Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MANILA4423
2006-10-20 02:31:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Manila
Cable title:  

TYPHOON MILENYO: AFTER-ACTION FINDINGS

Tags:  AMGT ABLD RP 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHML #4423 2930231
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 200231Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3576
UNCLAS MANILA 004423 

SIPDIS

FOR S/ES-CMR, EAP/EX, OBO/OM/AM/EAP

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMGT ABLD RP
SUBJECT: TYPHOON MILENYO: AFTER-ACTION FINDINGS

REF: MANILA 004148

UNCLAS MANILA 004423

SIPDIS

FOR S/ES-CMR, EAP/EX, OBO/OM/AM/EAP

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMGT ABLD RP
SUBJECT: TYPHOON MILENYO: AFTER-ACTION FINDINGS

REF: MANILA 004148


1. Summary: Post held an after-action meeting to review the lessons
learned from September 28th's Typhoon Milenyo. Post's response to
this natural disaster received positive reviews. Lessons learned
focused on redundant ongoing communications and early dissemination
of typhoon and operational status. End summary.


2. Positive Measures: The meeting began with praise and recognition
for the many things that went well and worked. The attendees,
representing Country Team members such as USAID, Peace Corps, and
JUSMAG, specifically recognized:

-- Drivers who took people safely home,

-- Local Guard Force who stood watch throughout the ordeal,

-- Telephone Operators who remained on duty all night,

-- GSO's wide-range of support such as alternative housing and
refrigeration for those without electricity,

-- Procurement, Consular and Financial Offices which continued to
work long hours throughout the ordeal to met Post's year-end
requirements - despite hardships at home,

-- Management for devising low-cost support and loans to our LES's,

-- The Front Office for on-site support during the storm,

-- Facilities Maintenance who worked immediately after the storm
clearing fallen trees and responding to requests for home emergency
repairs.


3. Future Preparations: Some of the lessons focused on:

-- A more thorough dissemination of typhoon status reports,

-- Layering of notifications to assure blanket coverage of critical
information, such as embassy closures,

-- Better advance preparations should a more severe crisis occur,
i.e., attention to details such as the value of automobile cell
phone chargers in times of a blackout,

-- Overcoming a total land-line telecom failure and how Post's mass
text messaging system and cell phone tree can be better utilized to
ensure all agency and section heads are informed quickly of
decisions affecting the Mission.

KENNEY