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Emergency Planning for Large Scale Events
Joseph Gilliard Manager, Gas Emergency Planning June 25, 2013
Gas Distribution - US
In the US, we own and operate gas networks in upstate New York, New York City, Long Island, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island
Deliver natural gas to 3.5 million consumers
Emergency Planning and Management
Monitor
Learn
Collaborate Mobilize
Act
Train
Be Prepared Be Aware Be Ready
Conduct Training & Exercises
Annually provide training to personnel with emergency response and restoration duties.
Perform annual hurricane/tropical storm/flood readiness exercises.
Perform annual large scale gas emergency restoration exercises, including participation with external agencies.
Small scale tabletop exercises with specific groups of employees to refresh knowledge and/or focus on particular issues that may or have affected operations.
Hurricane/Flood Preparatory Actions Annual Review and Revision of the Hurricane/Flood Plan. During April of each year, perform a hurricane readiness
assessment of operational areas. For incoming storms, Preparatory Sessions held 72, 48, and
12 - 24 hours prior to landfall.
Implement proactive public awareness communications.
Move vehicles, equipment and supplies that may be affected by flooding to alternate locations.
Implement flood zone patrols.
Initiate the Gas Emergency Response Plan, finalize the emergency organization roster and communicate activation of EOC(s).
Experience and Knowledge
• Lesson’s learned are generally driven by the effects experienced.
• Past storms challenged our established planning measures, but not in the way that Super Storm Sandy did.
Our plans were developed based on our Past Experience and Knowledge Gained from affects on
other regions and utilities.
Experience and Knowledge
Super Storm Sandy – convergence of multiple weather systems followed days later by a nor’easter with 40 – 50
mph winds and 8 inches of snow.
Experience and Knowledge 2006 North Fork Gas Outage 2012 Super Storm Sandy
Customer Outages: 1,870 Customer Outages: 23,000 Single Commodity Event Multiple Commodity Event Contractor Damage of Gas Main requiring:
• Customer cut off
• Repair
• Re-gas
• Customer re-light
Extensive flooding of gas mains and services, undermining / damage to LP system, replaced 28 miles of gas main, still replacing meters and regulators (30K and 60K), coordination of re-gas with energization of electric, contractor support with dewatering, meals, safety, lodging, extensive communications, affect on multiple regions, etc.
Mutual Aid: Never before requested Over 320 crews from 24 Utilities
Learning Experience Although we experienced an event that caused extensive damage and distress to both the Communities we serve
and employee’s, it provided an opportunity to re-evaluate our established planning and preparedness processes.
• Not possible for single commodity events
• Limited possibility to evaluate and consider all potential conditions can be experienced.
Learning Experience As a result, we were able to implement actions that will provide for better planning of future large-scale
emergency events.
The following are some of the key actions taken.
ICS Organization Enhancement
Established a Planning Section Chief Position. • The role and responsibilities of a Planning Section Chief
previously fell within the Operations organization.
ICS Organization Enhancement
The Planning Section Chief has overall responsibility to ensure availability of qualified Company, contractor, and mutual aid support resources.
Separating the responsibility of Operations and Resource Planning ensures: • Focus is placed on ensuring availability of qualified
Company and contractor support.
• Allows Operations focus fully on restoration activities.
• Greater emphasis is placed on data gathering and documentation development.
• Adds the position of Mutual Aid Coordinator.
ICS Organization Enhancement
Previously implemented a Logistics Organization that was primarily staffed with Gas Organization personnel who would coordinate implementation of logistical needs along with support from: • Purchasing
• Fleet Management
• Facilities Management
• Materials Management
ICS Organization Enhancement Now: Full support of the Logistics function with
appropriate pre-defined organizational personnel to meet the required needs to obtain lodging, delivery of meals, vehicle maintenance, repair, fueling, info technologies, materials, etc.
Communications
Communications to Media and Community Focus placed on core elements, such as:
• Accurate messaging delivered early,
• Protecting Company reputation, • Demonstrating proficiency in handling
emergency situations,
• Creating trust among customers, community, internal and external stakeholders when emergencies occur,
• Use of multiple delivery and feedback options (text, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc.).
Communications Establish a communications infrastructure that allows:
• Seamless management of comm’s for any gas emergency
• Collaboratively work within Incident Command Structure.
Gas Emergency Crisis Playbook
Performance of Specific Crisis Response Actions within a newly developed “Playbook.” • Define specific actions required for implementation
over the course of the first 36 hours (and greater if needed). Take steps to engage Media and Stakeholders via
social media and Company website.
Communicate with Employee’s via all existing channels to inform of situation (i.e., Intranet, blast email, etc.).
Gas Emergency Crisis Playbook
Communicate facts about gas incident with Media and specific steps the company is taking to resolve the situation.
Establishment of On-scene presence.
Prepare colleagues with information and instructions to address questions by external stakeholders.
• Utilize pre-established Worksheets, Checklists, and boilerplate Media Statements for specific types of emergency events.
Data Gathering and Reporting
Increased Administrative Support • Improved distribution of administrative support to
appropriate organizational areas.
Efficiently obtain and input data.
Coordinated report development
Data Gathering and Reporting
Implementation of a tablet or smart phone based application. • Application development by in-house IT,
• Significantly increases the ability to gather accurate customer outage information and input into the system,
• Efficiently transfers customer outage information into a database,
• Provides greater accuracy of status reporting,
• Better support of Customers with more accurate ETR’s.
ERP Standardization Gas and Electric Emergency Response Plans Differ
in structure and delivery of information. • Contracted with Consulting Organization to establish
desired ERP structure.
• Review Best in Class ERP’s,
• Collaborate via workshops with Company Leadership and personnel in key Emergency Organization roles to gain buy-in.
• Evaluate gaps and best practices.
• Develop and approve new ERP’s and establish a training process.
Flood Plans Enhanced Customer Communication guidance on
what to expect and how to contact National Grid for any gas service issue.
Bolster coordination for relocation of Company personnel, vehicles and equipment from flood zones.
Flood Plans
Developed Guidance for Confirmed Flood Areas Not Isolated • Performance of Field Safety Assessments
• Performance of Leak Surveys
Assess for service equipment, inside piping and appliance damage
• Evaluation for water infiltration/damage of service regulators and meters including vents
• Notification for need to conduct a safety inspection of Customer owned equipment.
Command Post Establishment
Evaluate Need for Establishing Command Posts
Include Material, Equipment, Personnel Staging Areas
Command Posts Establishment of 7 Command Posts provided:
Efficiencies with command of restoration efforts in the hardest hit areas • Pre-event consideration for use
and potential locations. • Provides localized command
and control options.
Co-staffed with Community Reps to Support Customers • Provides customers with
localized point of contact for ETR’s, coordination of restoration, etc.
• Rallying points for Customer Outreach programs.
Staging Areas
Plan for Use of Staging Areas and Establish them Early Pre-determine materials and equipment to be staged. Very Useful as Areas to Feed Crews Away from the Locally
affected areas.
Final Thoughts
Some areas we haven’t spoken about require further effort and time to implement.
Opportunities such as today’s event further our ability to learn and collaborate.
This combination of past emergency planning practices and lesson’s learned from Sandy place us in a strong position going forward.
Monitor
Learn
Collaborate Mobilize
Act
Train
Be Prepared Be Aware Be Ready