It took the Texas City disaster of 1947 to a w a k e n industrial plants to the real possibilities of effective disaster control systems. N o w successfully coming of a g e , such systems can easily be e x p a n d e d to meet civil defense needs
O r g a n i z i n g for Disaster Control WILL H. SHEARON, Associate Editor
INDUSTRIAL plant management has through the years become more and more conscious of the value of investing in equipment for plant protection. D e p e n d ing o n location and size of the plant this may range from a sprinkler system and the necessary hand-type fire extinguishers to a full scale fire department; from arrangements v/ith local physicians and hospitals for services to complete medical departments with small hospitals and companyowned ambulances. These preparations for self-protection are necessary, but they presume trouble or such a nature and scope that individual plant equipment and personnel can handle it. Some reliance can be placed o n municipal aid, but the growing tendency to locate plants on the outskirts of large cities and in smaller urban areas automatically means that less dependence can b e placed on this type of aid. O n e of the answers, and an answer becoming increasingly popular in areas of rather heavy plant concentration, is that of mutual aid systems—actual working organizations for disaster control. These are not brand new by any means—in certain heavily industrialized areas in the North and East they have existed in a variety of forms for a number of years. Their increase in popularity is, however, brand new and has been largely due to the impact of the Texas City disaster of 1947 and the possibilties of atomic attack upon the industrial centers of this country. The mutual aid agreement implies an entirely different philosophy from the usual plant protection plan—under the mutual aid system a plant is not so much preparing to help itself in the case of disaster as much as it is getting ready to aid othfrs who may b e victims of disasters from either internal or external causes. Disaster control in the event of atomic attacks is a prime topic of conversation
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and planning these days, and prima facie involves mutual aid, at least on the part of plants and civil defense authorities. However, it is not the intent of this discussion to cover this phase of mutual aid more than briefly. It is the more basic picture, that of organization to face any type of disaster, in which we are interested, and any such organization can be easily translated into one useful in the civil defense program. With due regard for the organizations which exist elsewhere in the United States this discussion will take as its main examples systems of mutual aid which have arisen in the Gulf Coast area of Texas and Louisiana. These are pertinent not only because of the high concentration of oil refineries, tank farms, and chemical and other industrial plants, but particularly because they are operating not on theory but from the knowledge of what should be done and h o w it should be carried out, obtained directly from experience with o n e of the greatest disasters this country has known. . There are several systems in operation, differing rather significantly in organization and in methods of carrying out their objectives, but with the same basic purpose. Plainly stated, this purpose involves a plan of cooperative action, in which assistance of other companies or organizations will b e made available to any member having an emergency which may b e beyond the ability of the affected member to control. Texas City IMAS Although the organization at Texas City is not the oldest in the area, it is probably the most elaborate. It provides for disaster in addition to fire, and because of incorporation of experiences learned from the 1947 disaster seems the most appropriate to examine first. The mem-
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bership of the Industrial Mutual Aid System of Texas City consists of chemical plants, oil refineries, utilities companies, law enforcement organizations, hospitals and funeral homes, radio stations, and newspapers. T h e four essential functions of the IMAS are concerned with equipment and plant emergency systems, communications and public information, traffic control, and medical coordination. The general chairman of the program, together with the chairmen of the committees responsible for these functions, form the executive committee. The central committee, whose purpose is liaison between the executive committee and management groups of members consists of at least one person from each participating organization. T h e committee on equipment and plant emergency systems compiles and furnishes all members with a list of fire and safety equipment available at each individual location. The general operation of the system then provides that such equipment as may be required by an individual member will be provided it by another member or members, but that normally it will simply be delivered to the affected plant's gate or other convenient location. Aid in dealing with an emergency in any individual plant is not given unless specifically requested, and lists are available of persons in each plant authorized to request or release equipment. This policy of restricting personnel participation differs sharply from the practice of other groups to b e discussed, but industries in Texas City have felt that they prefer not to become involved in possible lawsuits as a result of their personnel fighting fires or assisting in emergencies within the boundries of other than their own plants. It is expected, however, that in the case of full scale disaster in any plant or to the area this opinion may have to b e altered.
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It is interesting to note at this point in connection with liabilities for personal injuries a n d losses to a plant's own employees t h e policy that Monsanto p u r s u e d after the Texas City disaster. In order to aid their employees immediately and to the fullest extent, t h e company set up a fund of $500,000. O u t of this fund employees were given financial aid in rebuilding h o m e s , a n d refurnishing them. I n addition to hospitalization expenses paid by t h e c o m p a n y , t h e employees received t h e difference b e t w e e n full pay and workmen's compensation benefits, a n d reimbursements were m a d e for personal automobile losses, if these automobiles were not already covered by insurance. T h e company p a i d $1000 for burial and other emergency expenses to t h e wives or next of kin of each employee w h o was killed or died as a result of t h e disaster. O t h e r losses w e r e compensated for by additional payments, over and above the $1000 sum. This fund is still open, and a small n u m b e r of payments are still being m a d e from it. T h e communications committee of the Texas City IMAS has set up a four-designation code for requesting assistance:
CODE
by the executive committee from t h e police headquarters in the event of a general emergency. Provision is made for assistance from the American Red Cross in the case of less-than-full-scale emergencies, a n d in time of community disaster the Red Cross will take charge, assisted by t h e IMAS. Definite agreements exist to prevent duplication of service activities in these cases, such as a stipulation that all traffic control «will b e arranged by IMAS. Distribution of information to the public regarding the situation at various industries will b e h a n d l e d by t h e IMAS chairman, subject to approval by officials of the industries involved, while public information regarding disaster to the community will be h a n d l e d b y the R e d Cross. M u t u a l Aid System of Baton R o u g e Older than t h e Texas City I M A S , since it was organized during the war years, is the m u t u a l aid system of Baton Rouge, L a . Organization and operation of this system is very similar to t h a t at Texas City, with a much greater scope due to a larger n u m b e r of participating plants a n d agencies. The Manual of Procedures for this system has just been revised and reissued.
SITUATION
REQUEST T O :
Alert
Controlled fire; might create hazardous situation or cause u n d u e public alarm
Red ball
Uncontrolled fire; sonal injuries
assistance required; no
Green cross
Only medical assistance required
Grand
Uncontrolled fire; both assistance required
camp
firefighting
In all of the above cases t h e general chairman and all committee chairmen are notified; except on "alert" all chairmen report to t h e police station. Several communications "dry r u n s " h a v e b e e n very successful. T h e wire chief at t h e telephone company office a n d t h e plant switchboard operators clear their boards at t h e first warning and in the trials all pertinent personnel h a v e b e e n notified within 20 minutes. T o relieve t h e possibility of overloaded switchboards, a radio ear goes to the affected area a n d maintains constant communication with police headquarters. A complete system of traffic control has been set u p in conjunction with local and state police, for all types of emergencies. This includes road blocks a n d traffic rerouting for individual areas a n d every' conceivable combination of plant disasters. T h e value of such control w h e r e only certain areas are affected has been demonstrated on occasions since t h e 1947 disaster. Conditions within certain local industries h a v e seriously affected maintraveled highways, and p r o m p t reporting has enabled law enforcement agencies to take control of the situation. Normal plant identification badges are sufficient for employees to reach their own plants through road blocks, and special area cards h a v e been issued to governmental m e m b e r s of t h e system and selected officials of the m e m b e r organiaztions. T h e Texas City system calls for control
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»
traffic per-
Police headquarters Fire department Police headquarters
and medical
Fire department
Sabine-Neches Fire Chiefs Association A somewhat different type of organization has been set up in t h e heavily industrialized Beaumont-Port Neches-Port Arthur area of Texas, and the close-by city of Orange. Some effort was m a d e to set u p such an organization in t h e area during the war, but it was not until after the Texas City disaster that it actually was p u t into effect. This system, which has already proved its workability on five separate occasions, two quite serious in nature, has no committee organization, but is composed of the fire chiefs of some sixteen companies in t h e area and those of the surrounding municipalities. Apparently one of t h e biggest problems throughout the country in fighting industrial plant fires of major consequence is that of proper understanding b e t w e e n the municipal fire chiefs and industry. The Sabine-Neches Fire Chiefs Association b e lieves that it i? an outstanding working example of the fact that harmony can b e achieved. This accomplishment h a s been based upon two definite premises: ( 1 ) T h e municipal fire chief, no matter what the extent of his municipal authority, is under the direction of t h e plant fire chief from the moment he enters an industrial plant, and ( 2 ) the municipal fire chief and his firemen cannot properly or easily aid a n industrial plant's fire d e p a r t m e n t unless they h a v e a working knowledge of the plant, its protective equipment, and
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the fire a n d explosion h a z a r d s of its r a w materials a n d products. This latter p r e m ise w a s arrived at the hardl way. At a major oil fire in t h e area dux-ing t h e w a r years, more than sufficient fire fighting equipment responded. T o th*e dismay of all aiding units, their hoses c o u l d not b e connected to plant hydrants^ because of lack of standardization. T i m e was lost in hurriedly machining adapters,, and a lesson learned that has since paid cLividends. As a p a r t of its educatiomal program the association has monthly ^meetings, r o tated among the various plants, at which fire fighting personnel are sh.own through the plants and acquainted with those things which will b e necessairy knowledge in dealing with disaster in each plant. Further, a formal industrial, fire school is being set u p this fall for all volunteer firemen in t h e area. As at Texas City, m e m b e r s of t h e association respond only on request. Traffic control and road blocks are i n t h e h a n d s of the police and sheriff, but five minutes delay may result in considerable confusion, and pending arrival of law enforcement officers individual companies have been authorized to set up road blocks. Four kinds of cards are issued, to executive management, staff personnel (safety men, doctors, and others), fiire chiefs, a n d law enforcement officers. -All of these badges will pass holders through a preliminary screening point f o r personnel and equipment, set up outside the disaster area, but will not necessarily pass them beyond the control center. Since there is no general c o m m i t t e e at the head of the Sabine-N&ches system, alarms are transmitted to Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Orange fire departments, as communications centers, ancl from there to fire chiefs, police, and other personnel. The accompanying figure shows the communication network of this system, with the signals used. T h e S a b i n e - N e c h e s group found that the dial t e l e p h o n e system jammed so badly that off d u t y firemen could not b e reached I n reasonable time. T h e solution was founcl in installing unlisted trunk lines and in g r a d u a l l y enlarging the system of radio communications. T h e disaster control ce-nter is established at the disaster area itse-lf by t h e first radio car to reach there, axid control is in t h e hands of the predesignated representatives of the company o r companies involved. T h e Sabine-Neche-s group feels that t h e advantages of suoh a flexible organization, with identity of tine controlling officer depending upon the circumstances, have been proved. Release of disaster information is centered solely in the secretary-treasurer of the association, with the apparoval of m a n agements involved, and representatives of the press in the area have "been notified of approved methods of o b t a i n i n g and handling disaster information. T h e problem of insurance, w h i l e not overlooked, has been considered a minor one, and no difficulties in t h i s regard have presented themselves in any of t h e emergencies in which t h e association has been involved.
3695
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—J Corpirs Christi System At Corpus Christi an entirely different type of system has been set up for firefighting aid. Taylor Refining Co. and Southern Minerals Corp., operating on ad jacent property, several years ago initiated a cooperative plan of fire control and in stalled a common fire station. Following the Xexas City disaster, the need of a portwide fire protection organization was felt. In 1£48 a nonprofit organization consisting of five member companies was chartered. Two additional members have since been added. T h e Corpus Christi Refinery-Terminal Fire C o . has a full time chief and assistant, 30 regular crew members, and three fire stations. Regular fire drill is held once each week and fire crew members are paid for these drills. A training program was inaugurated two years ago for train ing a l l male employees of the member companies in lire fighting. This program consists of six weekly sessions involving actual use of fire equipment and extin guishing of practice fires, and employees taking the course are paid on the same basis as regular crew members. To date 113 employees of member companies have received this training. Insurance coverage at Corpus Christi is quite definitely formalized, in sharp contrast to the situation in aid systems previously discussed. Foreseeing that problems of responsibility could possibly arise where employees of one company are injured fighting fires on another com pany's property, those companies which underwrite the plant and compensation insurance for the member companies of
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the Corpus Christi Refinery-Terminal Fire Co. have mutually agreed on "hold harm less" clauses. By these only the actual employer of a person can be held respon sible in the case of injury or death to the employee while he is assisting in an emergency in another plant. Further, the Refinery-Terminal Fire Co., as a cor poration, can purchase insurance, and is insured by these companies, with the re sponsibilities for coverage rotated annually among the various insurance companies represented. Informal Systems Other mutual aid arrangements, more or less informal, exist throughout the coun try. Among the four refineries in the San Francisco Bay area there is no formal organization and no set pattern prescribed to be followed in all cases. However, the system is strikingly similar to the SabineNeches organization, including monthly meetings, and familiarization with equip ment at all the refineries. Even if no out side assistance is needed, fire chiefs at unaffected refineries are frequently invited in to observe. At Wood River, 111., Shell Oil Co., Standard Oil Co. ( I n d . ) , and the Sinclair Refining Co. have not only entered into a mutual aid agreement, but have gone so far as to interconnect their foam sys tems. Bakelite Co. and Calco Chemical have an informal agreement at their Bound Brook, N . J., plants, under which certain designated officials may in case of emer gency call for help from the other plant. The exchange of facilities is intended to be all-inclusive and to cover firefighting,
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first-aid, and medical aid, furnishing of guards, or whatever is deemed necessary to meet the situaiton without undue jeop ardy to the unaffected unitLimited Control Systems Another type of disaster control system has been set up at Freeport, Tex., by the D o w Chemical Co. and the Brazoria County chapter of the American R e d Cross. This might be called a '"limited'' system, since it involves a one-industry community and although applicable to other types of disasters, was set up specifically to handle the annual problems imposed by the hurricane season. Looked at from another angle, however, it is e v e n more comprehensive than those previously discussed, in that it makes specific pro visions for evacuation, protection of e m ployees' home, and information on status of the area from time to time. Dow, situated in a very vulnerable spot in the hurricane area, put a radar installa tion in operation in 1948 a s part of a hur ricane warning system. This installation has proved its worth, and radar is n o w a highly esteemed guardian in that area. Following the trial blazed b y D o w , indus trial plants along the Gulf Coast from Port Isabel, Tex., to Buras, La., h a v e formed a radio warning system—the Gulf Industries Weather Network. None of the information obtained is given directly to the public, but is delivered to the U . S. Weather Bureau for coordination and im plementation of storm warning data s u b sequently returned to the industries. Dow's own general hurricane prepara tion committee decides on shutdown of the
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plants, according to its evaluation of hurricane information and a definite timetable. When shutdown is completed, all employees except a skeleton force are allowed to go home. In the meantime the ARC disaster preparedness and relief committee, at present headed by a Dow superintendent, has been busy. Special train and bus services are provided for evacuees. The county is divided into four areas, each having available a minimum of three rescue squads of six men each, with an amateur radio operator assigned to each squad. First aid and hospital stations, together with blood plasma storage points, are designated in each of the four areas; committees on food, shelter, and clothing are provided; and Dow, with the communications committee, broadcasts spot announcements on area conditions at intervals over radio stations in Houston, Bay City, San Antonio, Dallas, an.d Fort Worth. Contact offices, set up in Rosenberg, Brenham, Bellville, and Houston by "on-duty" employees, provide storm information and "return-to-work" orders to evacuated personnel. Civilian Defense Cooperation The Basic Civil Defense Act provides for assistance between the states similar to that of the organizations discussed, including extension of jurisdictional privileges over out-of-state citizens rendering aid, and release of the state being aided from liability due to injury or death of those aiding. It further provides that the aiding state and its representatives shall not be liable for any act or omission performed in good faith in another state, nor for an account of maintenance and use of equipment used in rendering aid. The state rendering aid may be recompensed by the state receiving it, it may assume the burden itself, or in some cases the U. S. Government will assume it. Down at the local level industry is still not as far along as might be desired where cooperation in the civil defense picture is concerned. In this regard the situation is quite plain—Government does not force the plants to cooperate; instead they are on their own to use to the best advantage the information which civil defense authorities provide. The industrial mutual aid systems already in operation form an excellent basis for industry to cooperate with, and implement the work of, the civil defense authorities, and those authorities should certainly examine carefully the possibilities of integrating, with as little change as possible, these already functioning organizations into the larger picture. Probably the best support of this statement is found in the philosophy expressed by G. M. Kintz, chief of the Accident Prevention and Health Division, Region VI, U. S. Bureau of Mines. Mr. Kintz is sure that successful disaster organization plan, whether for a single plant, community, or entire state, should have three characteristics: (1) simple and easy to understand, ( 2) all inclusive, yet flexible for functionV O L U M E
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ing at any disaster regardless of size or nature, (3) recognition of those constituted authorities of state or local government having jurisdiction over, or affected by, the disaster. The Bureau of Mines has proposed a chart of organization for use in time of disaster. This organization lays great stress on the information committee, on the theory that an immediate source of authentic information will eliminate much unfavorable, inaccurate publicity, and reduce confusion. The inclusion of some committees not shown in other operating plans is of considerable interest, particularly a safety committee composed of qualified safety engineers, whose duties would cover safety of all operations and workers and include demolition, an insurance committee, which would start functioning immediately, and an air patrol board to photograph the areas and keep unauthorized airplanes away. It is probable that the Texas City IMAS will be used as the basis for forming the Galveston county civil defense organization. Only a few additions to this system, such as air raid wardens, auxiliary police, warning devices, and provisions for radiological defense, could transform it into a working civil defense system. In the Beaumont-Port Neches-Port Arthur area, each plant has had its own evacuation plans to be used in conjunction with the fire fighting operations of the SabineNeches Fire Chiefs Association, and civil defense plans for the area are to be built around the association as the basic unit. The area safety association, while not affiliated formally with the firefighting group, works with it and will participate in civil defense plans. The Houston-Harris County Navigation District had completed its rather elaborate on-paper disaster control organization when the municipal civil defense system was set up, and further effort will be directed toward making this part of civil defense rather than setting up a separate mutual aid organization as originally planned. Conclusion It is obvious that the mutual aid system for industrial plants has not only taken firm hold as an idea, but has also proved highly satisfactory in actual practice. No set type of organization or routine is applicable to every industrial situation, yet all have the same basic purpose, are alike in their methods of communication; compilation of, and acquaintance with, emergency equipment; traffic control, and distribution of information. Since industrial mutual aid has been proved, the need for its wider adoption as a basic working philosophy can best be illustrated from the remarks of Mathew M. Braidech, director of research for the National Board of Fire Underwriters, before the annual meeting of the Canadian Manufacturers* Association a few months ago. Mr. Braidech pled for greater cooperation of industry and fire services in the control of modern hazards, with the
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startling statement that in the last decade in this country over 2000 manufacturing establishments have experienced an increase of 3 3 % more fires and over 200% in losses. Further, he said, although industrial establishments account for only one third of 1% of the total number of fires, they are responsible for more than 6 0 % of the losses. So pertinent to the present discussion were his remarks and so confirmatory of the views and practices of the Sabine-Neches Fire Association as described earlier, that excerpts from them are fitting as a conclusion: "It is important that our fire services be properly equipped and be constantly on the alert with an all-around intelligent awareness toward industrial developments and new hazards in their respective communities. Effective planning and gaging of the protective operations and strategies that might be required in dire emergencies will be greatly expedited by the availability of advance knowledge of the chemical and fire characteristics of the various process materials in the immediate industrial establishments holding significant hazard potentials. This is of particular importance in extra-hazardous processing where fires of great magnitude are liable to be encountered, so that they must be fought quickly at their source lest they reach an uncontrollable stage. . . The fire chief. . . should be afforded every cooperation by industrial and underwriter groups alike. We should want to realize that the fire officers of our large commercial and industrial centers are required to have a working knowledge of hydraulics, chemistry of fire and explosion, first aid, laws and ordinances, and many other widely related subjects which go beyond the pole and ladder techniques and hose evolution. . . Periodic conferences between officers of municipal and industrial brigades on prefire planning and cooperative drill sessions are highly desirable and tvill avoid the delaying confusion tlxat nearly always accompanies a fire. . . We can ill afford to ignore the fact that cooperative effort is within the spirit and letter of mutual aid planning disaster control in any peacetime or even wartime emergency."
Acknowledgment The author is indebted to a great many industrialists for their aid in assembling this information and expresses his appreciation particularly to the following: F. A. Randall, Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Division, general chairman, Texas City IMAS; A. T. Deere, Dow Chemical Co., general chairman, Brazoria County Disaster Preparedness and Relief Committee; G. W. Wilson, Neches Butane Products Co., and R. E. Merchant, B. F. Goodrich Rubber Co., respectively, chairman and secretary-treasurer, Sabine-Neches Fire Chiefs Association; F. M. Porch, Ethyl Corp., general chairman, Mutual Aid System of Baton Rouge, La., and J. A. Tench, Shell Oil Co., Martinez, Calif. 3697
