LIFE SKILLS : DISASTER RESPONSE NOTES

Disaster Response
By the end of the lesson the learners should be able to;
a) Define disaster
b) Categorize disasters
c) Classify fires
d) Explain the types of fire extinguishers to be used for specific fires
What is a Disaster?
Almost everyday, newspapers, radio and television channels carry reports on
disaster striking several parts of the world. But what is a disaster? The term
disaster owes its origin to the French word “Desastre” which is a combination of
two words ‘des’ meaning bad and ‘aster’ meaning star. Thus the term refers to
‘Bad or Evil star’. A disaster can be defined as “A serious disruption in the
functioning of the community or a society causing wide spread material,
economic, social or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the
affected society to cope using its own resources”.
A disaster is a result from the combination of hazard, vulnerability and insufficient
capacity or measures to reduce the potential chances of risk.
A disaster happens when a hazard impacts on the vulnerable population and
causes damage, casualties and disruption. Any hazard – flood, earthquake or
cyclone which is a triggering event along with greater vulnerability (inadequate
access to resources, sick and old people, lack of awareness etc) would lead to
disaster causing greater loss to life and property. For example; an earthquake in
an uninhabited desert cannot be considered a disaster, no matter how strong the
intensities produced.
An earthquake is disastrous only when it affects people, their properties and
activities. Thus, disaster occurs only when hazards and vulnerability meet. But it is
also to be noted that with greater capacity of the individual/community and
environment to face these disasters, the impact of a hazard reduces. Therefore,
we need to understand the three major components namely hazard, vulnerability
and capacity with suitable examples to have a basic understanding of disaster
management.
What is a Hazard? How is it classified?
Hazard may be defined as “a dangerous condition or event, that threaten or has
the potential for causing injury to life or damage to property or the
environment.” The word ‘hazard’ owes its origin to the word ‘hasard’ in old
French and ‘az-zahr’ in Arabic meaning ‘chance’ or ‘luck’. Hazards can be grouped
into two broad categories namely natural and manmade.
1. Natural hazards are hazards which are caused because of natural phenomena
(hazards with meteorological, geological or even biological origin). Examples of
natural hazards are cyclones, tsunamis, earth-quake and volcanic eruption which
are exclusively of natural origin. Landslides, floods, drought, fires are socio-
natural hazards since their causes are both natural and man-made. For example
flooding may be caused because of heavy rains, landslide or blocking of drains
with human waste.
2. Manmade hazards are hazards which are due to human negligence. Manmade
hazards are associated with industries or energy generation facilities and include
explosions, leakage of toxic waste, pollution, dam failure, wars or civil strife etc.
The list of hazards is very long. Many occur frequently while others take place
occasionally. However, on the basis of their genesis, they can be categorized as
follows:
Various types of hazards
Types Hazards

Geological Hazards Earthquake Landslide

Tsunami Dam burst
Volcanic eruption Mine Fire

Water & Climatic Tropical Cyclone Cloudburst

Hazards Tornado and Hurricane Landslide
Floods Heat & Cold wave
Drought Snow Avalanche
Hailstorm Sea erosion
Environmental Hazards Environmental pollutions Desertification
Deforestation Pest Infection
Biological Human / Animal Food poisoning
Epidemics Weapons of Mass
Pest attacks
Destruction
Chemical, Industrial and Chemical disasters Oil spills/Fires
Nuclear Accidents Industrial disasters Nuclear
Accident related Boat / Road / Train Building collapse
accidents / air crash Electric Accidents
Rural / Urban fires Festival related
Bomb /serial bomb disasters
blasts Mine flooding
Forest fires

What is vulnerability?
Vulnerability may be defined as “The extent to which a community, structure,
services or geographic area is likely to be damaged or disrupted by the impact
of particular hazard, on account of their nature, construction and proximity to
hazardous terrains or a disaster prone area.”
Vulnerabilities can be categorized into physical and socio-economic vulnerability.
Physical Vulnerability: It includes notions of who and what may be damaged or
destroyed by natural hazard such as earth-quakes or floods. It is based on the
physical condition of people and elements at risk, such as buildings, infrastructure
etc; and their proximity, location and nature of the hazard. It also relates to the
technical capability of buildings and structures to resist the forces acting upon
them during a hazard event.
Socio-economic Vulnerability: The degree to which a population is affected by a
hazard. It will not merely lie in the physical components of vulnerability but also
on the socio-economic conditions. The socio-economic condition of the people
also determines the intensity of the impact. For example, people who are poor
and living in the sea coast don’t have the money to construct strong concrete
houses. They are generally at risk and loose their shelters when ever there is
strong wind or cyclone. Because of their poverty they too are not able to rebuild
their houses.
What is capacity?
Capacity can be defined as “resources, means and strengths which exist in
households and communities and which enable them to cope with, withstand,
prepare for, prevent, mitigate or quickly recover from a disaster”. People’s
capacity can also be taken into account. Capacities could be:
Physical Capacity: People whose houses have been destroyed by the cyclone or
crops have been destroyed by the flood can salvage things from their homes and
from their farms. Some family members have skills, which enable them to find
employment if they migrate, either temporarily or permanently.
Socio-economic Capacity: In most of the disasters, people suffer their greatest
losses in the physical and material realm. Rich people have the capacity to recover
soon because of their wealth. In fact, they are seldom hit by disasters because
they live in safe areas and their houses are built with stronger materials.
However, even when everything is destroyed they have the capacity to cope up
with it.
Hazards are always prevalent, but the hazard becomes a disaster only when there
is greater vulnerability and less of capacity to cope with it. In other words the
frequency or likelihood of a hazard and the vulnerability of the community
increases the risk of being severely affected.
What is risk ?
Risk is a “measure of the expected losses due to a hazard event occurring in a
given area over a specific time period. Risk is a function of the probability of
particular hazardous event and the losses each would cause.” The level of risk
depends upon:
Nature of the hazard
Vulnerability of the elements which are affected
Economic value of those elements
A community/locality is said to be at ‘risk’ when it is exposed to hazards and is
likely to be adversely affected by its impact. Whenever we discuss ‘disaster
management’ it is basically ‘disaster risk management’. Disaster risk
management includes all measures which reduce disaster related losses of life,
property or assets by either reducing the hazard or vulnerability of the elements
at risk.
Disaster Management Cycle
Disaster Risk Management includes sum total of all activities, programmes and
measures which can be taken up before, during and after a disaster with the
purpose to avoid a disaster, reduce its impact or recover from its losses. The
three key stages of activities that are taken up within disaster risk management
are:
[Link] a disaster (pre-disaster).
Activities taken to reduce human and property losses caused by a potential
hazard. For example carrying out aware-ness campaigns, strengthening the
existing weak structures, preparation of the disaster management plans at
household and community level etc. Such risk reduction measures taken under
this stage are termed as mitigation and preparedness activities.

[Link] a disaster (disaster occurrence).

Initiatives taken to ensure that the needs and provisions of victims are met and
suffering is minimized. Activities taken under this stage are called emergency
response activities.
[Link] a disaster (post-disaster)
Initiatives taken in response to a disaster with a purpose to achieve early recovery
and rehabilitation of affected communities, immediately after a disaster strikes.
These are called response and recovery activities.
The Five Classes of Fires
Class A
Class A fires are defined as ordinary combustibles. These are types of fires that
use commonly flammable material as their fuel source. Wood, fabric, paper,
trash ,and plastics are common sources of Class A fires. This is essentially the
common accidental fire encountered across several different industries. Trash
fires are one such example. Class A fires are commonly put out with water or
monoammonium phosphate.
Class B
The Class B fire is defined as one that uses a flammable liquid or gas as its fuel
base. Common liquid based fuel sources include petroleum based oils and paints,
kerosene, and gasoline. Flammable gases such as butane or propane are also
common fuel sources in Class B fires. Class B fires are a common hazard in
industries dealing with fuels, lubricants, and certain types of paint. Smothering
these types of fires to remove oxygen is a common solution as are chemical
reactions that produce similar effects. Note that cooking fires have their own
classification and are defined as Class K fires.
Class C
The Class C fire is defined as a fire that uses electrical components and/or
energized equipment as its fuel source. Electrical fires are often fueled by
motors, appliances, and electronic transformers. Electrical fires are common in
industries that deal with energy or make use of heavy electrically-powered
equipment. However, electrical fires can occur on smaller scales in all businesses
(i.e. an overloaded surge protector or bad wiring) and should be taken seriously.
To extinguish such fires you cut the power off and use non-conductive chemicals
to extinguish the fire.
Class D
The Class D fire is defined as one that uses a combustible metal as its fuel
source. Examples of such combustible metals include titanium, magnesium,
aluminum, and potassium. Note that there are also other metals with combustive
properties you may encounter. Class D fires are a danger in laboratory
environments. However, be aware that combustible metals are used as part of
production and other industry processes, and you need to be certain of what
materials you are using for day-to-day operations. When confronted with such a
fire, common extinguishing agents such as water are ineffective and can be
hazardous. To extinguish a Class D fire, use a dry powder agent. This absorbs the
heat the fire requires to burn and smothers it as well.
Class K
A Class K fire is defined as a cooking fire involving combustion from liquids used
in food preparation. Technically a type of liquid fire, Class K fires are distinct
enough to warrant their own classification. Cooking fires are fueled by a wide
range of liquid cooking materials. Greases, cooking oils, vegetable fat, and animal
fat are all fuel sources found in Class K fires. Class K fires are naturally of concern
in the food service and restaurant industry. Such fires can be very dangerous and
far more destructive than you may think. Wet chemical fire extinguishers have
become popular in putting out these types of fires.
Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers are classified as types A, ABC, BC or K. It is important to use the
right type of extinguisher on the specific class of fire to avoid personal injury or
damage to property. The wrong type of extinguisher could cause electrical shock,
explosion, or spread the fire.
Portable extinguishers are useful for putting out small fires; however they are not
effective against large, spreading fires. In these situations, doors should be closed
to contain the fire.
Types of Fire Extinguishers
Type A: Pressurized water to be used on Class A fire only. Do not use on Class B or
C fires; may cause fire spread or electrical shock.
Type ABC: Dry chemical effective on all classes of fires
Type BC: Carbon dioxide to be used on chemical or electrical fires
Type K: Used in kitchens on grease fires
Locations
ABC fire extinguishers are located throughout the Medical Centers in corridors.
Specialty areas, such as the Operating Rooms and Kitchens have specific
extinguishers.
PASS
To use a fire extinguisher, follow the acronym
PASS
Pull - Pull the pin on the extinguisher
Aim - Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire
Squeeze - Squeeze the trigger to release the product
Sweep - Sweep the nozzle from side to side (slowly)
Terrorism
Terrorism constitutes the illegitimate use of force to achieve a political objective
when innocent people are targeted. Terrorism is defined here as the recurrent
use or threatened use of politically motivated and clandestinely organised
violence, by a group whose aim is to influence a psychological target in order to
make it behave in a way which the group desires.
The unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or
coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in
furtherance of political or social objectives
Causes of Terrorism
The causes of terrorism appear to be varied. There does not appear to be one
lone factor that leads people to engage in acts of terror. Scholars have
categorized motivations for terrorism to include psychological, ideological, and
strategic.
[Link] Perspective
Those who engage in terrorism may do so for purely personal reasons, based on
their own psychological state of mind. Their motivation may be nothing more
than hate or the desire for power. For example, in 1893 Auguste Vaillant bombed
the French Chamber of Deputies. Prior to his conviction and subsequent
execution Vaillant explained his motivation in terms of hate for the middle
classes. Vaillant wanted to spoil the sense of economic and social success, by
tainting it with his violence. In many respects this terrorist is interested in getting
attention from others for his or her act, rather than some grand ideological or
strategic goal.
[Link] Perspective
Ideology is defined as the beliefs, values, and/or principles by which a group
identifies its particular aims and goals. Ideology may encompass religion or
political philosophies and programs. Examples of terrorist groups motivated by
ideology include the Irish Republican Army (IRA), in Sri Lanka the Liberation Tigers
of Tamal Eelam (LTTE), and the Bader Meinhoff in Germany. The IRA is motivated
by a political program to oust the United Kingdom from Ireland and unite Ireland
under one flag. Similarly the LTTE seek to establish a separate state for their
people, the Tamals in Sri Lanka. Finally, the Bader Meinhoff was a terrorist group
made up of middle-class adults who opposed capitalism and sought to destroy
capitalist infrastructure in Germany.
[Link] Perspective
Terrorism is sometimes seen as a logical extension of the failure of politics. When
people seek redress of their grievances through government, but fail to win
government’s attention to their plight, they may resort to violence. From this
viewpoint, terrorism is the result of a logical analysis of the goals and objectives of
a group, and their estimate of the likelihood of gaining victory. If victory seems
unlikely using more traditional means of opposition, then one might calculate that
terrorism is a better option. For example, in South Africa the African National
Congress only turned to the use of terrorism after political avenues were explored
and failed. Of course, not just individuals may feel let down by the political
process. States may use terrorists in the pursuit of their own strategic interests.
States may sponsor terrorist groups, especially when the objectives of the state
and the terrorist group are similar.
CONTROL OF TERROSISM
Measures to prevent new attacks run from more thorough checks at state
borders, to better police and judicial cooperation on tracing suspects and
pursuing perpetrators, cutting the financing of terrorism, tackling organized
crime, addressing radicalization and others.
1. Improving border controls
In order to safeguard security within the high terrorism zone, systematic checks
at the Kenya external borders on all people entering the Kenyan including Kenya
citizens - were introduced in April [Link] record the movements of non-Kenyan
citizens across the targeted area and speed up controls, a new entry and exit
registration system was agreed by Parliament and EU ministers in November 2017
and should be operational from [Link] from non-Kenyan countries who
do not require a visa to enter the Kenyan will be screened through the ETIAS
System (Kenyan Travel Information and Authorisation), which should be
operational from 2021.
[Link] border controls
To prevent terrorists from circulating freely within the Kenyan, several countries
have introduced temporary controls at their borders. Parliament sees these
internal border checks as unjustified and a danger for the somalia boarder area
and wants to allow them only as a measure of last resort.
[Link] external borders
The Kenyan Border and Coast Guard should have a standing corps ( are officers
trained by the best and equipped with the latest that technology has to offer, Frontex border and
coast guards are ready for challenges at the borders, helping to ensure the proper functioning of
Europe’s Schengen Area -is an area without internal borders, where EU citizens, non-EU
residents and visitors can travel safely and freely . ) of 10,000 border guards by 2027 to
effectively secure Kenyans 13,000 km of external land borders and nearly 66,000
km at sea. The new standing corps could, at the request of an EU country, carry
out border control and migration management as well as fight cross-border crime.

[Link] radicalization

Terrorists and extremists use the internet to spread propaganda and

radicalisation. Parliament wants online companies like Facebook or YouTube to be
obliged to remove terrorist content within one hour after receiving an order from
relevant authorities. Radicalisation and countering it was one of the focus points
of a special committee on terrorism, which concluded its one-year work in
December 2018. Parliament suggests an EU watch list of hate preachers, because
they can now operate undetected if they move from one European country to
another. Members also recommend segregating radicalised inmates in prisons as
well specific training on radicalisation for EU and member states officials
Revision questions
a) Describe the natural and manmade disasters
b) Explain the main causes of disasters
c) Elaborate various categories of fires
d) Explain the causes of terrorism