Chair: Fred M. Nelson, S.E.
Phone #: 602-285-1720
email: fmn@gervasioeng.com
History
Committee Members
Key Issues
Rescue engineering has it roots in our human nature to want to help people in great need, particularly in natural disasters. For example, in the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, where some 20,000 people were killed, approximately 150 people were rescued from the rubble, but an equal number of rescuers lost their lives attempting the rescues. In the 1989 Loma Prieta "World Series" earthquake, rescue and engineering personnel attended to the damaged structures and trapped people in the rubble, without formal direction and order.
These events (and others) led to the organization of formal URBAN SEARCH and RESCUE (USAR) teams, as a resource of FEMA. While these USAR teams are organized around firefighters, structural engineers are vital to the safe execution of finding victims in rubble. Structural Engineers have been involved in over a dozen deployments, including the 1994 Los Angeles earthquake; the Seattle earthquake; numerous hurricanes; the 1995 Oklahoma City Murrah Building attack; the 2001 World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks; a gas explosion in Puerto Rico; parking garage collapses in the Eastern USA; the 2004-2005 Tsunami; earthquakes in Asia; attacks on American Embassies in Africa; etc. During these assignments, USAR engineers have often been assisted by local volunteer structural engineers, who performed technical services that were invaluable to the safety and execution of the USAR work.
Out of the rubble of the World Trade Center collapse, the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) created a pattern for local structural engineers emergency response committees (SEER committees), because hundreds of engineers and architects dedicated thousands of hours at WTC without protection or formal guidance. At the request of the Structural Engineer's Association of Arizona (SEAOA), the SEAOA SEER committee was organized in 2002-2003. Using guidelines published by NCSEA (ATC 20 and OSHA Safety), we have trained approximately 40 structural engineers to respond to disasters. A key committee of approximately 8 of us have also met bimonthly for the past three years to discuss key issues.
Our current committee consists of the following:
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS OF ARIZONA (SEAOA)
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS EMERGENCY RESPONSE (SEERP)
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COMMITTEE POSITION |
INDIVIDUAL - KEY INFORMATION |
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General Chairman |
Fred M. Nelson, S.E. Gervasio & Associates 77 E. Thomas Rd., Suite 120, Phoenix AZ 85012 (602) 285-1720 (O) & (602) 405-4695 (M) (602) 285-1720 (Fax) fmn@gervasioeng.com |
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Personnel Chairman |
Paul Blomberg, S.E. Jacobs Engineering, 875 W. Elliot Road, Suite 201, Tempe AZ 85284 (480) 763-8745 (O) & (480) 225-7329 (M) (480) 763-8601 (Fax) paul.blomberg@jacobs.com |
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Logistics Chairman |
Courtney Phillips, S.E. TPAC, 3052 S. 19th Avenue, Phoenix AZ 85009-6926 (602) 262-1308 (O) (602) 262-1317 (Fax) cphillips@tpacaz.com |
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Government Interface Chairman |
Jack Gordon, S.E. Gervasio & Associates 77 E. Thomas Rd., Suite 120, Phoenix AZ 85012 (602) 285-1720 (O) & (602) 405-4695 (M) (602) 285-1720 (Fax) mail@gervasioeng.com |
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Bridge Chairman |
Jason Nauman, P.E. HDR Consulting Engineers 3200 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 350 Phoenix AZ 85018 (602) 522-7722 (Direct) & (602) 502-2799 (M) (602) 522-7700 (Front Desk) & (602) 522-7707 Fax jason.nauman@hdrinc.com |
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Member at Large |
Ron Starling, S.E. Starling & Associates, Inc. 5224 S. 39th St. - Phoenix AZ 85040(602) 438-2500 (O) & (602) 469-1158 (M) (602) 438-2505 (Fax) rstarling@starlingengineering.com |
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Member at Large |
Paul Scott, P.E. Caruso Turley Scott, Inc. Rio Salado Executive Center, 130 S. Priest Drive Tempe AZ 85281 (480) 774-1776 (Direct) & (480) 774-1700 (O) (602) 370-1231 (M) & (480) 774-1701 (Fax) |
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Tucson Representative |
Steven Hess, P.E., S.E. Hess Structural Engineering 6465 East Red Cloud Road Tucson AZ 85750 (520) 885- 0793 (O) & (520) 885-4666 (fax) & (520) 603-8673 (M) |
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February 14, 2006
Key issues for the Arizona SEER committee include the following:
Getting a Good Samaritan Law enacted in Arizona to protect us as we provide voluntary duty. We are working with key AZ legislators, including Representative John Nelson, P.E. (Civil Engineer), who has introduced HB2219 in the current session which achieves this purpose. This bill was killed in committee, and we are hoping to educate the committee chair responsible for this about the importance of getting this legislation enacted.
Establishing a relationship with the Arizona Office of Emergency Services so that the highest levels of State Government know about us and will rely on us when an emergency requiring expertise arises.
Working with the Maricopa County Life Safety Council (composed largely of fire chiefs) to establish a working relationship with municipal and county emergency fire fighters; and to provide instruction to firefighters about how structures perform and how we can protect them when collapses have occurred.
Continuing our training to include ATC 45 certification.