2020 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan

City of Irvine

to Irvine because it could deter first responders from reaching victims or prevent residents from evacuating quickly. Mass Casualty Incidents/Terrorism A mass casualty incident describes an incident within the United States in which emergency medical service resources, such as personnel and equipment, are overwhelmed by the number and severity of casualties. The more commonly recognized events of this type include building collapses, train and bus collisions, plane crashes, earthquakes, and other large-scale emergencies. The most common types are generally caused by terrorism, mass-transportation accidents, or natural disasters. Events such as the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and the September 11 attacks in 2001 are well-publicized examples of mass casualty incidents. Terrorism is the use or threat of force to achieve a particular social or political outcome. The goals of terrorism may sometimes be the overturning of a government, the reversal of a public policy, the release of political prisoners, and other such motives. Acts of terror may overlap with acts of war or hate crimes. Generally, terrorism involves an attempt to kill or seriously harm people, or an attempt to disrupt civil society by destroying property or infrastructure, attacking government operations at all levels, interrupting essential public services, creating chaos, or a combination of some or all these goals. Firearms and explosives are the most common weapons used among terrorists. In extreme situations, terrorists may gain access to weapons of mass destruction, which may include bioweapons, chemical agents, radioactive materials, or high-yield explosives. It should be noted that these events are very rare. While incidents of terror caused by foreign individuals or groups receive significant media and public attention, most acts of terror in the United States have been caused by domestic terrorists. Civil Disturbance A civil disturbance is an event when the normal operations of the city are either threatened or temporarily interrupted by events such as violent protests, riots, shootings, and armed standoffs. Civil disturbances can occur at a single time or be a string of related events. Property damage of businesses, government facilities, or homes can occur during these events. In extreme situations, death and injury may result from civil disturbances. Cyber Threats Cyber threats are when an individual or a group threatens or attempts to disrupt the operations and functioning of the computer systems belonging to private citizens, religious groups, educational institutions, government agencies, or businesses. These threats take the form of online harassment, hacking, or in-person tampering with electronic equipment. Successful cyber threats can lead to service disruptions, infrastructure damage, theft, and in severe instances, may cause injury or death. Infrastructure Failure Infrastructure failure is when a piece of infrastructure fails in such a way that it creates a threat to people, property, or other community assets. Generally, infrastructure failure is categorized into two threats: active or passive. During an active threat, infrastructure fails, releasing a substance that is harmful or potentially harmful, such as a broken wastewater line that releases untreated sewage. A passive threat involves infrastructure that cannot perform its function. The failure itself is not dangerous, but under the right circumstances, the failure can increase the risks to people or property. For example, a clogged storm drain is not directly dangerous but can lead to flooding during a storm. Some infrastructure failures may

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