EM Tech #4: Lifeline Reporting with Essential Elements of Information

Lifeline Reporting with Essential Elements of Information

FEMA Community Lifelines represent the critical functions that communities rely on during disasters and emergencies. They form the building blocks for coordinating response and recovery efforts across all levels of government, non-governmental organizations, and private sector partners. These lifelines include:

🚔 Safety and Security

🍔 Food, Water, and Shelter

🚑 Health and Medical

🔋 Energy

📱 Communications

🚎 Transportation

🛢️ Hazardous Material

The lifelines were created to understand and communicate the various impacts within each lifeline by using simple language and promote unity of effort. The concept of Community Lifelines can be applied to the entire incident lifecycle and how we integrate them into technology will help the workflow for cohesive situational awareness.

Community Lifelines are broken down into components and subcomponents. For example, Health and Medical has the following components: Medical Care, Public Health, Patient Movement, Medical Supply Chain, and Fatality Management. These components are divided into subcomponents that provide a granular level of enabling functions for the delivery of services to a community. Components are fixed, pre-determined capabilities, while subcomponents may expand or contract to meet incident requirements.

Integrating FEMA's Community Lifelines into technology can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of response and recovery efforts during critical events. By leveraging technology to collect essential elements of information (EEIs) related to each lifeline, organizations can maintain situational awareness in real-time, enabling better decision-making and coordination across various stakeholders.

One of the key aspects of incorporating EEIs into technology is establishing a well-defined workflow. A structured workflow ensures that information is systematically collected, shared, and analyzed, reducing the risk of crucial data being overlooked or forgotten amid the chaos of an activation. When designing a workflow, it's essential to consider the specific EEIs that need to be reported and identify responsible parties for gathering and transmitting this information.

For instance, during a disaster, questions like "What is the status of all critical facilities?" or "How many bridges are closed within the community?" are vital pieces of information that can have a significant impact on response efforts. Similarly, tracking essential healthcare data, such as the number of available ICU beds and the status of evacuation centers, can aid in prioritizing medical response and resource allocation. Assigning each resource request to a community lifeline provides a high level visual of where majority of requests fall within each lifeline.

To ensure accurate and timely reporting, technology platforms must be designed to accommodate various data sources. Information can flow in from multiple channels, including in-person at the operations center, text messages, emails, phone calls, third-party integrations, runners, and field observations. By centralizing and automating data collection through technology, redundant efforts can be minimized, and the overall response process streamlined.

As a former Situation Unit Leader for an event, I can attest to the challenges of tracking down EEIs in a timely manner. Like Charlie Day from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," attempting to hand out mail to elusive employees, obtaining critical information during a disaster can feel like a relentless pursuit. Having a clear and efficient workflow in place can prevent information gaps and ensure that updates are constantly integrated into situation reports for real-time data. I like to transform situation reports into more of a dashboard type look and feel where I can drag and drop real-time EEIs relevant to the initial report.

...😂

Moreover, technology can facilitate real-time data analysis, allowing responders and decision-makers to gain insights into evolving situations promptly. By visualizing lifeline data on digital platforms, patterns and trends can be identified, leading to informed decisions and more effective resource allocation.

The benefits of incorporating EEIs into technology extend beyond the immediate response phase. By recording and analyzing data throughout the entire incident lifecycle, organizations can learn from past experiences, improve future preparedness, and develop more resilient communities.

FEMA's Community Lifelines provide a valuable framework for organizing and coordinating response and recovery efforts during disasters and emergencies. By incorporating essential elements of information into technology workflows, we can enhance situational awareness and improve decision-making in times of crisis. The key lies in identifying the relevant EEIs, establishing clear workflows, leveraging technology for data collection and analysis, and fostering collaboration among all stakeholders. As we continue to advance technologically, let us harness its power to create more resilient and prepared communities capable of withstanding and overcoming the challenges of tomorrow.