U. S. Air Force
Published: 2008-06-09
Total Pages: 208
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Contingencies and crises arrive with many names - natural disasters, accidents, terrorist actions, war, and military operations other than war. In colloquial English, a contingency is something that can happen, but that generally is not anticipated, while a disaster is generally defined by the outcome of a specific contingency. Hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes and successful terrorist attack are generally disastrous when they impact our installations or local community. Disasters are not measured by the chain of results, only the final impact. Who/What was hurt, damaged, destroyed or lost and how long will it take to restore full mission capabilities? Only rarely, can humans prevent them or control their intensity. However, we can minimize their effects and should always be ready to respond through the development of various contingency plans. A contingency plan is a set of procedures prepared in advance to respond to specific or multiple contingencies the base and unit may face. Many plans fail due to restrictive thinking-" that's never happened"-and for failure to think outside the box. A good plan is tailored to the base or unit specific situation and looks at contingencies and second to third order effects. Likewise, a good plan does not look so far outside the box that it includes things that will not happen or is too unwieldy. For instance, if assigned to Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, a plan is not required for hurricanes or tidal waves, but would include winter storms that bases in tropical areas would not consider. By anticipating problems and planning for them, the base and unit can rapidly mobilize the technical, financial, administrative, and engineering resources needed to minimize detrimental impact to the base. For CE units to respond effectively to emergencies, contingencies and disasters, procedures and plans must be in place when the incident occurs. Effective post disaster or post-attack response begins with planning and base preparations well before a crisis threatens. The chaotic environment following a disaster or an attack is not the time or place to begin thinking about how to respond. This pamphlet will help you plan for contingencies and disasters and lay out ways to minimize their impact on the mission and the personnel at your installation.This pamphlet supports AFI 10-210, Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force Program and AFI 10-211, Civil Engineer Contingency Response Planning. It discusses contingencies for which civil engineers must be prepared. It contains practical information to help unit-level civil engineers plan their responses to contingencies, disasters, war, and other military operations. It explains how to identify requirements and get resources; to organize civil engineer response teams; and to train and exercise those teams. It concludes by presenting a brief history of Air Force Civil Engineers. It applies to all Civil Engineers, including Air National Guard (ANG) units and Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC).