NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 29
How do you move vulnerable populations like nursing home residents
during a pandemic? How do you shelter
potentially thousands of people without
spreading a deadly virus? How do you
run an EOC during a pandemic?
These discussions have produced
a range of novel approaches and new
capabilities, many of which could
change how emergency management
operates long after the current COVID
threat passes, experts said.
"The situation has brought together
more people to talk through a myriad
of planning considerations that we
can use and leverage for other things
down the road," said Anna McRay, the
assistant director of emergency management for New Hanover County, in
coastal North Carolina. "It has helped
us, for example, identify some unique
ways of thinking about how to support
some of our most fragile populations,
even on a day-to-day basis-things that
transcend all the different hazards that
we're thinking about here."
Luke Beckman, the division disaster
director of state relations for the Pacific
Division of the American Red Cross,
summed it up like this: "With COVID,
the mission hasn't changed-the way we
do the mission has."
GETT Y IMAGES
A NEW TYPE OF SHELTER
For the Red Cross, and for just about
every agency dealing with COVID, the
question of how to safely evacuate and
shelter hundreds or thousands of disaster victims has been the most pressing
challenge to solve. For obvious reasons,
the usual strategy of housing evacuees
in large, open, densely packed high
school gyms and convention halls-
known as congregate sheltering-is
far from ideal in this disaster season.
Instead, FEMA and the Red Cross have
encouraged local agencies to focus on
securing non-congregate alternatives
such as hotel rooms, college dormitories,
and similar smaller spaces where evacuees can be segregated into family units
to cut down on possible transmission.
While the concept of non-congregate
sheltering is straightforward in theory,
"the pivot to non-congregate has been
by far the largest adjustment we've had
to make," Beckman said. "For the last
THE COVID EFFECT
Top, the Astrodome in Houston housing evacuees from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Below,
an arena set up social-distance-style to shelter victims of flooding in Japan in July.
six months we've been working 24/7 to
ensure we have these types of shelter
resources available across the country."
The plan got its first major test run in
early August when the Apple Fire broke
out in the San Bernardino Mountains,
east of Los Angeles. By the next day, the
fast-moving wildfire had forced officials
to order nearly 8,000 residents to leave
their homes, and the Red Cross got to
work. Instead of the typical Red Cross
emergency center where thousands of
displaced people gather at a large facility, the Red Cross set up what it calls a
"temporary evacuation point," essentially an expansive parking lot. Most
evacuees arrived by car, and aid workers
"helped each family unit get on to that
next step of their recovery, whatever
that looks like, while they're still in their
car," Beckman said. As of August 6, the
Red Cross had provided 327 overnight
hotel stays to people seeking shelter as a
result of the Apple Fire, as well as more
than 1,800 meals and snacks, and more
than 400 health and mental health contacts, said a Red Cross spokeswoman.
Most of it was provided through a car
window or a computer screen.
New Hanover County in North Carolina made similar preparations when
Hurricane Isaias made landfall as a
Category 1 storm on August 3. As Isaias
approached, the county set up a phone
line for people to call if they needed
a safe place to go. In the end, only 11
people needed hotel rooms. "Generally,
people were able to ride out the storm
this time, but it was a good first step to
try it out and figure out the pain points,"
N F PA . O R G / J O U R N A L * NFPA JOURNAL
Disasters_09.20 V6 DCS FINAL.indd 29
| 29
8/28/20 10:46 AM
http://NFPA.ORG/JOURNAL
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - September/October 2020
Contents
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - Cover1
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - Cover2
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 1
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 2
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 3
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - Contents
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 5
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 6
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 7
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 8
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 9
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 10
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 11
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 12
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 13
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 14
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 15
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 16
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 17
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 18
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 19
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 20
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 21
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 22
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 23
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 24
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 25
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 26
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 27
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 28
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 29
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 30
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 31
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 32
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 33
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 34
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 35
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 36
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 37
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 38
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 39
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 40
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 41
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 42
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 43
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 44
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 45
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 46
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 47
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 48
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 49
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 50
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 51
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 52
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 53
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 54
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 55
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 56
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 57
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 58
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 59
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 60
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 61
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 62
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 63
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 64
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 65
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 66
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 67
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 68
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 69
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 70
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 71
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 72
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 73
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 74
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 75
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 76
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 77
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 78
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 79
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 80
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - Cover3
NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2024spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2023winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2023fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2023summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2023spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2022winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2022fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2022summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2022spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2021winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2021fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2021summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2021spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20191112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20181112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20171112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20161112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_201610_sprinkler
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20151112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20150910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20150708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20150506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20150304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_201501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20141112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20131112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20121112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20120910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20120708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20120506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20120304
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com