Floods, storm surges and other natural disasters can inundate areas and knock out emergency services. Fire departments can’t respond when their stations, apparatus and equipment are under water or buried in mud. Here are some tips on how departments can prepare to stay in operation during high-water events.

Don’t plan alone. Fire departments should contact their local city, county or state emergency management agency when they develop plans for floods and other disasters. Don’t let the bureaucracy and paperwork bog you down. At a minimum, you need to know their plans for handling disasters in your area, and they need to know yours. They often have good resources that can help you with your planning.

Know when to stay and when to go. Some high-water events can be best handled by staying put — shelter in place is the term. With properly designed and located facilities, departments often can ride out the disaster and be ready to go. In other cases, it’s wiser to leave early and set up operations in a safer location. Knowing when to stay and when to go is a tough decision. As a guideline, if the general public needs to evacuate an area in the face of a pending high-water event, then the fire department may need to relocate apparatus and personnel out of that area as well. Consider wind velocities when moving high-bodied, lightweight vehicles such as ambulances — they may be unsafe to drive. (See "Exit Strategy" in the December 2007 issue of FIRE CHIEF for a good presentation of things to consider when establishing an evacuation plan for your area.)

Find the high ground. Knowing where to go is as important as knowing when to go. For most high-water events, the best relocation areas are on high ground, well away from the water’s edge. In flat, low-lying areas, the high ground may not be obvious, and departments will have to consult topographic maps to pick appropriate sites. If another fire station or city facility isn’t available in a safer location, departments should select open, level, hard-surfaced areas to park vehicles and set up operations. Paved parking lots often are good choices. The availability of sanitary facilities and shelter from wind and rain are bonuses. Schools and hotels can offer good short-term bases. Test radio communications from any potential site. Ideally, the selected location should allow ready access back into the affected areas for emergency operations, as well as have one or more routes to the outside for re-supply and access by disaster response teams.

Bring your own supplies. The old emergency preparation guideline recommended three days of food and water per person. That was before Hurricane Katrina. The new guideline based on the experiences of many departments is seven days of food and water per person minimum. Carry them in a sealed container in the cab of each apparatus and make sure the container is properly secured. Add hand soap, paper towels and toilet paper. Fill all vehicle fuel tanks. Use DOT-approved containers if you need to transport fuel for generators, chain saws and outboard motors. Have at least one set of replacement batteries for key items like handheld radios and flashlights.

Secure what you can’t bring. If you have to leave a station or other facility, secure it against theft and the elements, if possible. Bring all loose items inside. Store radios and other portable equipment inside locked rooms or closets on the upper floors. Consider removing computers and important personnel, financial and maintenance files to a more secure building.

Float Your Boat. Some high-water events come and go fairly quickly. For example, hurricane storms surges generally wash through areas and leave a lot of mud, but only isolated bodies of standing water. On the other hand, floods may submerge entire areas for days or weeks. Depending on the type of event and the local terrain, departments should make plans for getting around afterwards. Driving through flooded areas is dangerous and can damage vehicles. Walking through them is even more dangerous. When departments have to respond to rescue incidents in areas with standing water, boats may be the best method of transport. Add a floating pump with a short length of attack hose for minor firefighting. More serious fires may have to be attacked by laying long hose lines from apparatus located on higher ground. Operating boats through swiftly flowing water can present more serious challenges and may require special watercraft and special training. Be careful.

Expect guests. Serious high-water events usually will bring response teams from outside the immediate area. In addition to make their own preparations, local fire departments and emergency agencies also should make preparations for dealing with outside help. In some cases, it may be better to have local emergency personnel serve as guides and coordinators rather than responders. At a minimum, be prepared to designate (or share) an area for their operations base, provide waterproof maps, and act as a point of contact with local resources, such as utility companies, road departments, gas stations, tree services, etc.

Whatever you do to prepare, do it now, not when the water starts seeping under the station doors. A little planning can help you save your apparatus, equipment, personnel, and important information so that you can serve your community during and after the disaster.