In my last post I also looked back at history and was quite surprised during the week watching the news. The consequences of the killer smog event of 50 years ago were replicated when hundreds were sent to the hospital with some deaths in Melbourne after a thunderstorm outbreak of asthma. This got me thinking it may be interesting to see how many events of the past are born anew to a new generation.

November 27, 1901 – A misinterpretation of instructions resulted in two trains colliding on a sharp curve outside Seneca, Washington, killing 20 passengers. For all of our advances in technology and billions having been spent on new communications systems since 9-11 it seems to still be an issue. Part of being NIMS compliant is use of an ICS-type system to manage events. Use of common language is supposed to help us avoid on-scene issues. Do you still see problems today with communication and what are you doing to solve the issue before it results in tragedy?

November 28, 1979 – An Air New Zealand sight-seeing excursion aircraft crashes into the side of the volcano Mt. Erebus in Antarctica, killing 257. It’s standard procedures for airports to hold drills and exercises but this misses a good number of agencies away from airports that might need to deal with a sight-seeing flight mishap. This year your organization should plan a drill to fill this gap.

November 29, 1973 – A fire in a Japanese department store that had no fire escapes killed 101 shoppers. It’s the holiday season and stores will be full of people. Hold a table-top-exercise with partner agencies to war-game this scenario due to accidental and/or intentional causes.  

November 30, 1936 – London’s Crystal Palace (built for the Great Exposition of 1851) was destroyed by fire. This reminds me when the blimp hanger in Tillamook caught on fire. A massive blaze in a structure we’re so used to seeing. Good time to table-top with your neighbors the challenges that come from fighting a huge fire in your community.

December 1, 1958 – A fire broke out in the Lady of Angels School in Chicago, killing 90 children and three nuns. This event created momentum for change in how we could prevent a repeat situation. I am a firm believer in never saying something can never happen. Participate in the fire drills in your local school. Make sure you do more than go through the motions on the assumption the children are always going to be safely outside.

December 2, 1959 – The Malpasset Dam, built to service the Riviera region of France, broke open, flooding the Reyran Valley and killing 412. Dam failure exercises are probably something we should pay more attention to as this infrastructure ages and climate changes become more prevalent.

December 3, 1984 – While most of Bhopal slept a series of safety valve failures in a nearby Union Carbide plant sent a cloud of cyanide gas rolling over the city. Estimates vary but more than half of the 800,000 residents were injured, at least 10,000 died and all the city’s livestock killed. We’ve grown used to living with extremely hazardous chemicals near our communities because they so rarely escape their engineered confines. Make this the year you exercise a major release and practice your response to the life-safety issues.

Join me in picking one of these events to occur somewhere around the world this week. Demonstrating that history does repeat itself and our challenge is the prevent it from catching us off guard. I’m going with a dam failure somewhere around the world. What do you chose?