Overview:
When first exposed to the chaos surrounding a natural disaster and its aftermath, many in the emergency communications profession are surprised by the vast range of questions and requests they receive from the public. Some of the requests seem unimportant or trivial to them in the heat of the moment. Many times the questions being asked are ones they have never heard before, and ones to which they have no answers. To assist with such situations, a system called “Natural Disaster Information Cards,” or “NDIC” has been developed.
There are three intended usages for the Natural Disaster Information Cards. These include:
Real time guidance during an event
In-service training
Refresher information on days when an event is anticipated
Print as many copies of the NDIC sets as needed for your purposes. It is suggested that you print the cards for each event type on a different color paper (e.g., gray or white for blizzards, blue for hail, green for floods, yellow for lightning, pink for tornadoes, etc). Then insert the cards into a notebook with dividers to separate the event types. Make sure the notebooks are clearly labeled so they can be located quickly when needed.
Once the cards have been prepared, the following procedures are recommended:
Remember – the NDIC cards are set up to function like a “flow chart,” the path of which varies according to the specific circumstances, much like Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) cards. The questions on the first card are designed to lead to the next card, where other questions more directly related to the individual inquiry are available. PLEASE NOTE: Only those questions relevant to the specific inquiry need to be asked. The cards are structured to get the correct information to the caller in a very short time, usually less than a minute, without requiring the call-taker to memorize the information.
If your area is prone to any of the events covered by the cards, it is suggested that all emergency communications staff review and discuss the card set for the anticipated event in advance of the normal event “season” for your city or county. Make sure to solicit comments concerning contingencies not covered by the cards, considering any quirks in the local system that might require a change in the NDIC protocol.
On days when the National Weather Service or your local weather information provider suggests that a serious weather event is possible, conduct shift briefings for emergency communications personnel to review the NDIC cards and discuss late information which could alter normal protocol.
The Natural Disaster Information Cards were developed as a joint effort between the City of Fort Collins Office of Emergency Management, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA). The information contained on the NDIC card sets was current and correct at the time of publication. The developers encourage each agency using NDIC to examine the card sets carefully and make necessary updates and alterations to make them viable for local use. Users of the Natural Disaster Information Cards agree by their use to hold blameless each and all of the agencies and individuals involved in their development for any liability associated with their use in any form. In addition, the developers assume no responsibility or liability for suggested actions or other information contained within NDIC which subsequently becomes outdated.
