Chapter 2: Existing Mitigation Strategies 2.1 About Hazard Mitigation Programs Communities can do a number of things to prevent or mitigate the impacts of natural disasters. Such actions range from instituting regulatory measures (e.g., building and zoning codes) and establishing Emergency Operations Plans and EOCs, to purchasing fire trucks and ambulances and constructing large and small infrastructure projects like levees and safe rooms. Most communities have already made considerable investments in these critical areas. The sections that follow in this Chapter survey the regulations, plans and infrastructure that the community has in place for avoiding or mitigating the impacts of natural hazards. This survey is based on FEMA’s State and Local Mitigation Planning How-to Guide (FEMA 386-1, September 2002), and covers the following topics: Public Information and Education, Prevention, Structural Projects, Property Protection, Emergency Services, and Natural Resource Protection. Included in this Chapter: 2.1 About Hazard Mitigation Programs 2.2 Public Information and Education 2.3 Preventive Measures 2.4 Structural Projects 2.5 Property Protection 2.6 Emergency Response Procedures & Resources 2.7 Natural Resource Protection There are several national hazard mitigation programs developed by FEMA and other agencies that are designed to help communities organize their mitigation activities to achieve tangible results in specific areas, such as flood protection and fire hazard abatement. This section looks at Tulsa’s participation and progress in these national programs. The Planning Team reviewed relevant community studies, plans, reports, and technical documents in the inventory, evaluation and planning phases of the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan development. The Comprehensive Plan was used to determine community growth patterns and identify areas of future development. The Capital Improvements Plan was used to determine priorities of public infrastructure improvements, and timing of potential future development. These plans were used to identify areas of future growth and development so that hazardous areas could be identified, evaluated, planned for, and appropriate mitigation measures taken. 2.1.1 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) For decades, the national response to flood disasters was simply to provide disaster relief to flood victims. Funded by citizen tax dollars, this approach failed to reduce losses and R.D. Flanagan & Associates 39 Tulsa Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan – 2008 Update
Transcript
Chapter 2: Existing Mitigation Strategies
2.1 About Hazard Mitigation Programs Communities can do a number of things to prevent or mitigate the impacts of natural disasters. Such actions range from instituting regulatory measures (e.g., building and zoning codes) and establishing Emergency Operations Plans and EOCs, to purchasing fire trucks and ambulances and constructing large and small infrastructure projects like levees and safe rooms. Most communities have already made considerable investments in these critical areas. The sections that follow in this Chapter survey the regulations, plans and infrastructure that the community has in place for avoiding or mitigating the impacts of natural hazards. This survey is based on FEMA’s State and Local Mitigation Planning How-to Guide (FEMA 386-1, September 2002), and covers the following topics: Public Information and Education, Prevention, Structural Projects, Property Protection, Emergency Services, and Natural Resource Protection.
Included in this Chapter: 2.1 About Hazard Mitigation
There are several national hazard mitigation programs developed by FEMA and other agencies that are designed to help communities organize their mitigation activities to achieve tangible results in specific areas, such as flood protection and fire hazard abatement. This section looks at Tulsa’s participation and progress in these national programs.
The Planning Team reviewed relevant community studies, plans, reports, and technical documents in the inventory, evaluation and planning phases of the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan development. The Comprehensive Plan was used to determine community growth patterns and identify areas of future development. The Capital Improvements Plan was used to determine priorities of public infrastructure improvements, and timing of potential future development. These plans were used to identify areas of future growth and development so that hazardous areas could be identified, evaluated, planned for, and appropriate mitigation measures taken.
2.1.1 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) For decades, the national response to flood disasters was simply to provide disaster relief to flood victims. Funded by citizen tax dollars, this approach failed to reduce losses and
didn't provide a way to cover the damage costs of all flood victims. To compound the problem, the public generally couldn't buy flood coverage from insurance companies, because private insurance companies see floods as too costly to insure.
In the face of mounting flood losses and escalating costs of disaster relief to U.S. taxpayers, Congress established the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The goals of the program are to reduce future flood damage through floodplain management, and to provide people with flood insurance. Community participation in the NFIP is voluntary.
Community Rating System (CRS) The CRS is a part of the National Flood Insurance Program that helps coordinate all flood-related activities of the City. Tulsa has participated in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) since 1971 and in the CRS since 1991. It is a voluntary program that seeks to reduce flood losses, facilitate accurate insurance rating, and promote awareness of flood insurance by creating incentives for a community to go beyond minimum floodplain management requirements. The incentives are in the form of insurance premium discounts. CRS ratings are on a 10-point scale, with residents of the community who live within FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) receiving a 5% reduction in flood insurance rates for every 1-point improvement in the community’s CRS rating. The City takes part in the following CRS activities:
• Public information activities • Mapping and regulatory activities • Flood damage reduction activities • Flood preparedness activities
Tulsa advanced from a Class 5 to a Class 3 community on October 1, 2000, and to a Class 2 community on October 1, 2003, making the City’s flood insurance rates some of the lowest in the country. The Class 2 rating allows Tulsa’s SFHA residents a forty percent reduction in their flood insurance premium rates.
Tulsa has had _____ flood insurance claims totaling $________ since 1978.
2.1.2 Firewise Community The Firewise Community certification is a project of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. It recognizes communities that have gone through a process to reduce the dangers of wildfires along what is referred to as the Wildland-Urban Interface. A specialist from Firewise Communities USA will work with the local community to assess wildfire dangers and create a plan that identifies agreed-upon achievable solutions to be implemented. For additional information on Firewise Communities, see Section 5.2.9 or visit www.firewise.org/usa/. Tulsa has not been certified as a Firewise Community.
2.1.3 Fire Protection Rating ISO’s Public Protection Classification (PPC) program provides important information about municipal fire-protection services, which is used by insurance companies to establish fire insurance premiums. The program also helps communities plan for, budget, and justify improvements in order to mitigate the effects of the fire hazard.
A uniform set of criteria, which incorporates nationally recognized standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association and the American Water Works Association, is used to evaluate a community’s fire protection service and rate it on a scale from 1 to 10, where lower numbers indicate a better rating. The evaluation inventories and analyzes the following segments of fire protection resources:
• Fire Alarm and Communication Systems – including telephone systems and lines, staffing, and dispatching systems
• The Fire Department – including equipment, staffing, training, and geographic distribution of fire companies
• The Water Supply System – including condition and maintenance of hydrants, and a careful evaluation of the amount of available water compared with the amount needed to suppress fires.
City of Tulsa Fire Protection Rating Tulsa’s fire protection rating went from a 4 to a 3 in 2007.
2.1.4 StormReady Community StormReady is a nationwide community preparedness program that began in Tulsa in 1999, and uses a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle all types of severe weather—from tornadoes to tsunamis. The program encourages communities to take a new, proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather operations by providing emergency managers with clear-cut guidelines on how to improve their hazardous weather operations. To be officially StormReady, a community must:
• Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center; • Have more than one way to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts and to
alert the public; • Create a system that monitors weather conditions locally; • Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars; • Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather
spotters and holding emergency exercises.
Additional information can be found at http://www.stormready.noaa.gov/.
Tulsa has been certified as a StormReady Community since 1999.
2.1.5 Business Continuity Mitigation and Planning Programs The shutdown or permanent loss of businesses can be particularly devastating to a community for a number of reasons.
1. Loss of a business can negatively affect the city’s tax base and revenue. In 1993, a tornado struck in the area of Catoosa, Oklahoma, destroying a number of residences and a major truck stop on Interstate 44. The truck stop, and associated traffic and personnel it attracted, supported restaurants, clothing stores, motels,
and numerous other businesses in the area. Overall, the loss of the one business cost the community almost 50% of its tax base until the truck stop was able to reopen.
2. Closing of a business may eliminate jobs, not only for the employees of that particular company, but also for vendors for and customers of the affected business. Following a severe tornado in Oklahoma City in 2002 that affected large parts of the community, including a General Motors plant, hundreds of workers were temporarily unemployed, putting a severe strain on the social service agencies for the area.
A great deal of the mitigation information in this document is applicable to residential, public, and commercial properties. When available, the plan will include business-specific information and strategies. For further discussion on business vulnerability and the importance of Business Continuity Planning (BCP), see Chapter 5, Section 5.2.9.
The City of Tulsa is served by the Disaster Resistant Business Council (DRBC), a coalition of a number of groups, including the Tulsa Metro Chamber, Red Cross, R.D. Flanagan & Associates, Family & Children’s Services, the Oklahoma Department of Insurance, the Tulsa Health Department, State Farm Insurance, and others. The DRBC has worked since 2004 to promote and support business continuity planning with small businesses, long term care facilities, hospitals, and non-profit agencies. For more information, see http://www.tulsapartners.org/DRBC.
2.2 Public Information and Education Public information and education strategies are an important part of any successful program to mitigate the loss of life and property from natural and man-made hazards. Examples of such strategies include outreach projects, hazard information distribution, and school age and adult education programs. This section examines the existing communications infrastructure in and around Tulsa, and the programs and activities that the City currently has in place to serve this purpose. See Section 5 and Appendix B for discussion of potential activities and programs within this category.
2.2.1 Public Information Infrastructure Television/Radio Cable television is supplied by Cox Cable. Tulsa’s government access Channel 23 is available to all Cox subscribers. Tulsa is served by the following TV stations:
Channel Call sign Network Owner 2/56 KJRH-TV NBC E.W. Scripps Company 6/55 KOTV-TV CBS Griffin Communications 8/10 KTUL-TV ABC Allbritton Communications Company
11/38 KOED-TV PBS Oklahoma Educational Television Authority 19 KQCW-TV The CW Griffin Communications
23/22 KOKI-TV FOX Clear Channel 35/36 KRSC-TV Educational Rogers State University 41/42 KMYT-TV MyNetworkTV Clear Channel 44/28 KTPX-TV ION Television ION Media Networks 47/48 KWHB-TV Religious LeSea Broadcasting 53/49 KGEB-TV Religious Oral Roberts University
Tulsa is also served by 11 AM radio stations and 19 FM stations. Telephone, Wireless and Cable Service Tulsa has an advanced telecommunications infrastructure comparable to most large metropolitan areas. The primary telecom provider is AT&T (formerly Southwestern Bell). In addition, there are a number of cellular and private telecom providers. Cox Cable also provides VOIP telephone service in the area.
AT&T offers digital DMS 100 central switch; fiber optic trunk line; 75,000 available line capacity; MCI and AT&T points of presence; and 99.9% redundancy. Newspapers Tulsa's morning and Sunday newspaper is the Tulsa World. In addition, an African American community newspaper, The Oklahoma Eagle, two business newspapers, and several suburban and metro area weeklies serve the city.
2.2.2 Outreach Programs Outreach Programs, as the name implies, are designed to inform the community about natural hazards and measures that can be taken to protect against them. Tulsa has outreach programs through the Tulsa Fire Department, City of Tulsa Public Works, American Red Cross, Tulsa Area Emergency Management and a number of other organizations.. The City also maintains a comprehensive Internet web site that posts local ordinances and agency contact information, as well as City Commission agendas and meeting minutes. Tulsa videotapes its City Commission meetings and broadcasts them over its public access Channel 23.
Tulsa City government has a very close relationship with the local newspaper, the Tulsa World, which serves as a reliable outlet for municipal news releases on hazard related issues. The Tulsa World provides detailed coverage of City Commission and Planning Commission meetings, and makes itself available for in-depth presentations and discussions of matters of local importance. The Tulsa World makes their articles available to the public via the Internet, www.tulsaworld.com.
The City of Tulsa has an aggressive and comprehensive outreach program for informing citizens about natural hazards, how to prevent or mitigate their impacts, and what resources the community has to assist in damage prevention, mitigation and recovery. For example, over the past three years (2003-2006) the Tulsa World has carried articles on family preparedness, tornado mitigation, lightning safety, house and wildfire mitigation, flooding, storm drainage, floodplain regulations, dam safety, the City’s EOC, storm sirens, the Red Cross, amateur radio operators, storm spotters, and hazard mitigation planning.
The City’s other outreach efforts include:
• The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the National Weather Service Tulsa Forecasting Office offers presentations to groups interested in storm preparedness.
• The EOC has direct access to the cable television system and local radio stations to alert citizens in the event of an emergency.
• Tulsa’s Mayor declared April to be American Red Cross National Preparedness Month.
• The National Weather Service and local ham radio groups offer classes for future storm spotters.
• Tulsa Fire Department has an active Public Education Department, which includes the Fire Department Clowns.
• The Tulsa Fire Department coordinates Project Life, a program designed to inundate a high-risk square mile with free smoke detectors and battery replacements. This program is done 4 times a year in coordination with Red Cross and local Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT).
• The Tulsa Area Chapter of the American Red Cross conducts regular disaster preparedness seminars at various locations.
• The Tulsa Area Chapter also coordinates a program called Safe & Secure which provides neighborhood organizations, schools, and churches education in family and individual preparedness plan.
• The City Commission declared April to be McReady Oklahoma Family Preparedness Month and participated in the state-wide “McReady” program, distributing hazard mitigation literature at kiosks in McDonalds restaurants and at City facilities.
City of Tulsa Radio/TV Programs/Communications Meetings of Tulsa’s City Commission are advertised on the Internet and broadcast over Channel 23. Channel 23 also carries emergency preparedness instructions for businesses and families.
Tulsa’s Emergency Manager has direct access to the cable television system and local radio to alert citizens of emergencies.
In addition, an overview of the Hazard Mitigation Plan is made available on the City of Tulsa’s website.
2.3 Preventive Measures Preventive measures are defined as government administrative or regulatory actions or processes that influence the way land and buildings are developed and built. This section contains a summary of the current ordinances and codes that relate to land use, zoning, subdivision, and stormwater management in the City of Tulsa. See Section 5 and Appendix B for discussion of potential activities and programs within this category.
2.3.1 Planning and Zoning Ordinances Tulsa’s Comprehensive Plan defines policies for providing guidance and direction of the City’s physical development. It covers ordinances for land use, zoning and subdivision, and the development of standards for transportation and public facilities. The original plan, adopted in 1924, contained Tulsa’s first zoning ordinances. It was revised in 1960, and again in 1976, when a land use plan was added. Early in 2007, the City of Tulsa began a process to update its Comprehensive Plan.
The City’s zoning ordinances and subdivision regulations are in Title 42, Tulsa Revised Ordinances, “The Tulsa Zoning Code” (1/1/1997) Zoning and Property Restrictions. The ordinances contain regulations for such things as building location and construction, mobile home location and protection, hazardous materials industries, and development in special flood hazard areas. A map of City zoning is presented as Figure 2-1.
The purpose of zoning is to:
1. Encourage the most appropriate uses of land according to the policies set forth in the Tulsa Comprehensive Plan;
2. Maintain and stabilize the value of property;
3. Secure safety from fire and other damages to public health and safety;
4. Provide adequate light and air;
5. Decrease traffic congestion and its accompanying hazards;
6. Prevent undue concentration of population;
7. Create a comprehensive and stable pattern of land use upon which to plan for water supply, transportation, sewers, schools, parks, public utilities, and other facilities.
Currently the city is zoned into residential, commercial, industrial, public, agriculture and university districts. These districts regulate such things as land use, lot sizes, setbacks, parking, and landscaping requirements. Currently, there are 21 zoning districts, supplemented by special overlay districts, which assign specific criteria to the underlying zoning. These special overlay districts include planned development districts, redevelopment districts, and the downtown district.
2.3.2 Flood and Stormwater Management The first citywide master drainage plan was the Flood and Stormwater Management Plan 1990–2005. This plan prioritizes and coordinates the flood protection projects that are detailed in the city’s 29 master drainage plans. The last revision of the plan was September 7, 2001. (Refer to Table 2–1, Master Drainage Plans and Basins, in Chapter 2.) The plan oversees the following:
• Capital Improvement Program (see next section) • Non-Structural Mitigation/Acquisition Priority List
The City later developed the Flood and Stormwater Management Plan 1999-2014, published on September 10, 1998. It was developed in accordance with planning criteria from the Community Rating System (CRS), Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA), and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). Although the 1999-2014 plan primarily dealt with flooding, it also addressed other natural hazards. The Flood and Stormwater Management Plan recommended stormwater capital improvements projects. The prioritized list of recommended stormwater projects is located in Appendix B.
Flood Hazard Regulations are designed to promote public health, safety and general welfare, and to minimize public and private losses in flood hazard areas. The City has adopted standards more strict than the FEMA minimum, such as not allowing any development that would raise 100-year flood levels from existing conditions. In addition, Tulsa requires that all new construction or substantial development within the SFHA have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated at least 12 inches above the base flood level. No encroachment is allowed in the floodway, including fill, substantial improvements or other development.
Tulsa has established a stormwater management fee dedicated to stormwater mitigation projects, and created a Stormwater Management Plan. The Plan inventoried drainage structures and drainageways, evaluated stream hydrology, identified problem areas, and formulated a prioritized list of recommended solutions. The Plan Some of Tulsa’s most beautiful parks serve
double-duty as flood control and retention facilities
recommended non-structural mitigation measures and stringent floodplain zoning and detention ordinances.
2.3.3 Building Codes Tulsa has adopted the following Building Codes:
• International Building Code, 2003 Edition • International Fire Code, 2003 Edition • International Residential Code, 2003 Edition • International Plumbing Code, 2003 Edition • International Fuel Gas Code, 2003 Edition • International Mechanical Code, 2003 Edition • International Property Maintenance Code, 2003 Edition • International Private Sewage Disposal Code, 2003 Edition • National Electrical Code, 2003 Edition
2.4 Structural Projects Structural projects are usually designed by engineers or architects, constructed by the public sector, and maintained and managed by governmental entities. They typically include such projects as stormwater detention reservoirs, levees and floodwalls, channel modifications, drainage and storm sewer improvements, and community tornado safe-rooms. The following section includes measures that are already in place or included in current planning. See Section 5 and Appendix B for discussion of potential activities and programs within this category.
2.4.1 City of Tulsa Capital Improvements Plans The City of Tulsa’s Capital Improvements Plan lists approved street, building, water, sewer, and stormwater capital improvement needs, their costs, priority, and 5-year funding schedule. Capital improvements projects identified for hazard mitigation purposes – such as flood, tornadoes, high winds, and drought – are listed in ______.
2.5 Property Protection Property protection measures are used to modify buildings or property that are subject to damage from various hazardous events. The property owner normally implements property protection measures. However, in many cases technical and financial assistance can be provided by a governmental agency. Property protection measures typically include acquisition and relocation, flood-proofing, building elevation, barriers, retrofitting, safe rooms, hail resistant roofing, insurance, and the like. The following section includes examples of property protection measures which have already been implemented within the City of Tulsa or which are part of current projects. See Section 5 and Appendix B for discussion of potential activities and programs within this category.
2.5.1 City of Tulsa Property Protection Tulsa has standards for expansive soil foundation designs.
The City of Tulsa currently has no repetitive loss structures.
2.6 Emergency Response Procedures and Resources In times of emergency, it is critical that a community have resources available to respond in an efficient manner to a hazard event. This section outlines Tulsa’s current emergency response procedures, notification and warning systems, critical facility protection and available emergency response resources. See Section 5 and Appendix B for discussion of potential activities and programs within this category.
2.6.1 National Incident Management System (NIMS) In 2004, Homeland Security Presidential Directive #5 (HSPD-5) was issued stating that, in order to be eligible for certain Federal disaster mitigation funding, state, local, and tribal jurisdictions must incorporate the use of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) into their protocols.
The NIMS incorporates a system currently used called Incident Command System (ICS), a management system developed by the fire service to provide a common language, common management protocols, and scalable incident response chains-of-command that can be applied to any emergency response, whether it be a single family fire to a major hurricane. ICS also allows for “unified command” for situations where multiple agencies may be in charge of various aspects of the operation
The NIMS enhances the ICS by establishing a single, comprehensive system for incident management to help achieve greater cooperation among departments and agencies at all levels of government.
For further information on integrating NIMS/ICS into an Emergency Operations Plan, see the NIMS Integration Center at www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/nims.shtm. Available information includes Local and Tribal Integration: Integrating the National Incident Management System into Local and Tribal Emergency Operations Plans and Standard Operating Procedures, available at www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/eop-sop_local_online.pdf.
For a jurisdiction to be “NIMS Compliant,” the following conditions must be met:
1. NIMS must be incorporated into existing training programs and exercises. Training will include, but not be limited to, completing FEMA course IS 700, National Incident Management System, an Introduction. The course is available on the FEMA website at training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is700.asp.
2. The jurisdiction must formally recognize NIMS and adopt NIMS principles and policies. State, territorial, tribal and local entities should establish legislation, executive orders, resolutions or ordinances to formally adopt NIMS.
3. A baseline must be established by determining which NIMS requirements the jurisdiction already meets. As gaps in compliance with NIMS are identified, entities should use existing initiatives such as the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) Homeland Security grant programs to develop strategies for addressing those gaps.
4. The concepts of NIMS must be incorporated the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).
5. A timeframe for fully implementing NIMS must be established.
6. By FY 2007, Federal preparedness assistance will be dependent upon the entity being fully NIMS compliant.
Tulsa City and Tulsa County are both fully NIMS compliant.
2.6.2 Emergency Operation Plans
2.6.2.1 City of Tulsa Emergency Operations Plan The Emergency Operations Plan, updated in September 2007, was evaluated during the planning process to ensure that it adequately addressed the hazards identified in the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, and that the Plan took the EOP into account during the planning process.
The City of Tulsa’s emergency procedures are authorized by Title 8, “Civil Defense and Civil Emergencies,” of the City Ordinances. The Tulsa Emergency Manager reports to both City and County jointly. The EM is responsible for developing written plans, and in an emergency shall enforce all emergency rules and regulations, and if necessary take control of transportation, communications, stocks of fuel, food, clothing, medicine, and public utilities for the purpose of protecting the civilian population.
In the event of a civil emergency, the mayor may proclaim a state of emergency in any part of the city affected. These emergency powers include the authority to impose curfew, limit assembly, restrict the transport of weapons and explosives, prohibit the dispensing or purchase alcoholic beverages, and block the use of certain public streets or highways.
Tulsa’s City/County Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) defines who does what, when, where and how in order to mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters, technological accidents, nuclear incidents and other major incidents/hazards. The Plan is comprehensive in that it deals with mitigation and preparation activities, as well as response and recovery.
The EOP establishes the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), lays out emergency tasks and responsibilities, direction and control, continuity of government, and administration and logistics. The EOP is reviewed and tested at least once each year.
Emergency response is directed and executed by five operational groups:
• Emergency Management Advisory Committee (Policy Group), made up of the Mayor and four members of the community who, as a rule, are elected officials. This is the decision making group for all policy-level decisions. During an
emergency, the Committee will advise and direct the activities of the entire response organization through the EOC emergency service coordinators.
• Emergency Services Coordination Group, comprised of the City department/agency heads and led by the Emergency Management Director, who acts as Chief of Operations. The Group includes the Police Chief, Fire Chief, Public Works Director, Health and Medical Coordinator, Shelter Coordinator, Resources Coordinator, and an EOC Staff Coordinator appointed by the Director.
• Operations Staff is composed of Officers-in-Charge of communications, damage assessment, public information, administration, transportation, warning/reporting, and shelter management/evacuation.
• Emergency Service Coordinators, made up of City department directors and volunteers with the functional expertise required to adequately respond to most emergencies, are responsible for the operation of their own departments and coordination with other departments and agencies.
• EOC Support and Special Staff, comprised of volunteers with skills and training in areas essential to a total response to an emergency, assist the Emergency Service Coordinators and perform other functions and critical tasks outside the scope of government departments.
The EOP contains procedures and responsibilities for the five operational groups, and includes report forms, contact lists and telephone numbers, damage assessment procedures, equipment sources, critical facilities, hazardous materials sites, shelter locations, volunteer groups and other community resources, and references.
The Plan has general response procedures applicable to a wide range of natural and man-made disasters, as well as instructions for specific emergencies, such as HAZMAT events, bomb threats and terrorism. Also included are instructions for setting up incident command posts, shelters, and staging areas and handling mass evacuations.
2.6.3 Emergency Operations Center
2.6.3.1 Tulsa Emergency Operations Center The Emergency Operations Center (EOC), located in the basement of the Police/Courts Building in the City Hall complex, may be activated by any member of the Policy Group when it appears that any portion of Tulsa is, or may be, threatened with loss of life or extensive property damage.
During major emergencies, Tulsa’s City government will be moved to the EOC. Tulsa’s backup EOC is at _______. The establishment and operation of the EOC is covered in detail in Tulsa’s Emergency Operations Plan.
The Emergency Management Director (EMD) is responsible for coordinating all phases of the emergency management program, including emergency planning and training, education and warning, and communications. The EMD makes routine decisions, and advises the Policy Group on alternatives when major decisions are required of that body. During emergencies, the EMD is responsible for the proper functioning of the EOC and
its staff, and acts as liaison with other local, county, state and federal emergency management agencies.
The EOC has three stages of operation: Normal Peacetime Readiness, Increased Readiness, and Emergency Period.
• Normal Peacetime Readiness. Ensure the EOC is properly equipped and operationally ready; test warning system; review and revise Emergency Operation Plan; educate public as to warning signals; practice emergency operations with City officials and departments.
• Increased Readiness. Policy Group is advised of emergency measures; prepare EOC for activation; review EOC procedures and brief EOC staff; obtain necessary supplies; test internal and external communications; coordinate feeding of EOC staff.
• Emergency Period. Sound warning system; activate EOC; establish security; establish internal and external communications; move essential City functions to EOC.
The EOC is equipped with a communications center with all the necessary communications equipment. An emergency generator with fuel for at least 24 hours is available. During an emergency, the EOC operates on a two-shift, around the clock basis. An incident command post may be set up to coordinate activities at the site of a disaster. When necessary, offices and equipment at City Hall are available to support emergency operations.
During an emergency, the EOC may effectively become the seat of City government for the duration of the crisis. Day-to-day functions that do not contribute directly to response actions may be suspended for the duration of the emergency.
The City of Tulsa and the EOC keep a computerized index of citizen storm shelters, so that in the aftermath of a disaster that spreads debris over shelters, emergency rescue teams will know where to begin looking for survivors.
2.6.4 Emergency Notification and Warning Systems Warning systems may be activated from any level of government by agencies having responsibility to notify the public of imminent danger. At the local level these warnings are channeled through the Emergency Management Director, in order to assign responsibility and ensure control of the warning process.
2.6.4.1 Tulsa Emergency Notification and Warning Systems Emergency Alert System (EAS) Communication
While the Emergency Alert System (EAS) was designed to give the president a means by which to address the American people in the case of a national emergency, it has been used since 1963 by local emergency management personnel for relay of local emergency broadcasts. EAS, which is controlled by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), utilizes FM, AM, and TV broadcast stations, as well as cable and wireless cable providers to relay emergency messages.
Facility Type City Facility Type City KAKC AM Tulsa KQLL FM Owasso KBIX AM Muskogee KRAV FM Tulsa KCFO AM Tulsa KRSC FM Claremore KFAQ AM Tulsa KRTQ FM Sand Springs KGTO AM Tulsa KTBT FM Collinsville KMUR AM Pryor KTFR FM Claremore KMUS AM Sperry KTFX-FM FM Warner KOKL AM Okmulgee KTSO FM Muskogee KRMG AM Tulsa KVAZ FM Henryetta KRVT AM Claremore KVOO-FM FM Tulsa KTBZ AM Tulsa KWEN FM Tulsa KTFX AM Sand Springs KWGS FM Tulsa KXOJ AM Sapulpa KXBL FM Tulsa KXTD AM Wagoner KXOJ-FM FM Tulsa Cox Of Tulsa Cable Tulsa K39CW TV Tulsa KBEZ FM Tulsa KJRH TV Tulsa KEMX FM Tulsa KOKI TV Tulsa KGVE FM Grove KOPE TV Tulsa KHJM FM Tulsa KOTV TV Tulsa KHTT FM Muskogee KPAX TV Tulsa KIZS FM Broken Arrow KQCW TV Tulsa KJMM FM Bixby KRSC-TV TV Claremore KJSR FM Tulsa KTFO TV Tulsa KMOD FM Tulsa KTPX TV Tulsa KMYZ-FM FM Pryor KTUL TV Tulsa KNYD FM Broken Arrow KWHB TV Tulsa
Emergency warnings are received and disseminated through the National Warning System (NAWAS). NAWAS is a protected, full time, voice communication system interconnecting the National Warning Center and numerous warning points in each state. Oklahoma has one primary state warning point, two alternate state warning points, and 30 secondary warning points. The primary point is at Oklahoma Highway Patrol headquarters in Oklahoma City. Alternates are located in the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management EOC and the National Guard EOC. The 30 secondary points are located in OHP district headquarters, sheriff/police departments, fire departments, and local EOCs throughout the state.
Skywarn (Weather Spotters) is a national program designed to place personnel in the field to spot and track tornadoes. They are trained by NWS and instructed in what to report. Teams are made up of government employees and private citizens. During severe weather, storm spotters relay reports to their coordinator in the EOC. Confirmed tornado sightings are relayed to the NWS, which then disseminates appropriate warnings.
Notifications of severe weather or other serious hazard are relayed to the public through Tulsa’s siren warning system, mobile teams, TV/Cable override, or Emergency Community Notification Service (“Reverse 9-1-1”), as authorized by the Mayor, Policy Group, Emergency Manager or Police or Fire Department personnel. Instructions to
activate the warning system are channeled through the Emergency Management Director, if time permits, to fix a single point of responsibility for the warnings and ensure control.
Tulsa’s EOC has installed NOAA weather radios at all public buildings and schools. The EOC has the capability of overriding local radio and television stations, including cable channels. The emergency warning messages are generic, alerting the public of the danger and advising what to do or where to get further information. Tulsa also has an Emergency Community Notification Service (ECNS), which dials all telephones in a hazard area and delivers a pre-recorded warning message.
Flood Alert System Tulsa installed a flood alert system in 1984, with the help of FEMA and the National Weather Service. The system monitors rainfall and stream levels to provide advance warning of potential flooding. (SNP, 09-04-05)
Warning Sirens There are 84 outdoor warning sirens serving the City of Tulsa. The sirens cover a radius of 2,300 feet, and most can also be used as an outdoor public address system. The location of the warning sirens is shown in Figure 2-2. Each of the City’s warning sirens has been installed or existing sites upgraded since ____.
Each warning siren is radio controlled and operates off of two deep 3-cell wet cell batteries that are kept charged by a 110 VAC floating DC charger. Each siren has a two-way status which allows it to communicate with the Tulsa EOC to report such things as loss of power, low battery voltage, or tampering.
The all-clear is made over local radio stations and Cable Television and not over the warning sirens.
Warning sirens are silently tested daily, and audibly tested weekly at noon on Wednesday, weather permitting.
Table 2–4: Alert and Siren Signals
Type of Alert Hazard Siren Signal Natural Disaster Alert Tornado Warning 3-minute wailing or wavering sound
Natural Disaster Alert Flood Warning 3-minute fast high-low siren sound
Other Disaster Alerts Man-made Disasters 3-minute wailing or wavering sound
2.6.5.1 Tulsa Fire Department and Resources The Fire Department, with headquarters located at 411 S. Frankfort Avenue, employs __ firefighters, including a Fire Chief, and __ civilian personnel. The City has 22 fire stations, including the airport station, that are staffed by __ firefighters per shift on a 24-hour basis. All firefighters are trained at various levels as EMTs or Paramedics. The Department provides primary fire control and suppression for the City of Tulsa and Tulsa International Airport.
The City of Tulsa Emergency Operations Plan lists the emergency functions of the Fire Department as follows:
• Fire suppression • Fire investigation • Fire prevention and education • Rescue operations • Hazardous material operations
• Supporting the operation of the warning system
• Hazardous material decontamination • Assisting in damage assessment • Communication system support
Fire Department resources for fulfilling emergency functions are listed in Table 2-5.
Table 2–5: Fire Department Resources
Resource Quantity Resource QuantityParamedics Light Rescue Truck Intermediate EMT 4-wheel SUVs Basic EMT Ambulance Fire Stations Special Events Ambulance Pump Engine 1000+ GPM Portable Generator Brush Pumper Portable Light System Ladder Truck Mobile Radio Squad Hazmat Truck Hand-held Radio Staff Vehicle
Tulsa Fire Department has mutual aid agreements with all area Departments, and frequently assists with response in areas immediately outside the Tulsa City Limits.
The Tulsa Fire Department (TFD) along with EMSA, provides pre-hospital emergency medical service to the City of Tulsa, with the number of emergency medical calls continues to increase each year. All Department firefighters are cross-trained in rescue and emergency medical skills. The City’s EMTs are licensed by the Oklahoma State Department of Health and certified by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.
2.6.6 Public Safety Resources 2.6.6.1 Tulsa Police Department and Resources
The Police Department, located at Civic Center Plaza downtown, employs ___ personnel, including ___ commissioned police officers and ___ civilians. The Operations Division comprises the Patrol Division, which includes Vehicle Maintenance and Parking Enforcement, the Criminal Investigation Division, the Jail Detention Unit and the Animal Control Unit. The Operations Bureau has a total of ___ officers and ___ civilian employees. This unit is responsible for policing the community; call response, investigations, traffic and other enforcement actions, along with the detention of offenders. Within this department are various specialized units, including K-9’s, Special Ops Team, Motorcycle and Bicycle Patrols, School Resource Officers, DARE, Lake Patrol, and a Special Projects Unit.
The Services Bureau comprises Records, Property Custody, and Supply and Training. Tulsa PD is also one of the 16 in-state warning points for FEMA’s National Warning System (NAWAS) for natural disasters. This system is answered in both the EOC and Central Dispatch.
The City of Tulsa’s Emergency Operations Plan lists the emergency functions of the Police Department as follows:
• Maintain law and order • Traffic control • Access control of restricted areas • Security of vital facilities • Operation of the backup warning
system
• Communication system support • Liaison with other law enforcement
agencies • Search and rescue operation support
Tulsa Police Department resources available for fulfilling emergency functions are listed in Table 2-7.
Table 2–7: Police Department Resources
Resource Quantity Resource Quantity Total Officers Communication Van
2.6.7.1 Tulsa Public Works Department and Resources Tulsa’s Public Works Department is located at ____. The Department has ___ employees, ___ are field personnel. Under Tulsa’s Emergency Operations Plan, the Public Works Department has the following responsibilities:
• Debris clearance • Maintaining roads and bridges • Assisting with damage assessment of public property • Assisting in decontamination operations
Tulsa’s Public Works Department resources available for fulfilling emergency functions are listed in Table 2-9.
Table 2–9: Public Works Department Resources
Resource Quantity Resource Quantity Total Employees Pickup Trucks
Office Staff Bucket Trucks
Total Field Personnel Tool trucks
Portable Radios Dump trucks
Hand-held Radios Bulldozers
4-Wheel Drive Vehicle Portable Light systems
Passenger Vehicles Portable generators
2.6.8 Tulsa County Sheriff’s Department Resources
The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Department is located at 303 W. 1st St. in Tulsa. Under Tulsa’s Emergency Operations Plan, the Sheriff’s Department has the following responsibilities:
• Coordinate all law enforcement in the County • Disseminate warnings throughout the County • Coordinate relocation traffic control • Coordinate mutual aid agreements • Support emergency public safety activities • Provide for security, protection and relocation of inmates in the County Jail.
The Tulsa County Sheriff Department resources available for fulfilling emergency functions are listed in Table 2-11.
2.6.9 Other City, County, State and Federal Response Tulsa City Clerk is responsible for City administrative and fiscal duties.
Tulsa City Attorney is responsible for legal and emergency information services and serves as a member of an advisory committee.
Superintendent of Tulsa Schools is responsible for providing buses for transporting evacuees, and for MOUs with neighboring jurisdictions for use of buses for evacuation.
Tulsa Civil Air Patrol assists with search and rescue and crowd control. Tulsa County office of the State Medical Examiner, when committed:
• Collects, identifies and coordinates interment of deceased disaster victims • Coordinates funeral home support activities
Tulsa Health Department, when committed: • Investigates sanitation conditions and establishing safe standards for crisis
location, emergency shelter or disaster relief operations • Coordinates medical support and epidemic control • Inspects food and water supplies • Provides public health education
Tulsa County Office Department of Human Services, when committed: • Provides provisions and funds for emergency aid • Coordinates with the Red Cross and other volunteer agencies
Oklahoma National Guard, when committed: • Assists in radiological protection • Assists in law enforcement and traffic control • Assists in search and rescue operations • Provides military engineer support and assistance in debris clearance • Provides logistical support with supply, transportation, maintenance and food
Other State and Federal agencies, when committed, assist with: • Public welfare • Resources • Law enforcement • Health and medical support and supplies • Debris clearance • Public information and education
2.6.10 Health Care Facilities and Shelters
2.6.10.1 Tulsa Health Care Facilities and Shelters Tulsa Medical Center is a 129-bed, state-of-the-art, not-for-profit, City owned, acute care hospital. It specializes in maternity and intensive care, emergency medicine, mammography, and same-day surgery. The hospital offers diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine, MRI, CT, ultrasound, and cardiac cath lab services. The hospital is staffed by over 700 employees, including 70 physicians representing 20 specialties.
The community also has the Warren Clinic with 18 associated physicians; Tulsa Surgery Center, a licensed and certified private out-patient surgical facility; and Tulsa Cancer Center, a division of Cancer Care Associates, a physician-owned oncology network serving Oklahoma.
Tulsa is home to ___ long term care facilities with a total of ___ beds. Tulsa Housing Authority has __ complexes specifically designed for the elderly and people with disabilities, with a total of ___ units.
Tulsa Medical Center
During an emergency or disaster, medical service providers are responsible for emergency medical care for victims, health care, and crisis counseling.
In the case of a disaster requiring shelters, the Superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools will assist with providing buses for transportation during disaster relief operations. The Tulsa Area Chapter of the American Red Cross will assist with shelter operation and support activities, supported by the Salvation Army, the County office of the Department of Human Services, the Tulsa Medical Reserve Corps, and the Tulsa Human Response Coalition. Emergency shelters will be drawn from a mixture of public and private resources and utilized according to the following priority: public schools first, followed by churches, government buildings, colleges/universities, and private buildings.
Ambulance service is provided by the Emergency Medical Services Authority, with support from Tulsa Fire Department. EMSA operates 30 ambulance units in its Eastern
division with two EMTs or Paramedics each, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week staffed as needed by on-duty or off-duty personnel.
2.6.11 Volunteer and Community Support Organizations • Tulsa Area Chapter of the American Red Cross provides reception, care, food,
lodging and welfare assistance throughout northeastern Oklahoma; coordinates relief and shelter activities; and provides first aid support and blood supply, counseling, and damage assessment of private property.
• Salvation Army helps people in need of food, clothing, utilities, cleaning supplies, and life sustaining prescriptions. It also assists in finding missing persons and offers disaster services.
• The United Way provides assistance to Tulsa non-profits for such things as emergency food, clothing, shelter, utility bill assistance, counseling, literacy, advocacy and legal assistance.
• Tulsa Community Action Program (CAP) provides homeless services, including both emergency and transitional housing. Emergency shelter is offered to those with no resources who are in immediate need of shelter.
• The Language & Culture Bank is a group of people with identified proficiencies in cultural and language skills. The L&CB will support emergency response agencies during a disaster, whether single-family or catastrophic, in working with members of various cultural groups. It includes such groups as the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the YWCA Multi-Cultural Center, the TCC Language Center, Communication Services for the Deaf, the Russian Golothic Church, the Islamic Foundation, and others.
• The Tulsa Red Cross maintains the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. CERT volunteers are available to assist first responders (police, firefighters and EMS) during emergencies. CERT teams also assist in mitigation activities, including public awareness programs and other non-structural community mitigation measures. Additional information on CERT is included in Chapter 5, and is available on the Internet at www.citizencorps.gov/cert/.
• The Tulsa Medical Reserve Corps is a Citizen Corps program that provides licensed medical professionals (frequently retired) plus support staff for emergencies. The Tulsa group currently has ____, 60% of whom are licensed professionals. They are coordinated out of the Tulsa Health Department.
• The Tulsa Human Response Coalition is a collaboration of mental health and social servce agencies, many of them faith based, culturally based, or otherwise “non-traditional” in the disaster realm, such as the National Guard Family Support Group. THRC can call upon its partners for a coordinated response to support other agencies in the area of mental health, social services, and cultural and religious support.
• Tulsa Amateur Radio Club and Tulsa Repeater Organization provide emergency communications, storm spotting and damage assessments.
• Skywarn spotters provide storm-warning services. There are _____ Skywarn spotters in Tulsa County.
2.7 Natural Resource Protection Natural resource protection activities are generally aimed at preserving and restoring the natural and beneficial uses of natural areas. In doing so, these activities enable the beneficial functions of floodplains and drainage ways to be better realized. This section reviews the natural resource protection activities that have already been implemented in the community or are already in the planning stages. See Section 5 and Appendix B for discussion of potential activities and programs within this category.
2.7.1 City of Tulsa Resource Protection Tulsa’s Comprehensive Development Plan states that the community seeks to conserve its natural resources through their protection and integration with compatible development. In particular, the City is committed to:
• Protecting stream corridors as flood management and wildlife areas; • Utilizing stream corridors, where appropriate, as linkages between activities and
for recreation; • Protecting scenic vistas.
Although Boomer Creek has been modified with a dam, and a concrete channel in the downtown area, and Duck Creek has been channelized in two reaches, Tulsa Creek, Brush Creek and Cow Creek are still largely in their natural state. The City intends to preserve its major stream corridors as greenways, for use as community connectors and for flood management.
The City of Tulsa currently has no formal stream corridor preservation or watershed management programs. Section 9-21(b) of the City Code contains the City’s Erosion and Sediment Control Policies. All development is required to provide appropriate erosion control facilities to minimize the amount of sediment leaving a site.
The former Moore Business Forms property near Boomer Lake is being remediated. A plume of tetrachloroethene and its degradation products have been well defined in the aquifer for a number of years.
