In this lesson, you will learn the operations of local damage assessment. This lesson recommends potential members and responsibilities for first-in teams. It also outlines the process for local workers responding to an event as part of the damage assessment response team. Finally, reminders are included about how response team members have considerations beyond damage assessment.

Upon completion of this lesson, you should be able to:

• Identify potential members of the local damage assessment response team.
• List types of information that should be included in pre-deployment briefings.
• Describe basic procedures for damage assessment.
• Describe special considerations for damage assessment response teams when dealing with the human impact of disasters.

Local damage assessment is a very important function within the disaster operation scenarios. What I would encourage you all to do as you walk out into your jobs to assess the damage, that you be always aware of the surroundings around you. One of the things I will mention is, as a safety and health professional with over 25 years of Federal experience, I was recently able to find information that was actually professionally illuminating to me dealing with the Tennessee floods, and what it amounted to was that as I was moving around in a vehicle just after the Nashville incident, I looked across at an elevated rise on the highway, and I’m looking at the tops of trees. Now, these trees are about 25-30 feet above the ground level that is surrounding us down below, and I’m seeing wooden pallets, like 60-pound pallets that actually would normally have materials such as barrels and drums that forklifts use to ship materials lying in the tops of the trees. I also saw metal debris. Once the waters have receded, as you’re walking down below, be cognizant of the hazards above. This was completely a surprise to me, even as a seasoned professional. So I encourage you to not take for granted what is underneath your feet, and most especially what could be above your head as you do your damage assessment. This is always to be considered, you as a precious resource, because you are the first people out looking at the damage, to actually keep yourself safe, and please report any issues that you consider of significance to your chain of supervisors so that others following in your footsteps can have this either remediated, removed, abated, or have people behind you avoid such a scenario.

Get out there quickly. Use the people that you have. In many instances there are already going to be people out there. There are going to be emergency responders. There are going to be firefighters potentially, and even think about things like sanitation workers. You know, after any event there is going to be waste everywhere; you still got to pick up garbage, and those people are going to be out there, they’re going to be working. It’s likely they have the ability to communicate. So you want to use them. So recognize that those people are out there, and don’t forget about them.

Then there is the idea of special consideration for people that you send out. And this is really, really important when it comes to the idea of their safety. For example, if electrical lines are down, how do you satisfy them, how do you tell people that are headed out to do damage assessment that if they head down a road, and there are electrical lines down, that those lines are no longer hot, they are no longer charged, and they are not going to be in danger? The sad fact is that from things like down power lines people die in this country almost every year. That doesn’t have to happen. So their safety is key, and the people that are a part of the team can help with that in every aspect of what they do and everywhere they go.

One key member of a damage assessment team may very well be a representative from the local power company. And those are the kinds of things you take into consideration. You have to look at how their ability will be to travel about, what their skills are, and what their ability is to capture information and how they get it back to the people that need it. When you look at that and when you put those people out there, their key role and their primary responsibility is to get that information and get it back to the people that need it. But they also may find themselves working in the role of a local emergency responder. They may very well come upon a situation where somebody needs medical help. Those people need first aid training; they need to have some minimal level of first aid with them. They are not intended to be emergency medical responders, and that’s not their job. But they may very well find themselves dealing with that kind of a situation, and they need to be prepared for that. Beyond that they need to have the ability to communicate to the people that they meet. They need to have some small level of handout with contact information, who to call, where to get it, and where to go for information.

Although the primary mission of the assessment teams is to deploy to quantify the damage done to your community’s homes, businesses and infrastructure, there is a human element that cannot be ignored if you want to serve the needs of the people. One is Field Intelligence, maximizing the team’s ability to gather information on immediate life/safety issues, debris, power, sewer, water, individual needs and an overall snapshot of what the teams see on the streets. This information, communicated to the coordinating authority as soon as humanly possible will enhance appropriate immediate response efforts to the community and will assist the policy makers in making enlightened decisions on recovery issues such as rebuilding infrastructure, post-disaster redevelopment and the other myriad of issues that will face your community for years to come. Another is even more immediate. The damage assessment teams may be the first authority figures that the public-at-large may see and will want their needs known and dealt with as soon as possible. Part of the pre-deployment briefing should include distribution of fact sheets, press releases and information on FEMA contact numbers, your local citizens information numbers, locations of disaster recovery centers, locations of point of distribution centers and mass feeding. The teams should take along bottled water for the survivors and other comfort items as available to give to the people they encounter. Doing due diligence to deal with the public in a calm and compassionate manner and gathering the field intelligence for the decision makers to consider can only lead to a much more successful response and recovery for your community.

When a disaster or other emergency strikes a community, first responders are generally deployed to address life safety issues such as conducting search and rescue, clearing entrance and egress routes, extinguishing fires, and providing medical services.

These “first-in teams” can be a valuable asset to your community’s damage assessment program by conducting preliminary impact assessments and reporting on life safety issues, debris, and other damages they observe while they are out in the community. While first-in teams are not a required part of a damage assessment program, they can be a valuable source of field intelligence for damage assessment and are therefore a recommended resource. They are already there, so it makes sense to use them to help gather information.

Some potential members of the first-in team are shown below.

Even if your community does not have a formal first-in team, local agencies and certain members of the community can still be excellent sources of information. For example, garbage collectors can help to identify hazards by reporting on road conditions or debris as they travel their routes; utility company workers can report on down power lines or debris issues that they encounter. These sources of information can be a great start for the damage assessment process. This information can be invaluable to other local response or recovery agencies.

Keep in mind that these teams will need to be trained in a manner that is consistent with the training provided to the damage assessment response teams, including participation in drills and exercises. A sample standard operating guide for first-in teams is included in your Toolkit. Reviewing this sample will help you identify some of the issues and assumptions you’ll need to consider when planning for your community.

Click this link to view the sample Standard Operating Guide.

The damage assessment response team evaluates and documents the physical damage caused by an event and its potential impact on the community. Because input from varying perspectives allows for a more thorough assessment of the damage in a community, the damage assessment response team should be composed of members from various groups and functional areas within the community. Frequently, there is overlap with those who helped develop the community’s emergency management and damage assessment plans.

Team members may include:

• Building inspectors
• Local government assessors
• Public works officials
• Code enforcement officials
• Firefighters
• Private engineers
• Amateur radio operators
• Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOADs) representatives

Responsibilities should be clearly designated so that efforts are not duplicated. To effectively coordinate efforts and compile information, a Damage Assessment Coordinator should be designated as the facilitator/leader of the process.

Click on the highlighted text to learn more about selecting the Damage Assessment Coordinator.

When the damage assessment response team is out in the community, members should be using the standards and procedures defined in the community's damage assessment plan to record information such as:

• Life safety issues/immediate needs
• Date and time of assessment
• Location
• Type of structure/infrastructure
• Degree of damage/volume of debris
• Comments

Remember, the team will use standards and procedures defined in your community’s damage assessment plan. The Toolkit includes sample forms that can be adapted for your community’s specific needs during the planning stage.

Click on the highlighted text to learn about each type of information the damage assessment response team should record.

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Life Safety Issues/Immediate Needs

Reporting life safety issues is paramount, not only to maintain the safety of the damage assessment response team members, but also that of individuals in the community. A life safety issue is any issue that presents an immediate hazard. Examples are live power lines, leaking chemicals, gas leaks, and wild animals. Follow your community's designated procedures for reporting life safety issues as soon as they are identified.

Any immediate needs issues should also be identified and reported. Immediate needs are defined as food, water, sanitation, shelter, need for Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), etc.

Date and time of assessment

It is important to note the date and time you are conducting your assessment. Multiple assessments may need to be conducted following an event, and certain conditions, such as continued hazardous weather, may contribute to further damage. Documenting dates and times on assessment forms helps document the timeline of damage.

Location

Details about the location of the assessment need to be included. This information helps determine the perimeter of damage and helps locate the areas which received the most damage. That information can be useful later when planning distribution of resources.

Type of Structure/Infrastructure

Categories of structures can include single family dwellings, mobile homes, multi-family dwellings such as apartments or condominiums, public buildings, and commercial buildings.

Infrastructure includes lifeline systems such as utilities, roads, bridges, and public services.

Degree of Damage/Volume of Debris

The degree of damage a structure has sustained should be assigned a category based on the standards established in your community. The goal at this phase is not merely assigning a dollar amount to the damage, but rather getting an accurate description of the scope and magnitude of the damage. Rather than simply providing an estimated repair cost, information about the impact on the community should be included. Describe how the damage will impede, threaten, or prevent the community from functioning as it normally would. The estimated duration of the disruption and assistance required for recovery should be included as well.

The volume of debris is a necessary measurement, as it is an integral part of the declaration process. It will also help determine the community's ability to manage the event or disaster and help evaluate if managing the event or disaster is beyond the means of the community.

Comments

The team should also include any other observations that do not fit into any other category. For example:

• How damages will affect the provision of essential services such as potable water, sewer disposal, etc.
• How damages will affect the business community
• The potential economic impact of the damage

Prior to damage assessment response teams going out into the community, they should be briefed about the current situation and what they might expect in the field, based on available information. For example, if the power company has confirmed that all power in an area is off, team members need to have this information so that they know that downed power lines in that area are not dangerous.

If teams have been pre-positioned, a briefing could be conducted over the phone, or via a web or video conference.

In particular, they should be briefed about potential safety issues they may encounter.

They should also be reminded of their specific roles and responsibilities as well as the reporting procedures. A clear communication of roles and responsibilities will result in smoother relay of information about the extent of damage across the community.

Remember, zones should be defined as part of your community’s emergency management plan, and teams should already be familiar with their zones. This zone familiarization is important so the teams understand what “normal” is for their assigned zones so they can more readily assess the damage to those areas. In particular, teams should be aware of the hazards in the community and in their zones that have been identified in the Hazard Vulnerability Assessment (HVA).

During the pre-deployment briefings, the damage assessment response teams will be deployed based on which areas were affected by the event. Giving each team an assigned zone ensures that all areas are assessed and efforts are not duplicated.

Click on the highlighted text to learn more about safety briefings.

All personnel assigned to the damage assessment team should receive a safety briefing as part of the pre-deployment briefing.

Issues discussed should include:

• Weather forecast
• Known or expected hazards
• Cautionary statements regarding being properly hydrated, using seat belts, etc.
• Any personal protective requirements such as use of safety shoes, reflective vests, hats or helmets, sunscreen, layered clothing, etc.
• Identification requirements
• Use of vehicle lights/warning lights as needed
• Communications plan
• Any other issues specific to the area

As part of the pre-deployment briefing, teams should understand the hazards they may face and what they should be looking for when conducting damage assessments. It is critical that life safety issues be reported right away, for the protection of the teams and the community’s citizens. Follow-up information should be reported to the EOC.

Damage assessment response teams should determine the perimeter of the damaged area, remembering to report only disaster-related damages and life safety issues. Damage that is not disaster-related should not be reported as such. This is one reason it is important for teams to be familiar with their zones prior to a disaster. If teams are not familiar with their zones, damages may be misreported. To some degree, inspectors should know what's in other zones, because they may need to fill in for someone else. Some zones may be so damaged that they require additional inspectors. For these reasons, cross-training on damage assessment zones is important.

At this stage, the teams will use a “windshield survey” approach to verify the extent and impact of the damage. They should assess physical impacts on:

• Structures
• Debris
• Utilities/lifelines/infrastructure
• Additional hazards

Click on the highlighted text to learn about assessment of physical impacts.

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Structures

Teams should get detailed information about structures in the assigned zone that have been affected by the disaster. Qualified damage assessment response teams should assess the structural integrity of damaged buildings and report unstable structures immediately. It is important to keep members of the community out of potentially unstable structures.

An important consideration for the community's recovery and for determining whether or not the affected area will be eligible for State and Federal aid is the need for temporary housing. Thus, it is important for damage assessment teams to provide information about the habitability of the homes that have been damaged. When conducting habitability assessments, teams should not focus on property value – only on whether residents can live in the structure.

Debris

Estimates of the volume of debris must be included in information that is submitted to the State as part of the declaration process. Information about the location of the debris should be included as well.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has developed specific techniques for calculating debris estimates. You can find more information in the Toolkit.

Utilities/Lifelines/Infrastructure

While out assessing damage, teams should determine areas that need immediate assistance because of damage to utilities and other lifelines (e.g., water, sewer, power). Hazards that pose a serious life safety issue, such as downed power lines, must be reported as soon as they are identified.

If your community uses the recommended first-in team approach, you will have been informed about any known power-related issues, because utilities crews should be on the first-in team. They can let others know that power is out and inform them of when it is safe to enter the area.

Additional Hazards

Damage assessment response teams need to be aware of additional hazards, such as those pre-identified in the HVA, so that they can report back on the state of those hazards. Other hazards that may be present are dependent on the disaster type and could include water-borne and vector-borne diseases, chemical spills, fires, wild animals, snakes, rodents, and even domestic animals that can become dangerous after they've gone hungry for several days.

Remember, your community’s standards for assigning damage ratings should be in accordance with FEMA’s 4-point system. That methodology for assigning damage levels is divided into four categories: affected, minor damage, major damage, and destroyed.

The affected category includes dwellings with minimal damage to structure and/or contents, when the home is habitable without repairs.

This category also includes homes that are inaccessible. Once accessible, the homes can be evaluated for a more accurate determination of the level of damage.

Minor damage encompasses a wide range of damage and is generally the most common type of damage. Minor damage exists when the home is damaged and uninhabitable, but may be habitable in a short period of time with home repairs.

To determine whether the rating of “minor damage” applies, consider whether the damages are less than the maximum Housing Assistance Repair Grant, windows or doors have been blown in, or if a backup of one foot or more of water or sewer in the basement exists, such as from furnace or water heater damage.

Also consider how much of the structure has been damaged. If it is less than 50%, it is classified as minor damage.

Major damage exists when structural or significant damages have been sustained, the structure is uninhabitable, and it requires extensive repairs.

To determine whether the rating of “major damage” applies, consider whether there is substantial failure of structural elements of the residence, such as the walls, roof, floors, or foundation.

Also consider whether the damages to the structure exceed the Home Repair Grant maximum. One foot or more of water in the first floor of a home with a basement also constitutes major damage.

If more than 50% of the structure has been damaged (but the structure is not a total loss), this is classified as major damage.

Destroyed means the structure is a total loss or damaged to such an extent that repairs are not economically feasible, and/or the structure is permanently uninhabitable.

Damages that cause complete failure of major structural components, such as collapse of the basement walls, foundation, or roof, are classified as destroyed.

Likewise, if only the foundation remains, or if the structure has been pushed off the foundation, this is considered destroyed.

When two or more walls and have been destroyed the roof has been substantially damaged, this is also classified as destroyed.

Finally, this rating may be used even if the structure is otherwise unaffected but will require removal or demolition. Examples include homes in imminent danger due to impending landslides, mudslides, or sinkholes, as well as beachfront homes that must be removed due to local ordinance violations as a result of beach erosion.

Information about the type and location of damage should be recorded. This includes mapping the damage in addition to providing a description. It should also include videos and/or photographs, when possible. It is important to keep accurate and thorough documentation because inaccurate or incomplete damage assessment information can cause inappropriate distribution of resources due to inaccurate setting of priorities. There could be increased negative environmental impacts. It can even result in a delayed or denied Presidential declaration of disaster.

During the planning phase, your community will have determined what forms will be used as part of its damage assessment procedures. These forms need to be completed correctly and efficiently so that information about the impact of the disaster can be reported in a timely manner. If your community is using an electronic method of recording data, there should be a backup plan in case of technological difficulties. It is advisable to have paper copies of the electronic forms available just in case.

The data recorded by local officials is then reported to state officials. The state compiles the local information into a report to be submitted to Federal officials often as part of a request for additional assistance via a declaration of disaster. Damage assessment response team members need to be aware of the policies and procedures defined in your community’s plan so that all necessary data can be reported.

HAZUS-MH can be a useful tool during this stage; FEMA will accept HAZUS-MH for preliminary damage assessment. GIS is another valuable tool for identifying the location of infrastructure and any associated damages. You can find more information about HAZUS-MH and GIS in the Toolkit.

The key to success is having an up-to-date damage assessment plan, the correct forms, and assessors that are properly trained.

Many times following an event, the damage assessment response team may be the first contact that the community has with any local government representative.

Members of the community may have many questions for you. While all questions must be referred to the Joint Information Center (JIC), you can provide some answers for the community members by being prepared with any pamphlets, flyers, booklets, or handouts that may help them better understand what to do following this event in regards to Individual Assistance (IA), locations of Points of Distribution (PODs), or even just relevant phone numbers of organizations or help lines that could provide assistance or more information.

Because the damage assessment response team members are on the “front line” of the disaster, they will be exposed firsthand to the human impact of the event. They may encounter community members who are injured, devastated by the loss of their property, or searching for friends, family members, or lost pets. Some may be mourning the death of a loved one. In addition, the disaster response team members may themselves have been personally affected by the event.

The human impact of disasters can be very unsettling and stressful for disaster response team members and may become overwhelming, particularly if they have suffered losses themselves. They need to be educated about recognizing the signs of stress and how to manage it. By managing stress levels and taking time to take care of themselves, the team members will be better prepared to help others during the deployment.

When debriefing disaster response teams to gain a better understanding of the physical impact of the disaster, supervisors should also be aware of the mental impact – both to the community and to the responders. Following an event, a community should be prepared for an increased demand for mental health services. The need for Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) should be acknowledged in emergency plans, and providers of mental health services, such as voluntary agencies, faith-based groups, and private agencies, should be pre-identified with contracts in place for support after a disaster.

In this lesson, you learned about local damage assessment operations, including the recommended members and responsibilities of first-in teams and damage assessment response teams, as well as some basic procedures for conducting local damage assessment. You also received reminders about considerations for damage assessment response team members that extend beyond assessing damage.

Remember, because all communities are different, specific procedures for damage assessment should be defined in your community-specific damage assessment plan.

Click this link to view a list of all items provided in the Toolkit for this lesson.

The following resources were references in this lesson and are provided in the Toolkit.

Resource Links:

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (debris calculations)
• HAZUS-MH
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Sample Documents:

• Standard Operating Guide for First-In Teams
• Damage Assessment Forms