city of la emergency operations master plan and procedures - annex

8/12/2019 City of LA Emergency Operations Master Plan and Procedures - Annex

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DAMAGE ASSESSMENT ANNEX

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUBJECT PAGE

SECTION- A INTRODUCTION 3

Damage Assessment Reporting FlowchartsDamage Assessment Continuum

SECTION- B PURPOSE AND SCOPE 7

SECTION- C DEPARTMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES 8

SECTION- D DAMAGE ASSESSMENT PHASES 10

1. Disaster Intelligence 10

Reconnaissance ReportGeneral Area Survey

City Status Reports2. Damage Safety Surveys 12

Safety Survey Summary Reports

3. Detailed Safety Assessment 13Damage to Private Property

Damage to Public Property

SECTION- E ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 15

SECTION- F REPORTING FORMS

Form F- 1 Reconnaissance ReportForm F- 2 General Area Survey Summary Report

Form F- 3 General Area Survey ReportForm F- 4 City Status Report

Form F- 5 LA CityRIMS- Damage Assessment ReportForm F- 6 Safety Survey Summary Report

Form F- 7 Safety Survey Report Field Data Collection FormForm F- 8 ATC- 20 Report Form

Form F- 9 Facility Inspection Status SummaryForm F- 10 Exhibit B, List of Project Sites


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SECTION A INTRODUCTION

From the moment a major emergency or disaster occurs, an information process is set in

motion which continues from the time of impact to the final stages of recovery and

reconstruction. Part of that information process has come to be known as damage

assessment. It has become a widely used and often misinterpreted term for a series of

evaluations to be performed during an emergency.

Emergency Planners have long recognized that one all-encompassing term, such as damage

assessment does not adequately describe the various types of damage assessment tasks

being performed or the time during which they occur. This Annex, which is based on the

Operational Area Damage Assessment Plan for Los Angeles, recognizes the need for four

overlapping phases or elements of damage assessment:

! Disaster Intelligence

! Damage Safety Survey

! Detailed Safety Survey

! Recovery Assessment

This Annex focuses on the information capturing systems and activities which occur during the

first few days of an event. These activities primarily involve the first three damage assessment

phases only. The final phase of the damage assessment process, the Recovery Assessment

phase, is not covered by this Annex. The procedures and plans for the Recovery Assessment

Phase are found in various departmental plans and the City of Los Angeles Recovery and

Reconstruction Plan.

Because each of above phases or elements overlap to some extent, the damage assessment

process has been labeled by the Operational Area the Damage Assessment Continuum.

Each element of the Damage Assessment Continuum has different components, time framesand reporting forms. The various components, when assembled, produces the damage

assessment picture.

Damage Assessment is integrated into the total emergency management system. It is not a

separate information system. The damage assessment flow chart on page 4 shows how

damage assessment information flows from the field to the DOCs to the EOC and the

Operational Area. The Damage Assessment Continuum on page 6 shows an overview of the

relationship between the phases of damage assessment, the activities performed and the

forms being used in the EOC and Operational Area.


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Damage Assessment Reporting Flowchart

Without EOC Activation

State OES

Civil Defense Area H

Coordinator

(LA County)

Office of Administrative Research Services

(OARS)

Disaster Grants Administration

Departmental

Disaster GrantsCoordinator

Bureau Disaster

Grants Coordinator

IncidentCommand

Post

IncidentCommand

Post

FieldInspector

FieldInspector


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Damage Assessment Reporting Flowchart

During EOC Activation

State Regional Area EOC

(REOC)

Operational Area EOC

(LA County)

EOC Director(Final Approval)

DepartmentOperations Center

Bureau OperationsCenter

IncidentCommand

Post

IncidentCommand

Post

FieldInspector

FieldInspector

EOC Planning &Intelligence Section

EOC Finance &Administration Section

EOC OperationsSection


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6

EVENT

DISASTER INTELLIGENCE

DAMAGE SAFETY SURVEY

DETAILED SAFETYASSESSMENT

RECOVERY ASSESSMENT

City Status ReportUpdatesFacility Status ReportUpdates

Safety Survey SummaryReportsCity Status ReportUpdates

City Recon ReportsGeneral Area SurveySummary ReportsCity Status Reports

DISASTER INTELLIGENCEQuick assessment of CriticalFacilities and General AreaSurvey, orWhere do we have problems?

DAMAGE SAFETY SURVEYWindshield survey to developan estimate of the numbers,types and degree of damageand an initial estimate of the

dollar loss.

See Recovery andReconstruction Plan

DETAILED SAFETYASSESSMENTDetailed safety survey ofdamaged structures andfacades by qualified

inspectors.

RECOVERYASSESSMENTCoordinate thereconstruction ofdamaged and destroyed

facilities.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT CONTINUUM

TIME


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SECTION B PURPOSE AND SCOPE

The Damage Assessment Annex to the Citys Emergency Operations Master Plan and

Procedures conceptually defines the various elements of the damage assessment process

during disasters. The Annex augments the Emergency Operations Master Plan and

Procedures and together with departmental emergency plans the annex provides direction

and guidance to City departments and offices for performing damage assessment functions

following a major disaster.

This Annex is applicable to City departments with Emergency Operations Organization (EOO)

responsibilities and all other City agencies with essential facilities under their control. It may

also serve as a guideline for outside agencies and organizations that work with the EOO.

The Annex defines the departmental roles and responsibilities relating to collecting, analyzing,

and disseminating information about the nature, severity and extent of a natural disaster. This

information is critically important to the EOC Director and City decision makers. The

information is the basis for decisions relating to the declaration of a local emergency, the need

for mutual aid and the allocation of vital resources. The information is also required by the

Operational Area for determining the regional impact of the disaster, developing regional

priorities and meeting OES and FEMA requirements.

The Annex provides general time frame goals, standardized forms and information collecting

objectives and policies to guide the various damage assessment activities conducted by City

departments. The basis for the time frames, forms and objectives is the Los Angeles

Countys Operational Area Damage Assessment Plan. The Governors Office of Emergency

Services also participated in the plan development. This regional plan was developed by a

multi jurisdictional task force in 1997. All cities in the county were provided an opportunity for

input and comment on the plan.

Detailed damage assessment procedures, such as: emergency assignments, department-

specific forms and protocols are not a part of this annex. They are located in eachdepartments emergency plans.


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SECTION C DEPARTMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The responsibilities for departments to conduct damage assessment varies widely. A few

departments, such as the Department of Public Works, are involved every aspect of damage

assessment, from disaster intelligence to recovery. Other departments play a small role in

damage assessment. However, regardless of size, each City department should provide an

initial assessment of damage that occurred to the facilities it occupies or manages. This

assessment will generally be very brief and focus on:

Which buildings and facilities are damaged?

How severe is the damage?How does the damage affect the ability of the department to respond to the emergency?

What assistance from other departments or mutual aid is needed?

The following is a brief description of the damage assessment roles for some key City

departments:

Emergency Preparedness Department (EPD) - The Planning and Intelligence Section of the

EOC is responsible for capturing all disaster-related information, including damage

assessment information. The Documentation Unit of the Planning and Intelligence Section isthe central point for coordination and data compilation. During the emergency phase of a

disaster, EPD staff will provide general coordination and logistical support as needed.

City Administrative Officer (CAO) - During the recovery phase, the CAO is the only agency

authorized to submit Damage Survey data and other documents to the State in support of

reimbursement requests. The CAO coordinates with the various departments that must

prepare project applications and guides them in the compilation of damage data. The CAO

continues to serve as the Citys designated representative to the State for all communications

and submittals relating to reimbursements and audits of response and recovery costs.

Police Department - The Police Department, along with LAFD are the first responders in adisaster and are the primary source of initial disaster intelligence information. LAPD officers

conduct a drive-by assessment of certain pre-determined critical facilities within their patrol

district. LAPD is also responsible for the General Area Survey report (Form No. F-3).

Weather permitting, the LAPDs Air Support Division conducts an aerial survey with priority

accorded to those sites that are likely to produce the greatest harm or those sites that are of

critical importance to the community.

Fire Department - For moderate size disasters (e.g. fires, floods, minor earthquakes) where

they are the principal responders, LAFD will provide substantial disaster intelligence

information. However, in a major disaster, they will be fully committed to life safety response

and may not be able to provide resources to the damage assessment process. Weatherpermitting, LAFDs Air Operations may also be available to conduct aerial damage

assessment missions.


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Department of Public Works - Assessing damage to the Citys infrastructure (streets, sewer

facilities, bridges, drainage facilities, street lights, etc) and developing cost estimates for

repair of public facilities is the responsibility of the Department of Public Works. DPW is also

responsible for the management of reconstruction and debris removing contracts and

activities. Along with the Departments of General Services and Building and Safety, Public

Works also performs the Detailed Safety Assessments of public buildings. DPW also

provides technical and logistic support to EPD in developing City-wide damage estimates.

Department of Transportation - DOT is responsible for traffic engineering, signals and street

signs in the City, and provides officers for traffic control. In addition to their emergency

operations roles in restoration of traffic flow, they will be responsible for damage assessment

of traffic controls, signals, parking meters and other facilities under their control. DOTs

inventory on 120 remote video cameras are available to assist in Disaster Intelligence.

Department of Building and Safety - Performing safety assessments of all damaged private

buildings in the City is the responsibility of the Department of Building and Safety. The

windshield surveys performed as a part of the Damage Safety Surveys and completing the

ATC20 reports for the Detailed Safety Assessments are primarily the responsibility of the

Department of Building and Safety. Building and Safety is also the lead agency for building

demolition following disasters.

Department of General Services - The repair and maintenance of all Council-controlled

buildings and equipment, such as trucks and construction equipment is the responsibility of

the Department of General Services. Damage assessment of the public buildings and

facilities is their responsibility. Tracking costs of equipment rentals and purchases, supplies

and other acquisitions made by the Logistics Section during a disaster is also their

responsibility.

Department of Recreation and Parks - Damage assessment of all parks and recreation

facilities, including shelters is the responsibility of the Department of Recreation and Parks.

Recovery activities for their facilities is also their responsibility.

Information Technology Agency - ITA is responsible for the repair and maintenance of the

Citys communication systems. They maintain the computer systems and networks within the

City. ITA is also responsible for performing damage assessment of the facilities they control.

The Departments of Airports, Harbor, and Water and Power - are proprietary departments that

are managed as semi-independent, City departments. Each department is responsible for

performing damage assessment for their facilities.


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SECTION D DAMAGE ASSESSMENT PHASES

1. Disaster Intelligence

The lack of timely, accurate information in the early hours of a disaster has been identified by

emergency managers as a major problem on virtually every after action report. Frequently,

much of the required information is actually available in the various departmental incident

command centers or emergency operation centers. The information simply is not passed on

and shared with other departments and the EOC. The damage assessment reports in this

Annex will provide a simple, structured method to report disaster information throughout the

Emergency Operations Organization.

To uniquely identify the initial survey reconnaissance function, the first phase of Damage

Assessment has been labeled Disaster Intelligence by the Operational Area. The timely

gathering of this first-blush data for any incident is pivotal to a correct and accurate

assessment of the event and its impact on the City.

Disaster Intelligence phase information provides decision makers with the information to

determine if there is a need for an emergency proclamation and if there is a need for

assistance from outside resources. The information provides a basis for the prioritization ofresources and information for public announcements.

All Damage Assessment information is compiled by the Planning and Intelligence Section with

data input from the Operations Section and any other available source. Information from all

of the Damage Assessment reporting forms in Section F of this Annex shall be sent to the

Operational Area through the Los Angeles County EMIS (Emergency Management Information

System) computer terminal located in the Citys EOC. During Level 3 activations of the EOC,

the County will provide liaison staff to operate the system.

Three reports comprise the Disaster Intelligence phase of the Damage Assessment process:

! Reconnaissance Report Form No. F-1! General Area Survey Summary Report Form No. F-2

! General Area Survey Report Form No. F-3! City Status Report Form No. F-4

The Reconnaissance Report (Form No. F-1) was developed to provide the Operational Area

with an indicator of where potential problems may exist in the County and the ability of an

individual city to provide services to its residents. This is a one time only report and is not

expected to be precise or definitive. The Reconnaissance Report is due to the Operational

Area within one hour after requested by the Operational Area EOC or an hour after a major

earthquake.

General Area Survey Report (Form No. F-3) This report is a windshield assessment of all

areas of the City. It is a damage-overview report designed to give the EOC managers and

other decision makers knowledge of the impact of the disaster on the residents of the City.

The assessment is conducted by LAPD personnel following a major earthquake. It is a simple

field paper report designed to be completed rapidly and reported through the

radio communication system. It is not expected to be precise.


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For purposes of this report, damages and its impact can be divided into six general

categories:

1. A quick summary impression of the status of the area.

2. Does the road and bridge network show signs of damage that will hinder movement?3. Does the area show structures with visual signs of damage, partial collapse, or total

collapse?4. Is there a need for Urban Search and Rescue?

5. Is there a need for medical evacuations?6. Are there large numbers of people made homeless who require temporary shelter?

The reporting format is designed to give a general overview. A color code system is used in

the report and designed to give a graphic display of the damage and types of support services

needed. Information provided from this report is used to compile the General Area Survey

Summary Report (Form No. F-2).

City Status Report: (Form No. F-4) The City Status Report is a summary report with significant

details on the status of governmental services, utilities, major incidents and casualties within

the City. The City RIMS Report is the basis for the City Status Report. Report. The City StatusReport is the basis for the Situation Report required from Operational Areas following

disasters.

The goal of the Operational Area is to receive all City Status Reports approximately two hours

after a major earthquake. However, the ability to prepare City Status Reports in a timely

manner is directly affected by the severity of the earthquake and the day and time it occurred.

The initial reports will almost always be partial reports with additional information provided in

subsequent reports.

The reports for more slowly evolving disasters, like floods and major fires are due two hours

after being requested by the Operational Area. After the initial report, it is updated twice aday, generally about 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Continued updates are prepared through the

Detailed Safety Assessment phase.

The preparation and updating of this report is the responsibility of the Planning and

Intelligence Section. Information needed for the form is obtained primarily from the Operations

Section through the DOCs. The department responsible for providing data for most of the

report is self-explanatory; such as: status of utilities and specified departments. However,

some data fields require information from multiple sources, such as Public Dollar Loss

estimate.

LA CityRIMS Damage Assessment Report (Form F-5): The LA CityRIMS DamageAssessment Report is a summary report that is posted in the EOCMIS. The report has the

ability to be updated from all of the DOCs and the EOC. The Report is the responsibility of

the Planning and Intelligence Section with the information provided primarily by the Operations

Section. This Report provides a good overview of the disaster to assist emergency managers

and public information officers.


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LA CityRIMS Damage Assessment Reports include the following information:

Public and private dollar loss

Casualties and fatalities

Status of roads and bridges Status of communication systems

Status of utilities Major incidents and major problems

The LA CityRIMS Report is the primary source of information for the City Status Report.

2. Damage Safety Survey

The Damage Safety Survey is conducted by Building and Safety personnel immediately

following a major disaster. The survey provides a listing of properties, on a block by block

basis, that appear to have suffered damage. It is the result of windshield surveys that are

conducted by qualified inspector/engineer teams.

The Damage Safety Survey is used by the impacted jurisdiction to plan and prioritize the

dispatch of qualified Damage Assessment Teams who will conduct site specific structural

safety inspections. The information is also used for estimating private sector dollar loss.

The Safety Survey Summary Forms (Form No. F-6) are used to create a Geographic

Information System (GIS) data layer that lists the number of structures and percentage of

damaged structure by category within each Assessor Map area or other reporting district. The

summary data is furnished to the EOC and Operational Area to assist in the coordination of

mutual aid inspection teams, resources and other services.

A necessary component for the GIS system is the development of a data layer that

incorporates both County Tax Assessor's information, such as legal descriptions, addresses

and improvement values with a common mapping system. These data layers need to be

developed in advance of the disaster. Data for the reports can be collected on notebook

computers, small data collectors or manual entry Scantron-type data forms (See sample,

Form F-7).

The damage survey team will generally consist of two people: one engineer and one

inspector. Each team is assigned to a specific geographic area with specific routes to

conduct a "drive by" block-by-block survey. The teams are initially dispatched to areas

previously identified as suffering major damage through the General Area Survey process.Another method of prioritizing the inspection team routes is the EPEDAT (Early Prediction

Earthquake Damage Assessment) system.

The Damage Survey Teams duties are:

1. Estimate and record the overall percentage of damage for each block surveyed.2. Identify dangerous buildings which require immediate detailed evaluation for purposes


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of vacating and/or demolition.3. Locate and record levels and concentration of damage within a given region.

At the conclusion of each team's survey, the information collected in the field is tabulated and

input into GIS database. The GIS database is used to develop estimated damage figures and

the estimated numbers of homes, and business that require detailed safety assessments.

The system can also be queried for various damage patterns and reports, such as:

The percentage of homes damaged, detailed by Council district or other

geographic boundary. The estimated number of homeless or citizens requiring shelter by region.

Estimates of damage correlated to demographic information. Estimated Red-tagged, yellow-tagged buildings by region or district.

The estimates of damage can be used to develop damage pattern maps. These maps are

particularly useful in the deployment of disaster assistance teams, follow-up damage

assessment teams conducting more detailed structural safety evaluations, and teams

conducting detailed damage surveys of the public infrastructure.

Safety Survey Summary Forms (Form F-6) and Safety Survey Report Field Data CollectionForms (Form F-7) are prepared during this phase. City Status Reports (Form F-4) continue

to be updated.

3. Detailed Safety Assessment

During the Detailed Safety Assessment phase detailed listings are developed of structures

and facilities that suffered damage. Where the prior two phases of Damage Assessment

looked at polygons of damage or regional assessments of damage, this phase looks at

specific, individual locations. Loss estimates are developed and updated during the Detailed

Safety Assessment phase.

Facility Inspection Status Report (Form F-9) is prepared and City Status Reports are updated

during the Detailed Safety Assessment phase. The information sources for the Facility

Inspection Status Reports are the ATC-20- Rapid Evaluation Safety Assessment Forms (Form

F-8) and damage summary reports prepared by City Departments. The damage summary

report format varies from department to department. However, all of the reports include the

date of the assessment (or update), location of damage site or incident location and estimated

cost of repair.

Damage to Private Property

Safety assessments of private structures are performed by trained damage assessment teams

under the supervision of the Department of Building and Safety. The teams respond rapidlyto areas where damage is reported and inspect each situs as described by the damage

complaint. The team should be composed of one inspector and one engineer. direct

observation of the premises is required. Exterior and interior inspections are conducted as

rapidly and thoroughly as safety and time will allow. Damage to premises is assessed based

upon the overall structural hazards, hazardous structural elements, hazardous nonstructural

elements and, geotechnical hazards. A repair estimate is recorded. Upon completion of the

assessment the premises are posted with a colored placard indicating information relating to

the capacity for continued use or occupancy of the


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building or portions thereof. Buildings may be ordered entirely vacated, partially vacated, or

may be assessed as having no observable structural damage.

Damage to Public Property

Following a major disaster every department in the City of Los Angeles is responsible for

performing a safety assessment of their buildings and facilities. The safety assessments

should be conducted as quickly as possible. The safety assessments are performed to:

1. Determine if the offices, buildings, and other facilities are safe to work out of.

2. Determine if critical facilities such as power plants, bridges, streets, treatment plants traffic

control systems are functional.

3. Develop damage repair estimates.

The damage cost estimates and information about major incidents are reported on the LA

CityRIMS Damage Assessment Report and the LA CityRIMS Incident Report. The City Status

Report and the Facility Inspection Status Summary is updated from these two reports.

Departments that do not have the staff available to perform detailed safety inspections or the

ability to estimate damage repair costs should request assistance through their EOC

Operations Section representative or the Operations Section Coordinator (213 847-7196).

If the EOC has been deactivated, request assistance for public building inspections from theDepartment of General Services, Emergency Planning Unit.

Labor and equipment costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures are also

collected during this phase.

Damage assessment information is communicated from the field to the DOC to the EOC as

shown on the Damage Assessment Information Flowcharts on pages 4 and 5. Updates to the

reports are provided twice a day during the initial phases of the disaster.

If the EOC has been deactivated, all updated reports are processed to the OARs, Disaster

Grant Section.

Damage to public property, debris removal, emergency protective measures and safety

assessment costs are potentially reimbursable following all federally declared disasters under

one of two programs: the Public Assistance Program of the Federal Emergency Management

Agency (FEMA) or the Federal Highway Administration (FHWY).

FEMAs Public Assistance Program is the primary source of assistance to help the City in

recovering from federally declared disasters. The Governors Office of Emergency Services

is responsible for processing all requests for reimbursement on FEMA projects. The Office

of Administrative Research Services is responsible for coordinating all activities, submitting

required paperwork and communications between the City and State OES/FEMA.

The first step in securing FEMA reimbursements is the submission of Exhibit B documents

(See Form F-10). Exhibit B documents are prepared by each department with reimbursable

losses or expenses. However, the OARs office compiles all departmental Exhibit B forms into

one application because FEMA restricts cities to only one application number for the entire

City.

FHWY assistance is only available for damage occurring on certain designated roadways.


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The reimbursable damage may include the cost to repair bridges, roadways, sidewalks,

sewers, storm drains and street lights. Caltrans is responsible for processing all requests for

reimbursement on FHWY projects. The City Engineer coordinates activities between the City

and Caltrans/FHWY.SECTION- E ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Obtaining timely, accurate information about damage during emergency periods is extremely

difficult in a City of 465 square miles. Depending solely on City staff to develop rapid, accurate

damage information is usually not possible. This is especially true following disasters which

affect large areas, such as a major earthquake. It is important to include community based

organizations, outside agencies, neighboring cities and utilities in the damage gathering

process. The level of assistance provided by these outside resources will vary considerably.

The assistance may simply involve sharing of information to providing mutual aid.

The following is a list of additional resources that may provide information and/or assistance

in the damage assessment process:

American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross performs damage assessment as the basis of their disaster relief

program. The intent of the assessment is to establish a level of damage on which the level ofRed Cross assistance is based. Red Cross does not set a dollar value to the estimated loss.

Each affected living unit is initially categorized as having no damage, minor damage, major

damage, or being destroyed. This initial assessment is usually performed as a windshield

survey, that is, a quick survey done by automobile or on foot from street to street. When an

individual casework for the clients (victims) is begun, a home visit to accomplish a detailed

damage assessment is often done. Again, this is not to determine a dollar value loss, but to

determine what items were damaged, or destroyed that fall within the Red Cross disaster

assistance program for repair or replacement.

Emergency Network Los Angeles, Inc. (ENLA):

ENLA is a network of Los Angeles County, non-profit, community-based organizations (CBOs)that provides assistance to individuals, families and organizations following disasters. The

mission of ENLA is to enhance preparedness and coordinate response to disasters by

facilitating linkages among L.A. county CBOs, government and the private sector.

ENLA has been named the Los Angeles County VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in

Disasters). Following local disasters, ENLA is the official link from Los Angeles City and

County to and from community based organizations. One of their major activities is to gather,

coordinate and disseminate pertinent information about the disaster through the Internet to and

from the CBOs. Because every geographical section of the city is represented by CBOs, this

Internet network will play an important role in disasters.

The responsibility for coordinating and gathering information from ENLA will be the Emergency

Preparedness Department. Standard operating procedures for liaison activities between

ENLA and CBOs and the City will be developed as part of the EOOs Five Year Plan.

Governmental Agencies and Utilities:

The Corps of Engineers, Caltrans and the County of Los Angeles are all potential resources

for damage assessment information. Each of these agencies have major facilities within the

City of Los Angeles and each agency has procedures for assessing them for damage

immediately following a disaster. The damage assessment procedures used by each agency


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is very similar to the Detailed Safety Assessment outlined in Section D-3.

Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), Metropolitan Water District (MWD), Southern California

Gas Company and Pacific Bell are also potential sources for damage information.

Information from these resources will be gathered by the Planning and Intelligence Section with

the assistance of the Operations Section.

BICEPP (Business and Industry Council on Emergency Planning and Preparedness):

BICEPP is an organization comprised of many large corporations and local companies

working together to prepare for disasters. Each organization has detailed plans for responding

to emergencies, including damage assessment activities. Plans are being developed to

established emergency communication and liaison protocols between BICEPP and the City.

Aerial Photographs:

Low altitude aerial photography is an excellent method of identifying disaster damage,

especially in remote areas of the city. Photographs are also provide a good source for

documenting emergency response and recovery activities. The Department of Public Works

has an annual contract with an aerial photography firm to provide photographic services on an

as-needed basis. The firm, I.K. Curtis and Company will provide rapid, highly accurate,

engineering-quality photographs immediately following a major disaster.

Remote Controlled Video Cameras:

The Department of Transportation has installed over 125 remote controlled video cameras as

part of the ATSAC (Automated Transportation Surveillance and Control) system. The cameras

are scattered throughout the city and have the capability of viewing wide areas with

considerable detail. The cameras can remotely zoom in to identify damage. The EOC

Operations Section, Transportation Division workstation has direct connectivity and control of

all of the cameras.

Early Prediction Earthquake Damage Assessment Tool (EPEDAT):

EPEDAT is a GIS-based tool that allows the estimation of earthquake damage in near real-time. EPEDAT was developed for the Governors Office of Emergency Services by EQE,

International. The EPEDAT program is available in the Planning and Intelligence Section of

the EOC. It produces the following output for the City of Los Angeles:

Total dollar loss to buildings, contents and lifelines

Number of red and yellow tagged buildings

Number of seriously injured

Number of deaths

Number of displaced persons


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