Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription or Fee Access

Protecting the functionality of airports during disaster responses—Natural disasters, accidents, and pandemics

James Fielding Smith, PhD, PE, Captain USNR (Ret.), MASCE, Sandra Sue Waggoner, BA, EMT-P, EMSI, Arthur Rabjohn, DipEP, Avi Bachar, BGen (Ret.)

Abstract


Airports are important assets during disaster response. Traditional roles as command posts, shelters, temporary hospitals, and alternative communication hubs were filled by airports after Hurricane Katrina and for 9/11 flight diversions. The basic thesis of this article is that airports need special measures to preserve functionality (continuity of business) during response and recovery. The second thesis is that sound emergency management measures should be built into airports as a type of mitigation. This article applies qualitative analysis to historical case studies, plans, documents, and scenarios for use of airports during disasters. It focuses on policy, procedural, organizational, and operational measures to protect the functionality during responses.

Keywords


airports, COB, COOP, disaster, response, functionality, protection

Full Text:

PDF

References


Walsh DW, Christen HT, Miller GT, et al.: National Incident Management System: Principles and Practice. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett, 2005.

White House: Homeland Security Presidential Directive/ HSPD-5, Management of domestic incidents. Available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/20030228-9.html. Accessed April 22, 2006.

Hillingdon, London Borough of Civil Protection Service: Available at http://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/environment/emergency_plan/what_we_do.php. Accessed January 15, 2007.

LESLP (London Emergency Services Liaison Panel): Major incident procedure manual 1999/2000. Available at http://www.leslp.gov.uk. Accessed January 15, 2007.

LESLP (London Emergency Services Liaison Panel): Major incident procedure manual (2004). Available at http://www.leslp.gov.uk/LESLP_Man.pdf. Accessed January 15, 2007.

Smith JF,Waggoner SS, Hall G: The Memphis Airport model for disaster response. Crisis Response J. 2007; 3(3): 30-32.

Smith JF,Waggoner SS, Hall G: Building sound emergency management into airports. IATC Proceedings, 2007; 47-60.

Rodriguez M: Lessons Learned by Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport During Hurricane Katrina. PowerPoint presentation, 26 slides. New Orleans: NOAB, 2006.

LAX (Los Angeles International Airport): Draft ASAC allrisk/ hazard airport security plan. Los Angeles: Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), 2006.

LAX (Los Angeles International Airport): Draft concept of operations—ConOps2, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), 2006.

MSCAA (Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority): MSCAA Annual Report 2005. Available at http://www.mscaa.com/AnnualReport2005.pdf. Accessed January 21, 2007.

London Resilience: Strategic emergency plan: An overview of the Strategic London response to emergencies; summaries and highlights of pan-London arrangements (ver. 2.1). Available at http://www.londonprepared.gov.uk/londonsplans/emergencyplans/emergplan.pdf. Accessed January 15, 2007.

UK Resilience: Civil Contingencies Act. Available at http://www.ukresilience.info/preparedness/ccact.aspx. Accessed August 8, 2007.

Düsseldorf Flughafen GmbH: Flughafen Düsseldorf International. Available at www.duesseldorf-international.de/. Accessed January 21, 2007.

Enera International AB: RapidReach. An important notification tool for Düsseldorf Airport emergency management. Available at www.enera.com/download/Eng%20Case%20study%20Dusseldorf%20Airport.pdf. Accessed January 15, 2007.

Lebanon Civil Aviation Authority: Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport. Available at www.beirutairport.gov.lb/historical.html. Accessed August 7, 2007.

Bachar A: Terror at Airports. Tel Aviv: ISRATEAM fact sheet, 2005.

Bachar A: Establishing the Concept of Operation and the Response Plan for Ben Gurion Airport Dealing with Chemical Terror Event. Tel Aviv: ISRATEAM, April 19, 2006.

Bone J: Darfur daunting, urgent: UN. The Australian. Available at www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22178974-32682,00.html. Accessed August 7, 2007.

Ward C: Destructive Flooding Grows Worse in Mozambique and Malawi. American Red Cross press release, 2001.

Long J: Operation Unified Assistance: Lessons Learned Data Collection. PowerPoint presentation concerning 2004 tsunami response to PACOM, Honolulu, HI, June 30, 2005.

Wong SY, Aziz M, Zahara R: Singapore’s immigration checkpoints go through flu pandemic drill. Available at www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/220515/1/.html. Accessed August 5, 2007.

Torda A: Ethical issues in pandemic planning. Med J Australia. 2006; 185(10): S73-S76.

Hong Kong (Health,Welfare and Food Bureau, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region): Emergency Preparedness for Influenza Pandemic in Hong Kong. Available at http://www.info.gov.hk/info/flu/eng/files/checklist-e_flu_eng_20051105.pdf. Accessed August 5, 2007.

DeLuca J: Ensuring telecommunications resiliency during a pandemic—Where and why service problems and failures might occur and the options available. J Bus Contin Emerg Plann. 2007; 1: 380-388.

Johanis D: Greater Toronto Airport Authority’s experience of the 2003 SARS outbreak—What lessons does it offer for pandemic flu planning? J Bus Contin Emerg Plann. 2007; 1: 356-368.

US Navy: Navy-Marine Corps Crisis Response and Combat Actions. A Program Guide to the US Navy. Appendix A: 171. Available at http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/policy/vision/vis04/vpp04-appxa.pdf. Accessed August 5, 2007.

Larson R: Simple models of influenza progression within a heterogeneous population. Oper Res. 2007; 55(3): 400.

Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina: A failure of initiative: The final report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to investigate the preparation for and response to Hurricane Katrina. Available at http://katrina.house.gov/full_katrina_report.htm. Accessed February 3, 2007.

US Air Force: USAF 86th Contingency Response Group. Available at http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usaf/86crg.htm. Accessed June 24, 2007.

BBC News: BAA wins Heathrow protesters ban. Available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6932519.stm. Accessed August 8, 2007.

US Department of Homeland Security: National Response Plan. Available at http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/NRPbaseplan.pdf. Accessed May 1, 2007. See page 30 for list of Emergency Support Functions.

Smith JF: Budgeting for disasters. I. Overview of the problem. Public Manager. 2006; 35(1): 11-19.

Smith JF: Budgeting for disasters. II. Suggested solutions. Public Manager. 2006; 35(2): 58-62.

Chang SE, Ericson D, Pearce L: Airport Closures in Natural and Human-Induced Disasters: Business Vulnerability and Planning. Ottawa: Government of Canada, Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness, 2003.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.2007.0030

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2018 Journal of Emergency Management