Abbreviated copy of presentation at the APCO Canada / NENA Ontario 2006 Conference & Trade Show, “9-1-1 in Any Language” Toronto Sheraton Hotel and Conference Centre October 1 – 4, 2006 http://www.cafc.ca/news-programs/2006/29-08-2006_e.php Uploaded now for interest given current G20 protests in Toronto.

1. The Tsunami
e su a
Lessons Learned for North American
Responders
Omar Ha-Redeye,
AAS, BHA(Hons.), CNMT, RT(N)(ARRT)
APCO Canada / NENA Ontario 2006 Conference & Trade Show
“9-1-1
“9 1 1 in Any Language”
Toronto Sheraton Hotel and Conference Centre
October 1 – 4, 2006

2. Overview
• Structure:
– Identify some major operational challenges in
the tsunami relief in Indonesia
– Provide corresponding examples from
Toronto and Ontario

3. Know your Risks
• Environmental disasters will be major
issue for entire globe in coming years
– Water related events to top the list
Water-related
• Plan for specific hazards in vicinity and
neighboring regions
• Consider industrial hazards as well

10. Date: Sep 24 2006 Time: 18:52:41.000
Loc: 43.3500N 79.2700W
Depth: 5.00 Km Magnitude: 1.8MN
Lake Ontario. 17 km N from St.
Catharines, Ontario.

14. Global Warming

17. Forest Fires

18. Canadian Tsunamis

19. Canadian
Volcanoes

21. Industrial Hazards
• Perrow’s Typology of systems characteristics
Perrow s
Systemic intricacies
R i on
Room for interventio

22. Allocate Your Resources
• Use of assessment teams centralized
teams,
information collection, to identify areas of
need
• Avoid bee-lining straight to center of
disaster
• Have regional resource distribution on
hand
h d
– Measured responses

28. Type:Police Station Type:Ambulance Station
yp
Name:52 Division Name:EMS Stn 40
Address:255 DUNDAS ST W Address:58 RICHMOND ST E
Type:Fire Station
Name:TFD Stn 332
Address:260 ADELAIDE ST W

29. Maintain Useful Supply Routes
• Huge amount of inappropriate donations clogged
g pp p gg
tiny airport in Banda Aceh
– commercial cargo jet, a Boeing 737, collided with a water
buffalo on the airport's only runway halting aid deliveries
airport s
for nearly 18 hours
• ¼ of all aid t S i L k (500 containers) still sitting
f ll id to Sri Lanka t i ) till itti
on a dock in Colombo awaiting claiming or
processing

31. From the airports… …to an open bed truck…
…and back again.
…through the virginal rainforests of
through
Aceh…

32. Alternative Routes in S Ontario

33. Utilize Community Leadership
• Identify existing organizations and power
structures
• Involve leadership of various groups in
planning and execution of response plan
• U existing networks of communication t
Use i ti t k f i ti to
obtain and disseminate information

34. Leadership in Aceh
Javanese Style
Administration
Ad i i t ti
- Kades (Kepala Desa)
- Kelurahan (Lurah)
Keutchik Imam
(village chief) (religious leader)

35. Portfolio o
o o o of
Public Safety
and Emergency
Preparedness

37. Vulnerable Populations
• Women
–M l F
Male:Female Survivor Ratio 3 1 ( 80% d th f
l S i R ti 3:1 (~80% deaths female)
l )
• Children
– Reported missing often dead
missing,
– Unable to fend for themselves, orphaned
• Physically & Mentally Disabled
– Different communication media
– Evacuation challenges
• Minorities
– Disproportionate aid, further marginalization
p p , g

39. First Nation
Inuit
Métis

41. Cultural Differences
• Cultural and linguistic barriers can pose a
considerable challenge for responders
• Prepare and develop competency prior to
deployment to enhance operational
effectiveness

47. Albanian Arabic Chinese Farsi
French Greek Hungarian Italian
Korean Polish Portuguese Punjabi
Russian Somali Spanish Tamil
Turkish Ukrainian Vietnamese

48. Summary
1.
1 Know your local and regional risks
– Environmental and Industrial
2.
2 Allocate resources appropriately
– Maintain supply routes
3. Utilize community leadership and support
4. Protect vulnerable populations
p p
– Socioeconomic/politically marginalized/disabled
groups require special attention

49. Discussion
• What are the major risks in your region?
• Are you adequately prepared for a major
disaster?

50. Acknowledgements
• All of our sponsors, volunteers, and contributors
f l t d t ib t