West Bloomfield Fire Department Rapid Windshield Damage Assessments
Running head: WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 1
West Bloomfield Fire Department Rapid Windshield Damage Assessments
Gregory R. Flynn
West Bloomfield Fire Department, West Bloomfield, Michigan
WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 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 another.
Signed: ______
Date: 1/12/19 WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 3
Abstract
The problem was the West Bloomfield Fire Department does not conduct rapid damage assessments after natural or man-made disaster events. The purpose of this research was to identify recommendations for the West Bloomfield Fire Department to implement a windshield damage assessment procedure after a disaster. Descriptive methodology was used to guide the following research questions: (a) What type of disaster event is most likely to cause damage to
West Bloomfield Township? (b) Who is responsible for damage assessments within a community? (c) What methods are other fire departments in Oakland County using for damage assessments? (d) How do damage assessment teams report their findings? (e) How many annual damage assessment training hours are provided to assessors? A survey was sent to 40 fire chiefs in Oakland County, Michigan. An analysis was done of online damage assessment procedures from Oakland County, Michigan and the Michigan Department of State Police. The results revealed the West Bloomfield Fire Department should implement windshield damage assessments after a disaster. The recommendations were for the department to define procedures, provide training to staff, and define damage assessment routes prior to a disaster event. WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 4
Table of Contents
Certification Statement ...... 2
Abstract ...... 3
Table of Contents ...... 4
Inroduction ...... 5
Background and Significance ...... 6
Literature Review...... 8
Procedures ...... 14
Results ...... 16
Discussion ...... 18
Recommendations ...... 21
References ...... 24
Appendix A: Total Disaster Declarations by State ...... 27
Appendix B: Michigan Emergency Declarations ...... 28
Appendix C: Damage Assessment Worksheet ...... 29
Appendix D: Survey Electronic Mail ...... 30
Appendix E: Survey Instructions ...... 31
Appendix F: Reminder Electronic Mail ...... 32
Appendix G: Survey Results ...... 33
Appendix H: Best Practices of a Windshield Damage Assessment ...... 37
WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 5
West Bloomfield Fire Department Rapid Windshield Damage Assessments
The West Bloomfield Fire Department provides primary fire and emergency medical
service (EMS) to four communities covering an area of 36 square miles. The response area is
mainly residential with a population of approximately 72,679 according to 2010 census data
(United States Census Bureau, 2018). Six fire stations and minimum staffing of 22
firefighter/paramedics on duty responded to 8,287 calls for service in 2017 (West Bloomfield
Fire Department [WBFD], 2018). A vast majority of the calls for service were medical related.
Historically, the Greater West Bloomfield area has experienced very few disasters, natural or
man-made. The last significant disaster event to strike West Bloomfield was an EF4 tornado in
the spring of 1976.
Today, many resources are available to communities in the wake of a disaster. In order to
be eligible for such assistance, the impacted community must have a method to assess,
document, and submit damage assessment information in a timely manner to the appropriate
state and federal agencies. The problem was the West Bloomfield Fire Department does not
have a method to rapidly assess the damage caused by a natural or man-made disaster event. The
purpose of this research was to identify recommendations for the West Bloomfield Fire
Department to incorporate into a procedure to rapidly assess damage within the department’s
jurisdiction.
Descriptive methodology was used to guide the following research questions: (a) What type of disaster event is most likely to cause damage to West Bloomfield Township? (b) Who is
responsible for damage assessments within a community? (c) What methods are other fire
departments in Oakland County using for damage assessments? (d) How do damage assessment WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 6
teams report their findings? (e) How many annual damage assessment training hours are
provided to assessors?
Background and Significance
West Bloomfield Township has a very limited history of disasters. The last event on
record was an EF4 tornado in 1976. The tornado cut a path of destruction four miles long and
350 yards wide. The weather event claimed one life, caused many injuries and resulted in five million dollars of damage to the community (Civic Center TV, 2014). While the Greater West
Bloomfield Community has experienced some significant weather events, none have risen to the
level of the 1976 tornado (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Weather
Service, 2001). The fortunate absence of such events causing damage to the community may be
the main contributing factor as to why the department has not made damage assessment
procedures a priority.
Michigan’s history of disaster events depicts a clear need for Michigan first responders to
be prepared to perform damage assessments. Federal Emergency Management Agency (Federal
Emergency Management Administration [FEMA], 2018b) records related to Michigan disasters dating back to 1953 revealed a disaster history centered on severe wind and flooding weather events. Both weather disaster causing scenarios resulted in significant damage to infrastructure, housing, and utilities. A post-disaster damage assessment provides the best foundation for a community to secure funding for the recovery phase. The failure to conduct a damage assessment and the lack of documented findings could greatly reduce the likelihood of state and federal financial support (Michigan Department of State Police, 2013).
Local government bears the responsibility for conducting such an assessment. In most cases, similar to West Bloomfield Township, the first responders in the community are best WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 7
suited to conduct these initial damage assessments. Initial training of firefighters emphasizes:
(a) the skills of situational awareness, (b) following a chain of command, and (c) documentation
making them an ideal candidate for the initial damage assessment role. However, without the
proper role-specific training, firefighters will likely fail to meet: (a) the expectations of
unfamiliar documents, (b) unsynchronized deployments into the damaged area, and (c) unclear
language related to assessing damaged structures. Embracing the responsibility of the initial
damage assessment will have a positive impact on the organizations effectiveness.
The Executive Analysis of Fire Service Operations in Emergency Management
(EAFSOEM) course curriculum focused on the need for each fire chief to prepare their
community for the impact of a large-scale, multi-agency, all hazard incidents (National Fire
Academy, 2009). The EAFSOEM curriculum described how the windshield damage assessment
could be utilized by first responders. Without a plan for damage assessments, a community is vulnerable to a difficult and costly recovery phase. The content of the third year Executive Fire
Officer Program highlighted the how a community could implement a damage assessment procedure (p. 3-4).
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) strategic framework goal two, aims to
assure each community is ready to respond, has a plan, and stands prepared for all hazards
(United States Fire Administration [USFA], 2014, p. 9). The EAFSOEM course provided a
blueprint to help achieve the USFA goal. Integration of local, state and federal support agencies
could be critical for West Bloomfield Township to recover after a disaster event. While the
damage assessment is not the only component necessary for a successful recovery, it is a
component that could help to dictate a more beneficial outcome for the community.
WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 8
Literature Review
The literature review focused on post-disaster damage assessment, specifically rapid windshield damage assessments. Regardless of the cause of the disaster, a rapid damage assessment could provide the incident commander with a better understanding of how the disaster impacted the community. Understanding the extent of damage caused by the disaster agent will allow the incident commander to establish incident priorities, response guidelines, and recovery strategies (Donohue, 2016, p. 4). The rapid influx of large amounts of damage assessment information immediately following the disaster would necessitate pre-defined procedures and standardized methods of documentation (Newby, 2014, p. 2). First responders with a clear understanding of their role in damage assessments and the practice with methods to share findings with incident command, should create a firm foundation for post-disaster recovery.
While the damage assessment provides immediate assistance to first responders that are allocating resources to address needs within the community, it also begins to build the framework for state and federal community assistance for well into the recovery phase. Federal
Emergency Management Administration guidelines dictate that requests for an emergency or major disaster declaration take place within 30 days of the incident (Federal Emergency
Management Administration [FEMA], 2018a). With such a short timeline, FEMA recognized that each community will have their own concept of how to operationalize damage assessments.
In the FEMA Damage Assessment Operations Manual (Federal Emergency Management
Administration [FEMA], 2016), communities are directed to engage stakeholders throughout their town, city, or county. Large or small, damage assessments are the responsibility of the local community and serve as the catalyst to request additional state and federal resources. WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 9
According to the Michigan Department of State Police Office of Emergency Management and
Homeland Security Division, damage assessments play a vital role in the division’s decision to
recommend a state aid declaration to the Governor’s Office (Oakland County Homeland
Security, 2017a). Timely and detailed submittal of damage assessment information to state and
federal agencies is critical for disaster declarations.
From 1953 to 2018 the State of Michigan received 38 emergency declarations from the
Federal Government (Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA], 2018b). How
information is gathered in the damage assessment phase, leading to a disaster declaration, has
evolved over decades. In the FEMA independent study program 1160, Damage Assessment
Operations Training, six methods to conduct an initial damage assessment were outlined (FEMA,
2018a, Unit 3, slide 8). Each method has benefits and drawbacks associated with
implementation. The course stresses that the method chosen should represent a balance of speed
and quality for the community (FEMA, 2018a, Unit 3, slide 15). The assessments need to be
completed in a timely manner, but the assessments need to also accurately represent the damage
caused by the disaster.
The American Red Cross (ARC) has a long history of responding to disasters. The first
disaster response took place in 1881. Clara Barton and her team responded to the Thumb Fire in
Michigan. The fire took the lives of 282 people and destroyed 3,400 buildings (“1881 Michigan
fire,” 2015). In 1881 the focus was on delivering disaster relief. Today the ARC still provides
relief, but they also conduct damage assessments. The ARC breaks the damage assessment into
three phases. The first phase is focused on the impact of the disaster. The assessment defines
the area affected by the disaster and provides decision makers with an overall picture. The
second phase is street level and provides preliminary numbers of impacted dwellings. The WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 10
second phase is most similar to the windshield damage assessment. The third phase is much
more detailed and takes place after more safeguards are in place for assessors to view the
damage. The third phase provides definitive numbers of damaged structures and resembles the
door-to-door assessment defined by FEMA (American Red Cross [ARC], 2012, slide 13).
While damage assessments provide incident command field intelligence for deployment
of local resources, the information is also valuable to long-term recovery efforts. The federal
government provides three types of relief to communities devastated by a disaster. Figure 1
identifies the three types of relief.
Figure 1. Federal Assistance Available Under Major Disaster Declaration (FEMA, 2018a, Unit
1, slide 21)
Individuals and Households Program (IHP) (FEMA, 2018a) provides Federal funds to
offset costs associated with, but not limited to, temporary housing, home repairs, medical
expenses, child care, and may include funeral services. FEMA’s Public Assistance Program
(PAP) (FEMA, 2018a) focuses on providing funding to communities for: (a) debris removal, (b) WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 11
emergency protective measures, and (c) permanent infrastructure restoration (Unit 1, slide 23).
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Program provides funding to
state, tribal, local government, and some private non-profit organizations for reduction of long-
term risk to life and property loss from natural disasters (FEMA, 2018a). There are many more
steps beyond the initial damage assessment in order to meet the requirements for state and
federal recovery funding. The steps following the initial damage assessment are beyond the
scope of this research. However, the success of securing state and federal dollars would be
predicated on the initial damage assessment and accurate documentation of the assessment
findings for a more definitive assessment to build upon.
Identifying individuals that will be called upon to complete initial damage assessments
is a critical component to a successful deployment into a disaster area. The findings of the initial
assessment team would be validated by state assessment teams. State validation of the local
damage assessment is a requirement for the federal funding application. FEMA designed an
independent study curriculum focused on enabling participants to plan an effective damage
assessment program. The course, IS-559: Local Damage Assessment, prepares local officials to
conduct rapid and effective damage assessments. The curriculum is delivered online and allows each participant to work at their own pace (Federal Emergency Management Administration.
[FEMA], 2013). A series of prerequisite courses are recommended before taking the IS-559.
These courses relate to assuring an understanding of the National Response Framework and a
working knowledge of the incident command system (ICS). The damage assessment program is
estimated at two hours to complete, making it achievable to train large numbers of assessors. A
more advanced program IS-1160: Damage Assessment Operations Training, is focused on those
individuals that will play more of a team or incident leadership role. The IS-1160 curriculum is WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 12
designed as an independent study program estimated at eight hours to complete. The program
focuses on the steps after the initial damage assessment and identifies the actions needed to
secure recovery funding (FEMA, 2018a). Independent study-1160 builds off of the foundation set by IS-559. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the ARC training programs model each other very closely. With the ease of availability of online and on-ground programs at low or no cost, the FEMA programs are a good fit for municipal agencies. Certificates are issued with the successful completion of each FEMA course. Certificates provide an easy record keeping format for the damage assessment program coordinator. By understanding the training and time required, government officials can select appropriate employees or volunteers to conduct the damage assessments.
The FEMA IS-559 (2013) course identifies a list of individuals that may be a good fit for the initial damage assessor role. Candidates include but are not limited to: (a) property appraisers, (b) building inspectors, (c) code enforcement officials, (d) public works, (e) first responders, (f) private agencies, and (g) volunteers (Lesson 5, slide 3). Each individual should be provided the training prior to deployment into the field. While the FEMA independent training courses will create a framework for damage assessments, local policies and procedures fill in the actual operation within the local jurisdiction. Training and annual review of forms for documenting assessment findings and the process for submitting the information would be a critical step towards a successful initial assessment. Team members would need to have training on safety guidelines and personal protective equipment. Practicing with the equipment in training exercises would assure all assessors are ready to perform their duties when a disaster strikes. Exercises dispatching the assessors out into the community they may be called upon to assess would afford them an opportunity to have a better awareness of their local infrastructure. WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 13
Windshield damage assessments require a documentation tool for assessors to record their findings. The tool should be a simple design that is easy to follow, track, and share. The
Michigan Department of State Police (MSP) (2013) created a handbook for damage assessment.
The handbook is still in use and part of damage assessment training across the state. Included in the handbook is a template windshield damage assessment field worksheet. The basic information needed for the initial or windshield assessment are included. In alignment with
FEMA recommendations, the MSP damage assessment worksheet provides space to document the address or general location of the affected structure, type of structure, damage classification, and a space for a brief written narrative of the damage (Michigan Department of State Police,
2013, p. 40). The damage assessment documentation reflects the damage assessment curriculum covered in the FEMA IS-1160 Damage Assessment Operations Training (FEMA, 2018a, Module
4). Assessors in the field are provided a reference guide at the bottom of the worksheet to review the appropriate assignment of damage ratings (Appendix C).
In summary, the literature review provided direction for the West Bloomfield Fire
Department to begin to conduct rapid damage assessments after natural or man-made disaster events. The literature review defined the initial damage assessment and the critical role of the windshield damage assessment in the recovery phase. Providing training to damage assessment team members prior to the disaster was a best practice. The training requirements are very achievable, and the annual training should focus on remaining familiar with procedures and forms that assessors will record damage assessment findings. While the idea of a rapid damage assessment procedure may seem like an insurmountable task, the reality is that much of the process has already been outlined by federal, state, and county agencies. Local communities, WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 14
like West Bloomfield Township, have a wealth of resources to reference when building local
government damage assessment policies and procedures.
Procedures
The procedures included a survey (Appendix G) of local fire chiefs and an analysis
(Appendix H) of online damage assessment procedures from Oakland County, Michigan
(Oakland County Homeland Security, 2017a), and the Michigan Department of State Police
Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (Michigan Department of State
Police, 2013). The survey questions (Appendix G) were formulated from components identified in the literature review and the EAFSOEM curriculum (National Fire Academy, 2009). Policy and procedures were reviewed to identify best practices (Appendix H). The best practices were used to create the survey questions related to damage assessment team membership, training requirements, and operational procedures including documentation. Additional research was specifically related to analyzing historical Michigan disaster declarations (Appendix B). A survey was shared with 40 local fire chiefs (Appendix G) in Oakland County Michigan on
November 2, 2018. The survey (Appendix G) was limited to the two mutual aid groups with which the West Bloomfield Fire Department is most likely to work with in a disaster response.
The survey was available for 14 days and 24 chiefs responded (60%). The invitation email
(Appendix D) and instructions (Appendix E) at the start of the survey explained the intent of the survey. All responses were anonymous. The survey consisted of 15 questions related to each respondent’s role in the initial damage assessment in the wake of a disaster. One reminder email
(Appendix F) was sent out on November 11, 2018, to encourage more respondents. The first survey question was a control question to assure all respondents were indeed the chief of the fire department. The second question related to each respondent’s staffing model. The researcher WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 15
wanted to ask a question that would assure the sampling of fire departments were staffed
differently. The next 12 questions directly questioned specific parts of each respondent’s
damage assessment policies and procedures. The final questions asked each respondent to share
their overall assessment of their agency’s damage assessment procedure.
Historical disaster declaration claims for the State of Michigan were accessed from the
FEMA website for analysis (FEMA, 2018b). FEMA records dated back to a tornado in 1953 and
reflected the state’s most recent declaration in August of 2018. The information was loaded into
an Excel spreadsheet for analysis (Appendix B). Each declaration was grouped into one of eight
categories (Appendix B). The groupings were then evaluated for proximity to West Bloomfield
and used to establish the risk factors of a disaster declaration for the West Bloomfield area. As a
result of the heavy prevalence of weather-related disaster declarations, specific research was conducted to understand significant weather events that have specifically impacted Southeastern
Michigan. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: National Weather Service,
Online Severe Weather Climatology database (2006) search provided details about historical
weather events. Validating specific locations of weather events via The National Weather
Service then led the research to local newspaper articles and news broadcast achieves for damage
assessment accounts from residents.
The research may have been limited by the sample size of the respondents to the survey.
Only 60% of the fire chiefs responded to the survey. Not only would the number of respondents
influence the results, the profile of assuming the fire chief would be the most appropriate point of
contact may have limited the accuracy of the results as well. Some of the communities may have
had an emergency manager position. Having the emergency manager answer the questions
would have impacted the findings. Data collection on weather events from credible sources were WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 16
dated. While weather events were documented it was difficult to discern the impact on each
community and their resiliency to respond to the event. Finally, the researcher could have
provided more time for respondents and additional follow-up emails to encourage more
participation.
Results
Five research questions guided the data collection. The first research question asked: (a)
What type of disaster event is most likely to cause damage to West Bloomfield Township. A
review of the survey responses revealed 100% of those surveyed view the greatest threat to their
community was weather (Appendix G). All of those surveyed were within the same county and tend to experience similar weather events. While localized flooding remains a threat to small sections of West Bloomfield Township, widespread flooding poses less of a threat due to West
Bloomfield’s topography. A gradual north to the south slope of the township allows for water to continue to move and not collect heavily within developed areas. Additionally, the many lakes and wetlands in the community provide for the appropriate collection of excess rainwater.
Tornados, however, pose a significant threat to the township historically and thereby are most likely to cause significant damage to West Bloomfield Township.
The second research questions asked: (b) Who is responsible for damage assessments within a community? Responsibility for the damage assessment was split within the communities that responded to the survey question. According to the survey (Appendix G) results, 11 departments (45.8%) were responsible for damage assessments and two (8.3%) were not sure who was responsible. When asked about the staff that conduct the damage assessments
22 departments (91.7%) identified municipal employees such as building inspectors as playing a role in conducting damage assessments. Analysis (Appendix H) of the county and state damage WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 17 assessment documents clearly placed the responsibility of the initial damage assessment on the local jurisdiction. The documents stopped short of specifically assigning the role of damage assessor.
The third research question asked: (c) What methods are other fire departments in
Oakland County using for damage assessments? In Oakland County, Michigan, nearly half
(45.8%) of those surveyed are using windshield damage assessments after a disaster event.
Door-to-door damage assessments are conducted by four departments (16.7%). Self-reporting was the preferred method for three departments (12.5%). One quarter (25%) of the responding chiefs were unsure of the damage assessment their community would institute after a disaster event.
The fourth research question asked: (d) How do damage assessment teams report their findings? A majority of fire chiefs (39.1%) in the survey utilize written forms to record damage assessment findings. The next most frequently used method was radio or mobile phone reporting
(26.1%). Only four respondents (17.4%) used digital forms on a mobile device like a tablet or laptop. Face-to-face reporting was used by two (8.7%) departments. One chief did not respond to the question and two other chiefs selected not applicable as a response. County and state damage assessment documents analysis (Appendix H) encouraged a written form. The single form template (Appendix C) was encouraged at the county and state level to enhance continuity across the region.
The fifth research question asked: (e) How many annual damage assessment training hours are provided to assessors? When questioned specifically on how many training hours related to damage assessment annually, 66% of fire chiefs reported zero. Twenty-five percent trained for one to two hours annually, while two (8.3%) departments reported training over three WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 18 hours annually on damage assessments. According to survey results, no fire chief had all of their staff trained. The majority of chiefs, 22, reported 0-25% of their staff trained (Appendix G).
Two chiefs (Appendix G) reported they had 51-75% of their department trained to perform damage assessments. A Training recommendation from the damage assessment analysis
(Appendix H) recommended annual review of policy and procedures. Specific training requirements were not outlined.
Discussion
The data (Appendix G) indicated West Bloomfield Township needed to have a rapid damage assessment procedure in place prior to a disaster event impacting the community. The initial damage assessment is critical to identifying the size and scope of the disaster, gathering intelligence on utilities and infrastructure, and initiating relief efforts (American Red Cross,
2012). The West Bloomfield Fire Department, like many of the fire departments surveyed
(Appendix G), is responsible for community damage assessments after a disaster. County government will provide support (Appendix H) to local governments like West Bloomfield
(Oakland County Homeland Security, 2017a), but will not perform the initial damage assessments.
The survey (Appendix G) results revealed that all the respondents agreed the most serious disaster threat is related to natural sources. Likewise, 89% of Michigan’s emergency declarations (Appendix B) have been natural source related. On a local level, West Bloomfield
Township is historically most vulnerable to a repeat of the 1976 tornado (Civic Center TV, 2014;
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Weather Service, 2001). There have been no other significant disasters in West Bloomfield Township on record since that date.
A risk assessment conducted by Oakland County Homeland Security (Oakland County WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 19
Homeland Security, 2017b, p. 162) outlined the tornado risk by highlighting 31 other tornados
that have impacted the county. The damage caused by a tornado would require a windshield
damage assessment.
Assembling damage assessment teams differed across Oakland County (Appendix G).
Most teams were comprised of municipal employees not affiliated with public safety. The
training provided by FEMA supported having a diverse damage assessment candidate pool
(FEMA, 2018a). Often the initial damage assessments will be conducted by the fire department
(Newby, 2014). The staffing impact on the West Bloomfield Fire Department’s operation will
be significant when conducting the initial damage assessments that are time sensitive and time
demanding. Of the damage assessment options (FEMA, 2018a) the windshield damage
assessment method is presented as the most appropriate to gain (a) valuable information, (b) in a
timely fashion, and (c) with minimal staff.
Documenting the findings of the damage assessment will aid in the disaster declaration
process (Michigan Department of State Police, 2013, p. 7). Assuring a timely reporting
(Appendix H) of location, damage classification, and a brief description of the damage will
provide a clearer picture of where the next tier of damage assessors should focus their efforts
(Oakland County Homeland Security, 2017a, p. 19). The data (Appendix G) revealed multiple
methods to record and save damage assessment findings. The literature recommended a written
document for field damage assessment teams (Oakland County Building Officials Association
[OCBOA], 2012; FEMA, 2018a). The survey (Appendix G) results reflected the literature
recommendation as the primary method for documenting findings. Paper forms will have a
minimal impact on an organization. WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 20
Initial damage assessment teams should have predetermined damage assessment routes
(Newby, 2014, p. 1). Predetermined routes, while not evident in local fire department damage assessment plans (Appendix G), will minimize organizational impact to staffing and time allocation. Predetermined routes will reduce planning time and reduce the chances of redundant assessments. Priority routes should be given to infrastructure that has a significant impact on the community such as (a) shelters, (b) hospitals, and (b) public utilities (Newby, 2014, p. 5).
The damage assessment training curriculum provided by FEMA is more than adequate for most public safety personnel. The flexibility of the online format provides accessibility to fire department regardless of staffing models (FEMA, 2013; FEMA, 2018a). Even with this flexibility, most of the surveyed (Appendix G) departments provided zero annual training hours dedicated to damage assessments. The lack of allotted annual training must be directly connected to the low frequency of disasters in Oakland County.
A practical place to begin damage assessment training is by enrolling in FEMA’s
(FEMA, 2013) independent study class 559: Local Damage Assessment. The course explains basic concepts related to damage assessment. Participants learn about damage assessment planning, how training and exercises are used to enhance the damage assessment program, and basic operations of local damage assessment. The next level of training is also provided by
FEMA (FEMA, 2018a) online. Independent study 1160: Damage Assessment Operations
Training curriculum is designed for damage assessment team members. The program will take participants approximately eight hours to complete. The class focuses on the process of assessing the damage, documenting the damage, and the process for a disaster declaration.
Damage classification was a component of the damage assessment and this class teaches WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 21
participants how to classify the damage. Both of these classes will have minor organizational
implications as they provide a great deal of deployment flexibility.
The survey results (Appendix G) revealed that most of the fire departments, including
West Bloomfield Township, lack a well-functioning initial damage assessment procedure. With
ample opportunity to participate in FEMA, state, and local disaster training opportunities; fire
departments are not actively engaged in disaster preparedness. The low incidence of disaster-
related incidents is more than likely the greatest contributor to this mindset for agencies. The
West Bloomfield Fire Department would fit appropriately into this category as well. An entire
generation of firefighters has retired and taken the disaster experience with them since the 1976
tornado. The West Bloomfield Fire Department operation stands ready to respond to natural
disaster emergencies but is clearly poorly prepared to address the post-disaster damage
assessment needed for relief efforts.
Recommendations
The research did provided guidance for the West Bloomfield Fire Department to
implement a post-disaster damage assessment procedure, or windshield damage assessment. The first recommendation was for the department define the procedure and write supportive guidelines for operations staff to follow. The procedure should follow the plan outlined in the
Oakland County Emergency Operations Plan (Oakland County Homeland Security, 2017a). The procedure should be shared with fire department staff and other township officials that will play a role in the post-disaster damage assessments.
The second recommendation was training for all fire department staff. The FEMA IS-
559 (FEMA, 2013) and IS-1160 (FEMA, 2018a) should be required training for firefighters.
These programs will build on the incident command system (ICS) training already required by WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 22
the department. Firefighters will be able to complete the training at their own pace and
assessments at the end of the courses will assure content comprehension. Additional training
should be required on department specific procedures related to forms, technology, and
operational safety in the disaster area. These initial training requirements should be incorporated
into the new employee onboarding process as well. Recognizing that firefighters may be engaged
in emergency operations, it will be important to involve other township employees in the damage
assessment role. Specialized training will need to be created to educate these individuals on
operating in a hazard zone. Incident command system training should be a requirement along
with the damage assessment classes. Integrated field exercises will benefit all damage assessors
by encouraging them to work together in combined field assessment teams. Real-life training
opportunities should build confidence and assess the reliability of the outlined procedures.
The third recommendation was for the department to predesignate damage assessment routes for each fire station. The routes should cover all roads within a district. Priority assessments should be given to high occupancy structures in each district. Priority status should also be given to schools, hospitals, and public utilities when appropriate. These routes should be evaluated every few years to accommodate significant changes within the community.
The fourth recommendation was for the department to schedule annual simulations for assessors. Damage assessors will need to exercise the windshield damage assessment plan.
Tabletop and field simulations should provide the local emergency management team a good indication of the operational readiness of the post-disaster damage assessment plan. The exercises should also build confidence in the assessors’ abilities prior to the skills being needed in a real disaster. While firefighters already have many components of the skills needed to complete an initial damage assessment, a comprehensive simulation focused on the damage WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 23 assessment process would tie all the skills together and prepare assessors to conduct a successful windshield damage assessment.
The fifth recommendation was for the West Bloomfield Fire Department to work with its mutual aid partners to assure policies and procedures are in place that will allow for a smooth combination of damage assessment teams in the aftermath of a disaster. Once operational integration is outlined in policy, field exercises should be conducted. Mutual aid exercises should be an annual event and the location should vary. The coordination of these services will aid the most impacted department as multiple operational periods are encountered.
The research provided an original evaluation of the overall status of damage assessment preparedness for the fire departments in Oakland County, Michigan. The recommendations should position the West Bloomfield Fire Department well for addressing the damage assessment needs of the community following a disaster. Future readers should seek a means to combine fire departments’ efforts to conduct initial damage assessments after a disaster. With training provided throughout the organization, internal candidates will maintain the institutional knowledge of windshield damage assessments. While not a common occurrence, another tornado poses the greatest natural disaster threat to the township. With 42 years between today and the last tornado to strike West Bloomfield; the West Bloomfield Fire Department should follow the recommendations and be prepared to address the damage assessment needs that follow any disaster.
WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 24
References
1881 Michigan fire forever changed the thumb. (2015, September 11). Thumb Wind. Retrieved
from https://thumbwind.com/2015/09/11/1881-michigan-fire/
American Red Cross. (2012). American Red Cross: Damage assessment [PowerPoint slides].
Retrieved from
www.resiliencenw.org/2012files/LongTermRecovery/DisasterAssessmentWorkshop.pdf
Civic Center TV. (2014, February 7). The tornado of 1976, West Bloomfield Township, Michigan
[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJtnbqxBhhw
Donohue, D. (2016, 08/01/2016). The windshield survey: Initial damage assessment following a
disaster. FIRE RESCUE, 11(8). Retrieved from
https://www.firerescuemagazine.com/articles/print/volume-11/issue-8/firefighting-
operations/the-windshield-survey.html
Federal Emergency Management Administration. (2013). IS-559: Local damage assessment
[PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from
https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=is-559
Federal Emergency Management Administration. (2016). Damage assessment operations
manual: A guide to assessing damage and impact. Retrieved from
https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/109040
Federal Emergency Management Administration (2018a). IS-1160: Damage assessment
operations training [Lecture notes]. Retrieved from
https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-1160 WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 25
Federal Emergency Management Administration (2018b). Disasters - Michigan. Retrieved from
https://www.fema.gov/disasters/grid/state/35?field_dv2_state_territory_tribal_value_s
elective=MI&field_dv2_incident_type_tid=All&field_dv2_declaration_type_value=All&fi
eld_dv2_incident_begin_value%5Bvalue%5D%5Bmonth%5D=&field_dv2_incident_begi
n_value%5Bvalue%5D%5Byear%5D=&field_dv2_incident_end_value%5Bvalue%5D%5B
month%5D=&field_dv2_incident_end_value%5Bvalue%5D%5Byear%5D=
Michigan Department of State Police. (2013). Michigan damage assessment handbook [Damage
assessment handbook]. Retrieved from
www.michigan.gov/documents/msp/Michigan_Damage_Assessment_Handbook_Dece
mber_2009_306809_7.pdf
National Fire Academy. (2009). Executive analysis of fire service operations in emergency
management. In Student manual. Emmitsburg, MD
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Weather Service. (2001). March
20th marks 25th anniversary of West Bloomfield F4 tornado. Retrieved from
https://www.weather.gov/dtx/wbtor
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Weather Service. (2006). Online
severe weather climatology: Detroit, MI. Retrieved from
https://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/online/rda/DTX.html
Newby, S. (2014, 04/25/2014). Rapid damage assessment for large-scale emergencies. Fire
Engineering, 167(4). Retrieved from
https://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-167/issue-4/features/rapid-
damage-assessment-for-large-scale-emergencies.html WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 26
Oakland County Building Officials Association. (2012). Emergency response and damage
assessment manual [Damage assessment manual]. Retrieved from
www.semboia.org/files/62683164.pdf
Oakland County Homeland Security. (2017a). Oakland County emergency operations plan
[Emergency operation plan].:
Oakland County Homeland Security. (2017b). Oakland County hazard mitigation plan [Hazard
mitigation plan]. Pontiac, MI: Author.
United States Fire Administration. (2014). Strategic plan fiscal years 2014–2018. Retrieved from
https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/strategic_plan_2014-2018.pdf
United States Census Bureau. (2018). Population estimate. Retrieved from
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/westbloomfieldchartertownshipoaklandc
ountymichigan/PST120217
West Bloomfield Fire Department. (2018). 2017 Year-end report. West Bloomfield, MI: Author. WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 27
Appendix A
Total Disaster Declarations by State
Rank State/Tribe Total Disaster Declarations 37 New Jersey 51 1 Texas 351 38 Massachusetts 50 2 California 301 39 Wisconsin 50 3 Oklahoma 189 40 Indiana 49 4 Washington 161 41 Idaho 47 5 Florida 147 42 Vermont 46 6 Oregon 111 43 Utah 39 7 New York 97 44 Michigan 38 8 Colorado 91 45 Puerto Rico 36 9 Arizona 86 46 Wyoming 35 10 New Mexico 86 47 Maryland 34 11 Nevada 86 48 Connecticut 32 12 Alabama 85 49 South Carolina 32 13 Montana 81 50 Federated States 26 14 Louisiana 79 51 Virgin Islands 25 15 Kentucky 76 52 Rhode Island 22 16 Mississippi 72 53 Delaware 21 17 South Dakota 72 54 District of Colum 20 18 Kansas 71 55 Northern Marian 19 19 Arkansas 70 56 Guam 16 20 West Virginia 70 57 American Samoa 14 21 Missouri 69 58 Republic of the M 7 22 Tennessee 69 59 Seminole Tribe o 2 23 Minnesota 68 60 Santa Clara Pueb 2 24 Georgia 67 61 Havasupai Tribe 1 25 Virginia 66 62 Hoopa Valley Tri 1 26 Iowa 65 63 Karuk Tribe 1 27 Nebraska 64 64 Resighini Ranche 1 28 Alaska 63 65 Soboba Band of L 1 29 North Carolina 62 66 Commonwealth 1 30 Illinois 60 67 Eastern Band of C 1 31 Maine 59 68 Standing Rock Sio 1
32 Pennsylvania 59 69 Pueblo of Acoma 1 33 North Dakota 57 70 Palau 1
34 Ohio 55 71 Oglala Sioux Trib 1 35 Hawaii 53 72 Confederated Tr 1
36 New Hampshire 52
(FEMA, 2018b) WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 28
Appendix B
Michigan Emergency Declarations Emergency Declaration declared on Incident 6/2/1953 Michigan TORNADO (DR-4) 6/9/1953 Michigan TORNADO (DR-6) 4/5/1956 Michigan TORNADO (DR-53) 4/14/1965 Michigan TORNADOES, SEVERE STORMS (DR-190) 4/5/1972 Michigan Severe Storm, Freezing (DR-330) 12/1/1972 Michigan SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING (DR-363) 4/12/1973 Michigan SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING (DR-371) 4/12/1974 Michigan TORNADOES (DR-429) 4/26/1975 Michigan Severe Storms, High Winds, Flooding (DR-465) 9/30/1975 Michigan Severe Storms, High Winds, Flooding (DR-486) 3/19/1976 Michigan Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Icing, Flooding (DR-495) 2/5/1977 Michigan Snowstorms (EM-3030) 3/2/1977 Michigan Drought (EM-3035) 1/27/1978 Michigan Blizzards and Snowstorms (EM-3057) 5/16/1980 Michigan SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES (DR-621) 9/8/1980 Michigan SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING (DR-631) 3/29/1982 Michigan FLOODING (DR-654) 9/18/1985 Michigan SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING (DR-744) 9/18/1986 Michigan SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING (DR-774) 5/10/1994 Michigan Severe Freeze (DR-1028) 7/23/1996 Michigan Flooding (DR-1128) 7/11/1997 Michigan Severe Storms/Tornadoes (DR-1181) 6/24/1998 Michigan Severe Storms And Straight-Line Winds (DR-1226) 8/5/1998 Michigan Severe Storm (DR-1237) 1/27/1999 Michigan Winter Storm (EM-3137) 5/6/1999 Michigan Tower Lake Complex Fire (FSA-2261) 10/17/2000 Michigan Severe Storms And Flooding (DR-1346) 1/10/2001 Michigan Severe Winter Storm (EM-3160) 5/6/2002 Michigan Flooding (DR-1413) 9/23/2003 Michigan Power Outage (EM-3189) 6/30/2004 Michigan Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding (DR-1527) 9/7/2005 Michigan Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (EM-3225) 7/14/2008 Michigan Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (DR-1777) 6/18/2013 Michigan Flooding (DR-4121) 9/25/2014 Michigan Severe Storms and Flooding (DR-4195) 1/16/2016 Michigan Contaminated Water (EM-3375) 8/2/2017 Michigan Severe Storms And Flooding (DR-4326) 8/2/2018 Michigan Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (DR-4381) 38 Incidents
# Disaster Type 10 Torando 6 Winter weather (FEMA, 2018b) 15 Flooding 3 Other weather 1 Wild fire 1 Power outage 1 Contaminated water 1 Hurricane Karina Evacuation 38 WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 29
Appendix C
Damage Assessment Worksheet
(Michigan Department of State Police, 2013, p. 40) WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 30
Appendix D
Survey Electronic Mail
WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 31
Appendix E
Survey Instructions
WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 32
Appendix F
Reminder Electronic Mail
WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 33
Appendix G
Survey Results
WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 34
WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 35
WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 36
WEST BLOOMFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RAPID WINDSHIELD 37
Appendix H
Best Practices of a Windshield Damage Assessment
• Local emergency manager oversight
• Initial training of assessors
• Predefined assessment routes
• Multiple documentation methods
• Timely reporting of findings
• Diverse team member backgrounds
• Annual training and policy reviews
• Table-top exercises and simulations
• Clear team oversight and direction
(Oakland County Homeland Security, 2017a)
(Michigan Department of State Police, 2013)