Evacuation Shelters -- The Critical First 24 Hours

T07
Evacuation Shelters -- The Critical First 24 Hours
Jim Reidy, IAFF Brandon Murray, San Antonio Fire Department Eric Jones, San Antonio Fire Department

The flood, hurricane, tornado, snowstorm, wildfire, or earthquake has happened. Now it's time to address the aftermath. You're ready to take in your residents, neighbors, or people from another region, in their time of need. The first 24 hours of sheltering; post event, can be the most trying. Even if you think you've planned everything out, there are always unforeseen occurrences. Short-term success usually leads to an easier long-term operation if needed. Why rely on outside resources to come in and take over? Why wait for days for help? Become self-sufficient. This session will help explain the operations and nuances of the critical first 24 hours of disaster shelter operations. The presenters will provide an operational template of information and resources for disaster sheltering based on best practices, actual experiences, and current plans in place. They will also reference the proposed NFPA 1616, Standard for Mass Evacuation and Sheltering.

Presented by:

Jim Reidy, IAFF
Jim Reidy has been a San Antonio Firefighter for 28 years and part of the San Antonio Fire Department Shelter Management Team from 2005 to present. He is currently a Deputy Shelter Branch Director at the Alamo Regional Command Center. He has participated in all aspects of evacuee shelter operations, starting with Hurricane Katrina up to present day. These events involved operations running simultaneously, with populations from 200 to 8,000 at one mega-shelter. He is an instructor for ARCC/SAFD Shelter Manager Class and an adjunct instructor for TEEX. Jim also teaches classes on disaster shelter operations and managing an evacuation shelter. He is also a principal member representing the IAFF on NFPA's Mass Evacuation, Sheltering, and Re-entry Technical Committee.

Brandon Murray, San Antonio Fire Department
Brandon Murray is a 15-year veteran of the San Antonio Fire Department. He has been a member of the SAFD Shelter Management Team since its inception during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He is a Shelter Branch Director and one of the lead instructors for the team's shelter management instructional classes. The team provides shelters for upwards of 15,000 people and their pets. He is a member of the All Hazards Incident Management Team and Wildland Firefighting Team in San Antonio. He has a BS from Angelo State University and an MA in Adult and Higher Education from University of Texas at San Antonio. He also has Instructor I certification.

Eric Jones, San Antonio Fire Department
Eric Jones is a 28 year veteran of the San Antonio Fire Department, and the Shelter Branch Director on their Shelter Management Team. He and his fellow team members work in the Office of Emergency Management when a potential threat from a natural/man-made disaster arises. The team provides general population and first responder shelters for upwards of 15,000 people and their pets. Eric Jones has been involved on the team since 2006 and has participated in numerous hurricane activations. In addition, he has presented at the Coastal Bend conference in Robstown, TX., presented at the Texas Department of Emergency Management conference since 2010 and previous NFPA conferences. Eric was born and raised in San Antonio, TX is married with two adult sons. He has a Bachelor of Science from Wayland Baptist University, and an Associate in Applied Science from San Antonio College. He is a Type 3 Incident Management Team member, currently he is assigned to Ladder46-B. His certifications include Master Firefighter, ARFF, Fire Officer I & II, Fire Instructor and Hazardous Materials Technician.