thThe 14 World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
October 12-17, 2008, Beijing, China

QUICK COLLECTION OF EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE INFORMATION AND
EFFECTIVE EMERGENCY RESPONSE BY COLLABORATION BETWEENLOCAL GOVERNMENT AND RESIDENTS
12Y. Hisada , M. Murakami and S. Zama

3

12Professor, Dept. of Architecture, Kogakuin University, Tokyo, Japan
Associate Professor, Dept. of Architecture, Kogakuin University, Tokyo, Japan
3Chief, National Research Institute of Fire and Disaster, Tokyo, Japan
Email: hisada@cc.kogakuin.ac.jp

ABSTRACT :We developed a methodology for collecting quickly earthquake damage information and conducting
effective emergency response by collaboration between a local government and residents. The methodology
consists the PDCA cycle: "1. Orientation Meeting (Plan)", "2. Workshop (Do)", "3. Earthquake Drill(Check)", and "4. Evaluation Meeting (Act)". After discussing year's plan in the orientation meeting,community associations and city officials hold a workshop to make a disaster prevention map, which shows
strong and weak points in the community area. After knowing the risk in the area, the participants discuss
about what would happen during a large earthquake, and how to collaborate the city and the associations.
During an earthquake drill, the collaboration is tested for emergency response and information sharing. First,residents carry out emergency response under a realistic disaster situation in community areas, such as firefighting, rescue, and safety checking activities. Then, they make a damage information map after evacuating
to the local community center, where government officials open a local emergency operation center tosummarize the damage information of the community areas and send it to the emergency headquarter of thecity. The headquarter summarizes all the data, and informs to the residents about important information, suchas an evacuation order for a massive fire. After the drill, community members and the city officials discuss
about how to improve the collaboration in an evaluation meeting. We applied the methodology to Toyohashi
City in 2005 and 2006, and confirmed its validity and effectiveness.
KEYWORDS:

Collaboration of Local Government and Residents, Earthquake Damage Information,
Emergency Response, Disaster Prevention Map, Earthquake Drill, Damage Map

1. INTRODUCTION
When a large-scale earthquake occurs near a city, such as the 1995 Kobe earthquake, a local government isusually paralyzed by a deluge of damage information, and becomes extremely difficult to know the overall
damage and to conduct effective countermeasures (see Figure 1(left)). To remedy this problem, Zama et al.
(1998) proposed an idea to obtain city’s damage information by collaboration between the government andresidents (see Figure 1(right)). In the idea, city officials open local emergency operation centers at thecommunity evacuation centers in school districts after a large earthquake,; they collect damage information
within the districts with help from community associations, and send the information to the city’s emergency
headquarter. If all the school districts in the city are organized in such way, the headquarter can quickly obtain
the information of the overall city’s damage. When some areas are blank (no information), it is possible to check
whether the areas are safe or devastated. It would be also possible to make prompt decisions, such as evacuation
orders for big fires, and how to effectively use the city’s limited resources.
In order to actualize the idea, we developed a methodology based on a PDSA cycle, and applied it toToyohashi City in the Aichi prefecture in Japan in 2005 and 2006. As shown in Figure 2, Toyohashi City is close
to the anticipated Tokai and Tonankai earthquakes. Figure 3 shows the estimated JMA (Japan MetrologicalAgency) intensities in the city for the Tokai - Tonankai combined earthquake, which indicates the most parts ofcity would suffer intensities 6 Lower to 6 Higher (nearly equal to 9 to 10 in the MMI intensities). In this paper,
we explain first the proposed methodology, and second, how to apply to the city. Finally, we check the validity

thThe 14 World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
October 12-17, 2008, Beijing, Chinaof the methodology by an experimental earthquake drill in 2006.
Resident
Resident

Resident

Local
Government

SchoolDistrict

Resident

SchoolDistrict

Resident
Local
Government

Resident

School District

Evacuation
CenterResident
Resident

Resident

Resident

Residents’
Association

Resident

Resident

Resident

Damage Information
・Phone Call・Rush to Office

Residents’
AssociationResident
Isolated
Communities

Resident

Resident

Resident

Resident

Resident

Figure 1 Information flows from community members to a city under a current earthquake disaster(left), and under the proposed methodology (right)
JMA Intensity
76 Higher
6 Lower
5 HigherTonankai EQ

Haccho School
DistrictNankai EQTokai EQ
Toyohashi City

Sakae School
DistrictFigure 2 (up)Toyohashi City in the Aichi
prefecture, and anticipated earthquakes, the Tokaiand Tonankai earthquakes (Toyohashi City, 2003)
Figure 3 (right) The estimated JMA intensities inToyohashi City for the Tokai - Tonankai combined
earthquakes. And, the Haccho and Sakae school
districts, in which we applied the proposedmethodology (Toyohashi City, 2003)

2. THE METHODOLOGY FOR EFFECTIVE EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND INFORMATIONSHARING, AND ITS APPLICATION TO TOYOHASI CITY, JAPANWe explain the methodology for effective emergency response and information sharing by collaboration
between a city and community associations, shown in Figure 1 (right), and how to apply it to Toyohashi City in2005 and 2006. We worked with the city's officials of the disaster prevention and the city planning sections, andthe community associations in the Haccho and Sakae school districts, which show high earthquake risk (seeFigure 3).
As shown in Figure 4, we developed a methodology based on the PDCA cycle: "1. Orientation MeetingthThe 14 World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
October 12-17, 2008, Beijing, China(Plan)", "2. Workshop (Do)", "3. Earthquake Drill (Check)", and "4. Evaluation Meeting (Act)". In the first year
(2005), we first held orientation meetings with the residents in both districts with local officials, and discussed
about the earthquake hazard, the risk of the areas, disaster prevention plans. Next, we held a workshop in theHaccho districts to make a disaster prevention map, which indicated strong and weak points of the area, such as
the locations of fire distinguishers, fire hydrants, storages of rescue equipments, weak walls and buildings, open
spaces, and so on. Figure 5 shows an example of the map, which was made in Akumi and Azumada areas in theHaccho district in 2005 using a Web-GIS system (Ichii, et al. 2005). During the workshop, the participants also
discuss about what will happen during a large earthquake, and how to collaborate between city and communitiesunder a devastating situation.
1. Orientation Meeting(Discuss about current problems,
and this year’s target and plan, etc.)（Plan））
4. Evaluation Meeting（Evaluate the drill, and solve or improve
the problems for the next year）

2. Workshop（Improve the emergency supplies,
networks of the associations, and/or makedamage prevention maps, etc.）（Do））
3. Earthquake Drill（Conduct emergency response, andmake district damage map, etc.）（Act））（Check））
lan/Check）
Figure 4 The PDCA cycle for quick collection of earthquake damage information and for effectiveemergency response, which were applied to Toyohashi City in 2005 and 2006

Figure 5 An example of a disaster prevention map which was made in Akumi and Azumada areas in theHaccho district in 2005 using a Web-GIS system (Ichii et al., 2005). For its location, see Figure 6.
Next, we conducted an earthquake drill for emergency response within the community areas (fire fighting,rescue, safety confirmation of elderly and disable people etc.), based on the disaster experience game (Kaji andIwaki, 1998). At the same time, we conducted a drill to make community damage maps with help from thecommunity associations. We confirmed that the city could obtain accurate and fast damage information andthThe 14 World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
October 12-17, 2008, Beijing, China

carry out effective countermeasures by the collaboration between the local residents and officials. Finally, we
held evaluation meetings to check and improve the methodology. In the next year (2006), we carried out thenext PDCA cycle: orientation meetings (discussing this year's plan), workshops (disaster prevention maps in theSakae district), and an experimental earthquake drill (see the next Section), and evaluation meetings (improvethe methodology).

豊橋市役所
13City階展望室
Toyohashi
Office中遠距離被害情報収集端末による・Damage
Information Collection
地震被害情報収集
using Long- Medium Distance※情報収集対象：
八町通 1・2・3・4System
丁目，曲尺手町
Range Information

飽海町・東田町西脇二区
Community Associations in theHacchoDistrict
八町校区（地域住民，都市計画課）
Akumi and Azumada areas

地域住民による地震被害情報収集，
Emergency response
・要援護者の安否確認情報など

anddamage information collection

Area of Figures 6 and 8

八町校区市民館
Community Evacuation Center●住民活動拠点（地域住民）

in the Haccho District
被災マップの作成，避難者名簿作成，
Local Emergency Operation・ 被害情報・避難情報の集約など

Long-Distance wireless LAN

Center to obtain earthquake damage●校区活動拠点（防災対策課）
informationin the Haccho school
住民駆けつけ情報等の収集・伝達
district,by collaboration between
地域の初動・応急対応活動に必要な情報の入手
住民への情報提供，活動支援
officials
and communities
各種要請，措置報告など

Community Evacuation Center栄小学校体育館●（仮）豊橋市災害対策本部（事務局）（防災対策課）
in the Sakae District
校区活動拠点・避難所開設状況の把握，市全域の被災状
・Temporary
Emergency Headquarter of
況・避難状況等の把握，校区活動拠点への各種指示，地Toyohashi
City域の応急対応行動に必要な情報の提供など
・Local Emergency Operation Center to●校区活動拠点（防災対策課）
obtainearthquake damage information
住民駆けつけ情報等の収集・伝達
in 地域の初動・応急対応活動に必要な情報の入手
the Haccho school district, bycollaboration
between officials and
住民への情報提供，活動支援
各種要請，措置報告など
communities

山田町，山田石塚町
栄校区

Community
Association in Yamada areas（地域住民，都市計画課）
・地域住民による地震被害情報収集，
Emergency response and damage
informationcollection
要援護者の安否確認情報など
山田公民館
Yamada Community Hall
●住民活動拠点（地域住民，防災対策課）
Earthquake damage map in
・
被災マップの作成，避難者名簿作成，
the被害情報・避難情報の集約など
community areas

Sakae
District

Machihataand Minamisakae
町畑町，南栄町
Area現地被害情報収集端末による(Damage information
地震被害情報収集
collection
using GIS system)

Figure 6 The area of the experimental earthquake drill in Toyohashi City in 2006. In the drill, community
associations in the Haccho and Sake school district participated, in addition to the city officials.

thThe 14 World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
October 12-17, 2008, Beijing, China

3. EXPERIMENTAL EARTHQUAKE DRILL IN TOYOHASHI CITY IN 2006
We explain the experimental earthquake drill in 2006 in detail, which was carried out to check the validity ofthe proposed methodology. Figure 6 shows the Haccho and Sakae school districts and the community areas toparticipate in the drill. The drill was carried out by collaboration between Toyohashi City and the community
associations of the two school districts. First, panels were suspended at electric poles just before the drill, whichshowed the information about earthquake damage, such as a fire breaking, a damaged building, and a blockedroad (see Figure 7, and Pictures 1 and 2 for the panels). Figure 8 shows the locations of the damage panels in theAkumi and Azuma areas in the Haccho district. Similarly, the damage poles were set in the Yamada area in theSakae district, as well.
文部科学省科学技術振興調整費
重点課題解決型研究プロジェクト

文部科学省科学技術振興調整費

防災訓練防災訓練Earthquake
防災訓練 Drill

Earthquake Drill

Earthquake Drill

文部科学省科学技術振興調整費
重点課題解決型研究プロジェクト

建物(全壊) 建物(半壊)重点課題解決型研究プロジェクト

火災

Building (TotallyDamaged)

Building (PartiallyDamaged)

Fire Breaking
消火器： 本
バケツ： 個Extinguisher and Bucket

防災訓練

防災訓練

防災訓練

Figure 7

Failed to finda pole豊橋市
豊橋技術科学大学
工学院大学

豊橋市
豊橋技術科学大学
工学院大学

豊橋市
豊橋技術科学大学
工学院大学

文部科学省科学技術振興調整費 重点課題解決型研究プロジェクト

防災訓練 Earthquake
Drill

道路閉塞
通り抜け出来ません
Road is Blocked and Closed

防災訓練

豊橋市
豊橋技術科学大学
工学院大学

Earthquake damage panels, which were suspended at electric poles in the community areas
Pole Location
ReportFireFire
Building (T) Building (T)Building (P) Building (P)Road Block
Road Block
Temporaryevacuation space atthe Azumada area

Temporaryevacuation
space at theAkumi area

Figure 8 The earthquake damage map at the Akumi and Azumada areas (dots are the actual location of the poles,and circles are the locations which the community member reported).

thThe 14 World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
October 12-17, 2008, Beijing, China

When the drill started under the assumption of the Tokai earthquake, the local residents checked thecommunity areas, and carried out emergency response. For example, when a resident found a panel of fire
breaking, he/she gather people, and collect fire distinguishers and buckets with water as many as possible within
10 minutes (see Pictures 1). When a fire hydrant was close to the panel, people connected a hose to the hydrant
and brought the nozzle to the panel (see Picture 2). When people succeeded to bring enough numbers of the fire
distinguishers, buckets, and/or the nozzles within 10 minutes, a coordinator put a sticker of "Extinction Success"on the panel (see Picture 1). Otherwise, the coordinator put a sticker of "Extinction Failure". People also
checked the safeties of elderly and disable people and brought them to the temporary evacuation spaces within
the community areas (see Picture 3). After finishing emergency response at the panels, all the participants got
together at the temporary spaces (see Figure 8 and Picture 4).
After checking the safeties of the community areas, people went to the community evacuation centers (seeFigure 6 for the locations), and made the community damage maps, which indicated the locations and the typeof damage (see Picture 8). Figure 8 is the damage map of the Akumi and Azumada areas, which was made by
the community members within 30 minutes after starting drill. The information were very accurate for both thelocations and the types, which shows that it is possible to obtain accurate damage information very quickly withthe help of community associations. Next people gave the damage maps to the city officials, who opened thelocal emergency operation centers at the evacuation centers, and they summarized data and sent them to thecity's emergency headquarter using the long-distance wireless LAN (see Picture 6, and Figure 6 for the location;
Kawasaki Lab., 2006).

Picture 1 Emergency response drill (fire fighting bybringing fire extinguishers and buckets)

Picture 2 Emergency response drill (fire fighting bybringing a nose from a fire hydrant)

Picture 3 Safety check and evacuation drill (people
check and bring elderly people a to evacuation spaces)

Picture 4 Safety check drill (check of the community
at the temporary space within the community area)

thThe 14 World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
October 12-17, 2008, Beijing, ChinaPicture 5 Community damage map drill (making adamage map at the community evacuation center)

Picture 6 Local emergency response center (collectingthe damage information of the school district)

Picture 7 City's emergency operation headquarter(Communicating with a community evacuation center)

Figure 9 Example of fire spreading simulation(Results were used at the city's operation headquarter)

Figure 10 Capacity information of an evacuation center Picture 8 Explanation of the city's damage and the(Information shows that the center is still vacant)evacuation order for big fire to community members

thThe 14 World Conference on Earthquake Engineering
October 12-17, 2008, Beijing, China

The city's emergency headquarter was temporary located at the community evacuation center of the Sakaedistricts during the drill (see Figure 6 for the location). At the headquarter, the city officials checked all thedamage data, which were not only from the Haccho and Sakae districts, but also from the other districts, whichwere generated by a computer. They also communicated with the officials at the community evacuation centers
using IP phones and FAX through the long-distance wireless LAN (see Pictures 6 and 7). Using software forsimulating fire spreading, they estimated the possible burned area and its arrival time (see Figure 9; KawasakiLab., 2006). When an evacuation center would face the fire spreading, the headquarter issued an evacuation
order. The headquarter also knew which evacuation center is full or vacant in real time using a Web-GIS system(see Figure 10; Ichii et al. 2005). Finally, the summary of damage and/or the evacuation order from theheadquarter were informed to the community members at the evacuation centers (see Picture 8).
4. SUMMARY
We developed a methodology for collecting quickly earthquake damage information and conducting effective
emergency response by collaboration between a local government and residents. The methodology consists thePDCA cycle: "1. Orientation Meeting (Plan)", "2. Workshop (Do)", "3. Earthquake Drill (Check)", and "4.
Evaluation Meeting (Act)". Especially, the workshop is important to know the risk of the areas by making anearthquake prevention map, and discuss how to collaborate the community and the city. In addition, theearthquake drill based on the disaster experience game (Kaji and Iwaki, 1998) is very useful to check theeffectiveness of the collaboration for emergency response, and collecting and sharing information. During theexperimental drill in Toyohashi City in 2006, the city could collect the accurate damage data within 30 minuteswith help of community associations. After the drill, we interviewed the city officials, and all the members
acknowledged the effectiveness of the methodology. The members of community associations also
acknowledged the usefulness of the disaster experience game for emergency response.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research was supported by Joint Research Project on Disaster Reduction using Information Sharing
Technologies by Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology of MEXT (Ministry ofEducation, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan), EEC (Earthquake and Environmental ResearchCenter) of Kogakuin University funded by the Frontier Research Promotion Program of MEXT, and .a research
project of MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan).
REFERENCES
Ichii, T., Shibayama, A., Murakami, M., Sato, T., Hisada, Y., Namai, C. (2005), Development of the Disaster
Information Mutual Suport WebGIS as Purposes of use in Advance or Disaster Situation (Information SystemsTechnology), Journal of Architecture and Building Science, 22, 553-558 (in Japanese)Kaji, H., Iwaki, K. (1998), Development of Disaster Experience Game and Its Effects, Journal of Japan Society
for Safety Engineering, 27-2, 99-106 (in Japanese)
Kawasaki Laboratory (2006), Reports on Joint Research Project on Disaster Reduction using Information
Sharing Technologies (in Japanese), http://www.kedm.bosai.go.jp/project/info-share/report.html
Toyohashi City (2003), Damage Estimation due to Tokai and Tokai-Tonankai Earthquakes, (in Japanese)
http://www.city.toyohashi.aichi.jp/bu_shobohonbu/bosaitaisaku/quake/index.html
Zama, S., Hosokawa, M., and Sekizawa, A. (1998), Framework for efficient gathering of earthquake damage
information, 10th Japan Earthquake Engineering Symposium, 3479-3484 (in Japanese)