The words “hurricane prep” often bring to mind visions of boarded-up windows, grocery store aisles cleared of bread and milk, and reminders to bring in loose items and head to the nearest shelter. But what about the people who are charged with responding to calls for help and helping manage public safety? What does it take for a fire department to get ready for a major storm?
While every department has its own specific protocols for preparing for a hurricane, most do at least some of the following:
Get Up-to-Date Forecasts
在大多数情况下，国家气象局是针对重大天气事件的计划的一部分，尤其是在拥有全面紧急管理组织的城市。通常，紧急情况计划者与NWS和当地公共安全部门进行电话会议，以确保每个人都在同一页面上并知道期望什么。一些市政当局或部门甚至与独立的天气预报公司合同，以获取更具本地化的预测和定期更新。基于此信息，部门开始采取行动。
Assess Staffing
Many fire departments operate under “all hands on deck” when a hurricane is in the forecasts and cancel planned leave to ensure adequate staffing. Emergency managers and fire chiefs must determine shifts, who will work shifts, and how to handle mutual aid situations. Generally speaking, firefighters are called to work for at least three days in the event of a storm in order to prepare and respond. Emergency planners are expected to provide information to staff, including when and where to report, what to bring, and how they can remain in communication with their families during and after the storm.
Assess Accommodations
在整个员工中召集整个员工通常会出现自己的一系列困难，而这是对消防站的潜在损害的附加问题，或者需要撤离暴风雨的道路。经理必须仔细考虑如何容纳每个人，并在必要时，在此期间将在其中安置工作人员。在易受飓风的许多城市中，家庭和宠物的家庭和宠物first respondersare also provided with shelter. In any case, emergency planners need to provide information for the responders and their families to be self-sufficient for several days after the storm, meaning they need to let them know what to bring in terms of food and supplies.
评估设备
Fire chiefs and leaders need to be aware of what equipment is available and what can be accessed if necessary. Because some stations might be in a flood zone or an area expected to be especially hard hit, it may be necessary to relocate trucks or other equipment for the duration of the storm. A plan for managing equipment and ensuring adequate supplies in the event that equipment is damaged or destroyed is a top priority.
定期测试和库存通信设备也很重要。社交媒体是紧急情况下使用的通信技术的一种形式，确保急救人员可以正确使用社交媒体很重要。
Coordinate With Other Agencies
A significant part of emergency planning is coordinating with other local agencies to plan the response. Fire departments may work with local law enforcement, medical providers, the National Guard, Coast Guard, and other agencies to develop transportation routes, share information, arrange shelter and other tasks. For example, the fire department might work with the public works department to close down roads leading to flooded areas, or they may work with law enforcement to ensure that they have a clear route to respond to an emergency. Communication is vitally important, and fire departments are a key part of the entire response team.
Make Medical Evacuee Plans
许多消防部门也是紧急医疗服务的主要提供商。预测飓风并打开避难所时，患有医疗状况的人可能会在运输到庇护所方面提供帮助。此外，由于大多数庇护所没有医务人员的配备人员，因此EMS可能会看到向庇护所寻求帮助的呼吁。消防部门必须为这些潮流计划，以确保有足够的人员和设备来满足增加的需求。
确定“无行”阈值
当条件变得太危险以至于无法做出回应时，消防部门必须制定协议，以限制不安全的操作。一般而言，当持续风量达到每小时39英里或以上时，飞行碎屑的可能性会产生不安全的条件，在这种情况下，第一响应者将“搁置”呼叫，直到条件改善到可以安全响应的地步。该部门的政策何时何时也不会回应，需要向公众传达电话，因为许多人会试图“逃避”一场风暴，而不是意识到他们不能保证他们的帮助在越过特定点的情况下恶化。
这只是消防部门在发生飓风时做准备的一般概述。如果没有强大的领导能力经验并接受了紧急管理的培训，该过程将不会顺利进行，并且响应不会达到良好的协调。好消息是，第一响应者一直在学习和准备下一次灾难，他们专注于保护生活和财产。如果您有兴趣在EMS管理，紧急管理或消防科学领域开始或发展职业，请了解有关哥伦比亚南部大学学位课程的更多信息ColumbiaSouthern.edu.
The original version of this article was published onThe Link，哥伦比亚南部大学的官方博客。
