorials, fundraisers

Foster optimism & hope Inspirational speeches, sermons, public forums/town halls,

psychoeducation groups, public service announcements

An improvised nuclear device was detonated in the downtown area of your city. The President declared a disaster, and federal teams came in to conduct clean-up operations. Over 1000 bodies have been identified and buried. A year later, most of the debris has been cleared out. No residents or businesses have returned to the area.

What steps can citizens and city leaders take to begin to recover from this disaster and rebuild the community?

VIGNETTE: COMMUNITY RESTORATION

Predisaster RAD/NUC disaster readiness activities:

Orient yourself to the Incident Command (IC) structure (local, state, federal) and your place in it

Predisaster networking: get to know the players and leaders in your local IC structure

All workers should have training in PSB for RAD/NUC- Acute eval/triage, PFA, risk communication, conflict resolution

Get appropriately credentialed in the response system

RESILIENCE THROUGH PLANNING

Disseminating vital RAD/NUC facts to responder workforce Preparing risk communication facts and messages Developing readiness for special needs populations

(e.g., medical, psychiatric, children, elderly)

Establishing PSB strategies for crowds and surges Personal and family planning and disaster readiness tool

kits for the community (including plans for pets)

Developing protocols for ensuring responder/worker relief and care

OTHER RELIENCE CONSIDERATIONS FOR RAD/NUC DISASTER PREPAREDNESS