One of the things that I enjoy about being a professional engineer is the sense of community. As with all communities, there is a social contract where along with the benefits to be gained is a responsibility to give back. The benefits gained include sharing our collaborative knowledge to strengthen building codes and industry standards, as well as receiving continuing education to keep current with our profession. As for giving back to the community, one way that I’ve found to help our larger community is through disaster response. There are two primary ways to help with disaster response, and I have been active in both for many years.
SEER Responder
When a natural disaster has a large area of effect, many buildings may become damaged. The local Building Departments, as well as state or regional Emergency Operations Centers have to check buildings to make sure they are habitable and/or have to be evacuated until repairs are made. SEER volunteers make a quick evaluation of the homes or commercial structures, notify the owners of the building’s status, and provide that status to the local Building Department.
How to Join: The first step is to take one of two classes on how to evaluate structures. One class is “When Disaster Strikes,” presented by The International Code Council (ICC). The other class is the California Office of Emergency Services’ Safety Assessment Program. These classes are offered several times a year by industry groups, including local state structural engineers associations. NCSEA offers training through its CalOES Safety Assessment Program, which is compliant with the requirements of the Federal Resource Typing Standards for engineer emergency responders. The next training will take place this fall.
The ICC and NCSEA together created the Disaster Response Alliance, which maintains a single, national database of skilled volunteers willing to help with response and recovery activities. After taking one of the two classes on how to evaluate structures, a volunteer can sign up to be placed in this database, which is located at the Disaster Response Alliance website: Disasterresponse.org/register.
How the Process Works: After a natural disaster, the local Building Departments or Emergency Operation Centers (AHJ) determine how many SEER volunteers will be needed. They will then reach out to the Disaster Response Alliance, which will review the database of volunteers. After the volunteer has been contacted and agreed to be deployed, they will travel to the area of the natural disaster and work with the Building Departments to evaluate the buildings. The inspection plan and locations will be provided to the volunteers by the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). The volunteers will conduct their inspections on the structures designated by the AHJ and report their data back to the AHJ each evening. Typical deployment occurs a couple weeks after the natural disaster for a week or two.
Who Can Volunteer: A volunteer does not have to be a Professional Engineer, but Professional Engineers are greatly appreciated. A volunteer must complete one of the two classes listed above, and the volunteer must be signed up on the Disaster Response Alliance database.
USAR Responder
Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams deploy after natural disasters, such as earthquakes and hurricanes. They also respond after a building collapses. The teams are organized by individual states. Some state teams are also designated to be Federal Government FEMA teams. USAR teams are typically made up of firefighters who conduct rescue operations, as well Structural Specialists, who assist the rescuers with the evaluation of buildings, monitor damaged buildings while rescue efforts are underway, and provide advice on shoring damaged elements of the structure so that the rescuers are in the safest conditions possible. Other specialists on a USAR team include medical doctors, rescue dog handlers, experts in crane lifting, and drone pilots.
How to Join: The first step is to find the closest Urban Search and Rescue team. Every USAR team has a lead Structural Specialist whose name can be found by contacting the USAR team. A volunteer should contact the Lead Structural Specialist and express interest in joining the team.
After joining a team, the volunteer will be sent to Structural Specialist Training conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This training is a week-long class focused on using building monitoring equipment, shoring techniques and guidelines, and hands-on experience in conducting building evaluations and search operations.
How the Process Works: After a natural disaster or building collapse, states and FEMA will activate the USAR teams. This can actually occur before the disaster, in the case of a hurricane. The Structural Specialists deploy with the rescue teams to conduct search and rescue operations. Some FEMA teams deploy internationally for disaster response, as well. When a USAR team is activated, the team and all its gear are loaded onto transportation and sent to the affected area. A typical deployment can last between one and three weeks.
Who Can Volunteer: A volunteer must be a professional engineer with experience in buildings, construction, and building evaluations.
Disasters happen, and we as engineers are uniquely qualified to help save additional lives and infrastructure by ensuring rescue and recovery efforts are performed safely. Volunteering is rewarding both on a professional and personal level. ■