Disaster Preparedness

Identification and Types of Disaster

The ability to project the type, intensity and frequency of disasters likely to affect a Community is of tantamount importance. For the purpose of categorizing disasters so procedures and Town resources can be mobilized, the following is established:

Limited Area Involvement pertains to a multiple casualty and/or extensive destruction incident affecting a limited geographical area. Examples of possible occurrences of this nature would be:

1. Fallen aircraft
2. Public conveyance accidents
3. Buildings involving fire, explosion or collapse
4. Natural disaster affecting a limited geographical area

General Area Involvement pertains to large scale death and/or extensive destruction covering a substantial area of the Community. Examples include:

1. Floods
2. Chemical spills
3. Civil disorder
4. Toxic air or water contamination

Limited area emergencies are normally those which Fire and Police Services and hospitals effectively deal with on a day-to-day basis. They may require mutual aid or joint assistance of emergency facilities, but not necessarily mobilization of the Town Disaster Plan.

In the second category, general area situations that are progressive, with a heavy potential of danger, the Supervisor, after appropriate review and inquiry, shall declare an emergency and activate the Town Disaster Plan.