Severe Weather Community Risk Reduction Program for the Glenside Fire Protection District

Running head: SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 1

James L. Larsen

Glenside Fire Protection District

Glendale Heights Illinois

SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 2

Certification Statement

I hereby certify that this paper constitutes my own product, that where the language of others is set forth, quotation marks so indicate, and that appropriate credit is given where I have used the language, ideas, expressions, or writings of others.

Signed:______

SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 3

Abstract

The problem is the Glenside Fire Protection District (GFPD) does not have a community risk

reduction program for severe weather events. The purpose of this research is to develop a severe

weather event community risk reduction program. This Applied Research Project answered four questions: What are the three most common severe weather events in the community serviced by the GFPD?, What knowledge, skills, and abilities do citizens need to know during severe weather events?, What pre-event preparations are needed by citizens of the GFPD?, and what resources are needed to develop the program? The action research method was used to create a severe weather public education pamphlet that could be handed out at community events throughout the year. The pamphlet was based upon the research questions and by a search of historical news coverage, National Weather Service data, and GFPD emergency incident data over the past three years. In addition, research of other severe weather programs and best practices for dealing with severe weather events were investigated. Community leaders and groups provided insight and resources to help develop the program. The results indicated that severe weather events are occurring more frequently and with greater intensity in the GFPD and that the GFPD has done a poor job in educating the community about the risks associated with severe weather events. Recommendations include proceeding with a severe weather community risk reduction program in order to reduce risk and better prepare the residents for these events which are predicted by scientists to increase in frequency and severity.

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Table of Contents

Title Page………………………………………………………………………………………….1

Certification Statement……………………………………………………………………………2

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………3

Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………………………4

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………….5

Background and Significance……………………………………………………………...... 5

Literature Review………………………………………………………………………………...10

Procedures………………………………………………………………………………………..19

Results……………………………………………………………………………………………24

Discussion………………………………………………………………………………………..29

Recommendations………………………………………………………………………………..42

References………………………………………………………………………………………..46

Appendix A………………………………………………………………………………………49

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Introduction

The problem is the Glenside Fire Protection District (GFPD) does not have a community

risk reduction program for severe weather events.

The purpose of this research is to develop a severe weather event community risk

reduction program.

This Applied Research Project (ARP) will answer four questions: What are the three

most common severe weather events in the community serviced by the GFPD? What knowledge,

skills, and abilities do citizens need to know during severe weather events? What pre-event preparations are needed by citizens of the GFPD? What resources are needed to develop the program?

The action research method was used in this applied research project The research

approach includes a comprehensive literature review of National Weather Service (NWS) data

and GFPD emergency incident data collected through the National Fire Incident Reporting

System (NFIRS), a study and review of best practices used by other agencies across the United

States for severe weather events, the creation of a severe weather event checklist document

suitable for distribution to citizens of the GFPD, and finally, a determination of the resources

needed to develop a severe weather event checklist with input from other community partners.

This information will then be shared with the Fire Chief of the Glenside Fire Protection District

for final program approval.

Background and Significance

A recent newspaper article chronicled the year of extreme weather felt across the globe

which included the coldest winter in 30 years in China, the raging wildfires in Australia brought

about by the record shattering heat wave, unexpected, inundating floods in Pakistan, significant SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 6 snowstorms and flooding to the Middle East, and the hottest year on record right here in the

United States (Lyall, 2013).

Whenever and wherever these catastrophic disasters strike, the public will marvel at the men and women who knowingly go into harms way to help their fellow man…the public servants like police officers, members of the military, and firefighters and paramedics. This was most recently on display during Hurricane Sandy which hit the Eastern United States on October

29, 2012 as a Category 1 storm which killed approximately 149 people in the United States,

Canada, Haiti, and other Caribbean countries. Hurricane Sandy set the record for the lowest barometric reading ever recorded for an Atlantic storm making landfall north of Cape Hatteras,

N.C. at 940 millibars-27.76 inches. It also set the record for the largest storm surge to ever hit

New York City, topping 13.88 feet at Battery Park. Hurricane Sandy smashed the record for the largest wave ever recorded in New York Harbor with a 32.5 footer…this broke the old record by

6.5 feet (Sharp, 2012).

But it is not just coastal areas of the United States that are seeing devastating storms.

Increasingly, areas that have been traditionally safe from extreme weather events are seeing an increase in the frequency and intensity of storms. One of these areas is suburban Chicago where the Glenside Fire Protection District (GFPD) is located. The GFPD is a full service, combination fire department providing service to 34,000 customers in a four square mile service area from one centrally located station. The department was created by referendum in June 1969 to provide fire protection services for the residents of the Village of Glendale Heights and the unincorporated areas of Glen Ellyn-Countryside in DuPage County Illinois ("GFPD History," n.d.). Today the department provides fire suppression, advanced life support emergency medical care and transport, a full time fire prevention bureau, hazardous materials response and SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 7 mitigation, technical rescue services, and comprehensive public education programs to the community. While the department is an integral partner and part of the Glendale Heights community, it is a distinct and separate governmental agency with its own elected Board of

Trustees and taxing structure.

Over the past three years, a series of intense storms have struck Chicago and the collar counties causing widespread damage, injury, death, and disruption to the lives of the estimated 3 million people who reside there ("2010 Profiles," n.d.).

“Northern Illinois and northwest Indiana were walloped by one of the most powerful winter storms in history between January 31 and February 2, 2011” (Allsopp & Castro, 2012, para. 1). The blizzard brought 21.2 inches of snow to the area with 70 mile per hour wind gusts causing drifts in excess of ten feet. It shut down the entire metropolitan area and was followed by sub zero temperatures for the next two days (Allsopp & Castro, 2012). The Village of Glendale

Heights declared a state of emergency and activated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for

48 hours while the GFPD doubled the regular staffing to deal with the affects of the storm

(GFPD 2011 Annual Report, 2012).

The GFPD responded to flooded basements, people stranded in vehicles due to rising flood waters and other service calls on July 22, 2011 when a line of severe thunderstorms and historic rainfall hit the Chicagoland area and dumped as much as 8.20 inches of rain (Wilson,

2011).

On July 27, 2011 a severe thunderstorm with 62 mile per hour winds caused widespread damage and left 9,000 residents without power which resulted in the Village of Glendale Heights issuing a disaster declaration (Placek, 2011). The cleanup took days and caused the GFPD to run

53 calls in a 14 hour period. On a normal day, the GFPD responds to approximately six SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 8

emergency incidents in a 24 hour period (GFPD 2011 Annual Report, 2012). The department

experienced increased overtime and operational costs as a result of this storm.

On July 1, 2012 severe storms with 80 mile per hour winds ripped roofs off structures,

brought quarter sized hail, and knocked power out to 250,000 Commonwealth Edison customers

(Arado & Biasco, 2012). This storm caused the busiest 10 hour period in GFPD history. During a

10 hour period after this storm the department responded to 109 emergency incidents (Wood,

2013). The responses included providing hazardous materials technicians, equipment, and a

chief officer to an anhydrous ammonia leak in another community (Arado & Biasco, 2012).

During these storms it became clear that the majority of the residents of the GFPD did not

have the knowledge, skills, or ability to effectively deal with the aftermath of the storms and

were ill prepared for them. Examples of this include not having an emergency plan, not having

any stored food or water, not having back up oxygen for medically dependent patients, lack of

basic safety instructions when using portable generators in enclosed areas, and ignoring safety

barricades around downed power lines. All of these examples were witnessed by the author and the emergency crews who responded to these incidents.

Wilmoth (2012) writes “Headlines show that global climate change is becoming a way of life. Monster snowstorms, superstorms, hurricanes and other natural disasters are increasing in strength and striking in more densly populated areas of the country” (Wilmoth, 2012, p. 6). In another editorial Wilmoth (2012) says “Unless you live on the Gulf Coast, earthquake ridden

California, or in Tornado Alley, your residents likely don’t think disaster preparedness is necessary. But are they prepared for other types of disasters that can occur-floods, wildfires, hazmat spills and more? If not, it’s your duty as emergency response leaders to prepare them”

(Wilmoth, 2012, p. 6). SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 9

The experience of the GFPD over the past three years certainly supports the previous paragraph and opinion of Wilmoth. The department has seen an increase in severe weather event frequency, intensity, and variety of storms. These storms have significantly tested the ability of the department to respond to all hazard events that have occurred as a result of the storms. From past experiences, the residents have shown a lack of preparation and the knowledge, skills and abilities to help keep them safe during these intense, prolonged events. Because of these reasons and the predicted continuation of these kinds of events by scientists, a severe weather event community risk reduction program is needed in the GFPD.

This research addresses the United States Fire Administration (USFA) Five Strategic

Objectives by reducing risk at the local level through prevention and mitigation, improving local planning and preparedness, and improving the fire and emergency services’ capability for response to and recovery from all hazards (USFA Strategic Objectives, 2012). The National

Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) has partnered with the USFA to create the “Everyone

Goes Home” program centered around the “16 Life Safety Initiatives” ("Life Safety Initiatives," n.d.). This research incorporates the need to focus greater attention on the integration of risk management with incident management at all levels, including strategic, tactical, and planning responsibilities of Life Safety Initiative #3, and that public education must receive more resources and be championed as a critical fire and life safety program of Life Safety Initiative

#14.

The research problem is linked to several of the National Fire Academy Executive

Analysis of Community Risk Reduction course units including The Executive Fire Officer as a

Community Risk-Reduction Strategist, Assessing Community Risk, Interventions, Program SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 10

Design, and Evaluation, Leading Organizational and Community Change, and Organizational and Community Politics (Research Problem Link, 2012).

Literature Review

Over the past three years the Glenside Fire Protection District (GFPD) has been hit with a number of severe weather events that have impacted the organization and the community. In

February 2011 the Chicago area was hit with a major blizzard. Jim Allsopp (2011) of the

National Weather Service Forecast Office in Chicago said “There is no doubt that this event had more impact and notoriety than any other weather event in 2011. Although it ranks third in total snowfall for a Chicago winter storm (after the 1967 and 1999 storms), in terms of snow intensity, wind, and lightning production, this blizzard was second to none. Fourteen people died in the storm” (Allsopp, 2011, p. 1). The storm dumped over 21 inches of snow and brought howling winds in excess of 70 miles per hour which caused snow drifts of over ten feet in urban and rural areas. The blizzard was followed by sub-zero temperatures (Allsopp & Castro, 2012). This storm resulted in a disaster declaration and activation of the Village of Glendale Heights Emergency

Operations Center (EOC) for a period of 48 hours (GFPD 2011 Annual Report, 2012). The impact of the storm caused operational and financial challenges for the GFPD. The department doubled the regular on duty staffing for 48 hours in an effort to support operations. Additional staff was used to dig out fire hydrants in target hazard areas, support emergency incidents, and assist residents with service calls. In addition, the Fire Chief and Deputy Chief (the author), worked 12 hour rotations in the EOC and then reported for a 12 hour operational period as the

Operations Chief/Shift Commander. Due to the scope of the blizzard and the resulting costs of mitigating the response to and clean up from the storm, President Barack Obama declared 43 counties in Illinois a major disaster area on March 17, 2011. The disaster declaration paved the SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 11

way for reimbursement of storm costs to many municipalities and fire protection districts like the

GFPD ("FEMA-1960-DR," 2011).

Another severe weather event that impacted the GFPD occurred on July 22, 2011 when a

severe thunderstorm system brought 8.20 inches of rain to the area (Wilson, 2011). According to

National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) statistics, the GFPD responded to flooded

basements, wires down, storm damage assessments, and people stranded in vehicles after driving

through floodwaters (GFPD 2011 Annual Report, 2012). The National Weather Service reported rainfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour at one point in the storm which caused extensive flash flooding. Thousands of basements across the area had 8-10 feet of flood water and raw sewage in them (Allsopp, 2011).

On July 27, 2011 a severe thunderstorm caused widespread damage in the Village of

Glendale Heights and the GFPD. Once again, the Village declared a disaster and opened up the

EOC (Placek, 2011). According to NFIRS data, the GFPD responded to 53 emergency incidents in a 14 hour period (GFPD 2011 Annual Report, 2012).

Finally, on July 1, 2012 a major thunderstorm struck DuPage County resulting in extensive damage. In a newspaper article, Don Rose, the longest serving city manager (31 years) in DuPage County said “I’ve never seen-in all the storms we’ve had-such a large area with so many power lines down, poles down, and whole trees down. There were also a lot of large tree limbs on the ground. The amount of tree damage is just unbelievable” (Sanchez & Mistretta,

2012, para. 3). The response to the storm damage in the GFPD resulted in the busiest period in the departments 44 year history…109 emergency incidents in a 10 hour period (Wood, 2013). In addition to the incidents in the GFPD, the department provided hazardous materials technicians, apparatus and equipment, and a chief officer as part of an Incident Management Team to another SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 12 community that had a roof torn off and then punctured a large anhydrous ammonia tank (Arado

& Biasco, 2012). Once again, the GFPD incurred additional operational and personnel costs as a result of the mitigations needed due to the storm.

While scientists continue to debate the existence of global warming, people around the world realize that something is going on. Thomas (2012) says “The idea of global warming is becoming clearer to most, as weather around the world has increased, intensified, is more violent, and in many cases is causing more destruction within communities, cities and regions”

(Thomas, 2012, p. 21). Recent weather catastrophes such as Hurricane Katrina (2005), Cyclone

Sidr (2007), the Russian drought (2010), and the floods in Pakistan (2010), Brazil (2011), and

Australia (2011), highlight the impact of climate related risks on human livelihoods according to

Krishnamurthy (Krishnamurthy, 2012). Krishnamurthy goes on to say “Environmental change is expected to increase the likelihood and impacts of extreme weather events. Recent meteorological events around the world have highlighted the potential adverse impacts of disasters on livelihoods and populations” (Krishnamurthy, 2012, p. 96). Wilmoth (2012) writes

“Headlines show that global climate change is becoming a way of life. Monster snowstorms, superstorms, hurricanes and other natural disasters are increasing in strength and striking in more densly populated areas of the country” (Wilmoth, 2012, p. 6).

The severe weather events that have impacted people around the world recently have also affected the people located in the GFPD. The author responded to emergencies during each of the severe weather events that have been discussed in this ARP. Throughout the hundreds of total responses, several recurring themes became obvious. People with medical conditions such as breathing problems that required supplemental oxygen had no plan or backup contingency on how to run their oxygen generating machines once the power went out. During the July 2012 SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 13

storm, power was out for up to ten days in portions of the GFPD. There were many carbon

monoxide incidents due to gas powered generators running in basements to pump out flood

waters. Generators running in closed, attached garages caused multiple responses including one

where carbon monoxide levels were recorded above 1500 parts per million in an occupied home.

On one occasion, a flash fire occurred when a resident improperly re-fueled a generator while still running. The level of emergency response demanded by the residents of the GFPD quickly overwhelmed the regular staffing of personnel and required a total department recall of personnel for storm related duties. There was considerable expense to staff these demands for extended periods. It became clear that the general public lacked the knowledge, skill, and ability to deal with these severe weather events and that the GFPD needed to address the issue through public education.

The kinds of emergency responses experienced by the GFPD are not surprising. In 2004, four major hurricanes crossed the Florida peninsula…Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and

Jeanne caused wide paths of destruction ("2004 Hurricane Season," n.d.). The Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention with assistance from the Florida Department of Health put together a report after the 2004 Florida hurricane season which studied the significant public health threats from the improper use of portable generators during the period of August 13-

September 25, 2004. There were six deaths and 167 carbon monoxide exposures which required hospital treatment and intervention. The number of carbon monoxide cases and incidents peaked within three days after landfall of each hurricane and 96% of the cases were directly linked to the improper use of gasoline powered portable generators. The rest of the cases were attributed to idling vehicles or use of gasoline powered saws (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[CDC], 2005). SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 14

A recent survey by the Ad Council showed only 17% of Americans claim to be ready for an emergency situation (Mitchell, 2012). The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has an extensive, easy to navigate on line tool available which discusses planning, notification, and preparation for everything from natural disasters to terrorist hazards. “There are actions that should be taken before, during, and after an event that are unique to each hazard. Identify the hazards that have happened or could happen in your area and plan for the unique actions for each” ("Plan For Your Risks," n.d., para. 1).

McKay (2012) says “Americans have a false sense of security when it comes to disasters, and should they become victims, most haven’t taken steps to help themselves during the first few days after one strikes. Experts say either the preparedness message isn’t getting across, or the wrong message is being sent” (McKay, 2012, p. 34).

Kipp and Loflin (1996) write:

Pre-incident planning is an important aspect of the pre-emergency risk management

process. Often overlooked, determined as busy work, or deemed unimportant, pre-

incident planning is critical to the safety and health of fire service personnel. Regardless

of the size and type of community, each department needs to utilize a pre-incident

planning program (Kipp & Loflin, 1996, p. 180).

The premise of citizens taking care of themselves during a major emergency is not new.

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) were introduced by the Los Angeles City Fire

Department in 1985 ("About CERT," n.d.). The CERT program educates residents about disaster preparedness measures that can be taken for their specific area and trains them in basic skills they can use to take care of themselves and their neighbors when professional responders are not immediately available ("CERTS," n.d.). SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 15

Roy Charvat has been the Emergency Management Coordinator for the Village of

Glendale Heights for the past six years. Before coming to Glendale Heights, Mr. Charvat was the

Deputy Director of Operations for the DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and

Emergency Management. In addition to these duties, Mr. Charvat is a 27 year veteran of the neighboring Addison Fire Protection District where he currently holds the rank of Battalion

Chief. In Glendale Heights, Mr. Charvat oversees an active 15 member Emergency Services and

Disaster Agency (ESDA) unit, and a 57 member Community Emergency Response Team

(CERT) and works under the direction and control of the Glendale Heights Police Department.

When asked if the Village of Glendale Heights has an extreme weather event risk reduction program, Mr. Charvat said not yet, but that one is being worked on. Mr. Charvat says that he has been busy planning and coordinating the training of his teams to respond to all hazard events to support police and fire operations during these severe weather events. He says that while slow going, he is working on a preparedness document for public distribution with cooperation from other Village of Glendale Heights departments like police and public works. Mr. Charvat went on to say that the plan calls for a document that incorporates an all hazard approach which could be distributed by the CERT unit at neighborhood festivals and through the water billing mailer.

Mr. Charvat says that he would encourage a partnership on this program with the GFPD so that there can be a unified message which could also help reduce costs to both units of government and believes the already established relationships between the agencies is a significant strength.

When asked what other organizations should be used to make the program successful Mr.

Charvat encouraged the use of the Red Cross who has trained with the CERT and ESDA units on setting up shelters, the Adventist GlenOaks Hospital which makes significant monetary donations to the community’s police and fire programs and provides additional logistical support SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 16

to them, and the DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

which has many planning and preparedness resources available (R. Charvat, personal

communication, February 6, 2013).

Walter Siewierski is a Lieutenant with the GFPD with 26 years of active full time service.

For the past 13 years he has served as the GFPD Public Education Coordinator. Mr. Siewierski

was asked if he has noticed any changes in the weather as it relates to his duties and

responsibilities as a company officer at the GFPD. Mr. Siewierski says that not only have the

calls for service increased during storms, but in his entire life, he has never seen the intensity and

frequency of the storms that have been hitting the GFPD in the last three years. Regarding how

the GFPD has approached the severe weather events and public education, Mr. Siewierski says

that the GFPD could be doing a better job in educating the public about severe weather preparedness and that until the author brought back information regarding community risk assessments from the National Fire Academy, he had never heard of the term and to the best of his knowledge, no one had ever done a risk assessment at the GFPD. When asked if there was a need for a severe weather community risk reduction program in the GFPD Mr. Siewierski stated that “without question there is a need for this program” and suggested that information could be passed out during existing public education programs at the schools each month. In addition, he suggested that the local cable access channel could be utilized in an effort to reach out to the community and that this information could also be presented at a monthly senior citizen program at the Glendale Heights Senior Center (W. Siewierski, personal communication, February 7,

2013).

If residents in the GFPD could be instructed on how to care for themselves during an emergency, perhaps calls for emergency services could be reduced. A pre-event checklist that SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 17 could provide basic instructions for having supplies like food, medication, and water, a plan for evacuating, a phone list of emergency contacts, portable generator and power line safety tips, and other plans could prove to be very beneficial.

Emergency managers, scientists, and a comprehensive search of historical weather data, news media, and department records agree that the impact of these storms is affecting the emergency responders in the Village of Glendale Heights and the Glenside Fire Protection

District who jointly respond to the emergencies caused by the storms. Because multiple agencies are looking at the issue on their own, it seems appropriate to work jointly at developing a unified approach to solve the issue.

The Village of Glendale Heights, under the direction of Mayor Linda Jackson, has a unique program called the “Governmental Agency Partnership” (GAP) committee which is comprised of community organizations, representatives from public safety agencies, elected officials, school officials, hospital officials, library officials, and other interested parties that want to collaborate monthly on issues affecting the community. In a letter dated August 31,

2012, Mayor Jackson invited the author and other GAP committee members to a meeting of

“movers and shakers” in Glendale Heights to determine the greatest needs and challenges facing the community and what could be done collectively to address the needs and challenges. In the letter, Mayor Jackson said:

I am very proud of the direction Glendale Heights has taken to develop collaborations

and strong working relationships with our residents, businesses, nonprofits, government

agencies, and religious institutions. We have partnered on many important initiatives

allowing us to offer quality programs and services to our residents. Our connections with

each other have become increasingly important as we work together to reach common SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 18

goals and also address the current economic situation (L. Jackson, personal

communication, August 31, 2012).

Similarly, Heifetz and Linsky (2002) agree when they say:

One of the distinguishing qualities of successful people who lead in any field is the

emphasis they place on personal relationships. This is certainly true for those in elective

office, for whom personal relationships are as vital as air is to breathing. For political

people, the merits of a cause and the strategy used to move it forward are relevant but

not controlling. The critical resource is access, and so the greatest care is given to

creating and nurturing networks of people they can call on, work with, and engage in

addressing the issue at hand (Heifetz & Linsky, 2002, p. 75).

McKay (McKay, 2012), Mitchell (Mitchell, 2012), and Wilmoth (Wilmoth, 2012) all agree that the preparedness message is not getting out around the United States and that it is up to the local emergency response leaders to educate their communities.

The severe weather community risk reduction process recently completed at the GFPD supports the lessons learned in the Executive Leadership course in year one of EFO. There, the students learned of the leadership challenges described by Heifetz and Linsky (2002) as technical problems or adaptive challenges. A technical problem is one that a person already knows how to solve. An adaptive challenge is described as something that needs experiment or adjustment from multiple places in an organization. Adaptive challenges require changing the “attitudes, values, and behaviors” of the people’s attitudes (Heifetz & Linsky, 2002, p. 13). The community risk reduction model had never been utilized in the GFPD before, and clearly, that behavior needed to change in order for community risks to be properly identified and appropriate solutions developed. SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 19

Retired United States Navy Captain D. Michael Abrashoff offers one final leadership

lesson that pertains to the community risk reduction process when he says “Leadership is not a paycheck. Leadership is a calling…you have to be accountable. The lesson is inescapable. Once an issue becomes important to senior management, it becomes important down the chain of command” (Abrashoff, 2002, p. 208).

Executive Fire Officers are trained and asked to become champions of the community risk reduction process. From the scientific evidence in the references cited, severe weather is on the increase in frequency and intensity across the globe. Locations that have not traditionally seen severe weather are seeing it more often. The search of historical weather data and GFPD incident data both support what scientists are seeing with changing weather patterns. These things, along with interviews of local public safety educators and community leaders have positively influenced the author to pursue the severe weather community risk reduction program for the GFPD as a much needed public safety education program.

Procedures

The procedures used during the development of this applied research project (ARP) began several months before the course was held at the National Fire Academy in August 2012.

As part of an extensive pre-course homework assignment, students are required to complete an exhaustive assessment of their own department that focuses on census information and emergency incident data to determine the specific community risk of the student’s department.

By studying the specific geographical areas of census tracts, students can better understand the economics, demographics, type of occupancies, languages spoken, cultural make up and emergency responses taking place in smaller blocks of a community or jurisdiction. This allows the student to be better prepared to discuss and understand the specific areas of community risk SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 20

concerns in preparation for the class. Next, the author attended the two week resident course titled Executive Analysis of Community Risk Reduction at the National Fire Academy during the last two weeks of August, 2012. The course covered topics which included Community Risk-

Reduction Strategist, Assessing Community Risk, Interventions, Program Design and

Evaluation, Leading Organizational and Community Change, and Organizational and

Community Politics.

During the class students were encouraged by the instructors to begin formulation of their

individual applied research project proposals. Over the course of two weeks the author met

numerous times with the instructors (Dr. Anne L. Drabczyk and Carolyn Smith-Clark) and Dr.

Burton A. Clark to formulate and refine the ARP proposal. Prior to leaving the National Fire

Academy the author received permission from the assigned evaluator to proceed with the ARP as proposed.

The problem statement was checked for clarity and comprehensiveness:

-The problem is the Glenside Fire Protection District (GFPD) does not have a

community risk reduction program for severe weather events.

The goal statement was accomplished by using the purpose statement:

-The purpose of this research is to develop a severe weather event community risk

reduction program.

During the two week course the author spent time in the Learning Resource Center

(LRC) searching for reference material associated with extreme or severe weather events, climate change, carbon monoxide exposure, and disaster preparedness as it relates to community risk reduction. Copies of books, periodicals, articles, and other Executive Fire Officer (EFO)

ARP’s were collected while at the LRC. These materials were combined with the Executive SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 21

Analysis of Community Risk Reduction class materials and text and the author’s own library materials to provide references for this ARP.

The internet proved to be a very useful tool for collecting information for this ARP.

Search terms used on Google (a search engine) included Chicago blizzards, extreme weather,

Chicago flooding, severe Chicago storms, and fire department response to storms. Historical weather data from the National Weather Service (NWS) and the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was gathered along with historical news coverage from

Chicago area newspapers over several months to determine the three most common types of severe weather the GFPD had been subjected to over the past three years. In addition, the annual reports and NFIRS data generated by the GFPD were instrumental in providing emergency incident recaps and statistical data. Best practices across the United States used for dealing with severe weather events were researched along with programs other departments are using to prepare their citizens for severe weather and related issues. The comprehensive literature review process was able to answer research questions one, two, and three.

The answers to research question four began on September 12, 2012 when the author attended a meeting of community partners called by Glendale Heights Mayor Linda Jackson. The meeting of the Governmental Agency Partnership (GAP) committee was designed to determine the greatest needs and challenges facing the Glendale Heights community and what the GAP committee could do to address those needs and challenges. One of the items discussed was the severe weather community risk reduction program for the GFPD.

On October 10, 2012 the author met with GFPD Chief Russ Wood and Glendale Heights

Police Chief Mike Marron to describe the ARP proposal and to seek their permission to utilize resources (time and interviews with personnel) to develop the severe weather community risk SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 22

reduction program in the GFPD based upon the recommendations from the September 12, 2012

GAP meeting. Once the basic concept was approved by Chief Wood, the ARP development began in earnest and continued through February 2013.

Interviews were scheduled and conducted on February 6, 2013 with Roy Charvat (R.

Charvat, personal communication, February 6, 2013), the emergency management coordinator for the Village of Glendale Heights, and on February 7, 2013 with Lt. Walter Siewierski (W.

Siewierski, personal communication, February 7, 2013), public education coordinator for the

GFPD in order to conduct a situational analysis to determine the factors that are causing or

contributing to the problem. Mr. Siewierski and Mr. Charvat were asked the following questions:

-What is your name, title, and years of service in your position?

-Have you noticed or experienced a change in the frequency or intensity of severe

weather in Glendale Heights?

-What programs or initiatives are you incorporating into your public education

programs that address the increase in frequency and severity of storms hitting

Glendale Heights?

-Have you ever conducted a community risk assessment for your jurisdiction?

-What specialized training have you received in order to be a public educator?

-If you were to develop a severe weather community risk reduction program, what

community groups would you include in order for the program to be successful?

-How would you deliver the program once it is developed?

-Do you believe this program would be worthwhile?

-Do you believe this program is needed?

-What other suggestions do you have to make the program succeed? SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 23

Several program objectives were developed during the writing of this applied research

project including:

1. Meet with community leaders of the Governmental Partnership Committee to

discuss community issues by September 12, 2012.

2. Meet with Glenside Fire Chief Russ Wood and Glendale Heights Police Chief

Mike Marron to gain permission to utilize joint resources and proceed with a

severe weather community risk reduction program by October 31, 2012.

3. Develop and submit an applied research paper for the Executive Analysis of

Community Risk Reduction course by March 4, 2013.

4. Develop a severe weather community risk reduction program pamphlet by

March 4, 2013.

5. Deliver the severe weather community risk reduction program flyer to homes in

the GFPD by way of the Village of Glendale Heights water bill by April 30, 2013.

During the development of the Applied Research Project (ARP), the author wrote each section separately and in order beginning with the Introduction and Background and

Significance. The Abstract was written last. Based upon suggestions from classmates and other

EFO graduates, a word processing tool called PERRLA was purchased and downloaded onto two computers, a work computer in the author’s office and a work laptop. The author asked other

EFO graduates and classmates to review the ARP for comments, criticisms, and suggestions.

There were few limitations during this ARP. The author is blessed to work in a department that is extremely proactive and that already has long standing, solid relationships with other community leaders and organizations. These relationships made collaboration on

projects relatively easy through the GAP committee. One limitation experienced was convincing SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 24 some community leaders and organizations that a severe weather community risk reduction program was even needed. Each community leader and organization has their own agenda and special projects and needed to be shown clear evidence that the severe weather event was indeed a “community” issue and risk. The other (and biggest) limitation was time…not the six month limitation of the ARP per se, but the time needed to develop a new program. Time to study the problems in the community, time for the five step community risk reduction model to work through the matrix, time to find time to develop the program with other community leaders who also do not have enough time! The GFPD is a small organization. As the Deputy Chief of

Operations, the author is responsible for emergency response, training of personnel, officer development, apparatus and equipment specification and maintenance, buildings and facility maintenance, discipline and morale, records documentation and compliance and a host of other responsibilities. The EFO journey forces the EFO candidate to look at challenges in their community and department. Community risk reduction programs often take a back seat to other operational issues not only in priority but in funding. Determining community risk is not a

“glamorous” part of a firefighter’s career. The community risk reduction curriculum asks the

EFO to become a champion of this process…and answering that challenge takes a lot of time.

Results

The pre-course homework assignment for the National Fire Academy (NFA) Executive

Fire Officer (EFO) Executive Analysis of Community Risk Reduction course teaches students how to use data to identify and determine risk areas in their own community. By searching specific, smaller areas known as census tracts, students can look at neighborhoods based upon type of reported emergencies, income levels, employment and education status, and risk factors like elderly populations through information obtained from the United States Census Bureau and SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 25

National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). This information is collected and mailed in to

the NFA before the student attends a two week resident course at the NFA campus in

Emmitsburg, Maryland. As a result of this assignment, the author determined through NFIRS

data that the Glenside Fire Protection District had been seeing an increase in storm related

emergency incidents.

During the two week resident course at the NFA, students are immersed in lecture and group activities designed around the five step community risk reduction model and are encouraged to use their pre-course assignment to assist them in determining the topic of a six month Applied Research Project (ARP). The time at the NFA is a great opportunity to begin

assembling reference material at the Learning Resource Center (LRC) which contains

information on almost any topic that is fire service related. During the two week course, the

author met repeatedly with his instructors to develop and fine tune a proposal for his ARP based

upon the findings of the pre-course assignment and the five step community risk reduction

model. Once the author received the ARP evaluator information, the ARP proposal was sent and

approved before the end of the two week course.

After a comprehensive review of National Weather Service (NWS) data, historical news

coverage, and a search of Glenside Fire Protection District (GFPD) NFIRS data over the past

three years it was determined that blizzards, floods, and thunderstorms were the three most

common severe weather events to strike areas serviced by the GFPD. Scientists are warning that

the severe weather patterns being seen are expected to increase in frequency and intensity and

strike areas that have not been normally hit in the past. SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 26

Based upon the author’s response to emergency incidents during the blizzard, flood, and thunderstorm events, it became clear that many residents in the GFPD lacked the knowledge, skills, or abilities needed to deal with a severe weather event. Examples of this include:

- Residents were observed using power cords attached to portable generators from home

to home and run across city streets. Some cords were submerged along street curbs filled

with storm runoff water. Power outages lasted from a few hours up to 10 days.

-Residents were observed approaching downed power lines in backyards and draped over

chain link fences.

-Improper portable generator use was observed. In one particular case, carbon monoxide

levels as high as 1500 parts per million were recorded due to a portable generator running

in an enclosed garage.

-A flash fire occurred due to a resident re-fueling a running portable generator.

-Patients medically dependent on home oxygen generators called for assistance because

they had no back up power or a plan in place to get help from family or friends

-Residents in need of rescue after driving around barricades due to flooded streets.

Across the country, severe weather events cause tremendous upheaval of people’s lives after a severe weather event occurs. In situations like Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy, it can take months and even years to get back to any sense of “normalcy”. In places like Los

Angeles, the Los Angeles City Fire Department created a program called Community

Emergency Response Team (CERT) to train and educate residents on how to care for themselves and their neighbors after an earthquake or wildfire when professional responders are inundated with emergency calls and their response could be significantly delayed. In Florida, research has shown that many people are significantly injured or killed within three days of a hurricane from SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 27 the dangerous complications of carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of the improper use of portable gasoline powered generators. Finally, The Federal Emergency Management Agency

(FEMA) has recognized that preparedness is a key in protecting the public from all hazard issues and created an extensive on-line tool that can be used to create a basic family emergency plan, a list of suggested supplies before a severe weather event happens, and personal evacuation plans with important phone numbers and documents. It does not matter if a severe weather event occurs in California, New York, Florida, or the GFPD. People can prepare for these events before they occur in an effort to limit their risk and improve their chances for a speedy recovery.

During the two week resident course students learned about program, impact, outcome, process, and formative objectives. Upon the author’s return home, program objectives were established for the ARP which included:

1. Meet with community leaders of the Governmental Partnership Committee to

discuss community issues by September 12, 2012.

2. Meet with Glenside Fire Chief Russ Wood and Glendale Heights Police Chief

Mike Marron to gain permission to utilize joint resources and proceed with severe

weather community risk reduction program by October 31, 2012.

3. Develop and submit an applied research paper for the Executive Analysis of

Community Risk Reduction course by March 4, 2013.

4. Develop a severe weather community risk reduction program pamphlet by

March 4, 2013.

5. Deliver the severe weather community risk reduction program flyer to homes in

the GFPD by way of the Village of Glendale Heights water bill by April 30, 2013. SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 28

The resources needed to develop a severe weather community risk reduction program started to become clear on September 12, 2012 when a special Governmental Agency

Partnership (GAP) committee meeting was held to determine the greatest needs and challenges facing the Glendale Heights community and how the needs could best be addressed by the

“movers and shakers” of community leadership. The approximately 60-70 community leaders in attendance worked in focus groups and discussed the needs and challenges and submitted a list of identified issues with proposed solutions. One of the issues identified was risks associated with severe weather events.

On October 10, 2012 the author met with GFPD Chief Russ Wood and Glendale Heights

Police Chief Mike Marron to seek permission to utilize resources to create a severe weather community risk reduction program. After explaining the EFO ARP proposal, both Chiefs agreed that the proposed program had merit based upon the level of emergency services resources used during the storms. Armed with the approval of both agencies, the author continued the search for reference material in earnest.

Interviews were conducted on February 6, 2013 with Roy Charvat (R. Charvat, personal communication, February 6, 2013) the Emergency Management Coordinator for the Village of

Glendale Heights and on February 7, 2013 with Lt. Walter Siewierski (W. Siewierski, personal communication, February 7, 2013), the Public Education Coordinator for the GFPD. As the people responsible for the development and delivery of the public education programs at their respective departments, neither Mr. Charvat nor Mr. Siewierski have ever received the formal training needed to understand the actual risks affecting the community. The community risk assessment pre-course assignment for this EFO course is the first time the process has ever been conducted in the GFPD or Village of Glendale Heights. Both Mr. Charvat and Mr. Siewierski SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 29

agree that the already established relationships between departments will be a positive attribute

to developing a joint program that can be delivered by either organization to the community and

that the program is indeed needed based upon the severe storms of the past three years. Finally,

they also agree that there can be significant cost savings to both organizations by delivering the

program together to other community organizations.

A pamphlet was created (Appendix A), which identified the three most common kinds of

severe weather occurring in the GFPD. The pamphlet also offers basic knowledge, skills, and

abilities that residents should know when dealing with the aftermath of storms, the use of

portable generators, and safety tips when working around power lines. The pamphlet contains

simple, easy to read instructions and locations on the internet to obtain more detailed

information. The pamphlet will be delivered to each home in the Village of Glendale Heights in

a water billing cycle in the coming months timed to coincide with the arrival of the spring and summer storm season. The cost of the mailing will be split between the GFPD and the Village of

Glendale Heights.

Finally, this ARP will be submitted by the March 4, 2013 due date to be graded by the assigned evaluator. The ARP is the culmination of nearly a year of research which studied incident and census data to determine the community risk in the GFPD which was coupled with a two week course on community risk reduction that taught students how to use the five step community risk reduction model to understand risk, analyze a community, identify intervention strategies, identify needed resources, and evaluate the results. The author intends to evaluate the

program by comparing incident data from one year to the next and determining a rise or fall in

incident percentages.

Discussion SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 30

In 1985 the Los Angeles City Fire Department recognized the need for creating a program which would teach residents basic safety information so that in the event of a major disaster, residents could be armed with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to fend for themselves and their neighbors until professional rescuers could arrive. The forward thinking program was called “Community Emergency Response Team” (CERT) and quickly proved its worth in an area that is susceptible to earthquakes and other natural disasters like wild land fires and mud slides ("About CERT," n.d.). Since then, CERT teams have gained in popularity and are in use from coast to coast.

The Village of Glendale Heights has a robust 57 member CERT team according to

Emergency Management Coordinator Roy Charvat. The team is still being trained for response to all hazards incidents but plans are in the works to have these citizen volunteers conduct public education sessions at community events. A planned area of focus will be a joint severe weather community risk reduction program in cooperation with the Glenside Fire Protection District

(GFPD) (R. Charvat, personal communication, February 6, 2013).

Florida is another area prone to severe weather and natural disasters. Hurricanes frequently make landfall in the state like they did in 2004 when four hurricanes crossed the

Florida peninsula in a short time frame ("2004 Hurricane Season," n.d.). In Florida, one of the public safety issues became the improper use of gasoline powered generators which caused numerous deaths and injuries as a result of carbon monoxide exposure (CDC, 2005).

Natural disasters caused by severe weather events are occurring more frequently, with more intensity, and in places that have not normally seen such severe weather according to Lyall

(Lyall, 2013) and Thomas (Thomas, 2012). SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 31

After a comprehensive review of National Weather Service (NWS) data, media reports,

and a search of Glenside Fire Protection District (GFPD) NFIRS data it was determined that

blizzards, floods, and thunderstorms were the three most common severe weather events to strike

areas serviced by the GFPD.

Wilmoth (2012) writes “Headlines show that global climate change is becoming a way of

life. Monster snowstorms, superstorms, hurricanes and other natural disasters are increasing in

strength and striking in more densly populated areas of the country” (Wilmoth, 2012, p. 6).

While scientists continue to debate the existence of global warming, people around the

world realize that something is going on. Thomas (2012) says “The idea of global warming is

becoming clearer to most, as weather around the world has increased, intensified, is more

violent, and in many cases is causing more destruction within communities, cities and regions”

(Thomas, 2012, p. 21). Recent weather catastrophes such as Hurricane Katrina (2005), Cyclone

Sidr (2007), the Russian drought (2010), and the floods in Pakistan (2010), Brazil (2011), and

Australia (2011), highlight the impact of climate related risks on human livelihoods according to

Krishnamurthy (Krishnamurthy, 2012). Krishnamurthy goes on to say “Environmental change is

expected to increase the likelihood and impacts of extreme weather events. Recent

meteorological events around the world have highlighted the potential adverse impacts of

disasters on livelihoods and populations” (Krishnamurthy, 2012, p. 96).

There is a clear relationship between the climate change and severe weather extremes going on in the rest of the world and the experiences of the GFPD over the past three years.

“Northern Illinois and northwest Indiana were walloped by one of the most powerful winter storms in history between January 31 and February 2, 2011” (Allsopp & Castro, 2012, para. 1).

The blizzard brought 21.2 inches of snow to the area with 70 mile per hour wind gusts causing SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 32 drifts in excess of ten feet. It shut down the entire metropolitan area and was followed by sub zero temperatures for the next two days (Allsopp & Castro, 2012). The Village of Glendale

Heights declared a state of emergency and activated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for

48 hours while the GFPD doubled the regular staffing to deal with the affects of the storm

(GFPD 2011 Annual Report, 2012). The GFPD responded to flooded basements, people stranded in vehicles due to rising flood waters and other service calls on July 22, 2011 when a line of severe thunderstorms and historic rainfall hit the Chicagoland area and dumped as much as 8.20 inches of rain (Wilson, 2011). On July 27, 2011 a severe thunderstorm with 62 mile per hour winds caused widespread damage and left 9,000 residents without power which resulted in the

Village of Glendale Heights issuing a disaster declaration (Placek, 2011). The cleanup took days and caused the GFPD to run 53 calls in a 14 hour period. On a normal day, the GFPD responds to approximately six emergency incidents in a 24 hour period (GFPD 2011 Annual Report,

2012). The department experienced increased overtime and operational costs as a result of this storm.

On July 1, 2012 severe storms with 80 mile per hour winds ripped roofs off structures, brought quarter sized hail, and knocked power out to 250,000 Commonwealth Edison customers

(Arado & Biasco, 2012). This storm caused the busiest 10 hour period in GFPD history. During an average 24 hour shift, the GFPD responds to approximately six emergency incidents. During a

10 hour period after this storm the department responded to 109 emergency incidents (Wood,

2013). The responses included providing hazardous materials technicians, equipment, and a chief officer to an anhydrous ammonia leak in another community (Arado & Biasco, 2012). SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 33

The author responded to emergency incidents during each of the storms detailed above and witnessed first hand that many residents in the GFPD lacked the knowledge, skills, or abilities needed to deal with a severe weather event. Examples of this include:

- Residents were observed using power cords attached to portable generators from home

to home and run across city streets. Some cords were submerged along street curbs filled

with storm runoff water. Power outages lasted from a few hours up to 10 days.

-Residents were observed approaching downed power lines in backyards and draped over

chain link fences.

-Improper portable generator use was observed. In one particular case, carbon monoxide

levels as high as 1500 parts per million were recorded due to a portable generator running

in an enclosed garage.

-A flash fire occurred due to a resident re-fueling a running portable generator.

-Patients medically dependent on home oxygen generators called for assistance because

they had no back up power or a plan in place to get help from family or friends

-Residents in need of rescue after driving around barricades due to flooded streets.

These and other first hand observations substantiate the need for a severe weather community risk reduction program. Citizens should be taught basic safety practices for dealing with downed wires, how to properly use electrical cords and portable generators, best practices for flooding situations and how to prepare a basic emergency kit and emergency plan. Residents of the GFPD could better prepare themselves for severe weather events by having a plan before a severe weather event occurs. A family communications plan, the preparation of a basic emergency kit, having copies of important documents, knowing where to go in case of shelter or evacuation needs, and having multiple planned routes to evacuate could all be done before an event occurs. SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 34

Like fire departments in California and Florida, the GFPD has determined that the severe

weather events that have hit over the past three years have greatly taxed the emergency response

capabilities of the department. More needs to be done to educate the public about the risks of

severe weather and the lasting after affects of day after day power outages, flooded and impassable roadways, dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning due to improper portable generator use, and risks of not having an emergency plan or basic emergency supplies. The experience of the GFPD appears to be in line with what is going on in other parts of the country where a recent survey by the Ad Council showed only 17% of Americans claim to be ready for an emergency situation (Mitchell, 2012). The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has an extensive, easy to navigate on line tool available which discusses planning, notification, and preparation for everything from natural disasters to terrorist hazards. “There are actions that should be taken before, during, and after an event that are unique to each hazard. Identify the hazards that have happened or could happen in your area and plan for the unique actions for each” ("Plan For Your Risks," n.d., para. 1).

Kipp and Loflin (1996) write:

Pre-incident planning is an important aspect of the pre-emergency risk management

process. Often overlooked, determined as busy work, or deemed unimportant, pre-

incident planning is critical to the safety and health of fire service personnel. Regardless SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 35

of the size and type of community, each department needs to utilize a pre-incident

planning program (Kipp & Loflin, 1996, p. 180).

In an effort to determine what public education programs or community risk assessments had been done in the past, interviews were scheduled and conducted with the Village of Glendale

Heights Emergency Management Coordinator, Roy Charvat and GFPD Public Education

Coordinator Lt. Walter Siewierski. Roy Charvat has been the Emergency Management

Coordinator for the Village of Glendale Heights for the past six years. Before coming to

Glendale Heights, Mr. Charvat was the Deputy Director of Operations for the DuPage County

Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. In addition to these duties, Mr.

Charvat is a 27 year veteran of the neighboring Addison Fire Protection District where he currently holds the rank of Battalion Chief. In Glendale Heights, Mr. Charvat oversees an active

15 member Emergency Services and Disaster Agency (ESDA) unit, and a 57 member

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and works under the direction and control of the Glendale Heights Police Department. When asked if the Village of Glendale Heights has an extreme weather event risk reduction program, Mr. Charvat said not yet, but that one is being worked on. Mr. Charvat says that he has been busy planning and coordinating the training of his teams to respond to all hazard events to support police and fire operations during these severe weather events. He says that while slow going, he is working on a preparedness document for public distribution with cooperation from other Village of Glendale Heights departments like police and public works. Mr. Charvat went on to say that the plan calls for a document that incorporates an all hazard approach which could be distributed by the CERT unit at neighborhood festivals and through the water billing mailer. Mr. Charvat says that he would encourage a partnership on this program with the GFPD so that there can be a unified message SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 36 which could also help reduce costs to both units of government and believes the already established relationships between the agencies is a significant strength. When asked what other organizations should be used to make the program successful Mr. Charvat encouraged the use of the Red Cross who has trained with the CERT and ESDA units on setting up shelters, the

Adventist GlenOaks Hospital which makes significant monetary donations to the community’s police and fire programs and provides additional logistical support to them, and the DuPage

County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management which has many planning and preparedness resources and available (R. Charvat, personal communication, February 6, 2013).

Walter Siewierski is a Lieutenant with the GFPD with 26 years of active full time service.

For the past 13 years he has served as the GFPD Public Education Coordinator. Mr. Siewierski was asked if he has noticed any changes in the weather as it relates to his duties and responsibilities as a company officer at the GFPD. Mr. Siewierski says that not only have the calls for service increased during storms, but in his entire life, he has never seen the intensity and frequency of the storms that have been hitting the GFPD in the last three years. Regarding how the GFPD has approached the severe weather events and public education, Mr. Siewierski says that the GFPD could be doing a better job in educating the public about severe weather preparedness and that until the author brought back information regarding community risk assessments from the National Fire Academy, he had never heard of the term and to the best of his knowledge, no one had ever done a risk assessment at the GFPD. When asked if there was a need for a severe weather community risk reduction program in the GFPD Mr. Siewierski stated that “without question there is a need for this program” and suggested that information could be passed out during existing public education programs at the schools each month. In addition, he suggested that the local cable access channel could be utilized in an effort to reach out to the SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 37

community and that this information could also be presented at a monthly senior citizen program

at the Glendale Heights Senior Center (W. Siewierski, personal communication, February 7,

2013).

Based upon these two interviews, there appears to be a relationship between the experiences of the GFPD and the comment by McKay (2012) that says “Americans have a false sense of security when it comes to disasters, and should they become victims, most haven’t taken steps to help themselves during the first few days after one strikes. Experts say either the

preparedness message isn’t getting across, or the wrong message is being sent” (McKay, 2012, p.

34).

As the people responsible for the development and delivery of the public education

programs at their respective departments, neither Mr. Siewierski nor Mr. Charvat have ever

received the formal training needed to understand the actual risks affecting the community. The

community risk assessment pre-course assignment for this EFO course is the first time the

process has ever been conducted in the Village of Glendale Heights or the Glenside Fire

Protection District and could certainly be noted as a factor contributing to the problem. Another

factor contributing to the problem is the weather patterns themselves and the associated increase

in storm frequency and severity as found in the literature review of historical weather data.

The factors contributing to the problem are also the situational forces that are likely to

assist in achieving the research purpose. Now that a community risk assessment has been

conducted, the community has learned that this is a problem and one that is likely to increase in

frequency and severity according to weather experts. There is agreement that a severe weather

community risk reduction program is needed by those persons responsible for public safety

education in the community, the GFPD and the Village of Glendale Heights. SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 38

There are several situational forces that could impede achieving the research purpose.

First, there is the matter of cost to deliver the program. The economic downturn has significantly

affected the Village of Glendale Heights. There are currently over 400 home foreclosures going

on in the community. In addition, there has been double digit decreases in the equalized assessed

valuations (EAV’s) over the last two years which is a process used to determine the taxes levied

on property. This translates into a decrease in the value of homes and businesses. Taxing bodies

then see a decrease in the taxes collected for services while costs for nearly everything and

everyone continue to rise. Secondly, the delivery of the program could be impeded by

community groups such as schools, churches, and other community groups like neighborhood

associations and civic groups that may not be agreeable to the program itself and could object to

the delivery of the program in their buildings. Relying merely on handing out materials at

community events may not get the message out to a large enough group that could otherwise be

educated. Finally, as found during the pre-course assignment, there are many different languages spoken in the Village of Glendale Heights. Getting the message across to the different cultural groups in the proper language and context could prove to be quite the challenge.

In some regards, the elimination of factors that cause or contribute to the problem will be impossible to overcome. No one can change the weather pattern, the warming of the earth’s atmosphere, or the other weather factors that are causing the intensity and frequency of severe weather events. However, now that these severe weather events have been identified as a significant issue in the community through the community risk assessment process, steps can be taken to better plan, educate, and prepare the residents to deal with the problem. Lastly, organizations that are responsible for public safety education should ensure that the people in SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 39 charge of those programs receive the proper training and education to study the risks in the community and then properly develop the programs based upon the results of the study.

The GFPD is well suited to capitalize on factors that can assist in solving the problem. As a partner with many other community groups through work on the GAP committee and other boards, relationships already exist that can be used to spread the word about the problem of severe weather events. With a full time Fire Marshal and Fire Prevention Bureau and established public education programs, funding already exists to deliver programs. By partnering with the volunteer ESDA and CERT personnel of the Village of Glendale Heights, some manpower costs could be reduced in delivery of the program. This partnership can also reduce production costs by splitting the cost of the program across multiple public entity budgets. Finally, the partnership allows all of the organizations to reach more members of the public by delivering the program to a wider audience than a single entity may have had otherwise.

The step by step action plan for objective #1 was to attend a special Village of Glendale

Heights Governmental Agency Partnership (GAP) committee meeting on September 12, 2012 called by Mayor Linda Jackson to determine the greatest needs and challenges facing the

Glendale Heights community and to determine the best way to address those needs and challenges. The setting was at the Glendale Lakes Golf Club conference rooms where approximately 70 leaders of the community from all walks of life were placed in ten person focus groups to give input, commentary, and offer solutions. The author brought up the emergency response issues of severe weather and the group agreed that the community leaders could do a better job educating the public about this specific community risk.

The step by step action plan for objective #2 was to meet with Glenside Fire Chief Russ

Wood and Glendale Heights Police Chief Mike Marron to get their permission to create a SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 40 program using joint resources. The meeting took place on October 10, 2012 after the GAP meeting which was again held at the Glendale Lakes Golf Club. During the meeting, the community risk reduction class and the EFO process were explained, as was the research proposal. Both chiefs agreed that there was a need for the program and pledged to commit resources to develop a joint program. In fact, the Glendale Heights Police Department had already begun to research a similar program through the emergency management coordinator position that reports to the police chief.

The step by step action plan for objective #3 has been previously explained in detail as part of the procedures section.

The step by step action plan for objective #4 occurred simultaneously with objective #3.

As the search of incident data, media reports, and National Weather Service data was taking place, information was pulled from these sources and posted onto a sheet that would be narrowed to the three specific severe weather events occurring in the GFPD. Once these events were identified, specific guides were created for the weather events. Artistic assistance was provided by GFPD Administrative Assistant Laura Haiden who has a commanding knowledge of computer programs that can help present a professional looking document. Her expertise is greatly appreciated and clearly shows a superior product than the author could have ever hoped to produce. The pamphlet then had to be reviewed, corrected, and approved by Glenside Chief

Russ Wood, Glendale Heights Police Chief Mike Marron, Village of Glendale Heights Village

Manager Raquel Becerra, and finally, Mayor Linda Jackson.

The step by step action plan for objective #5 is timed to coincide with the arrival of the spring and summer storm season to the Chicago area and the end of the school year. Doing so will allow for the delivery of the pamphlet in the mail and for each agency to include SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 41 announcements about the pamphlet in their respective newsletters and on message boards around the community.

Once the program is implemented, the author intends to monitor incident data to determine if there is a reduction in calls for emergency service during severe weather events, specifically, carbon monoxide incidents as a result of improper portable generator use, electrocution hazards caused by improper safety procedures around downed power lines, and people getting trapped in vehicles as a result of flood waters. If any of these situations are encountered, responding GFPD personnel will present the severe weather risk reduction program pamphlet and discuss the safety concerns with the resident in an effort to reduce these levels of risk.

Retired United States Navy Captain D. Michael Abrashoff offers one final leadership lesson that pertains to the community risk reduction process when he says “Leadership is not a paycheck. Leadership is a calling…you have to be accountable. The lesson is inescapable. Once SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 42 an issue becomes important to senior management, it becomes important down the chain of command” (Abrashoff, 2002, p. 208).

These things, along with interviews of local public safety educators and community leaders have positively influenced the author to pursue the severe weather community risk reduction program at the GFPD as a necessary addition to the public education programs delivered by the district.

This ARP has clearly shown that the frequency and intensity of severe weather events is only expected to continue. The organizational implications for the GFPD are only negative if nothing is done to create a severe weather community risk reduction program for the GFPD.

Recommendations

During the writing of this Applied Research Project (ARP), it became clear that the

Glenside Fire Protection District (GFPD) was seeing the kind of weather that Krishnamurthy

(Krishnamurthy, 2012), Lyall (Lyall, 2013), Sharp (Sharp, 2012), Thomas (Thomas, 2012), and

Wilmoth (Wilmoth, 2012) have written about. Based upon a comprehensive search of media reports, National Weather Service (NWS) data, and emergency response statistics found in the

NFIRS data of the GFPD, there is no doubt that there is an increase in the frequency and severity of the storms that are hitting the GFPD and surrounding community of Glendale Heights.

During the pre-course homework assignment and classroom portion of this EFO course on community risk reduction, the author was encouraged to closely examine his community and SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 43

the risks that are facing it. Regardless of the size and type of community, pre-incident planning is critical to the health and safety of the community (Kipp & Loflin, 1996).

Based upon severe weather events that have occurred in the GFPD and around the United

States, there are common knowledge, skills, and abilities that people should know during severe weather events. Neither the GFPD nor the Village of Glendale Heights had been providing public education to the community on the risks associated with severe weather events which include getting caught in rising flood waters, electrocution hazards of flooded basements, contact with downed power lines, and carbon monoxide dangers associated with improper portable generator use. In addition, members of the community need to have a plan on where to go if they need to evacuate, how to survive without power for weeks at a time, and what people who rely on oxygen generators to supplement breathing need to do when the power goes out. For these reasons it is recommended that the GFPD implement a public education campaign that focuses on these issues to better inform the residents of the GFPD on how to reduce the community risk from severe weather events.

The GFPD is encouraged to partner with other community groups already established and identified as members of the Governmental Agencies Partnership (GAP) committee in order to create a unified message and approach to getting the severe weather community risk reduction program message out. The GFPD is encouraged to produce a simple pamphlet style handout that can be used as a ready resource by members of the community if a severe weather event is forecasted or occurring. The pamphlet could be mass produced and costs shared by GAP committee agencies in order to reduce each members cost. The pamphlet should be made available through a mailer in a future Village of Glendale Heights water billing cycle and delivered to each residence through the United States Postal Service. The pamphlet could also be SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 44 handed out at public education events attended by CERT, ESDA, and GFPD personnel such as

National Night Out, the Village of Glendale Heights Fest, block parties, and other neighborhood festivals or gatherings. The pamphlet should be available on agency websites and should be the focus of a future public access program on the local cable television show.

By implementing this public education program the GFPD will be a positive role model in the fire service community by actively showing the support for Life Safety Initiative #3 (the integration of risk management with incident management at all levels including strategic, tactical, and planning responsibilities), and Life Safety Initiative #14 (public education must receive more resources and be championed as a critical life safety program) ("Life Safety

Initiatives," n.d.).

The creation and implementation of a severe weather risk reduction program will help reduce the risk to residents in the GFPD. The program as recommended will also solve the purpose statement of the ARP.

Members of the GFPD and future readers of this ARP are encouraged to think outside of the box when it comes to community risk reduction. Public education programs cannot be championed until you know what the problem is in YOUR OWN community. The five step community risk reduction model works. It is only by the careful study of extensive data and other information that you find the solution to the statement “The problem is… ”. Partnerships and collaboration with other community groups, associations, and leaders are absolutely essential to build consensus, strengthen and enrich any program, and build lasting relationships. The community risk reduction curriculum that is available at the National Fire Academy has certainly opened the eyes of the author and has changed the way in which he views his role as a prospective EFO. As budgets continue to be slashed during the current economic downfall, SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 45 communities will continue to struggle with providing the best possible public education programs to their residents. Readers would do well to know what the specific problems are in their own communities and funnel the little funding they have to those specific community risks. SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 46

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Appendix A

Glenside Fire Protection District

"We're There and We Care" The Glenside Fire Protection District recognizes that severe weather events have been increasing in intensity and frequency over the past few years. In cooperation with the Village of Glendale Heights, the Glendale Heights Police Department, Severe Weather Glendale Heights Emergency Services and Disaster Agency (ESDA) Community Risk and the Glendale Heights Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Reduction we have prepared this easy to use pamphlet to give you safety and Program preparedness information for the three most common severe weather In Cooperation With events that have stuck the Glendale Heights Community over the past few years. We hope this information will be useful and encourage you to plan and prepare now for a future severe weather event.

Glenside Fire Protection District 1608 Bloomingdale Road Glendale Heights, IL 60139

Phone: 630-668-5323 Fax: 630-668-5396 Web: www.glensidefire.org Email: [email protected]

Pamphlet Cover – Page 1 Inside Cover Left – Page 2 SEVERE WEATHER COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM FO 50

Appendix A

Inside Right – Page 3

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Appendix A

Pamphlet Cover – Page 1 Inside Cover – Page 2

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Appendix A

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Appendix A

Back Side – Page 8