Discussion
On 17th July, 1981 114 people were killed while 216 others injured when the skywalk collapsed in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. 1600 people had gathered to watch and participate in a dancing competition when the skywalk collapsed. People had decided to occupy the walkways in order have a better view of the dancing competition. The second level walkway held about forty people; the third had more than forty people while the fourth had about sixteen. The fourth flow which was suspended directly above the third flow collapsed on the latter which also collapsed, landing on the lobby floor. The collapse was attributed to a flawed design which increased the load between the support beams of the fourth flow walkway and the tie rods. Consequently, the poorly designed walkway could not sustain the weight of people on that day.
The Memphis Bridge that links Memphis Tennessee to West Memphis Arkansas is one of the bridges in my service area that is used heavily by the public. The bridge is frequently shut down due to accidents. Memphis Department would keep watch of the bridge to alleviate any cases of terrorism. If an accident occurs, I would enlist the services of Coast Guard, MPD, TWRA, Ambulance services and MFD to deal with the situation.
Second Response
The Twin Span Bridge is 6 miles long connecting New Orleans East to Slidell, Louisiana. Since the collapse of such a bridge would be catastrophic, it would be necessary to frequently inspect and test the strength of the beams. As the IC, I will carry out frequent tests on the bridge to ensure the safety of people. If the bridge collapses, I would use diving rescue crews to save people’s lives. EMS services, fire fighters and Coast Guard boats will also be used in the rescue mission. Police will then block off the bridge to reduce the impact of the bridge collapse.
