Emergency Preparedness Drill

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Emergency Preparedness Drill
The practical response plan should aim at not only saving lives but also minimising property damage. Also, the safety plan should prioritise necessary actions, identify potential hazards, specify procedures, determine the required resources and streamline communication (Tingsanchali 27). Due to overpopulation, intensive economic activities, and overcrowded housing in the city of Mertzville, the economic, environmental and psychosocial damages caused by large-scale flooding would be tremendous. A comprehensive approach is therefore required to mitigate the unexpected flooding and reduces the subsequent losses.
After the notification from the Mayor, the incident commander should quickly convene his team (the safety officer, public information officer and liaisons officer) and brief them on the present situation.
The team prepares and rush to do the initial assessment. During the assessment phase, details about the possible cause, the severity of the situation, the area covered and people at risk are gathered. Information gathered guides on appropriate interventions(Tingsanchali 31)
Because the flooding in the city of Mertzville had covered a large area, caused economic and health hazard, the response team will have to institute the next course of action. Public notification through the media and any other method must be done.
After notifying the public, evacuation will start. For efficient removal of the victims, different units such as the communication unit, ground support unit, medical unit, and air operations unit should coordinate.

The ground support unit should take precautions such as wearing gumboots since dangerous chemicals might have mixed with the flowing water. The electricity supply agency should also cut off the power.
Prevention of North River from flooding
Marginal embankments, also called levees, are constructed and appear parallel to the river bank (Prominski et al. 110). With this technique, mostly used in India, when the river banks are overpowered, the flood water is confined between the embankments, and it does not spill over. Also, self-adjusting and rigid armours can be exploited. Examples of armours that can be used to stabilise the riverbank include concrete blocks, stones, and soil-cement blocks.
Mitigation
According to Douglas et al. detention basins and ponds can be used in the collection and holding rainwater; this reduces the stormwater released into the nearby rivers (115). Most of the city is covered by concrete or tarmac, impermeable material; this reduces the rate of water draining into the ground. The waterproof material must be replaced with permeable material to allow infiltration. Rainwater harvesting is another viable measure suggested by (Douglas et al. 116). In addition to the above-highlighted methods, the local government must ensure the sewerage system is reliable.
Works Cited
Douglas, I., et al. “Urban pluvial flooding: a qualitative case study of the cause, effect and nonstructural mitigation.” Journal of Flood Risk Management 3.2 (2010): 112-125.
Prominski, Martin, et al. River. Space. Design: Planning Strategies, Methods and Projects for Urban Rivers. Walter de Gruyter, 2012: 102-170.
Tingsanchali, T. “Urban flood disaster management.” Procedia Engineering 32 (2012): 25-37.