What an Engineer can Learn from the Walking Dead

I am a huge fan of AMC's the Walking Dead.  I love the zombie story line, but the show has a great plot and character development.  Bill Simmons of Grantland recently put the hit show in the proper perspective that most of the audience can relate to:

"Every Sunday night, no matter what, you're gonna get to see zombies die. Would you like to see someone shoot a zombie in the head so their zombie brains splatter everywhere? What about multiple zombies getting decapitated by a samurai sword? Any interest in an arrow zipping through a zombie skull, or maybe even a butcher's knife getting rammed through a zombie eyeball? You're getting these things. In spades. Every week. Count on it."

Engineering has a serious and a critical role to play in all our global emergencies and tragedies.  Engineers all over the world volunteer their time, talents, and energies in times of need.  From droughts to famines, the engineering professions always stands shoulder to shoulder during times of disasters.  We live in a complex world where most emergencies have complex causes that require complex responses - - this is the world of engineers.

One of the better handbooks and reference manuals in this area is Engineering in Emergencies: A Practical Guide for Relief Workers by Jan Davis and Robert Lambert.  The Walking Dead scenario hopefully represents the absolute worst case that engineers will have to deal with..

The Walking Dead does provide an interesting and insightful platform to teach and train engineers in the art of emergency engineering.  Layout the chapters in the handbook versus the major themes in the Walking Dead to get a feel for and application of engineering in the context of really bad emergencies:

•  Chapter 1 (Emergencies) - "Refugees and displaced people" and "Power relations and vulnerability"
• Chapter 3 (Personal Effectiveness) - "Culture shock" and "Issues of conscience"
• Chapter 4 (Personal Security) - "Deterrence" and "Teamwork"
• Chapter 5 (Assessment and Planning) - "Brainstorming (the Walking Dead gives this new meaning)" and "Direct Observation"
• Chapter 6 (Management) - "Management styles" and "Working with colleagues"
• Chapter 7 (Logistics) - "Transport" and "Stores management"
• Chapter 8 (Telecommunications) - "Safety first" and "Radio operations"
• Chapter 10 (Environmental Sanitation) - "Sources and types of refuse" and "Burial"
• Chapter 11 (Emergency Water Supply) - "How much water do people need?" and "The medium term)
• Chapter 13 (Water Storage, Treatment and Distribution) - "Planning strategy" and "Tank repairs"
• Chapter 15 (Mechanical Plant) - "Selection of equipment" and "Diesel engines"
• Chapter 17 (Vehicles) - "Trucks" and "Safety and accident procedures"
• Chapter 18 (Roads, Crossings and Airstrips) - "Local capacity" and "Choice of crossing"
• Chapter 19 (Shelter and Build Infrastructure) - "Shelter options" and "Damage assessment"
• Chapter 20 (Temporary Settlements) - "Moving people" and "Settlement layout and services"

This is another great reference manual that I would recommend - Field Guide to Environmental Engineering for Development.  Order both the books.  Our future will have more extreme weather events that engineers will need to respond to.  Engineering for more refugees and displaced people will become our new normal.  Also, watch the Walking Dead on Sunday nights.  It is an excellent training exercise.