Learning from Crisis

Abstract

The major transit agency in Honolulu, Hawaii, is Oahu Transit Services, Inc., also known as The Bus. The agency implemented emergency evacuation procedures because of tsunamis triggered by earthquakes in Chile in 2010 and Japan in 2011. Although the damage in Hawaii was minimal in both events, the experience provided important lessons for emergency operations. This paper provides a brief account of the events and describes the transit agency and its procedures for emergency evacuation. The important lessons for Honolulu and other cities that have bus transit operations and are concerned about evacuation are also discussed. It is important that standard operating procedures be well documented and disseminated. It is also critical to conduct after-action reports to ensure that key problems and challenges are identified; potential solutions are generated, discussed, and implemented; and organizational learning occurs. Training and experience at all levels are important, but creating an ethos of public service and professionalism is essential for effective disaster response. Although the lessons are applicable to tsunamis in Hawaii, these lessons are potentially valuable for other types of hazards in other locations.