TopLogical Response Scenarios
It is critical that a library-emergency management partnership be outlined in the local Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). Standard operating procedures in the EOP and the library’s policies and procedures should be developed to be robust when defining viable response scenario options for engagement during disasters, including appropriate application and maintenance of requisite training between emergencies. Standard operating procedures should be supported by an overall assessment that defines the best use of facility space, library staff strengths, library facility location within the community, parking lot size and volume. For library systems with multiple branches or cooperative regions served by several libraries, this assessment should include all staff and facility locations in the system or region. Based on this assessment library and emergency professionals can then predetermine the best use of its library staff, facility, and its resources.
The library’s usage is best described within the four anticipated response scenarios exhibited during recent disaster and emergency situations. These scenarios include Pre-disaster Education and Outreach Center, Comfort Stations, Family Assistance Centers, and Volunteer and Donations Center Management. The examples of library disaster response throughout this volume fall mainly within the Comfort Station scenario. Most libraries cited provided warming/cooling stations, restrooms, and charging stations immediately after emergency and disaster situations. A few libraries have provided Family Assistance Center services and even fewer libraries have provided Volunteer and Donation Management. For the scenarios to work and be successful, plans and training must be put in place before any disaster happens. Libraries that previously provided service possess a laboratory experience to draw upon when making the decision to officially engage in emergency management responses. The four main response scenarios to be used at a library facility and with trained staff are described below. The selection of a scenario should be done after careful assessment and planning.
The first scenario, Pre-Disaster Public Outreach and Education Center, occurs during non-disaster times. This scenario allows the public library to assure the community that they can rely on the library to be a place for disaster information and staff knowledge to aid and assist them when things go wrong.
Using the library as a place of public outreach and education allows the library to demonstrate its importance during a disaster response. Outreach programs should include local emergency management staff and coincide with the height of each disaster season - summer for hurricanes and winter for snow storms, etc. Since each community is different, emergency management staff presentations should be tailored to fit the needs of the community. The unique urban, suburban, and rural nature of the local community should be represented in the information presented. Language variations must be considered in the verbal presentations and written documentation.
Since the community naturally gravitates to the public library during emergency situations, having the outreach events at the library builds trust and increases confidence between customers and staff. Customers understand what services they can expect at the library during a disaster and give valuable feedback about their needs.
The second response scenario, Comfort Station, is the one most commonly used by public libraries. This scenario is easily selected and planned for based on threat analysis. The largest threat for nearly all communities is a loss of power. The reasons for these outages vary; but, the threat always remains the same. When a community suffers a large power outage residents require shelter from extreme weather and access to electricity. This access allows them to charge personal devices, use the internet to pay bills or conduct business, connect with concerned family and friends, and get the latest information and possible disaster assistance. While not an actual “shelter,” the library can become a unique Comfort Station that will answer the call for basic yet essential services.
Chesterfield County unexpectedly learned about this need during Hurricane Irene when daily library use increased substantially during the time when large portions of the population were without power. Realizing that residents were flocking to the library to get information, plug in their devices, and cool off, the Emergency Operations Center had an ah-ha moment that the library was the best place for mass feeding.