Introduction
The port of Los Angeles is the busiest port in the United States and ranks the first in terms of TEU. Worldwide, the Port of Los Angeles is ranked 19th and serves as a destination or departure of ships from or to several destinations in the world. A tsunami poses several risks to the port facilities and the people that work there. There are possibilities of wrecking ships, destroying buildings and infrastructure, causing injuries and death of personnel. Beyond the port, a tsunami may cause chemical and gas pollution as the contaminated may carry the chemicals with them long distances ashore. The tsunami can also reach the land with massive force and cause the destruction of structures within the communities, especially when the area is a low land. There can also be power outages and stalled operations if the tsunami waters reach power grids and destroy structures lead to disconnections. The Port of Los Angeles emergency operations plan can offer a systematic way in responding to the tsunami-caused emergencies.
The Emergency Operations Plan
Purpose
The purpose of the Port of Los Angeles Emergency Operations Plan is to help identify and respond to any emergency situations. The Port of Los Angeles management and the employees have duties and responsibilities to ensure that there is a prompt response to emergency situations. To help the management and employees act promptly, there is a need to have a developed plan and the parties should exercise it. The plan is an educational and informative tool that empowers the people whose daily operations can be affected by emergency situation within the port. When developed and executed well, the plan offers assurances to stakeholders for an effective response to hazards and an overall secure environment for business operations.
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In a systematic way, the plan identifies the existing and potential situations that can result in unwanted incidents. Such incidents can cause damages, lead to significant losses, stall operations, and lead to loss of life. Identification of the incidents can help prevent and minimize the outcomes by putting in place plans of action in response to the incidents. By using the plan, the management and all the other stakeholders are can also prevent, control, and recover from the incidents and restore the port's operations with minimal constraints. Additionally, the plan gives the port's management the legal protection.
The Scope
The Port of Los Angeles Emergency Operations Plan covers several aspects of emergencies, the response to them, and the roles and duties of the stakeholders in developing and exercising the plan. The aspects covered include stakeholders' responsibilities, control systems, the communication systems, employee training, the government policies, hazard vulnerability and specific responses to the hazards.
Hazards cause the incidents and the port should have a plan to establish potential hazard and find a way of preventing them. When they happen, there is a need to have a response plan that controls the spread of the incident. Some of the common potential port hazards include the environmental issues, adverse weather, chemical, workplace transport, manual handling and lifting operations, working at heights and on sloppy and slippery services, third-party threats to data, and accidents ("Common Hazards," n.d.). This plan analyzes the potential of a tsunami occurring and establishes a plan of action to prevent significant losses. A tsunami can result in ship damages, collapsing of buildings, death, and fires that spread to other places.
The Port of Los Angeles Emergency Operations Plan operates within the guidelines and requirements of the County of Los Angeles Office of Emergency Management. The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is tasked with planning and coordination, operations, training, public training, technical operations. By expanding on the OEM's tasks, the port's plan is more detailed and specific to potential hazards ("Office of Emergency," n.d.). The port management develops a plan to put in place mechanisms and systems to provide immediate support and relief services in the event that a hazard occurs. The emergency response units should fulfill the requirements of the county, state, and federal governments and ensure up-to-date equipment for the responses during and after the emergency.
Situation Overview
Geographical Location . The Port of Los Angeles is located in San Pedro, in Southern California and it extends to the Port of Long Beach. It is the largest port in the US in terms of size and TEU. The Port of Los Angeles covers a large area of the land and sea and has an approximately 43-mile long waterfront. Approximately, the port covers 7500 of both the land and water and has 30 berths and 27 terminals ("Facts," 2017).
Demographics. The people employed in the port area (including the San Pedro Bay Complex) are close to one million, making it one of the most populated ports in the US ("Facts," 2017). Additionally, there are about 1000 positions at City of Los Angeles Harbor Department. The population is likely to be higher when there are events such as boat tours by several groups such as students and professionals ("Facts," 2017).
Events of interest . During the adverse weather conditions, there could be tsunamis that affect operations and cause property damage and loss of lives ("LA Emergencies," n.d).
The Economics of the Port of Los Angeles . The Port of Loss Angeles is the busiest in the US and contributes to a significant portion of the country's economy. In 2015 and 2016, the port's cargo was valued at $ 270 billion. In 2017, the port's adopted damage is $ 1.2 billion, a $ 0.2 billion increase from the 2016 adopted budget. The total operating revenue in 2016 was in excess of $ 450 million and the net income in 2016 was $ 59 million ("Facts," 2017).
Potential Hazard Profiles
A tsunami is a potential hazard that can have adverse effects on the port operations, property, and human life ("LA Emergencies," n.d). Tsunamis are natural hazards and can result in losses on small, medium or large scale. The hazard can affect a part of the port, the whole port area, or even the in the community beyond the port and an assessment ought to be done carefully. California is a coastal state and can be hit with tsunamis, given the history of tsunamis in coastal settlements across the world.
A tsunami is a natural hazard that causes damages in a few seconds and can result in significant losses. A tsunami is defined as a long and high sea wave caused by an earthquake, submarine landslide, or other disturbance. It can wreck ships, flatten buildings, destroy power supply systems and cause deaths. Because of its potential effects, tsunamis are high-priority hazards and the Port of Los Angeles management should plan have a plan of action should it happen.
Planning Assumptions
The tsunamis are a possible threat that can occur anytime due to natural or human landform disturbances. It is a high-risk hazard and the management needs to put in place a plan to respond to the hazard if it occurs. There should be a dissemination of warnings to the employs and the public about the potential hazard.
Initial actions to mitigate the effects of the hurricane will be put in place by the relevant authorities including the County of Los Angeles. There can be a possibility of supplemental assistance by the federal and state governments. This mitigation process can also be supported by other concerned bodies such as non-governmental organizations. This assistance can help in making the response effective and efficient, and make the recovery time reduced significantly.
The Port of Los Angeles management have the primary role and responsibility during hazards is to save the lives of the people within the port. They also have to protect the property, provide relief services, restore the operations and prevent after incident occurrences. Therefore, the management should have mechanisms and equipment in place to ensure adequate and quick response in times of hazards. They cannot rely on outside assistance since it takes time to call for help and for the assisting body to get clearances and provide support.
Conclusion
A tsunami may occur within the jurisdiction of the Port of Los Angeles and there should be mechanisms to reduce its effects. One of the ways is to ensure there are effective and efficient communication systems to report on impending tsunamis. Furthermore, the management should put in place evacuation mechanisms for the people both on boats and on the land. The persons within the port should know that they assemble at designated areas and leave for nearest higher grounds. Another means of preventing greater losses is by strategically constructing angled wall to help steer water and break the water waves. Related to steering is finding means of slowing down the water and reducing the impact as it moves towards the land. Trees, ditches, terraces, and walls can help slow down the water and prevent property damage and loss of life. A well-developed emergency operations plan helps the management and the employ learn and know the immediate actions to take should a tsunami occur.
References
Common Hazards . (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2017, from http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Your_Industry/Docks/Hazards_in_Ports_and_Docks/Common_Hazards/
Facts and Figures. (2017, March). Retrieved October 10, 2017, from https://www.portoflosangeles.org/about/facts.asp
LA Emergencies and Threats. (n.d .). Emergency Management Department . Retrieved October 10, 2017, from http://emergency.lacity.org/la-emergencies-and-threats
Office of Emergency Management. (n.d.). County of Los Angeles . Retrieved October 10, 2017, from http://www.lacoa.org/aboutoem.html
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