This Won’t Happen To Us: Incident Readiness and Response

Jerry FifeVice Chancellor for Administration

Vanderbilt Universityjerry.fife@vanderbilt.edu

615-343-6658

May 1-3, 2010 in Nashville Tennessee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFjaQoOdJvI

2010 Floods• Rain totals in some areas were greater than 14-22 inches• The Cumberland River crested at 51.86 feet• The Duck, Buffalo and Harpeth Rivers also recorded all

time crests• Flood waters reached places in Tennessee that have

never been flooded since there has been recorded history in the area

• Many did not have flood insurance to cover damage caused by ground water

And at Vanderbilt University• Over 50 buildings were damaged or affected• The surge of groundwater was so strong it cracked and

lifted a two foot wide slab of concrete fifteen feet long in the basement of Children’s Hospital

• 7.5 million gallons of water had to be pumped into the utility tunnels to save the Children’s Hospital

• The water rose 40 feet in the vertical shaft of the tunnel and endangered the telecommunication lines, fiber and steam lines

And at Vanderbilt University

• Cars parked in underground garages were flooded

• Total damage was $13.5 million• Full recovery took over one year to achieve• The first day of finals was cancelled for the

first time in history

And at Vanderbilt University• Many employees were not able to get to work– Due to the flood– Because their homes and/or vehicles were

damaged or destroyed • Employees whose homes were destroyed

were given 2 weeks time off to deal with their tragedy

And at Vanderbilt University• A fund was established for employees in need• Vanderbilt provided summer housing at no

cost for employees whose homes were destroyed

• FEMA established presence on campus to assist employees

On A Personal Note• On Sunday May 2nd I began to realize the

magnitude of flooding occurring in the Nashville/Vanderbilt Area

• Flooding took out power, cable and cell towers in the area

• I was only able to communicate via text message and my phone died in the early evening

On A Personal Note• Although my home was not damaged,

subdivisions within ½ mile of me were underwater.

• I was able to get to work on May 3rd by driving about 35 miles out of my way

• To do so I drove under power wires with trees hanging on them and over bridges with water within a foot of the roadway

Lessons Learned• Have MOU’s with local utilities and

government agencies before something happens

• Have a plan• Share your plan• Plan on people not being at work

Lessons Learned• Be humane• Take lots of pictures• Take good notes and make a list of items that

need follow-up• People are at their best when responding to

an emergency

What Have We Done Since the Flood?• Vanderbilt established Emergency

Preparedness Policy and Working Groups– To develop a single office to address the vast

number of emergencies which might occur– To develop a communication strategy to notify the

campus in the event of an emergency– To assess the possibility of each emergency and

inform the leadership

What Have We Done Since the Flood?• Emergency Preparedness Policy Group– Vice Chancellor for Administration (Chair)– Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs– Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs– Vice Chancellor for Finance– Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs– Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs

What Have We Done Since the Flood?• Emergency Preparedness Working Group

– Dean of Students - Public Affairs– General Counsel - Mayor’s Office– Campus Police - Housing– Environ. Health & Safety - Plant Operations– IT -

Provost’s Office– HR -

Hospital Admin.– VC Health Affairs

What Have We Done Since the Flood?• Enterprise Hazard Vulnerability Analysis– Performed annually and reported to the Policy

Group and the Board of Trust– Analyzes the possibility of occurrence– Provides a plan for dealing with the emergency– Recognizes differences between university and

hospitals (ex. bomb threat)– Designates decision making authority

What Have We Done Since the Flood?• Enterprise Hazard Vulnerability Analysis– Work place violence– Pandemic preparedness (Flulapalooza)– Storm/Tornado– Bomb threat– Active shooter – Chemical/Radiation spill/leak– Communication failures (data, land line, cellular)

What Have We Done Since the Flood?• Communication Platform– Opt Out– Unified system of notification for a number of

emergencies– Email, Text, Voice, Loudspeakers, Sirens– Ability to segment population based on the

emergency

What Have We Done Since the Flood?• In Process– Formation of a single office (Office of Emergency

Management– Family Flulapalooza– Continued Hazard Vulnerability Analysis– Table top exercises– Follow up after events (what can we do better,

what did we miss)

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