The Evacuation Vacuum

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Anthony Avillo on April 13, 2008 at 8:59pm

sometimes you must rely on OEM for help
In North Hudson, they reach out ot the Red Cross. The PD usually assists as well
When time is of the essence and it is brutal out, elderly and little kids and infants might not last to wait 4 the OEM or fire official to get his a** out of bed (if u can get in touch with them at all!)
sometimes u have to be creative
I have taken over a convenience store (remember they took over a barber shop in Dog Day Afternoon)
I have also hijacked city buses. I told the PD to stop 2 buses, move the people from 1 to the other and send it on its way, then bring me the empty one. These actions raised some eyebrows at HQ when they gort calls from the bus co the next day
I have found in these cases it is easier to beg for forgiveness than ask permission

If i was dealing with a high rise, it is usually easy to keep people inside the building. There is usually a conference or rec center in the building somewhere so we have uesed this
Also don't rule out the neiighbors but in many cities at 3 am, many neighbors don't even watch the fire across the street

Permalink Reply by Paul Hunley on May 6, 2008 at 9:00pm

Our first choice is a nearby structure. We (Columbus Fire) have an arrangement with public transportation to supply busses at or near the scene to provide shelter from the elements be it extreme heat or cold. Having the busses at the scene adds the benifit of mass transportation to emergency shelters if needed.
The busses can and have been used as a rehab area for our Fire Fighters.

Permalink Reply by Anthony Avillo on May 6, 2008 at 9:36pm

the building is an ally
you should not have to evac a whole bldg full of residents
if u do, community centers, schools, church halls, etc.
Might even be able to use a conference or community room in the high rise
We usuallly go thru city OEM
They liaison thru Red cross or some other human agency to provide shelter
I have hijacked buses to shelter occupants of an apartment building at 2 am (it was about 20 degrees out)
also took over a quick check for both ff rehab and occupant holding area until we could get a better place to put them
i have found it is easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission in these cases
Remember that the IC has reposnsibility here so it is his baby -- be creative and think outside the box as needed
also if u need to relocate, u need to notify those to be relocated, those who are getting them and those who must transport them
U will also need to keep them informed as to when they can go back home -- again,, usually the job of the city OEM --
good idea to also make use of a PIO
then there may be logistical issues like meds and pets -- be prepared to deal with this also -- everything has tentacles -- delegate so u r not overwhelmed
it's the little details that, once overlooked, can ciause big headaches later
the more u have planned beforehand, the better u will be