Professional Documents
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A. Time Scales
An important question that must be inspected at the beginning is the between the time-
scale of volcanic occasions and the time required to put different protective measures
(i.e., on-site security and/or departure) into effect.
Volcanic eruption may range from a few hours or even months. On the other hand, in
putting emergency protective measures into effect, the time required depends on the
size of the area at hazard, the density of population and settlement, the degree of
mobility of the population, the transport and communication facilities available, and the
general technological level of development and generally, it will be measured in hours or
days.
1. Staged reaction to a slowly creating volcanic crisis, during which one may anticipate
to have caution of possibly dangerous volcanic occasions at least 24 hours before
they occur
2. Immediate reaction to a circumstance calling for the fastest possible evacuation of
individuals by anything implies are promptly accessible.
The first important thing to have in a volcanic emergency plan is a map showing the hazard
zones around the volcanoes which are liable to be affected by one or more destructive magma,
lava, heavy ash fall, pyroclastic falls, mudflows etc. during an eruption.
The map will be based on the maps drawn by volcanologists, showing the areas that have
been devastated during previous eruptions. For practical purposes, (evacuation plans, etc.) the
local authorities responsible for emergency management escape routes, the boundaries of
settlements, etc.
In order to plan for evacuation it'll be essential to compile a census of the population within
the hazard zones and to upgrade it at least once every five years or at whatever point there are
signs of abnormal signs of volcanic movement.
Special note ought to be made of any property or offices within the risk zones whose loss or
destruction would have quick effects outside these zones (e.g., control stations, radio
transmitters, phone trades, water supplies, etc.)
If an orderly evacuation of a hazard zone is to take place, it is critical that everyone in the zone
understands where to go when the evacuation begins. For each hazard zone or section of a
hazard zone, the next easily accessible place outside the zone should be determined, to which
people should go or be taken as soon as possible. All evacuees, including those proceeding to
their own alternative accommodation in a safe area, should register their departure from the
danger zone at one or other of the transit points. The plan will also specify the arrangements for
the transfer of evacuees as quickly as possible from transit points to temporary accommodation
in refuge zones elsewhere.
The next step in emergency planning will be to conduct a survey of the number of people
to be evacuated, the number of vehicles (and, if necessary, boats and aircraft) on hand, and
the serviceability and traffic capacity of each of the roads leading out of the hazard zones to
the location, type, and magnitude of the eruption, as well as the wind direction at the time.
The primary goal will obviously be to spread the predicted traffic flow as evenly as possible
throughout all of the likely open escape routes. In this context, it will be essential to examine
each route's risk to ash falls, pyroclastic flows, mudflows, and lava flow. Although the initial
concern in picking escape routes will be to transport people out of the immediate danger
zone as quickly as possible, it will also be desired to bring them to those safe places with
the least amount of delay.
F. Means of transport, traffic control
The plan for getting people and their belongings out of danger zones should be
developed for two levels of emergency, as previously stated: phased reaction and quick
evacuation. Every public transportation driver, including specifically hired or requisitioned
truck drivers, will be instructed to pick up passengers from one of these locations. Return
trips will be made by public transportation as long as the roads are open or until all
evacuees and as much property as feasible have been removed. In this situation, the plan
must be scrapped in favor of a "crash" plan that allows any cars returning to the hazard zone
to pick up fleeing people at impromptu pick-up and turning locations along the escape route
(ideally under police or civil defense authority).
(b) To make an inventory of the numbers and locations of people needing public transport;
(d) To make an inventory of available public transport and drivers and to assign pick-up points
to each of them;
(e) To make arrangements for requisitioning and fueling private trucks and buses (and boats if
appropriate) and to provide any other necessary incentives to those normally based outside the
hazard zones whose services may be required.
Once the evacuees arrive in the refuge zones, the issues of housing, food, hygiene, and
morale will be same to those faced by evacuees from any other natural or man-made disaster,
and so do not require special attention in a text on volcanic emergency management. However,
there is one factor that applies to volcanoes that does not normally apply to cyclone,
earthquake, or flood disasters: the eruption may last for months, with repeated destructive
paroxysms (possibly larger in scale than the first), and it may not be safe to allow or encourage
evacuees to return, or to begin rehabilitation and reconstruction, for many months.
(a) Respiratory issues in those who have inhaled fine silicate dust laden air, which may
also contain lethal quantities of H2S, SO2, and other volcanic gases;
(b) Broken limbs, lesions, and bruises caused by rock pieces or lava lumps falling from a
tremendous height
(c) Burns to the skin (first to third degree) as well as burns to the lungs and breathing
passages as a result of exposure to steam and hot dust clouds, particularly those that
spread from the edges of pyroclastic flows. In the latter case, several of the victims will
almost certainly be severely burned over the majority of their bodies and in critical
conditions.
There may also be victims of toxic gases such as carbon monoxide (CO) or suffocation
in pools of carbon dioxide (CO2) or other gases that have gathered in house cellars, valley
bottoms, or other low-lying areas, in addition to above. Drinking water contaminated by
hazardous substances from reservoirs or tanks may cause medical problems.
Unless there is an urgent and evident threat to life, individuals will be hesitant to leave
their houses without assurances that they would be safe from burglary and looting while
they are away. As a result, adequate steps must be taken to prevent illegal entrance to
evacuated zones, and frequent police patrols of the zones should be maintained as long as
this does not put the officers' lives in danger.
Volcanic hazards, unlike other natural hazards, are highly localized, with the most catastrophic
effects of eruptions occurring within a few tens of kilometers of each volcano. Except when the
size of the disaster is such that the local government is unable to cope with the crisis, the
primary duty for actions of the type mentioned above may often fall to local or provincial
government agencies rather than national government agencies. The emergency plan will
outline the roles and responsibilities of various government departments in dealing with the
situation, as well as the procedures for implementing the plan's various sections as needed. In
most cases, overall authority will be assigned to an inter-departmental committee comprised of
representatives from the relevant government ministries and chaired by the national, provincial,
or local government's chief executive.
Because the steps that can be taken to safeguard life and property during a volcanic
eruption will have an impact on the entire population, it is essential to keep the public fully
informed about the nature of the threat and what is being done (and what they should do) to
protect themselves. This usually necessitates some level of control over the material
provided by the news media to the general population. On behalf of the government, a
responsible officer will normally exert this control
No plan of this kind will ever be completely valid, and it is always advisable to provide for its
review and revision at regular intervals, say every two or three years, with appropriate publicity.
2. Changes in the pattern of settlement around the volcano, as well as changes in the road
system, communication networks, and other technical infrastructure, which will alter the
procedures for warning and evacuation in emergencies.
3. Changes in the national or local government's administrative structure In addition, the plan
will almost definitely need to be updated after each eruptive incident, based on the lessons
gathered. Any actual emergency will almost always show some weaknesses in the strategy, no
matter how much thinking and planning has gone into it previously.
This indicates that there is a permanent organization inside the national or local government
that is in charge of developing and implementing emergency plans for volcanic and other
potential disasters.