Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOW 2009-02-23 Item 5F - Review - 2008 Winter Storm After Action ReviewCAS NUMBER 09-029 Discussion Fund Source: Conunents MTG. DATE 2/23/09 ExPJ;NDITURI', R1;QUIREI) Aleethrr; Date Prepared by 02/23/09 3M 1 ITEM INFORMATION 1 ORIGINAL AGENDA DA'rl:: FEBRUARY 23, 2009 Ac;I ;ND,\ I1'1'.M Trrl.l'. 2008 WINTER STORM AFTER ACTION REVIEW Information Only Motio Aft; Date 2/23/09 Mt; Date CO UNCIL AGENDA SYNOPSIS Resohitton dltg Date RI:\'II'.WI.D BY COW Mtg. CA &P Cmte Utihties Cmte n Arts Comm. DATE. RECOMMENDATIONS: SPONSOR /ADMiN. Public Works C() MIMIITI7iE tl•Itg Date L :rtrait Alayorjj revrew Ordinance Si )NSOR Coundl Mayor Adrrt Svcs DCD n Finance Fire Legal (_f P6 R Police PWr SPONSOR'S The Public Works Director will present a foliowup to the City's response to the SUMMARY 2008 Winter Storm. No action is required at this time Information Only. COST IMPACT FUND SOURCE AMOUNT BUDGETED lilts Date F &S Cmte n Parks Comm. Council review 1 1 1 RECORD OF COUNCIL ACTION 1 1 MTG. DATE ATTACHMENTS 2/23/09 2008 Winter Storm After Action Review Iel EvI Bid Award Public Heating n Other lltg Date Jltg Date Transportation Cmte Planning Comm. APPROPRIATION REQUIRED I. INTRODUCTION City of Tukwila Jim Haggerton, Mayor II. SITUATION ANALYSIS 2008 WINTER STORM AFTER ACTION REVIEW This After Action Review is a followup to the City's response to the December 17 through December 28, 2008 winter storm, the January 7, 2009 landslide on Interurban Avenue, and the Flood Watch from January 8 through January 15, 2009. After the winter storm, discussions were held and information sought from key personnel and departments as related to mitigation, response, and recovery activities during the incident. The purpose of this After Action Review is: (1) document response activities; (2) identify successes /problems during emergency operations; and (3) make recommendations to improve mitigation, response, and recovery activities. An action plan will need to be developed to implement any recommended improvements. After repeated warning from the National Weather Service, a severe winter storm struck the City on December 17, 2008 with blizzard conditions, record or near record snowfall, freezing temperatures, freezing rain, and ice causing hazardous conditions for citizens, homes, businesses, public utilities, public facilities and infrastructure The extreme weather caused roads to be closed and icy, snow packed conditions on others. To compound the problem, at 2:00 pm on Thursday, December 18, a 10 -inch water main in the vicinity of 57 Avenue South, just north S. 144 Street burst. Water Department crews were dispatched and by 8:00 pm the break was repaired. A snowplow had to be diverted from snow removal operations in order to provide access to the problem area. Water crews were able to isolate the break and reroute the water supply with little or no loss of water service for the residents. For six hours the crews worked in freezing weather to make the necessary repairs. Even with all four snowplow /sander trucks working around the clock, the road crews could not keep up with the snow accumulation. Numerous streets, primarily steep hills, became safety hazards and in accordance with Public Works' Snow Removal Operating Procedures, barricades were placed and the following roadways were closed: 1. S. 178 Street from 180 at Southcenter Parkway to the top of the hill in SeaTac. 2. S. 147 Street between 57 Avenue South and 58 Avenue South 3. Bottom of S. 132 Street where enters Tukwila International Blvd. 4. 57 Avenue South between S. 142 Street and S 144 Street 5. S. 144 Street between Macadam to Showalter Middle School In accordance with City policy and the Public Works' proven standard operating procedures, the road crews from December 18 through December 24 just concentrated on. (Note: constant and at times heavy snow accumulation did not provide an opportunity to move into residential neighborhoods) 1. Major arterials in the commercial and industrial areas: Andover Park East Andover Park West Southcenter Parkway Strander Blvd. Tukwila Parkway 2008 WINTER STORM AFTER ACTION REVIEW Page 2 Minkler Avenue S. 180 Street Southcenter Blvd /S. 154 Street Interurban Avenue East Marginal Way 2. Residential Streets most traveled by the Fire Department 58 Avenue South; 62n Avenue South; S. 144 Street; 42 Avenue South The City's Emergency Operation Center (EOC) was activated on December 18 in anticipation of high winds and the possible damage that could result. Winds were expected to exceed the City's safety wind speed threshold of 45 mph Emergency Management has a safety policy in place that prevents members of the First Response Team (Fire, Police, Public Works) from deploying if the sustained wind speed exceeds 45 mph. The only deployment allowed is in response to a life- threatening situation. The City did not experience the high winds as predicted and the EOC was deactivated at 9:00 pm. In response to the heavy snowfall and the overall condition of the roadways, the Director of Emergency Management recommended that City facilities be closed on December 19 and 22, 2008. Only essential personnel were brought in. In lieu of using the ladder truck, the Fire Department adapted their operations and activated an Aid Car. On December 19 Seattle City Light had a problem with one of their substations. The power outage affected the Tukwila Community Center. After power was restored, Seattle City Light only provided single -phase power. Through the quick actions of Parks and Recreation and Public Works staff, systems were shut down air handlers, refrigerators, etc. to prevent damage to motors. Once Seattle City Light restored 3 -phase power, Public Works Facilities Maintenance was called in and worked until 12:30 Saturday morning fully restoring all systems and alarms. City road crews were finally able to get ahead of the snow and by Christmas day were able to have some down -time. Starting December 26 and working 24 -hours a day, road crews were finally able to clear all residential neighborhood streets, both secondary and tertiary by December 28, 2008. On December 30, 2008, road crews began street sweeping operations to clear all streets of the sand that was placed. The street sweeping operation is an attempt to prevent the sand from entering the City's surface water system where a more expensive clean -up operation would be needed. The ground had become saturated because of the December 2008 record snowfall and cold temperatures. First Responder personnel were placed on alert to monitor key areas within the City that are prone to landslides. On January 7, 2009, the City received approximately 3.5 inches of rain. This caused a major landslide above Interurban Avenue South and adjacent to Canyon Estate Condominiums. No storm related injuries, loss of life, or property damage were reported. All essential City services were provided throughout the entire incident Fire, Police, water, sewer, surface water (no flooding). All dispatches for Fire and Police were answered. W \2009 Inichlernos'Dec Winter Stcrm After Action Review 02 -23 -09 gl.doc 2008 WINTER STORM AFTER ACTION REVIEW Page 3 III. PURPOSE The objective of the after action review is to evaluate: 1. The Emergency Operations Center 2. Field Operations 3. Shelter Operations 4. Communications 5. Adequacy of City Facilities The scope of the review is for the December 17 through December 28 winter storm, the January 7 landslide, and the Flood Watch from January 8 through January 15, 2009. The review will be confined to City response and recovery operations. The methodology used in performing this review is data obtained from the actual event. IV. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A. Emergency Operations Center The Emergency Operations Center was activated in the Police Training Room on December 18 in anticipation of the forecasted high winds. The Police Training Room was selected because it has the capability of displaying all intersections within the City that have cameras (total of 64); can display the situation along Tukwila International Blvd. and S. 144 St. (total of 11), has cable news and TV feeds for weather forecasts, and can display the current status of Fire and Police dispatches coming from ValleyCom Being able to monitor the traffic and snow condition within the CBD and along Tukwila International Blvd. was extremely beneficial and effective. When Washington State Department of Transportation closed SR -599 to through traffic and diverted all vehicles onto Tukwila International Blvd., the EOC was able to assess the situation and provide assistance where needed a Metro articulated bus and a semi -truck jackknifed causing an impassable situation. Police were dispatched quickly and snowplows /sanders were diverted to other arterials. The First Responder Team Fire, Police, and Public Works provided situation reports on conditions. The Mayor and Council President visited the EOC. The Public Works Director kept the Mayor informed of the situation throughout the storm. Even though a fully staffed EOC was not activated only Command Staff, Communications, and Operations were brought in the EOC quickly became crowded and noisy. Time was needed to obtain all of the charts, maps, power outlets, telephone lines, chargers for telephones, radios, and computers, and materials needed for sustained operations. Recommendation 1. The City should invest in a permanent EOC. Sufficient space and equipment would be provided. Sustained operations could be supported. Management Response: Emergency Management strongly supports this recommendation. Time would be saved and a more effective response and recovery could be provided. Y:'2009 IntoAtemos \Dec Winter Storm After Action Review 02 -23-09 oI.doc 2008 WINTER STORM AFTER ACTION REVIEW Page 4 Responsible Department: Public Works will continue to emphasize the need and include the requirement as part of the City's Capital Facilities Plan. B. Field Operations At 3:00 am on Thursday, December 18 road crews from the City's Public Works Department were called in to begin what would turn out to be 7 -days of 24 -hour, around the clock snow removal and sanding operations. In accordance with City policy and Public Works Snow Removal Operating Procedures, major arterials in the commercial and industrial areas received the road crews' initial attention. Because it was the final week of Christmas shopping, keeping both the Commercial Business District (CBD) roadways and roadways leading to the CBD open was the top priority. On December 18, all crews were placed on 12 -hour operational shifts. Plow /sander combinations were operated 24 -hours a day for the next seven days. Progress was made such that crews were able to spend Christmas with their families. Starting on December 26, 24 -hours operations were started to clear all residential streets. On December 28 all residential streets were passable and with the help of a warming trend were completely clear by December 29, 2008. A total of 7 streets were impassable because of steep slopes and the inability to stay ahead of the snow accumulation. Barricades and advance warning signs were installed to protect the public. The School District, Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington State Patrol, and King County Emergency Coordination Center were kept apprised of the closed roads. Information was posted on the City's web page, Cable TV Channel 21, and the City's radio station. At 2:00 p.m. on December 18, water crews were dispatched to 57 Avenue South /S. 144 Street area in response to a 10 -inch water main break. Crews quickly shut off the water, rerouted the supply and turned the water back on. No resident or business was without water longer than 1 -hour. Crews spent the next 6 -hours in freezing temperatures repairing the broken pipeline. The water main was completely repaired by 8:00 p.m. During the activation of the EOC on December 18, the First Responder Team made several operational decisions for safety reasons and to provide essential City services without any interruption: Note: These decisions stayed in effect throughout the storm period. 1. Fire Department brought in additional personnel to staff the aid car An aid car could more safely traverse streets than the ladder truck. 2. Fleet Management had installed chains on all patrol cruisers, fire apparatus, and key Public Works' vehicles; 3. Fleet Management was placed on a 24 -hour operational status in order to keep all safety vehicles and snow removal vehicles operational; 4 A plan was established to ensure that police and fire could access any place within the City if there were a life- threatening situation. On December 19 a power outage was experienced in the north end of the City When Seattle City Light restored power, only single -phase power was provided. The alarms at the Tukwila Community Center were activated. Through the quick action of staff from Parks and Recreation and Public Works, power to all motors, pumps, air handlers, and refrigerators was shut off to prevent damage. Once 3 -phase power was restored, Public Works Facility Staff spent the next 5 -hours resetting alarms and systems W'2009 InfoMerres \Dec Winter Storm After Action Review 02 -23 -09 el.doc 2008 WINTER STORM AFTER ACTION REVIEW Page 5 On January 7, 2009 the First Responder Team closed Interurban Avenue at approximately 11:30 p.m. because of a major landslide. The Public Works Director was called in to assess the stability of the hillside. From 11:30 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. there were 6 additional small slides. The hillside was considered unsafe and the roadway remained dosed and road crews were not allowed to cleanup the site because of the unsafe conditions. The Tukwila School District, Washington State Department of Transportation, and Washington State Patrol were notified of the road closure. The City's webpage, TV Channel 21, and the radio station were updated. HWA GeoSciences, Inc was brought in on January 8 to assess the stability of the hillside. A tree removal firm was brought in to remove 6 large trees from the top of the hillside that were deemed to be a safety hazard. It was not until approximately 5:00 p.m. that the hillside stabilized and cleanup could proceed. Interurban Avenue South was reopened to traffic at approximately 11:30 p.m. on January 8. Throughout the entire period, all essential City services were provided. All dispatches for Fire and Police aid were fulfilled. There were no storm related injuries, loss of life, or property damage reported. The Mayor, several Council Members, and Public Works staff received approximately 50 telephone calls from a minority number of residents demanding that their streets be plowed and trash and recyclables picked up. Residents employed a variety of excuses in an attempt to have their streets plowed some may have been valid, others were not. Snowplows were diverted from priority areas to accommodate some of these requests and demands Recommendation 1. Unless there is a life threatening situation, crews should not be diverted from priority snow removal routes in order to respond to less important requests. Management Response: Emergency Management concurs with this recommendation. After a review of field operations, it is estimated that the City's high standard of removing the snow from all streets could have been achieved 24 -hours earlier than actually accomplished The diversion of snowplows from priority areas in order to respond to "trouble spots" was ineffective and inefficient. Responsible Department: Emergency Management will prepare and disseminate an appropriate response to be used by all individuals that may receive telephone calls requesting service from residents and businesses. 2. Fleet Management should review the usage of key spare parts and equipment during the storm to ensure that proper inventory levels have been established. Management Response: Emergency Management concurs with this recommendation. As an example, heavy equipment will wear out a set of chains over 36 -hours of constant use. Snowplows take a heavy beating during removal operations and spare bottom blades and other parts need to be available. Because of the prolonged length of the storm and the number of cities being impacted, spare parts could not be readily obtained from dealers. Responsible Department: Public Works will take the lead in establishing the proper inventory level. W:2009 InfoLlerros\Dec Winter Storm After Action Review 02 -23 -09 gLdcc 2008 WINTER STORM AFTER ACTION REVIEW Page 6 C. Shelter Operations There were no requests for sheltering during the storm. D. Communications All First Responder communication systems 800 MHz; 155 MHz; and Nextel functioned flawlessly during the incident. During the activation of the Emergency Operations Center, a communication plan was created and kept in effect throughout the storm. At approximately 4:30 a.m. on December 19 and December 22, the Director of Emergency Management recommended that City facilities not open. The Mayor concurred. Department Heads were notified so that they could make arrangements for the provision of essential services and functions. A message was placed on the Employee Information Line. The City's web page, Cable Channel 21, and the radio station were updated with the closure information. Director of Emergency Management kept the School District appraised of road closures and the closure of City facilities. In addition, WSDOT, State Patrol, King County Emergency Coordination Center, City's web page, TV Channel 21, and the radio station were regularly updated with storm information and road closures. Recommendation 1 Prepare signs that read, "City of Tukwila offices closed due to inclement weather." Police post when the facilities are closed. Management Response: Emergency Management concurs. Responsible Department: Public Works will have the signs made. 2. Allow designated Public Works personnel to have limited, remote access to the Security Card Access System. This will allow the security system to be manually overridden. Currently, all City Hail and 6300 Building doors are on an automatic timing program. If City facilities are closed on a normal workday, then the doors can remain locked. Management Response: Emergency Management concurs. Responsible Department: IT Department and Public Works 3. Update the Employee Information Line no later than 10:00 p.m. of the day prior to closure. Management Response: Emergency Management does not concur. Accurate and current information is often times not available that far in advance for the Director of Emergency Management to make a recommendation to the Mayor. An attempt is made to update the Employee Information Line by 5:00 a.m. City employees should make an assessment of their own ability to get to work safely and act accordingly. W12C09 IntoMiemos \\Dec Winter Storm After Action Review 02 -23 -09 cI.ecc 2008 WINTER STORM AFTER ACTION REVIEW Page 7 E. Adequacy of City Facilities See discussion and recommendations associated with the Emergency Operations Center. F. Response and Recovery Costs Snow Removal and Cleanup (December 17 through December 31s Public Works: Overtime: $37,272.23 Sand /Salt: $13,341.33 Equipment Parts: $15,903.90 Lodging /Meals: 1,643.70 Fire Department: Overtime: $13,307.92 Police: Overtime: 4,783.25 Lodging /Meals 890.24 Landslide Cleanup (January 7 and 8 Public Works: Overtime: 6,362.58 Equipment Rental 2,058.68 Slope Stability Analysis 7,613.00 Tree Removal 7,630.00 Total Cost: $110.806.83 Recommendation 1. Gather and maintain accurate cost related data for the incident. Management Response: Emergency Management concurs. Responsible Department: Finance needs to establish an accounting process that easily captures all costs related to the incident. G. Public Expectations Expectations as to when and what will be done during the response and recovery phases do not coincide with what should be and can be accomplished. The City's high standard of personal attention and service to our residents during normal day -to -day operations has W \2009 Infob.lemos\Dec Winter Stern: After Action Review 02 -23 -09 ef.dcc 2008 WINTER STORM AFTER ACTION REVIEW Page 8 created an unreasonable and unattainable level of expectation for response during times of an emergency. The City has established priorities for restoring City services. These priorities have been validated and proven over time. Priorities are an absolute necessity because of limited resources. However, during an emergency, these priorities do not always respond to and satisfy the requests for service made by our residents. As the response and recovery time for an incident lengthens, the demand for personal attention increases and the tolerance level for inconveniences decreases. As an example, from December 17 through December 24, road crews were unable to keep up with the snowfall and concentrated all efforts on keeping the commercial and industrial areas and the major arterials open. It was not until December 26 that efforts could be directed to our residential neighborhoods. Trash pickups were suspended because Allied Waste vehicles could not safely get into the neighborhoods. Suspension of trash and recyclable pickups stretched to two weeks in some neighborhoods. Even though there was no health problem, the inconvenience associated with residents having to store the trash and recyclable materials became the major reason and theme of calls received by City staff. V. CONCLUSIONS Through the hard work of the First Responder Team, the winter storm, landslide, and follow -on flood watch proved to be an inconvenience for our residents, citizens, and businesses. There were no storm related injuries or property damage. Not a single City service was interrupted. Every dispatch for Fire and Police aid were answered. The City did an outstanding job in planning for, responding to, and recovering from the storm Once again, as long as the First Responder Team is able to handle the incident, the residents and this City are in extremely capable hands. However, as been shown numerous times before, Tukwila's residents are totally unprepared for and do not have the patience to shelter in place for any length of time. The City itself is unprepared for a sustained, major disaster that would require full mobilization of its emergency management organization. The Mayor and City Council need to address the difficult question of how to staff and fund the program, including adequate City facilities. Expectations as to when and what will be done during the response and recovery phases do not coincide with what should be and can be accomplished. The City's high standard of personal attention and service to our residents during normal day -to -day operations has created an unreasonable and unattainable level of expectation for response during times of an emergency. it has also lead to the general perception that there is no need for the individual family to be prepared to take care of itself for at least three days because the City will immediately take care of all of their needs. People have lost the ability to discern between what is a true emergency and what is just an inconvenience. There are items in this report that will need individual committee attention and City Council action before this report is closed Many things remain to be accomplished before Tukwila is prepared to respond to a major disaster. W InfoLiernos;Dec Winter Storm After Action Review 02 -23 -09 gl.dcc