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Homeland Security S&T Summit (South Central) Arkansas-Louisiana-New Mexico-Oklahoma-Texas

Topic: “The Role of S&T in Natural Disasters”

Title: How Tech Tools Helped Hurricane Ike Response:

A State Perspective

Speaker: David S. Martin

Project Coordinator

Texas Task Force 1

Date: February 9, 2010

1Saturday, February 27, 2010

How Tech Tools Helped Hurricane Ike Response:

Texas Task Force 1TEEX – Urban Search & Rescue

Texas A&M University System

2Saturday, February 27, 2010

Texas Task Force 1

• 70 member Type 1 US&R Task Force Completely Self-Sufficient

• Member of FEMA US&R System• State of Texas Search & Rescue Asset• Home of Disaster City Training Facility• TEEX US&R trains technical rescue

teams from around the world.• Beta testing of emerging technologies

33Saturday, February 27, 2010

Ike

• Peak Intensity:

– 145mph (Cat 4)

• Landfall:

– 0600, Significant Storm Surge

– 1800, September 12th (Tropical Storm Force Winds)

– 0100, September 13th (Eye Makes Landfall)

– 110mph (Cat 2)

– 225 mile radius / 450 miles across

44Saturday, February 27, 2010

Chasing Ike

Map: Bob’s Chasing Ike Graphic

NHC AdvisoriesSept. 9 - 12

Sheltering CommunityStaging Area

Evacuating Area

Wednesday, Sept. 10, 4 AM

Tuesday, Sept. 9, 4 AM

Thursday, Sept. 11, 4 AM

Thur

sday

, Sep

t. 11

, 4 P

M

Frida

y, Se

pt. 1

2, 4

AM

1

2

3 4 5

SAR Staging and movement

5Saturday, February 27, 2010

6Saturday, February 27, 2010

Bolivar Peninsula

Storm Surge 17hrs. Before Landfall

7Saturday, February 27, 2010

Bolivar Peninsula: Crystal Beach Before & After

8Saturday, February 27, 2010

Dallam LipscombShermanHansfordOchiltree

Moore Hemphill

Potter Gray

Parmer

Cochran

Yoakum

Hall

Hale Motley

Lubbock Dickens

Andrews

King

Terry

Hutchinson

Wheeler

RandallArmstrong Donley

Castro Briscoe

Cottle

Hardeman

Foard

Hartley Roberts

Oldham Carson

Deaf Smith

Collingsworth

Bailey

Swisher

Lamb Floyd

Hockley Crosby

Gaines

Knox

Lynn Garza Kent Stonewall

El Paso

Hudspeth Culberson

Jeff Davis

Reeves

Loving Winkler

Ward

Ector

Dawson

Martin Mitchell

Zavala

UvaldeKinney

EdwardsVal VerdePresidioBrewster

McMullenLa SalleDimmit

Jim Wells

Webb

BrooksKenedy

Starr

HidalgoWillacy

Cameron

Bowie

CassCamp

Titus

Franklin

Morris Rains

Marion

Kaufman Harrison

Panola

Gregg

Rusk

Bell

Milam

Sabine

Trinity

UpshurWoodVan Zandt

NavarroHill Cherokee

FreestoneMcLennan

Falls

ShelbyNacogdoches

San Augustine

Jasper

Jefferson

TylerWalkerPolk

RobertsonMadison

Brazos

Hardin

San JacintoGrimes

Liberty

Chambers

MontgomeryBurleson

Lee

Ellis

Goliad

BeeLive Oak

Maverick

Refugio

Nueces

San Patricio

Kleberg

Duval

ZapataJim Hogg

SmithHenderson

Anderson

Leon

Limestone

Travis

Hays

Comal

HoustonAngelina

Newton

Orange

Cooke Grayson Fannin

CollinDentonHunt

Lamar

Delta

Hopkins

Dallas

Red River

Rockwall

Nolan

Baylor

JonesShackelfordStephens

Archer

Young

Taylor

Fisher

HaskellThrockmorton

CallahanEastland

Scurry

Howard

Borden Parker

Erath

Palo Pinto

MontagueClay

WichitaWilbarger

WiseJack

Upton

BrownColeman

RunnelsCoke Sterling

GlasscockMidland

Crane

Menard

McCullochConcho

Sutton

Schleicher

Tom Green

CrockettPecos

Irion Reagan

Comanche

Hood

Bosque

Somervell

Hamilton

Kimble

Mason

Mills

San Saba

Blanco

Burnet

Lampasas

Johnson

GillespieTerrell

Llano

Coryell

Tarrant

Washington

Fayette

Lavaca

Jackson

Wharton

Colorado

Austin

Fort Bend

Brazoria

Harris

Bastrop

Matagorda

KerrReal

Bexar Wilson

Karnes

Caldwell

GuadalupeGonzales

DeWitt

Waller

Calhoun

Victoria

Kendall

AtascosaFrio

Medina

Bandera

Galveston

Aransas

Childress

Dallam

Reliant CenterESF-9 Overhead Team (1)

Hurricane IkeESF-9 Ground Resources

Orange DivisionTX-TF1 (I)TX-TF2 (III)EMAC x 4GLO x 3TxMF SARAmbulance STUSCG DART

Port Arthur DivisionIN-TF1 (I)NV-TF1 (III)VA-TF2 (III)NPS x 7TxMF SARBORSTARAmbulance ST

Galveston Division / Ike ReconTX QRFCO-TF1 (I)AZ-TF1 (III)CA-TF4 (III)NPS x 6GLO x 3 EMAC x 4TxMF SAR x 2

Beaumont DivisionTN-TF1 (I)CA-TF1 (III)CA-TF5 (III)NPS x 6TxMF SAR

99Saturday, February 27, 2010

The Communications Challenge

• 11 Urban Search & Rescue Teams

• 100+ SAR aircraft

• 300+ watercraft

• 1300+ personnel

• 5000 square miles

• Cellular and RF Communications Infrastructure Destroyed

10Saturday, February 27, 2010

Comms Technology Solutions

• MSAT Radio/Phones • “Communicators”

– UHF/VHF– MSAT– Tactical Switch

• Tactical Communication Units– Pneumatic telescoping masts– Satellite Data Capability– WiFi

11Saturday, February 27, 2010

The Challenge of Search Navigation

Bolivar Peninsula & Galveston Island

12Saturday, February 27, 2010

Search Navigation Challenges

• Response routes impassable

• Location landmarks missing

• Coordination with air assets.

• Documentation of search.

13Saturday, February 27, 2010

Search Technologies Utlilized

• GPS– Routes to search areas– Coordinates for air assets– Documentation of search

• Satellite Imagery– Provides storm surge and flood zone intel– Useful in planning of search ops.

• Mapping Technology– Interface with GPS

• Search Cameras• Acoustic Detection Devices

14Saturday, February 27, 2010

Search & Rescue

DD

D

D

DD

DD

D

DD

DD

DD

D

D

D

15Saturday, February 27, 2010

Search & Rescue

12 Miles

16Saturday, February 27, 2010

Ike Stats

• Total SAR Contacts: 9,338• Rescues/Evacuation: 3,540

– Air: 601– Ground/Water: 2939

Note: 634 of the total were pre-landfall

• Assisted without evacuation: 5,798• Total Air Sorties: 665 • Property Damage: $25 Billion• Deaths: Approx. 75 (in Texas)

1717Saturday, February 27, 2010

Homeland Security S&T Summit (South Central)Arkansas-Louisiana-New Mexico-Oklahoma-Texas

18

Title: How Tech Tools Helped Hurricane Ike Response:

A State Perspective

Summary: Communications , GPS and mapping technologies played a crucial role in expediting the search & rescue response for Hurricane Ike.

Take-Aways:

• Communications and GPS technologies made rapid response and effective search possible in Hurricane Ike.

• Emerging US&R technologies focused on technical search tools.

18Saturday, February 27, 2010