ARTICLE
DISASTER RESPONSE
INNOVATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL BENJAMIN WARD, AIA, EDAC, LEED AP BD+C, CDT AARON BOWMAN, AIA
The past decade has seen a pattern of storms with increasing severity and increasing financial impacts to communities. Continued population growth and development in vulnerable areas also lead to a greater threat to life safety. In their role as community advocates, architects are frequently leaders of discussions on how to build smarter and how to respond more effectively when disasters occur. Since 1972, the AIA’s Disaster Assistance Program has been equipping architects with the knowledge and skills to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from a disaster. As the impacts of climate change are increasingly felt across the country, local AIA components are actively developing new programs and seeking to expand legacy programs to address these growing threats. Volunteering after disaster strikes is a meaningful way young architects can apply their skill set to help communities in need. For AIA South Carolina, the Disaster Assistance Program grew from ad hoc efforts in the wake of Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Hugo was a massive storm that devastated much of the North and South Carolina coast after making landfall just north of Charleston. After the storm, architects and engineers across the state joined in the recovery efforts and established working relationships with the state Emergency Management Division and the American Red Cross. With no major storm impact for several decades, South Carolina’s program was dormant and lost momentum. In 2015, South Carolina was inundated with statewide flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Joaquin. After years of dormancy, AIA SC’s program was unable to quickly or effectively engage in recovery efforts, despite a strong desire to volunteer from members across the state. While the response in South Carolina typically involves coastal storms, architects should be prepared to respond to a wide variety of disasters including tornados, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and wildfires. It is also important to remember that architects in affected areas are often unable to respond because they are dealing with damage to their homes or businesses. Thus, FEMA and building officials need to call upon architects from surrounding areas for assistance. Being trained to respond to a wide variety of situations increases your value to all communities, regardless of geographic location. When establishing a disaster assistance program, it is important to review the requirements that the AIA has established and to review the laws of your state. A state disaster assistance program is typically run by a state chapter, with full-time staff and member volunteers serving in leadership roles. These programs are typically organized in collaboration with local or state emergency management officials to help establish protocols for how architects
can participate in the wake of a disaster. Architects are typically not first responders but are part of the “second wave,” working in collaboration with local governments that may be overwhelmed or not have adequate resources to meet the needs of the community. As listed in the AIA Disaster Assistance Handbook, there are five components to a model disaster assistance program. The first step in creating a state disaster assistance program is to determine whether your state has a “Good Samaritan” law and, if so, what level of protection is provided. Many states have liability protection laws for professionals who are volunteering during a crisis. These Good Samaritan laws allow professionals to volunteer more easily and provide communities with access to services in the wake of a disaster. Generally, a Good Samaritan law concludes that “if an architect provides professional services for free to a victim during a declared disaster or state of emergency, at the request of a public official, relating to a building or structure,” the architect is immune from civil damages (including from personal injury, wrongful death, property damage, or other loss) unless the action of the architect involved gross negligence or wanton, willful, or intentional misconduct. Good Samaritan legislation typically provides specific parameters for when the protection is provided and for how long. State program coordinators should carefully review legislation to ensure that adequate protection is provided because not all laws are written equally. In 2012, AIA South Carolina successfully partnered with
Being trained to respond to a wide variety of situa ons increases your value to all communi es, regardless of geographic loca on." 36
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