Coordinating, integrating, and synchronizing disaster response : use of an emergency response synchronization matrix in emergency planning, exercises, and operations.

Journal Article · Thu Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 2001 · IJMED

OSTI ID:943290

Mitrani, J E; Metz, W C; Vercellone, J J

The Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness (CSEP) Program is a wide-ranging activity in support of a national initiative involving the U.S. Army Chemical Materiel Command (CMA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 9 states, and 37 counties. Established in 1988, the CSEP Program enhances emergency planning for the unlikely event of a release of hazardous chemical weapons agent from one of the Army's chemical weapons storage installations currently storing chemical weapons. These obsolete weapons are scheduled to be destroyed; meanwhile, however, they pose a threat to installation workers and residents of the surrounding communities. Argonne's CSEP Program includes a variety of components that serve the needs of multiple program participants. Among the major activities are: (1) Development of the Emergency Planning Synchronization Matrix to facilitate integration of multi-jurisdictional emergency plans: (a) Coordinating, Integrating, and Synchronizing Disaster Response: Use of an Emergency Response Synchronization Matrix in Emergency Planning, Exercises, and Operations. A graphical depiction of the entire emergency response process via a synchronization matrix is an effective management tool for optimizing the design, exercise, and real-life implementation of emergency plans. This system-based approach to emergency planning depicts how a community organizes its response tasks across space and time. It gives responders the opportunity to make real-time adjustments to maximizing the often limited resources in protecting area residents. An effective response to any natural or technological hazard must involve the entire community and must not be limited by individual jurisdictions and organizations acting on their own without coordination, integration, and synchronization. An emergency response to an accidental release of chemical warfare agents from one of this nation's eight chemical weapons stockpile sites, like any other disaster response, is complex. It requires the rapid coordination, integration, and synchronization of multiple levels of governmental and nongovernmental organizations from numerous jurisdictions, each with varying response capabilities, into a unified community response. The community response actions occur in an area extending from an on-site storage location to points 25 or more miles away. Actions are directed and controlled by responding local governments and agencies situated within the response area, as well as by state and federal operations centers quite removed from the area of impact. Time is critical and the protection action decision-making process is greatly compressed. To ensure an effective response with minimal confusion, given the potential catastrophic nature of such releases, the response community must carefully synchronize response operations.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOD
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 943290
• Report Number(s): ANL/DIS/JA-38883
• Journal Information: IJMED, Journal Name: IJMED Journal Issue: 3 ; Nov. 2001 Vol. 19; ISSN 0280-7270
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: ENGLISH

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS
COMMUNITIES
DECISION MAKING
DESIGN
EMERGENCY PLANS
EXERCISE
HAZARDS
IMPLEMENTATION
INSTALLATION
LEVELS
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
MANAGEMENT
PERSONNEL
PLANNING
RESOURCES
SAFETY
SPACE
STOCKPILES
SYNCHRONIZATION
TOOLS
US FEMA
WEAPONS
WELLS