FLOOD MITIGATION OBSERVATIONS AND LESSONS FROM A FLOOD IN THE SMITH FIELDHOUSE

1. FLOOD MITIGATIONOBSERVATIONS AND LESSONS FROM A FLOOD IN THE SMITH FIELDHOUSE BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY AUGUST 2006

13. I want to talk to you about what I think are five key elements of flood mitigation. • Notification • Response/Mobilization • Clean up • Restoration/Reconstruction • Evaluation

14. 1. NotificationWho and how fast • - Electronic Alarm notification to University Police • -University Police assessment • -Police notify appropriate on call person and Risk Management • -On call specialists can handle their areas well but you need a good mechanism to alert upper level management in major events

15. Notification Strengths • -Risk management informed early • -Risk management informed upper level management early • -Good cell phone communication

16. Notification Weaknesses • -College notification • -Cell phone batteries • -Notification process took too long

17. 2.Response/ MobilizationIncident command • -Select an incident command person who can delegate responsibilities and stay put. • Don’t assign a “hands on” person this responsibility. Glen Johns our Risk Management and safety director was on call and served as incident commander. • Have the incident command decision made now before the incident occurs.

18. 2. Response/MobilizationInitial safety assessment • -Glen Johns and safety office staff • -Electrocution hazard assessed and mitigated

19. 2. Response/MobilizationReporting • Make sure you have a good mechanism for your own line reporting. “Keep your boss informed.” • Incident command only reports through their line

20. Response/Mobilization strengths • -Handled quickly • -Had good incident commander available

21. Response/Mobilization weaknesses • -Some cleanup was occurring before safety assessment was complete • Some of my own line reporting was slow.

22. 3. CleanupDelegate assignments • -In our case Glen Johns our Risk Management director delegated • -Buildings/Water clean up • -Electrical/ Utilities service • -Food • -Media relations • -Campus academic communication

23. 3. CleanupPumping problems/ Capacity, Lift, Reach • -Electric and mechanical service could not be addressed until water was cleared out. • -With water flooding basement areas and filling mechanical rooms water pumping became a major issue.

24. 3. CleanupPumping problems/ Capacity, Lift, Reach • Gas powered pumps with limited lift presented two problems. • Pumps had good volume capacity but limited lift and limited hose reach • If pumps were placed in buildings near water sources carbon monoxide became a problem. • -We had four large 2 and 3 inch discharge pumps in place and made no headway.

25. 3. CleanupPumping problems/ Capacity, Lift, Reach • -We called in Provo City and they supplied a 6 inch diesel powered pump. With our grounds division diesel powered sewer truck and Provo City’s pump we began to make headway

26. 3. CleanupWater shutoff problems • -Water break was in a loop fed from 2 directions identifying and turning off water was a process that took too long. • -One of the shut off valves was allowed to be placed in the flooded basement mechanical room. • -Other remote field water line valves were hard to locate • -Break was in a water loop so it had to be shut off from two directions

27. 3. CleanupUtilities • -The major mechanical rooms and electrical rooms were under 10 feet of water

28. 3. CleanupUtilities • -Switchgear and transformers were damaged beyond repair and had to be replaced. • -Parts were 3 to 5 days out

29. 3. CleanupUtilities • -Emergency power switchgear was inoperable

30. 3. CleanupDrying out • -A large wood playing floor had some water underneath it and needed heavy air flow to save it • -Power availability to run drying fans became a problem • -We had to evaluate our resource for drying out after the water was stopped and pumped out. • We did not have de-humidifiers

31. 3. CleanupContract help

32. 3. CleanupContract help • -Don’t be a hero call in available help. We used “Utah Disaster Cleanup”. Their resource for fans and the power to run them was great. • -We have a lot of equipment here on campus. All totaled we have around 100 floor fans for use around campus. That sounds good but a big clean up contractor will have the following; 1000 floor fans Generators and extension cords to run all of them 25 Air dryers • Additional manpower with the ability to work around the clock. • Make sure you have a single contract source for work performed • Specialized equipment for computer repair and file retrieval. • Well worth the expenditure

33. 3. CleanupStrengths • Good delegation • Teamwork • Incident command handled other problems that allowed non distracted cleanup

34. CleanupWeaknesses • Failure to establish good contact point with contract help • Contract help not communicating contact information at shift change

35. 4. Restoration/ReconstructionMold • -Keep air moving until crawl spaces are completely dry. • -Remove water traps where air can’t circulate. • -Remove soaked gypsum board.

36. 4. Restoration/ReconstructionMold • -Wall covering will shrink and cannot be re-glued • -Carpet extract or remove. • -Measure moisture content do not assume

37. 4. Restoration/ReconstructionOdor • -Eliminate don’t mask • -We are still circulating air in some dirt floor crawl space areas.

38. 4. Restoration/ReconstructionFurniture and electronic equipment • -Replace soaked upholstered furniture • -Computers were sent to contract water damage company and saved about 75%

39. 4. Restoration/ReconstructionNew Construction • -Complete demolition, haul off and dry out to protect from mold spores

40. 4. Restoration/ReconstructionStrengths • Had in house labor available for immediate response • Did not have a long delay for plans and specifications

41. 4. Restoration/ReconstructionWeaknesses • Still some odor in dirt floor crawl spaces • Some carpet has gone bad long after flood. We should have replaced

42. 5. EvaluationPost incident meeting • Large or small discuss your process with all involved • Include occupants, managers, risk management, front line workers in your assessment • Do it with in 60 days of incident

43. 5. EvaluationPost incident meeting • Evaluate the cause

44. 5. EvaluationPost incident meeting • Evaluate future problems

45. I hope your waterfall experiences in the future look like this Not this