Few organizations are as resourceful and multitalented as fire departments. Called upon to respond to many types of incidents, disasters, and situations–in all kinds of weather, day and night–our country’s fire service represents an amazing cadre of specially trained and skilled individuals. They save heart attack victims, rescue people from flash floods, and ensure that buildings meet applicable fire and life safety codes. They can decontaminate individuals exposed to harmful chemical and biological agents, extricate victims of vehicle crashes, educate the public about preventing fires and how to escape, extinguish fires, and bring arsonists to justice.

The public relies heavily on first responders during emergencies, and the more substantial the incident or the disaster, the greater the need for assistance delivered by the fire department and others with public safety missions. When communities experience severe weather conditions, providing that assistance becomes more challenging. Earthquakes, hurricanes, blizzards and ice storms, floods, power outages, and extreme heat conspire to create dangerous working conditions, impassable roads, access nightmares, and some difficult dispatch and triage choices. The very circumstances that necessitate more staffing often interfere with the ability of responders to provide that assistance and support, travel to the station, or get to a scene.

Most fire departments have been through severe weather situations or natural disasters at some point. They have had to improvise strategies and tactics, revise deployment protocols, work extended shifts, and make do with whatever was available. Some departments have used this base of experience to help develop standard operating guidelines (SOGs) related to the types of extreme conditions that are most common in their area. Even so, occasionally the magnitude of a disaster exceeds predicted levels, or a community is hit with a natural disaster never before experienced. For example, there are documented seismic zones that have not been active but could become so at any point in time. A community may have gone through its fair share of flash floods but may not have encountered days of torrential rains and associated flood levels. Recent scientific studies have revealed new areas that are at risk from tsunamis in the United States; each year tornados touch down in a territory that has not previously been hit.

This report examines the impact of extreme weather and natural disasters on the fire service. It also addresses the types of service calls most likely to arise as a result of these disasters and what equipment and planning are needed in order to be prepared. Safety, mutual aid, shift management, resource identification, logistics, and other related issues are discussed, along with examples from case studies of fire departments that have learned from experience what can happen. The report provides information that fire departments can use to enhance their level of preparedness and ensure greater safety the next time disaster strikes.