ASTM E3241-20

6.1.1 The point of preparedness is to minimize the impact of a chemical accident through the actions of all community members, rather than the actions of only facility and response agencies. These actions, when coupled with accident prevention and consequence reduction strategies, reduce the potential for hazardous materials accidents and minimize the consequences of those that do occur.

6.3.1 Preparedness is based first on the community developing a broad awareness and understanding of the risks that are present, locally. Next comes a community-wide evaluation of which community members are most vulnerable to risks, the mechanisms or pathways of risks, and the existing capabilities to address those risks should an accident occur. The capabilities being evaluated include more than the ability of the first responders to take actions. It includes the capabilities of all community members to take appropriate actions.

6.3.2 Since all communities have capability gaps when evaluated against the risks present in the community, the subsequent step is strategic planning to fill those capability gaps with prioritization for these efforts developed by the community members. Again, improved preparedness is the goal, not simply focusing on response capacity.

6.3.3 Filling capability gaps requires the use of all the regulatory and social tools available to the community and its partners. All community members have a stake in accident prevention, consequence reduction and improving the collective ability to communicate and respond. Improvements are made through increased awareness, education, training, cooperative programs, and practice. Addressing the identified capability gaps can include a broad range of options such as accident prevention to creation of expectations for the actions of community members to be able to shelter, evacuate and provide aid to others. Stakeholder engagement is critical to successfully closing capability gaps.

6.3.4 Accomplishing these tasks is a community-level activity. While it might be led by an emergency manager or local emergency planning committee, the key to successful preparedness planning is broad coordination and cooperation involving all community members.

6.3.5 Facilities must be part of the preparedness effort because of their greater expertise on the properties of the hazardous chemicals present at their plants, knowledge of their operating systems and procedures, hazards assessments, their emergency plans, and emergency response capabilities.

1.1.1 As the outcome of the “coordinate and cooperate” process is community driven, it would be extremely difficult to create these expectations in regulation. Without further guidance or standards, these obligations could easily be misconstrued or ignored. The absence of standards for “coordination and cooperation” potentially subjects facilities to enforcement for noncompliance and, more concerning, fails to inform LEPCs, emergency responders and community members generally so they can identify opportunities for better preparedness in their communities.

1.1.2 Preparedness Planning versus Response—Emergency response activities are a specialized field involving programs of training, hazard awareness and specific types of equipment. Coordination and cooperation on emergency preparedness planning is not about emergency response. Instead, it is a whole-of-community process of awareness and education. The broad objective is that all community members ultimately understand the actions they should take to protect themselves, their families and property. All community members are stakeholders in the preparedness planning process and each community needs to think expansively when inviting participants to the process.