What humanitarian assistance plan will your team suggest if this disaster happen

Volcanic Eruption Response Plan

This plan is a “multi-hazard” response plan consists of the organization and

management of resources to address all aspects or phases of the emergency, mitigation of
preparedness for response and recovery from a volcanic eruption.

This plan includes:

 Identification and mapping of the hazard zones;

 register of valuable movable property (excluding easily portable personal effects);
 Identification of safe refuge zones to which the population will be evacuated in case of a
dangerous eruption;
 Identification of evacuation routes; their maintenance and clearance;
 Identification of assembly points for persons awaiting transport for evacuation;
 Means of transport, traffic control;
 Shelter and accommodation in the refuge zones;
 Inventory of personnel and equipment for search and rescue;
 Hospital and medical services for treatment of injured persons;
 Security in evacuated areas;
 Alert procedures;
 Formulation and communication of public warnings; procedures for
 communication in emergencies;
 Provisions for updating the plan.

A. Time Scales

An important question that must be inspected at the beginning is the is the connection
between the time- scale of volcanic occasions and the time required to put different
protective measures (i.e., on-site security and/or departure) into effect.

Volcanic eruption may range from a few hours to several days, weeks or months. On the
other hand, in putting emergency protective measures into effect, the time required
depends on the size of the area at hazard, the density of population and settlement, the
degree of mobility of the population, the transport and communication facilities available,
and the general technological level of development and generally, it will be measured in
hours or days.

In practice, it will usually be appropriate to plan for two types of action:

1. Staged reaction to a slowly creating volcanic crisis, during which one may anticipate
to have caution of possibly dangerous volcanic occasions at least 24 hours before
they occur
 2. Immediate reaction to a circumstance calling for the fastest possible evacuation of
individuals by anything implies are promptly accessible.
B. Identification of hazard zones

The first important thing to have in a volcanic emergency plan is a map showing the hazard
zones around the volcanoes which are liable to be affected by one or more destructive magma,
lava, heavy ash fall, pyroclastic falls, mudflows etc. during an eruption.

The map will be based on the maps drawn by volcanologists, showing the areas that have
been devastated during previous eruptions. For practical purposes, (evacuation plans, etc.) the
local authorities responsible for emergency management may be obliged to extend the limits of
some zones in order to take account of available escape routes, the boundaries of settlements,
etc.

C. Population census and inventory of property

In order to plan for evacuation it'll be essential to compile a census of the population within
the hazard zones and to upgrade it at least once every five years or at whatever point there are
signs of abnormal signs of volcanic movement. This census will include not only the people
residing within the zones but those who enter them frequently, for instance for their everyday
work. It may also be valuable to set up a inventory of creature animals in each zone, so that
courses of action can be made for their removal on the off chance that time and facilities permit.

Special note ought to be made of any property or offices within the risk zones whose loss or
destruction would have quick effects outside these zones (e.g., control stations, radio
transmitters, phone trades, water supplies, etc.)

D. Identification of safe transit points and refuge zones

If an orderly evacuation of a hazard zone is to take place, it is critical that everyone in the zone
understands where to go when the evacuation begins. For each hazard zone or section of a
hazard zone, the next easily accessible place outside the zone should be determined, to which
people should go or be taken as soon as possible, and where they can assemble safely while
making arrangement. At each such safe transit point, arrangements will be made for evacuees
to be identified so that, if necessary, a search can be made for any persons who may be
missing. If several such transit points are set up, there should be good facilities for telephone or
radio communication between them. All evacuees, including those proceeding to their own
alternative accommodation in a safe area, should register their departure from the danger zone
at one or other of the transit points. The safe transit points will probably have only minimal
facilities for the shelter and feeding of the evacuees. Schools, community centers, warehouses
or other large buildings will be preferred. The plan will also specify the arrangements for the
transfer of evacuees as quickly as possible from transit points to temporary accommodation in
refuge zones elsewhere.
 E. Identification of Evacuation Routes

The next step in emergency planning will be to conduct a survey of the number of people
to be evacuated, the number of vehicles (and, if necessary, boats and aircraft) on hand, and
the serviceability and traffic capacity of each of the roads leading out of the hazard zones to
the location, type, and magnitude of the eruption, as well as the wind direction at the time.
The primary goal will obviously be to spread the predicted traffic flow as evenly as possible
throughout all of the likely open escape routes. In this context, it will be essential to examine
each route's risk to ash falls, pyroclastic flows, mudflows, and lava flows in addition to ash
falls, pyroclastic flows, mudflows, and lava flows but also to landslides and bridge or tunnel
damage induced by severe local earthquakes. Each of the escape routes will need to be
assessed, and steps taken to regulate and maintain traffic flow at projected risk locations as
much as possible. Although the initial concern in picking escape routes will be to transport
people out of the immediate danger zone as quickly as possible, it will also be desired to
bring them to those safe places with the least amount of delay.

F. Means of transport, traffic control

The plan for getting people and their belongings out of danger zones should be
developed for two levels of emergency, as previously stated: phased reaction and quick
evacuation. When there is enough time between the official evacuation order and the onset
of the destructive eruption in a phased evacuation, it is reasonable to assume that each
family with its own vehicle or boat will look after itself and any neighbors for whom it has
space and has made a specific commitment. Every public transportation driver, including
specifically hired or requisitioned truck drivers, will be instructed to pick up passengers from
one of these locations. Return trips will be made by public transportation as long as the
roads are open or until all evacuees and as much property as feasible have been removed.
In this situation, the plan must be scrapped in favor of a "crash" plan that allows any cars
returning to the hazard zone to pick up fleeing people at impromptu pick-up and turning
locations along the escape route (ideally under police or civil defense authority).

In order to plan evacuation transport in detail, it will be necessary:

(a) To establish how many people have private vehicles and/or boats, and to designate the
routes these will follow;

(b) To make an inventory of the numbers and locations of people needing public transport;

(c) To designate pick-up points for public transport;

(d) To make an inventory of available public transport and drivers and to assign pick-up points
to each of them;

(e) To make arrangements for requisitioning and fueling private trucks and buses (and boats if
appropriate) and to provide any other necessary incentives to those normally based outside the
hazard zones whose services may be required.
 G. Accommodations in Refuge Zones

Once the evacuees arrive in the refuge zones, the issues of housing, food, hygiene, and
morale will be same to those faced by evacuees from any other natural or man-made disaster,
and so do not require special attention in a text on volcanic emergency management. However,
there is one factor that applies to volcanoes that does not normally apply to cyclone,
earthquake, or flood disasters: the eruption may last for months, with repeated destructive
paroxysms (possibly larger in scale than the first), and it may not be safe to allow or encourage
evacuees to return, or to begin rehabilitation and reconstruction, for many months.

H. Rescue, First Aid and Hospital Services

Three types of injuries will necessitate first aid and hospitalization:

(a) Respiratory issues in those who have inhaled fine silicate dust laden air, which may
also contain lethal quantities of H2S, SO2, and other volcanic gases;

(b) Broken limbs, lesions, and bruises caused by rock pieces or lava lumps falling from a
tremendous height;

(c) Burns to the skin (first to third degree) as well as burns to the lungs and breathing
passages as a result of exposure to steam and hot dust clouds, particularly those that
spread from the edges of pyroclastic flows. In the latter case, several of the victims will
almost certainly be severely burned over the majority of their bodies and in critical
conditions.

There may also be victims of toxic gases such as carbon monoxide (CO) or suffocation
in pools of carbon dioxide (CO2) or other gases that have gathered in house cellars, valley
bottoms, or other low-lying areas, in addition to above. Drinking water contaminated by
hazardous substances from reservoirs or tanks may cause medical problems.

I. Security in Evacuated Zones

Unless there is an urgent and evident threat to life, individuals will be hesitant to leave
their houses without assurances that they would be safe from burglary and looting while
they are away. As a result, adequate steps must be taken to prevent illegal entrance to
evacuated zones, and frequent police patrols of the zones should be maintained as long as
this does not put the officers' lives in danger.

J. Alert Procedures within the Government

Volcanic hazards, unlike other natural hazards, are highly localized, with the most catastrophic
effects of eruptions occurring within a few tens of kilometers of each volcano. Except when the
size of the disaster is such that the local government is unable to cope with the crisis, the
primary duty for actions of the type mentioned above may often fall to local or provincial
government agencies rather than national government agencies. The emergency plan will
outline the roles and responsibilities of various government departments in dealing with the
situation, as well as the procedures for implementing the plan's various sections as needed. In
most cases, overall authority will be assigned to an inter-departmental committee comprised of
representatives from the relevant government ministries and chaired by the national, provincial,
or local government's chief executive.

In accordance with the committee's directions, each government department

represented on the committee will prepare its own plans for action in response to alarms. In
general, various levels of alert will be feasible to designate, each of which corresponds to a
distinct level of threat as determined by the scientific team monitoring volcanic activity. A
designated person will be in charge of proclaiming the various levels of alarm, based on the
recommendation of the scientific team monitoring the volcano. In selecting what interpretation to
place on the observed volcanic occurrences, there will often be an element of personal scientific
opinion, and much will depend on knowledge of the volcano's past history.

K. Formulation and Communication of Public Warnings

Because the steps that can be taken to safeguard life and property during a volcanic
eruption will have an impact on the entire population, it is essential to keep the public fully
informed about the nature of the threat and what is being done (and what they should do) to
protect themselves. This usually necessitates some level of control over the material
provided by the news media to the general population. On behalf of the government, a
responsible officer will normally exert this control.

To avoid panic or other negative reactions to the situation, the form and substance of
public announcements will be decided as long ahead of time as necessary, and the public
will be informed of the arrangements made for their information so that they know what to
expect. The specifics of these arrangements will differ from place to place and country to
country, depending on the community's political and social structure as well as the
technological resources available.

L. Review and revision of plans

No plan of this kind will ever be completely valid, and it is always advisable to provide for its
review and revision at regular intervals, say every two or three years, with appropriate publicity.

Changes may be required as a result of:

1. Advances in scientific knowledge of the volcano in question, which may necessitate a

redefinition of the hazard zones around it;

2. Changes in the pattern of settlement around the volcano, as well as changes in the road
system, communication networks, and other technical infrastructure, which will alter the
procedures for warning and evacuation in emergencies.

3. Changes in the national or local government's administrative structure In addition, the plan
will almost definitely need to be updated after each eruptive incident, based on the lessons
gathered. Any actual emergency will almost always show some weaknesses in the strategy, no
matter how much thinking and planning has gone into it previously.

This indicates that there is a permanent organization inside the national or local government
that is in charge of developing and implementing emergency plans for volcanic and other
potential disasters.