In April 2013, a fertilizer plant located in West, Texas experienced a deadly explosion (Meyer et al., 2014, p.2). The explosion left many dead, and hundreds injured in the local surrounding area (McNeill, Pell, and Roberts, 2013). An investigation conducted after the calamity found a failure of compliance of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act by West Fertilizer Company (WFC), as they did not list ammonium nitrate on required paperwork submitted to the Texas Department of State Health Services and the West Volunteer Fire Department (McNeill, Pell, and Roberts, 2013). Moreover, firefighters and emergency responders were unprepared to respond to the disaster, as they had not received sufficient training for incidents involving
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The investigative report found that none of the responding emergency response personnel trained and certified in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) process assumed the position of Incident Commander (IC) (U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 2013). Senior emergency response personnel arrived at the scene of the WFC incident at various times and did not properly appoint an IC, who would have been responsible for conducting and coordinating an Incident Command System (ICS) (U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 2013). There was also no evidence found of pre-incident planning involving the WFC facility (U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 2013). More likely than not, this contributed to failing to establish an IC. An event like WFC presents major challenges for leaders, and at times creates conditions of chaos; notwithstanding, failure to assign ICs is unfathomable in such …show more content…
This is done through effective policymaking, planning, hiring, reporting, and decision-making. Leaders must be capable of taking charge of a situation, and solving problems as they arise (University of Maryland University College, n.d.). After examining the leadership at WFC, and the local West emergency response team, it is reasonable to conclude that those who held these roles did not do so with the aforementioned expectations. In turn, their poor leadership and judgement led to numerous casualties and hundreds of injuries that were
The investigative report found that none of the responding emergency response personnel trained and certified in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) process assumed the position of Incident Commander (IC) (U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 2013). Senior emergency response personnel arrived at the scene of the WFC incident at various times and did not properly appoint an IC, who would have been responsible for conducting and coordinating an Incident Command System (ICS) (U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 2013). There was also no evidence found of pre-incident planning involving the WFC facility (U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 2013). More likely than not, this contributed to failing to establish an IC. An event like WFC presents major challenges for leaders, and at times creates conditions of chaos; notwithstanding, failure to assign ICs is unfathomable in such …show more content…
This is done through effective policymaking, planning, hiring, reporting, and decision-making. Leaders must be capable of taking charge of a situation, and solving problems as they arise (University of Maryland University College, n.d.). After examining the leadership at WFC, and the local West emergency response team, it is reasonable to conclude that those who held these roles did not do so with the aforementioned expectations. In turn, their poor leadership and judgement led to numerous casualties and hundreds of injuries that were