1

British Columbia’s Approach to Post Disaster Building Assessments

Steven BibbyDirector, Security and Emergency Servicessbibby@bchousing.org

POST-DISASTER DAMAGE AND SAFETY ASSESSMENT OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT PROJECT

CSSP-2016-CP-2268

Funded by:

Post-Disaster Building Assessment

(PDBA)

It’s a“System of Systems”

Key Components:

4

• Recruitment & Training• Pre/Post Event Strategies• Assessment Types• Legislative Framework• Information Management• Administration• Assessment Procedures• Actionable Outcomes

Post DisasterBuilding Assessment

Building Safety

Indicators

Governance and

Administration

Program Management

and Habitability

Applied Technology Council (ATC)Earthquake Engineering Research InstituteEngineers & Geoscientists BCEmerging Technology (e.g. PPR)

Pre-Disaster PlanningProgram DirectionTraining & CertificationPersonnel DeploymentData CollectionSituational AwarenessSupport & Mutual AidBuilding Typology

Authority to EnterPlacard Authority & Change/RemovalTeam Assignment & IntegrationHabitability StandardsHabitability MilestonesInformation ManagementBuilding Prioritization & Assessment Type

Governance and AdministrationBC Housing Establish and lead the Building Damage Assessment Branch

at the PECC/PERRC. Manage Registry & Co-Chair Committee.BC Post-Disaster Building Assessment Advisory Committee Advise, Recommend, Implement, Promote, Integrate Established governance Common Terminology, Forms & Placards Curriculum & Training

Adapting to Changing Goals

Area Assessment

Safety Assessment

Damage Assessment

Personnel Registry & Deployment

Approved Credentials

Essential CurriculumSection Topic Example/Learning Objective /Learning Statement

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROCESS

Incident Command System Basic overview of Operations, Logistics, Planning and Finance; BCEMS objectives; Field command

Orientation & Logistics Sign-in Sheets; Understanding Worksafe, Civil Liability Protection & Coverage; Location to report; Responsibility for reporting; General Forms ; assessment authority

RESPONSE AND RECOVERY STRUCTURE

Assessment Team Structure Team composition (Team leader, Outside person); Job description (Team roles & responsibilities, Minimum skills/requirements);

Big Picture of DA Aspects/Overview

Understanding impact of a displaced population

Tools & Equipment Safety Equipment; ID for assessors; AppRecovery Transition process/Authority

PERSONAL AND TEAM SAFETY

Local Geographical Conditions

Awareness of hazards, risk & personal preparedness; Secondary hazards; Scope of hazards; Transportation Routes

Sample Typology

Considerations Non-complex Complex Very Complex

Height • Up to 3 stories • 4-7 stories • 8 or more stories

Design, Size or Shape

• regular building form; Building code

• up to 5000 sq.ft.

• irregular building form; Building code

Materials • wood • brick • concrete

• multiple structural materials (e.g. brick and steel)

• Innovative/unusual materials (e.g. Mud brick, straw bail) until otherwise classified

• engineered materials (e.g. steel)

Slope & Geotechnical

• low geotechnical risk

• medium geotechnical risk (e.g. liquefaction)

• high geotechrisk (e.g. hillside)

Forms, Processes & TemplatesDefined:

– Placards– Assessment Forms– Mobile App– Code of Conduct

Sample:– Job Descriptions– Deployment Checklists– Kit Contents– Building Typology– Public Communications

Information Management & Common Operating Picture

DATA REPOSITORY

Multiuser, Editable, Central

Spatial Database

Damage Assessment App/Form

ESRI CollectorDynamic/Interactive

Web Map and Dashboardson Desktop

for Clients/Decision MakersFIELD STAFFData Creators

DECISION MAKERSUsers of Data

GIS STAFFApp, Map, Dashboard Creation/Maintenance,

Damage Assessment Coordination

14

ScalabilityATC Standard:• All Communities• All Regions• 5 Canadian Provinces• Canadian Military• 4 Neighboring Countries

Community Leadership

• PDBA Coordination Department • EOC Branch & PDBA Assembly Area• Authority to Enter• Building Typology Inventory• Prioritized Assessment List

• Placards, Forms & Tools• Contracts/Agreements• Identification Cards• Information Management• Public Communications

Anticipated Challenges• Civil Liability Protection• Clarity of PDBA process ownership• Building taxonomies/inventories• PDBA/EM transition to recovery• Placard Management (modifying,

removing)• Overlap of PDBA with USAR and other

rescue/response activities

• Personnel

• BDSA Operations

• Types of personnel involved in PDBA • Desired credentials or certification• Use of non-credentialed personnel in PDBA • Recruitment of personnel for PDBA • Prior training • Just-in-time training and/or preparation for

PDBA • Liability for personnel involved in PDBA

• Overall management of PDBA • Decision-making and priority determination• Logistics and dispatching of PDBA teams• Data collection• Data reporting• Data management• Use of data in subsequent decision-making• Use of technology in data management• Team size and composition

Tools/ResourcesMarch 5-8. 2019EERI 2019 ANNUAL MEETING

18

Questions?

Steven BibbyDirector, Security & Emergency Servicessbibby@bchousing.orgwww.bchousing.org

EERI 2019 ANNUAL MEETING