Mount Rainier Contingency Plan

When Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, there was no plan in place regarding warning policies, evacuation procedures, or emergency responsibilities. Since then, state officials have worked to make sure this does not happen again. The responsibility for creating the contingency plan for geologic activity at Mount Rainier falls on the shoulders of the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management.

The Pierce County Department of Emergency Management is working with other agencies such as the Washington State Emergency Management, USGS, FEMA, American Red Cross, U.S. Forest Service and many town emergency managers, fire and police rescue personnel, and educators to accomplish this immense task (Bailey, 11/97).

This group of people works under the title of the Planning Committee and has been divided into six sub-committees, each focusing on specific aspects of the contingency plan. The sub-committees are:

• Direction and Control
• Mitigation
• Warning
• Public Education
• Operations
• Communications

This contingency plan will be slightly different from others that have been created in the past because the Mitigation Committee is working to create changes before an eruption, not after.

In addition to creating a contingency plan, the Planning Committee is working to elevate the hazard knowledge of the elected officials and policy makers in the region - an important factor as funding issues arise (Work Group, 10/97). Having a contingency plan in place before an emergency situation occurs will be greatly beneficial as it will serve as a guideline for when and who to evacuate and will dictate who is responsible for what. In addition, the creation of the plan serves as a forum for experts from all fields to share critical information and to assist each other.

 Click Here - Learning From Experience Contingency Plan

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