Public Works: The Essential Emergency Responder

Public Works is a primary emergency responder. When disasters and emergencies occur, Public Works maintenance operations personnel are among the first to respond. Though the primary responsibility is clearing roadways so that other responders can access stricken areas, Public Works also provides traffic control, debris management and assists with rescue, evacuation, damage assessment, infrastructure repair, and restoration of certain services. The national focus in now on building Resiliency, particularly through Critical Infrastructure Protection. Public Works is a major “owner/operator” of the transportation, water/ wastewater, and stormwater systems that are so vital for the safety and health of communities. Though the Homeland Security Department considers Public Works as part of the Emergency Services Sector, overall acceptance and recognition by other disciplines as equal partners in emergency management is still lacking. To overcome this, Public Works must first raise awareness within its own discipline that this is as important as design, construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure. Public Works is extensively involved in prevention, mitigation, response and, most importantly, recovery. Besides maintenance operations field staff, engineers, planners, technicians, mechanics and administrative support from all divisions of a Public Works agency and related departments need to be aware of their roles as well. All incidents are local and the vast majority are caused by natural occurrences. Many do not reach the thresholds to qualify for state or federal assistance. Even if they do, local agencies are expected to handle the emergency for the first 72 hours. This presentation by a panel of public works subject matter experts will examine what agencies should do to have the resources, training, policies, and procedures to be ready and responsive for all-hazards incidents. It will also describe the definitive responsibilities and unique capabilities of Public Works in emergencies and planned special events. Our discipline must have a “seat at the table” with police, fire, and public health when it comes to planning, training, exercising, and actual management of incidents. Learning Objectives: Recognize the evolving role of Public Works in local and national emergency management. Assess your agency’s current capabilities to deal with all -hazardous incidents including extreme weather. Determine what training, equipping and planning is needed to improve your agency’s readiness to respond to and recover from all types and levels of emergency situations.