Using advanced meteorological models and GIS, healthcare and other supply chain leaders can redeploy stock from distribution centers in unaffected areas of the region or Nation to distribution centers near the disaster area which will support healthcare and shelter operations. These systems can offer lifesaving information in advance of landfall of future hurricanes and tsunamis. Integrating meteorological models, GIS and Supply Chains into NIMS will also help the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) identify where evacuees are physically located and based on their medical requirements, which hospitals in unaffected areas have the appropriate services to receive evacuees.
Concept of Operations
Hurricanes: Advanced meteorological models already offer the most accurate predictions in history, regarding where a hurricane will have the greatest likely impact and over time, these models are more and more accurate. Jurisdictional emergency managers have pre-designated Mass Care and general population shelter locations as well as listings of local hospitals, medical centers and other healthcare organizations. Integrating weather modeling, GIS and inventory management systems can enhance the NIMS by depicting the capabilities, capacities and needs (orders) of healthcare organizations, general population shelters and Mass Care shelters in real time throughout a disaster and through the recovery stage. As meteorological models’ cones of uncertainty are narrowed and more accurately predict landfall, healthcare distributors as part of the ESF-6 and ESF-8 support structures can redeploy pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and durable medical equipment (DME) directly into the distribution centers supporting the disaster location (s). GIS information can be incorporated into inventory management systems to provide real-time, facility-specific information on facilities with open orders and their location for use by transporters. Color coded facility depictions can also highlight the criticality of supply requirements by facility type.
Tsunamis: Based on the number of hours of notice and the affected area
people and hospital patients in the impact area can be evacuated to receiving location shelters, Mass Care Shelters and healthcare organizations away from the affected area (s). Time permitting, healthcare distribution centers in the impact area can rapidly transport their medical materiel to company distribution centers outside the impact area. Distribution centers away from the impact area can surge operations to meet the increases in demand for medical and non-medical materials, food, water and other commodities. GIS information will provide distributors with active shelters and healthcare organizations and GIS may be integrated into inventory management systems (IMS) to assist suppliers and transporters in delivering supplies to the ordering shelters and healthcare organizations.
Note: General Population shelter managers should adopt similar processes and procedures for providing fuel, waste treatment services, water, food, clothing, personal hygiene and other day to day living supplies to general shelter populations. It is imperative that emergency planners develop systems which can “Stand Alone” and sustain large numbers of people for weeks; not just days.
Earthquakes, Industrial accidents and terrorist attacks. There are currently no (or limited) advanced notification or prediction systems for these events. However, weather can certainly become a confounder in any disaster and may provide another level of complexity to response and recovery operations. By integrating modern weather forecasting, GIS and supply chain systems into the NIMS, we will be able to optimize our emergency management planning, response and recovery operations for virtually any future emergency or disaster.
Summary: Today’s highly accurate meterological modeling systems have provided vital advance warning to jurisdiction leaders for years. GIS mapping can provide graphic depictions on available services and urgency of needs at each facility. It is time to synchronize weather prediction models and GIS information with America’s various supply chains for disaster support operations. The technology is available, so hopefully, jurisdictions can employ these advanced systems in a manner which saves lives and reduces suffering in future disasters.
