quick collection of earthquake damage ...kouzou.cc.kogakuin.ac.jp/member/boss/paper/2008/09-01...we...

The 14th

World Conference on Earthquake Engineering

October 12-17, 2008, Beijing, China

QUICK COLLECTION OF EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE INFORMATION AND

EFFECTIVE EMERGENCY RESPONSE BY COLLABORATION BETWEEN

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND RESIDENTS

Y. Hisada1 , M. Murakami

2 and S. Zama

3

1

Professor, Dept. of Architecture, Kogakuin University, Tokyo, Japan 2

Associate Professor, Dept. of Architecture, Kogakuin University, Tokyo, Japan 3

Chief, National Research Institute of Fire and Disaster, Tokyo, Japan

Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT :

We developed a methodology for collecting quickly earthquake damage information and conducting

effective emergency response by collaboration between a local government and residents. The methodology

consists the PDCA cycle: "1. Orientation Meeting (Plan)", "2. Workshop (Do)", "3. Earthquake Drill

(Check)", and "4. Evaluation Meeting (Act)". After discussing year's plan in the orientation meeting,

community associations and city officials hold a workshop to make a disaster prevention map, which shows

strong and weak points in the community area. After knowing the risk in the area, the participants discuss

about what would happen during a large earthquake, and how to collaborate the city and the associations.

During an earthquake drill, the collaboration is tested for emergency response and information sharing. First,

residents carry out emergency response under a realistic disaster situation in community areas, such as fire

fighting, rescue, and safety checking activities. Then, they make a damage information map after evacuating

to the local community center, where government officials open a local emergency operation center to

summarize the damage information of the community areas and send it to the emergency headquarter of the

city. The headquarter summarizes all the data, and informs to the residents about important information, such

as an evacuation order for a massive fire. After the drill, community members and the city officials discuss

about how to improve the collaboration in an evaluation meeting. We applied the methodology to Toyohashi

City in 2005 and 2006, and confirmed its validity and effectiveness.

KEYWORDS: Collaboration of Local Government and Residents, Earthquake Damage Information,

Emergency Response, Disaster Prevention Map, Earthquake Drill, Damage Map

1. INTRODUCTION

When a large-scale earthquake occurs near a city, such as the 1995 Kobe earthquake, a local government is

usually paralyzed by a deluge of damage information, and becomes extremely difficult to know the overall

damage and to conduct effective countermeasures (see Figure 1(left)). To remedy this problem, Zama et al.

(1998) proposed an idea to obtain city’s damage information by collaboration between the government and

residents (see Figure 1(right)). In the idea, city officials open local emergency operation centers at the

community evacuation centers in school districts after a large earthquake,; they collect damage information

within the districts with help from community associations, and send the information to the city’s emergency

headquarter. If all the school districts in the city are organized in such way, the headquarter can quickly obtain

the information of the overall city’s damage. When some areas are blank (no information), it is possible to check

whether the areas are safe or devastated. It would be also possible to make prompt decisions, such as evacuation

orders for big fires, and how to effectively use the city’s limited resources.

In order to actualize the idea, we developed a methodology based on a PDSA cycle, and applied it to

Toyohashi City in the Aichi prefecture in Japan in 2005 and 2006. As shown in Figure 2, Toyohashi City is close

to the anticipated Tokai and Tonankai earthquakes. Figure 3 shows the estimated JMA (Japan Metrological

Agency) intensities in the city for the Tokai - Tonankai combined earthquake, which indicates the most parts of

city would suffer intensities 6 Lower to 6 Higher (nearly equal to 9 to 10 in the MMI intensities). In this paper,

we explain first the proposed methodology, and second, how to apply to the city. Finally, we check the validity

The 14th



of the methodology by an experimental earthquake drill in 2006.

Figure 1 Information flows from community members to a city under a current earthquake disaster

(left), and under the proposed methodology (right)

Figure 2 (up) Toyohashi City in the Aichi

prefecture, and anticipated earthquakes, the Tokai

and Tonankai earthquakes (Toyohashi City, 2003)

Figure 3 (right) The estimated JMA intensities in

Toyohashi City for the Tokai - Tonankai combined

earthquakes. And, the Haccho and Sakae school

districts, in which we applied the proposed

methodology (Toyohashi City, 2003)

2. THE METHODOLOGY FOR EFFECTIVE EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND INFORMATION

SHARING, AND ITS APPLICATION TO TOYOHASI CITY, JAPAN

We explain the methodology for effective emergency response and information sharing by collaboration

between a city and community associations, shown in Figure 1 (right), and how to apply it to Toyohashi City in

2005 and 2006. We worked with the city's officials of the disaster prevention and the city planning sections, and

the community associations in the Haccho and Sakae school districts, which show high earthquake risk (see

Figure 3).

As shown in Figure 4, we developed a methodology based on the PDCA cycle: "1. Orientation Meeting

Toyohashi City

Tokai EQ

Tonankai EQ

Nankai EQ

Local

Government

Resident

Resident

Resident

Resident

Resident

Damage Information

・Phone Call ・Rush to Office

Local

Government

School District Evacuation Center

Residents’ Association

Resident

Resident

Resident

Residents’ Association

Resident

Resident

Resident

Resident

School

District School

District

Resident

Resident

Resident

Isolated

Communities

Resident

Resident

Resident

Resident

Haccho School

District

Sakae School

District

JMA Intensity

7 6 Higher 6 Lower 5 Higher

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(Plan)", "2. Workshop (Do)", "3. Earthquake Drill (Check)", and "4. Evaluation Meeting (Act)". In the first year

(2005), we first held orientation meetings with the residents in both districts with local officials, and discussed

about the earthquake hazard, the risk of the areas, disaster prevention plans. Next, we held a workshop in the

Haccho districts to make a disaster prevention map, which indicated strong and weak points of the area, such as

the locations of fire distinguishers, fire hydrants, storages of rescue equipments, weak walls and buildings, open

spaces, and so on. Figure 5 shows an example of the map, which was made in Akumi and Azumada areas in the

Haccho district in 2005 using a Web-GIS system (Ichii, et al. 2005). During the workshop, the participants also

discuss about what will happen during a large earthquake, and how to collaborate between city and communities

under a devastating situation.

Figure 4 The PDCA cycle for quick collection of earthquake damage information and for effective

emergency response, which were applied to Toyohashi City in 2005 and 2006

Figure 5 An example of a disaster prevention map which was made in Akumi and Azumada areas in the

Haccho district in 2005 using a Web-GIS system (Ichii et al., 2005). For its location, see Figure 6.

Next, we conducted an earthquake drill for emergency response within the community areas (fire fighting,

rescue, safety confirmation of elderly and disable people etc.), based on the disaster experience game (Kaji and

Iwaki, 1998). At the same time, we conducted a drill to make community damage maps with help from the

community associations. We confirmed that the city could obtain accurate and fast damage information and

1. Orientation Meeting

(Discuss about current problems,

and this year’s target and plan, etc.)

2. Workshop

（Improve the emergency supplies, networks of the associations, and/or make

damage prevention maps, etc.）

3. Earthquake Drill

（Conduct emergency response, and

make district damage map, etc.）

4. Evaluation Meeting

（Evaluate the drill, and solve or improve

the problems for the next year）

（（（（Plan））））

（（（（Check））））

lan/Check）

（（（（Do））））

（（（（Act））））

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carry out effective countermeasures by the collaboration between the local residents and officials. Finally, we

held evaluation meetings to check and improve the methodology. In the next year (2006), we carried out the

next PDCA cycle: orientation meetings (discussing this year's plan), workshops (disaster prevention maps in the

Sakae district), and an experimental earthquake drill (see the next Section), and evaluation meetings (improve

the methodology).

Figure 6 The area of the experimental earthquake drill in Toyohashi City in 2006. In the drill, community

associations in the Haccho and Sake school district participated, in addition to the city officials.

八町校区

栄校区

八町校区市民館 ●住民活動拠点（地域住民）

被災マップの作成，避難者名簿作成，

被害情報・避難情報の集約など

●校区活動拠点（防災対策課）

住民駆けつけ情報等の収集・伝達

地域の初動・応急対応活動に必要な情報の入手

住民への情報提供，活動支援

各種要請，措置報告など

山田町，山田石塚町（地域住民，都市計画課）地域住民による地震被害情報収集，

要援護者の安否確認情報など

山田公民館 ●住民活動拠点（地域住民，防災対策課）

被災マップの作成，避難者名簿作成，

被害情報・避難情報の集約など

飽海町・東田町西脇二区（地域住民，都市計画課）地域住民による地震被害情報収集，

要援護者の安否確認情報など

豊橋市役所 13 階展望室中遠距離被害情報収集端末による

地震被害情報収集

※情報収集対象：

八町通 1・2・3・4 丁目，曲尺手町

町畑町，南栄町現地被害情報収集端末による

地震被害情報収集

栄小学校体育館 ●（仮）豊橋市災害対策本部（事務局）（防災対策課）

校区活動拠点・避難所開設状況の把握，市全域の被災状

況・避難状況等の把握，校区活動拠点への各種指示，地

域の応急対応行動に必要な情報の提供など

●校区活動拠点（防災対策課）

住民駆けつけ情報等の収集・伝達

地域の初動・応急対応活動に必要な情報の入手

住民への情報提供，活動支援

各種要請，措置報告など

Long-Distance wireless LAN

Area of Figures 6 and 8

Toyohashi City Office

・・・・Damage Information Collection using Long - Medium Distance

Range Information System

Community Associations in the

Akumi and Azumada areas

・・・・ Emergency response and damage information collection

Community Evacuation Center

in the Haccho District

・・・・ Local Emergency Operation Center to obtain earthquake damage

information in the Haccho school

district, by collaboration between

officials and communities

Community Evacuation Center

in the Sakae District

・・・・Temporary Emergency Headquarter of Toyohashi City

・・・・Local Emergency Operation Center to obtain earthquake damage information

in the Haccho school district, by

collaboration between officials and

communities

Community Association in Yamada areas

・・・・ Emergency response and damage information collection

Yamada Community Hall

・・・・Earthquake damage map in the community areas

Haccho

District

Sakae

District

Machihata and Minamisakae

Area (Damage information

collection using GIS system)

The 14th



3. EXPERIMENTAL EARTHQUAKE DRILL IN TOYOHASHI CITY IN 2006

We explain the experimental earthquake drill in 2006 in detail, which was carried out to check the validity of

the proposed methodology. Figure 6 shows the Haccho and Sakae school districts and the community areas to

participate in the drill. The drill was carried out by collaboration between Toyohashi City and the community

associations of the two school districts. First, panels were suspended at electric poles just before the drill, which

showed the information about earthquake damage, such as a fire breaking, a damaged building, and a blocked

road (see Figure 7, and Pictures 1 and 2 for the panels). Figure 8 shows the locations of the damage panels in the

Akumi and Azuma areas in the Haccho district. Similarly, the damage poles were set in the Yamada area in the

Sakae district, as well.

Figure 7 Earthquake damage panels, which were suspended at electric poles in the community areas

Figure 8 The earthquake damage map at the Akumi and Azumada areas (dots are the actual location of the poles,

and circles are the locations which the community member reported).

消火器：本バケツ：個

防災訓練

火災防災訓練

豊橋市　豊橋技術科学大学工学院大学　

文部科学省科学技術振興調整費　重点課題解決型研究プロジェクト

建物(全壊)

防災訓練

防災訓練豊橋市　豊橋技術科学大学工学院大学　


建物(半壊)

防災訓練




道路閉塞通り抜け出来ません

防災訓練


Earthquake Drill

Building (Totally

Damaged)

Earthquake Drill

Building (Partially

Damaged)

Earthquake

Drill Earthquake

Drill

Fire Breaking

Extinguisher and Bucket Road is Blocked and Closed

Pole Location

Fire

Building (T)

Building (P)

Road Block

Fire

Building (T)

Building (P)

Road Block

Report

Temporary

evacuation

space at the

Akumi area

Temporary

evacuation space at

the Azumada area

Failed to find

a pole

The 14th



When the drill started under the assumption of the Tokai earthquake, the local residents checked the

community areas, and carried out emergency response. For example, when a resident found a panel of fire

breaking, he/she gather people, and collect fire distinguishers and buckets with water as many as possible within

10 minutes (see Pictures 1). When a fire hydrant was close to the panel, people connected a hose to the hydrant

and brought the nozzle to the panel (see Picture 2). When people succeeded to bring enough numbers of the fire

distinguishers, buckets, and/or the nozzles within 10 minutes, a coordinator put a sticker of "Extinction Success"

on the panel (see Picture 1). Otherwise, the coordinator put a sticker of "Extinction Failure". People also

checked the safeties of elderly and disable people and brought them to the temporary evacuation spaces within

the community areas (see Picture 3). After finishing emergency response at the panels, all the participants got

together at the temporary spaces (see Figure 8 and Picture 4).

After checking the safeties of the community areas, people went to the community evacuation centers (see

Figure 6 for the locations), and made the community damage maps, which indicated the locations and the type

of damage (see Picture 8). Figure 8 is the damage map of the Akumi and Azumada areas, which was made by

the community members within 30 minutes after starting drill. The information were very accurate for both the

locations and the types, which shows that it is possible to obtain accurate damage information very quickly with

the help of community associations. Next people gave the damage maps to the city officials, who opened the

local emergency operation centers at the evacuation centers, and they summarized data and sent them to the

city's emergency headquarter using the long-distance wireless LAN (see Picture 6, and Figure 6 for the location;

Kawasaki Lab., 2006).

Picture 1 Emergency response drill (fire fighting by Picture 2 Emergency response drill (fire fighting by

bringing fire extinguishers and buckets) bringing a nose from a fire hydrant)

Picture 3 Safety check and evacuation drill (people Picture 4 Safety check drill (check of the community

check and bring elderly people a to evacuation spaces) at the temporary space within the community area)

The 14th



Picture 5 Community damage map drill (making a Picture 6 Local emergency response center (collecting

damage map at the community evacuation center) the damage information of the school district)

Picture 7 City's emergency operation headquarter Figure 9 Example of fire spreading simulation

(Communicating with a community evacuation center) (Results were used at the city's operation headquarter)

Figure 10 Capacity information of an evacuation center Picture 8 Explanation of the city's damage and the

(Information shows that the center is still vacant) evacuation order for big fire to community members

The 14th



The city's emergency headquarter was temporary located at the community evacuation center of the Sakae

districts during the drill (see Figure 6 for the location). At the headquarter, the city officials checked all the

damage data, which were not only from the Haccho and Sakae districts, but also from the other districts, which

were generated by a computer. They also communicated with the officials at the community evacuation centers

using IP phones and FAX through the long-distance wireless LAN (see Pictures 6 and 7). Using software for

simulating fire spreading, they estimated the possible burned area and its arrival time (see Figure 9; Kawasaki

Lab., 2006). When an evacuation center would face the fire spreading, the headquarter issued an evacuation

order. The headquarter also knew which evacuation center is full or vacant in real time using a Web-GIS system

(see Figure 10; Ichii et al. 2005). Finally, the summary of damage and/or the evacuation order from the

headquarter were informed to the community members at the evacuation centers (see Picture 8).

4. SUMMARY

We developed a methodology for collecting quickly earthquake damage information and conducting effective

emergency response by collaboration between a local government and residents. The methodology consists the

PDCA cycle: "1. Orientation Meeting (Plan)", "2. Workshop (Do)", "3. Earthquake Drill (Check)", and "4.

Evaluation Meeting (Act)". Especially, the workshop is important to know the risk of the areas by making an

earthquake prevention map, and discuss how to collaborate the community and the city. In addition, the

earthquake drill based on the disaster experience game (Kaji and Iwaki, 1998) is very useful to check the

effectiveness of the collaboration for emergency response, and collecting and sharing information. During the

experimental drill in Toyohashi City in 2006, the city could collect the accurate damage data within 30 minutes

with help of community associations. After the drill, we interviewed the city officials, and all the members

acknowledged the effectiveness of the methodology. The members of community associations also

acknowledged the usefulness of the disaster experience game for emergency response.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research was supported by Joint Research Project on Disaster Reduction using Information Sharing

Technologies by Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology of MEXT (Ministry of

Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan), EEC (Earthquake and Environmental Research

Center) of Kogakuin University funded by the Frontier Research Promotion Program of MEXT, and .a research project of MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan).

REFERENCES

Ichii, T., Shibayama, A., Murakami, M., Sato, T., Hisada, Y., Namai, C. (2005), Development of the Disaster

Information Mutual Suport WebGIS as Purposes of use in Advance or Disaster Situation (Information Systems

Technology), Journal of Architecture and Building Science, 22, 553-558 (in Japanese)

Kaji, H., Iwaki, K. (1998), Development of Disaster Experience Game and Its Effects, Journal of Japan Society

for Safety Engineering, 27-2, 99-106 (in Japanese)

Kawasaki Laboratory (2006), Reports on Joint Research Project on Disaster Reduction using Information

Sharing Technologies (in Japanese), http://www.kedm.bosai.go.jp/project/info-share/report.html

Toyohashi City (2003), Damage Estimation due to Tokai and Tokai-Tonankai Earthquakes, (in Japanese)

http://www.city.toyohashi.aichi.jp/bu_shobohonbu/bosaitaisaku/quake/index.html

Zama, S., Hosokawa, M., and Sekizawa, A. (1998), Framework for efficient gathering of earthquake damage

information, 10th Japan Earthquake Engineering Symposium, 3479-3484 (in Japanese)

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