# Presentation: 310682

- Title

- “Turning the Table on Decision Makers”
- Marie K. Dunkle
- May 5, 2008

## Turning the Table on Decision Makers

- Introduction
- Facilitated tabletop drill
- Focus on decision-makers and time critical decisions
- Scenario designed to spotlight decision-maker problems

## 		Emergency Decision Making Environment

- Events and decisions are likely outside the direct experience of the decision-maker
- Decisions are likely outside the normal level of authority exercised by the decision-maker.
- Decisions are made in conjunction with other organizations the decision-maker does not normally interface with.
- Decisions carry significant and immediate consequences—imminent danger
- Decision time constraints exist—often inflexible
- Available information may be incomplete, inconsistent, contradictory, and/or unverified.
- Decisions in environment of high stress

## Effective Decision Making

- Decisions made within the time available to take effective action
- Decision is conservative—to protect EHS, property
- “Conservatism” based on info availability and reliability—and the stability of the situation.

## Effective Decision Making

- Authority and responsibility for decision-making are clearly defined and understood
- Incomplete, inaccurate or uncertain information are detected and resolved.
- Inappropriate decisions are detected and corrected.
- Each decision and objectives are understood & communicated

## But, what if?

- Authority and responsibility aren’t clearly understood
- Incomplete or uncertain information delays timely critical decisions and actions
- Inappropriate decisions are not corrected
- Decisions are not understood or communicated
- Decision-making is not coordinated among involved organizations?

## TT Objectives

- Demonstrate categorization and classification of event with incomplete information.
- Determine additional information needed for decision-making
- Demonstrate protective action decision-making
- Determine emergency response resources to deploy
- Determine emergency response resources to request
- Direct placement of emergency response resources
- Decide what information to provide to the public and who should provide it
- Coordinate EM decisions

## Players

- Incident Commander
- ERC Crisis Manager/Emergency Director (SPURS LLC)
- ERC Emergency Manager
- ERC Public Information Officer in EOC (PIO)
- ERC Spokesperson
- HQ Emergency Director
- HQ PIO
- State Emergency Director (ED)
- County Emergency Director
- City Manager
- City Fire Chief
- ERC Medical Center Director
- State Medical Examiner
- American Red Cross management representative
- Environmental Protection Agency representative

##  Background

- Event occurs at the Energy Research Complex site (ERC) specifically Building X.  It is a Monday morning in January, and it has been snowing for the past 10 hours, with an average site accumulation of about 2.5 feet
- Bldg. X is a large site warehouse used for receipt and storage of equipment, stores, and temporary storage of small quantities of chemicals.  It includes two loading docks.  There is a 90 day hazardous materials storage area adjacent to Building X.  Typically 16 workers, admin personnel and managers work in this location during day shift.  Shift change occurs at 8am.  Event is reported at 8:15am.
- Building X is 180 meters from the site boundary.  There is a small community (350 residents) a half mile from the site boundary point closest to Building X.

## Initial message

**Report from Security Patrol:**  While driving toward Building X during security rounds I heard a loud “whooshing” sound and saw the roof collapse on building X.  There’s lots of snow and grayish color dust coming out of the roof.

## Update

- At 15 minutes into the event an explosion and fire occur at west end of collapsed Building X (near 90 day Hazmat storage area adjacent to X).

## Update

- Time has passed and we are now 60 minutes into this event.   Mutual aid from City and County are at the scene.  County brought its new mobile command post.
-  ERC EOC is fully operational as are the state, tribal and local EOCs.  JIC has been activated. HQ EOC is operational.

## Update

- 7 injuries and 4 fatalities are confirmed from IC.
- At least 4 persons are still unaccounted
- The fire that started 45 minutes ago is under control.
- Entry into the collapsed building still cannot be made.  It’s in planning.

## Update

- News media reports that Building X stores rad waste
- Reporters at JIC are asking about the chemicals in Building X.  No one at JIC with technical information to address questions.

## Update

- State EOC complains that they are unable to access plume model (State does not have a NARAC access account and does not have access to the ERCs Web EOC.)
- State ED requests state Red Cross aid for community and ERC Site.
- IC sees unauthorized personnel within the exclusion zone. ( EOC directed ERC IH Monitoring team to get samples of the water runoff near Building X.)

## Discussion

- Snow conditions impede responders’ arrival to the event scene.
-  Difficulty accomplishing accountability because event occurred so close to shift change.
- No specific EAL for this event.
- Emergency Director makes decision to evacuate buildings within 5500 feet of Building X (conflicts with IC decision making)
- County responds with mobile command post.  Red Cross responds with mobile command post

## Discussion

- State EOC is unable to access plume model (No NARAC access account and ERCs Web EOC.)
- Media report that Building X is used for storage of radioactive waste.
- EOC directs the ERC IH Monitoring team to get samples of the water runoff near Building X.    IC---unauthorized personnel in exclusion zone.
- EOC Tech Team is not trained on NIMS/ICS communications requirements