अध्याय –11
दुर्घटना स्थल प्रबंधन योजना – I
(Chapter –11)
SITE MANAGEMENT PLAN - I
There are 2 aspects of Disaster Management work at an accident site. Firstly, rescue, relief and restoration operation which is carried out by one set of functionaries. Second aspect pertains to rehabilitation of accident involved passengers, taking care of dead bodies, dealing with their relatives etc. for which a different set of functionaries are required. For managing these 2 distinct aspects of DM work that are required to be discharged by railways, two separate establishments should be set up at an accident site. The outline schematic plan of accident site is given at Annexure - xxi.
1.Unified Command Center (UCC) :
(i)Unified Command Centre (UCC) should be set up at the accident site.
(ii)This will be some kind of a control office to be located near the centre of the accident site.
(iii)This is basically meant for catering to operational needs of railway in rescue, relief and restoration work.
(iv)Detail schematic plan of UCC is given at Annexure - xxii.
(v)UCC is to be manned by staff of relevant departments such as :
- Medical,
- Commercial,
- Operations,
- Safety,
- Security,
- Public Relations.
- Mechanical,
- Electrical,
- S&T,
- Civil,
(vi)UCC will be provided with all facilities similar to a control office.
(vii)Adequate lighting with generator backup should be provided in the UCC.
(viii)Adequate number of telephonic links to Divisional Emergency Cell and Hdqrts. Emergency Cell should be provided. Preferably each department in the UCC should be given an independent telephone.
(ix)Satellite telephone should be installed in the UCC.
(x)UCC should be provided with FAX, Photocopier, PCs, loudspeakers.
(xi)PC/Laptop should be connected to internet for E-Mailing of detail update to all concerned, including Divisional Emergency Cell, Hdqrts. Emergency Cell and Helpline Enquiry Booths.
(xii)A big banner displaying ‘UNIFIED COMMAND CENTER’ should be put up at a prominent place at the entry to the shamiana.
(xiii)Similarly there should be sufficient number of signages indicating the way to UCC on approach roads etc.
(xiv)UCC at the site will be manned by Sr. Supervisors on round the clock basis in 12 hrs. shift duty.
(xv)Officers will not be permanently stationed in UCC. They will move about the entire accident site supervising and monitoring working of their department at different activity centers. However, they will keep coming to the UCC off and on and will keep in touch with their departmental functionaries in UCC.
(xvi)Various functionaries in the UCC will monitor and co-ordinate the working of their departments, and assistance required by them, if any.
(xvii)Each functionary at the UCC will maintain a log book. Flow of information both incoming and outgoing would be recorded along with the time and names of officers/staff who were given the message.
(xviii)UCC will basically supervise the working of 2 LCCs and co-ordinate with Divisional and Hdqrts. Emergency Cells.
(xix)Functionaries of different departments in LCCs should provide updated information regarding progress of work to their counterparts in UCC.
(xx) This updated information should be provided once every 3 hrs. as per the following timings :
-1/- hrs.
-4/- hrs.
-7/- hrs.
-10/- hrs.
-13/- hrs.
-16/- hrs.
-19/- hrs.
-22/- hrs.
2.Local Command Centers (LCC)
(i)Depending on the spread of the accident site, Local Command Centres (LCC) on the same pattern as the UCC should be set up.
(ii)If the site is spread out over 300 – 400 mts. 2 LCCs should be set up.
(iii)Detail schematic plan of LCCs would be similar to that of UCCs as given at Annexure – XXII.
(iv)Representatives of same departments as in UCC should be present in LCCs also. However, they should be either one or at most 2 men per department.
(v)LCCs will serve as co – ordination centres for various teams that are working spread out over different geographical locations.
(vi)Each LCC will oversee the working of DM teams at one end of the accident site.
(vii)Jurisdiction of each LCC will extend to all men and materials belonging to 2 ARMVs, 1 BD special and 1 ART at that end of the accident site.
(viii)One SAG officer of Mechanical department will be overall in charge of each LCC.
(ix)LCCs should be provided with loudspeakers for making announcements.
(x)LCCs should be provided with direct telephonic links to UCC.
(xi)However, LCCs should not be provided with telephonic links to either Divisional Emergency Cell or Hdqrts. Emergency Cell. This will ensure that there is minimum telephonic disturbance from outside to teams which are actually working at the accident site. It will also ensure that outflow of information from accident site goes out from UCC only.
(xii)Members of different teams of each department working at the accident site in rescue, relief and restoration work should provide updated information regarding progress of work to their respective functionaries at the LCC.
(xiii)This updated information should be provided once every 3 hrs. as detailed at 1 (xx) above.
3.Need for setting up of Central Assistance Center :
(i)Relatives of passengers who arrive at an accident site are already traumatised by the tragedy.
(ii)They arrive at an unknown location with no place to stay, no friend or acquaintances and not knowing whom to turn to.
(iii)The problem is made even more challenging since many relatives and next of kin come from far flung areas in some other state.
(iv)Being semi – literate and from different parts of the country some of them are not even familiar with the local language. For them even communicating becomes a problem.
(v)In addition to above, complex legal formalities & multiplicity of paper work is required to be completed before dead bodies are handed over to their next of kin.
(vi)For taking care of relatives of passengers, providing them with succor in their hour of agony and for guiding them sympathetically, some kind of an assistance centre is required.
4.Formalities required to be completed by relatives of passengers :
(a)Sequence of formalities that are required to be completed by relatives of injured passengers include :
(i)Locating the name of the passenger on reservation charts, in case passenger was travelling in reserved accommodation.
(ii)Going through the list of injured and dead passengers to find out whether the name appears.
(iii)In case the name is not available in the list, then taking a round of different hospitals to find out whether their relative has been admitted in one of them in an unconscious state.
(iv)Hospitals are generally at separate locations, sometimes even in different towns; and commuting becomes a problem.
(v)In case the passenger can be located in one of the hospitals, they have to find out the severity of injuries, likely period of hospitalisation etc.
(vi)Collect the ex – gratia paid by railways.
(vii)Try and locate missing luggage of the injured passenger. For this they have to take a round of the building where all unclaimed luggage have been kept.
(viii)Next they have to arrange for a place for themselves to stay.
(ix)Arrange for medicines/diet etc. and payment of hospital bills, if required.
(x)Thereafter, they have to keep in touch with the hospital and get their relative released.
(b)Additional formalities that are required to be completed by next of kin of dead passengers include :
(i)In case the passenger could not be located in any of the hospitals, then they have to go to the building where unidentified dead bodied have been kept.
(ii)Take a round of various rooms where bodies have been kept, examine each body and try and locate their near and dear one.
(iii)Identify the dead body, if the same has been extracted by then.
(iv)Otherwise wait for all bodies to be extracted and try and identify their relative.
(v)In case they fail to identify the same then they have to go through photographs of unidentified bodies taken at site.
(vi)After the body is finally identified, they have to produce proof of relationship for railways to entertain their claim.
(vii)Obtain medical death certificate from the railway doctor.
(viii)Obtain post mortem report, from the Govt. doctor who has performed post mortem on the body.
(ix)Obtain official death certificate from the local municipality.
(x)Accept of ex – gratia payment from railways.
(xi)Collect forms for lodging claim for compensation in RCTs.
(xii)Take over custody of dead body from the local police.
(xiii)Perform last rites at the same place or take back the body to their native place, depending on circumstances.
(xiv)Make arrangements for their return journey back to their native place.
5.Problems encountered by relatives :
(i)Each of these formalities are under the jurisdiction of a different agency, either railway, or police, or civil administration, or local administration.
(ii)In such a situation the level of co – ordination between these various agencies leaves much to be desired.
(iii)Sometimes it even takes up to 48 hours before all these documentary formalities can be completed.
(iv)In most cases, relatives have to run from pillar to post for completing all these formalities and the bitter experience leaves them permanently antagonized towards railways.
(v)For this purpose a single window clearance system should be available for relatives and next of kin.
6. Combined Assistance Center (CAC) :
(i)The UCC should have a Combined Assistance Centre (CAC) located towards the rear side, away from the track, for rendering help to passengers and their relatives. Outline schematic plan of UCC/CAC is given at Annexure – XXI.
(ii)This is basically meant for catering to requirements of passengers and their relatives/next of kin, and for providing a single window clearance for all types of formalities.
(iii)CAC should be separate from the UCC so that it does not interfere with normal rescue and relief work.
(iv)Detail schematic plan of CAC is given at Annexure - xxiii.
(v)CAC will be manned by staff of relevant departments such as :
-Operating,
-Medical,
-Commercial,
-Security,
-Personnel,
(vi)There should be only one such CAC, and all railway resources should be pooled into it.
(vii)LCCs should not have any small CAC located in the rear. It is likely to create logistic problems.
(viii)A big banner displaying ‘COMBINED ASSISTANCE CENTER’ should be put up at a prominent place at the entry to the shamiana.
(ix)Similarly there should be sufficient number of signages indicating the way to CAC on approach roads etc.
(x)Railway staff fluent in the language of relatives should be posted for doing work of interpreters.
(xi)Post mortem formalities should be waived off so that number of formalities gets reduced by one.
(xii)Different counters should be provided in sequence for each of these formalities, so that the entire exercise can be completed in about an hour.
(xiii)Functionary concerned from the local Municipality who issues Official Death Certificates should be made to come and sit in the CAC so that these certificates can be issued immediately without any delay.
(xiv)CAC should have different counters for various purposes in following sequence :
(a)Reservation chart, for locating the name.
(b)List of dead and injured along with name of hospital. The name of passenger involved should be checked up from the list of dead or injured, if available, and their current status informed.
(c)Counter for providing commercial supervisor or WI as escort along with a vehicle, for accompanying the relative and going to hospitals or mortuary.
(d)Railway doctor for issue of Medical Death Certificate.
(e)Govt. doctor for issue of Post Mortem Certificate, in case the same is necessary.
(f)Municipality official for issue of Official Death Certificate.
(g)Local police for issue of authority for handing over of dead body.
(h)Claims counter - Payment of ex-gratia and issue of Claims Compensation form.
(i)Counter for helping performance of last rites in case relatives decide to cremate the body there itself.
(j)Pass counter for issue of return journey pass.
(k)Return journey facilitation counter for making arrangements for return journey.
7. First Aid Posts :
(i)Medical Posts should be provided in both UCC and CAC.
(ii)Medical Post in UCC will provide first aid to injured passengers after extrication, assess their injuries and make arrangements for sending them to nearby hospitals.
(iii)Medical Post in CAC will keep all records of injured and dead passengers, names of hospitals where they have been admitted etc.
(iv)FAid posts should be provided in LCCs.
(v)This will be meant for treating passengers and classifying their injuries before they are sent for admission to various hospitals.
8. Setting up of UCC, LCC and CAC :
(i) One SSE/Works shall be exclusively responsible for setting up of these facilities. He shall undertake the following :
-move along with sufficient staff for setting up of these facilities.
-immediately start setting up of the tentage accommodation after taking out tents and shamianas provided in ARTs.
-In addition, he should also contact agencies which provide tentage accommodation on contract. Details of such agencies have been given in Divisional DM Plans.
(ii)Bridge Line staff will assist in setting up tentage and above mentioned facilities. Dy. CE/Bridge will also move to the site and in case, bridge is not involved, he will take full charge of tentage arrangements.
(iii)Bridge Unit will take with them sufficient Manila ropes, wire ropes, survey instruments, binoculars, helmets, life jackets, ladders and other equipment. Nylon ropes should be sufficient in length to ensure barricading at sites and camping areas.
(iv)Sufficient facilities for erecting temporary stage/scaffolding etc. should also be organized, if required at site.
(v)Few temporary toilets should be provided at one location in addition to number of urinals at 3 or 4 places.
(vi)Water tankers will be ordered for supplying water at site and arrangements shall also be made for drinking water.
(vii)Temporary kitchen in tents/shamianas is to be set up so that catering unit or IRCTC can provide cooked food to staff working at accident site.
(viii)About 100 folding chairs should also be arranged.
(ix)Bridge Line staff will have list of divers who in case of emergency can be hired for rescue or restoration operations wherever site is surrounded by deep water.
(x)Signages for both UCC and CAC should be provided at prominent locations.
9.Collection and Dissemination of Information – Channel of communication :
The following would be the responsibility and channel both for collection as also dissemination of information. Before each shift goes off duty, details of work done should be updated in the LCC.
The LCC should in turn update the UCC regarding the latest progress. This updated information would be conveyed to Divisional Emergency Cell every 3 hrs.
(a)Number of dead and injured – Medical department :
(i)Medical department at site should confirm the number of dead.
(ii)Doctors in charge of various teams working on different coaches should give 3 hrs report to Medical counter in LCC who in turn will inform UCC.
(iii)Number of injured passengers.
(iv)Type of injuries, whether grievous, minor or trivial.
(v)Names of injured, and names of various hospitals where injured have been sent.
(b)Identification of dead bodies – Commercial department :
(i)Ex – gratia paid to injured.
(ii)Number of dead bodies identified.
(iii)Ex – gratia paid to dead.
(iv)No. of bodies handed over to relatives.
(c)Number of coaches dealt with – Mechanical department :
(i)No. of coaches thoroughly searched.
(ii)No. of coaches made off track.
(iii)No. of coaches yet to be dealt with.
