An Emergency Response Plan for a Local Town - Assignment Example

An Emergency Response Plan for a Local Town Abstract This is an outline for the development and implementation of an emergency response plan. It lists the organizations that should be involved and whether or not their current responsibilities and goals will be impacted with participation in the provided plan and if so, how? It will further state the obligations of the organizations in the event of an emergency. It will suggest as to whether or not one organization should lead in the event and how that responsibility should be decided. Introduction Emergencies occur with different magnitudes, some that can be handled by a single agency and others that require concerted efforts to quell, hence the need for multi agency coordination. These agencies have different resources at their disposal and personnel training making others superior but their skills can only yield fruit in a well thought-out system, and the ICS concept offers a good solution to the multi-agency clashes and parallels in their structures and modes of operation. Question 1 Purpose The rationale of this Emergency Operations Plan aims to supply a consistent statewide plan enabling state, local and federal government as well as the private quarter to labor together to plan for, counter and convalesce from hazards, natural disasters, threats to public and any other emergency that exceeds the capability of a single emergency department. This Emergency Operation Plan will be the instructions for all departments and a guide for activating our local area Emergency Operations Center, consistent with the national incident management system, and the Presidential Homeland Security Directive 5; and illustrations will be provided by case. The plan lays down the responsibilities of the responding agencies in matters of deployment, rapid mobilization and resources tracking (FEMA, 2011). Scope The plan applies to likely disasters at the local area level and natural catastrophes. It seeks to promote public through organization and the SEMS for the area including agencies involved, mutual aid and incidence command protocol. The plan should coordinate and efficiently address response procedures in the event of a major disaster or emergency that is greater than any one department can handle. The plan utilizes support and help from local government agencies for disaster prevention, response and recovery (Basic Plan, 2003). Protocol. On the occurrence of an emergency, the local areas shall set up a command center and an incident officer put in charge to ensure centrality of command and operations, and also a chief information officer appointed. The Chief Information Officer will be the first point of contact for gathering tactic information. This agency will be used to deploy all information to appropriate sources. As technology has become more advanced this department has been viewed as a key factor when needing to relay information in a mass quantity (FEMA, 2011). Disasters range from natural catastrophes to manmade hazards. The man made can either be by accident or intentional, and our plan covers majority of these hazards. Level of response-command system for incidents 1. Field level: emergency response staff and resources to perform tactical decisions and actions in direct reaction to an occurrence or risk. 2. Local level: control and organize the general emergency response activities inside their area of jurisdiction. 3. Operational area level: administers and coordinates information, wherewithal, and main concerns surrounding the local authorities and special districts inside the operational area and provides organization and communication connection between the local administration level and the regional office. An operational area is the physical limitations of a county. 4. Regional level: administers and coordinates processed data and resources between operational areas around the mutual aid expanse and among operational areas and the state administration. These levels together with the state one ensure there is coordination and that general state agency relief for emergency response is given. 5. State level: administers state wealth in reaction to the emergency requirements of the other administration levels, manages and harmonizes mutual aid between the mutual aid zones and among the region and the state administrations, and serves as the synchronization and communication tie with the federal disaster response system, FEMA and other federal bodies (Homeland Security, 2008). Organization Local Level Primary first provider- These organizations responsibilities reside on the side of the general public. No matter the situation (natural disaster or terrorist attack) there is potential need for evacuation, rescue and medical attention. Each of the agencies has its own emergency plan in place. Preferably a single call (911) would reach out for all groups. Activate Emergency Operations Center Coordinate response with agencies- the local EOC coordinates the activities with all the other agencies and relinquishes the command in matters beyond its capacity. Inform State Emergency Management Agency about the situation Activate response agreement with state and federal departments-the local authority sets the precedence for the involvement of the other agencies through its response framework. Proclaim the state of local emergency to approve local resources and expending funds Ask for the state EMA to provide assistance in case the magnitude of the catastrophe is beyond what the local department can handle. State Monitor situation Review and evaluate local actions Activate State EOC and coordinate state assistance Declare state of emergency- this calls into action the utilization of state resources. Activates state disaster preparedness plan Provide state assistance Request of federal assistance- it is within the national response framework that the state assesses the situation and judge on whether to ask for federal assistance r interstate assistance. The local authority cannot bypass the state to contact the federal government. Federal Carry out collective PDAs together with the State and local administrations to see the damage and potential mitigation activities. Endorse or reject pleas for federal assistance-when approved assign federal coordinating officer to head emergency response team. It also sets up disaster field office, which works with state coordinating officer to tackle response and upturn attempts. Trigger the modus operandi described in the Federal Response Plan Set up an emergency support force to monitor operations Identify necessary Emergency Support Function to respond (FEMA, n.d.) Terrorist attack response-the federal government will always respond to terrorist issues as they are of national importance and cause mass panic. Departments Local Local police- notification to federal agencies will be primarily the responsibility of this branch of the rescue effort. We will use the police to detour traffic away from the problem area and talk to families of the victims as well as keep them under control to contain the situation. The police department will need to not only aid in the rescue but to inform the State Emergency Management Agency of the state of affairs. The local police department is trained in high stress situations and will be vital in the emergency plan. (Urban Search and Rescue, 2010). Firefighting departments- have the roles and responsibilities to keep fires to a minimum, administer emergency medical attention, administer technical response to emergency situations and are trained in safety education. We will use this department to respond in a timely manner and be a first response team. The State Volunteer Service- comprised of individuals devoted to be at the call of the local rescue teams and to aid in any way necessary to help victims in need. The most common task of the volunteers is for clean up and feeding and sheltering of disaster victims. Civilians- the main responsibility of civilians is to [provide intelligence for the authorities as they are always aware of their surrounding and can detect threats in the surrounding. They are to notify the local police through the 911 response and the threat thwarted or acted upon by the authority. State Health and Human Services- This limb of the emergency relief plan will help to place families in homes and provide food and public assistance for medical needs for any victims without financial means to do so for themselves. Mass amounts of people at need in a single incident are the expertise of this department. Public health and medical needs will extend beyond the immediate response teams and this is another duty of this Department. Federal Department of Homeland Security-the department core mission is to defend the state from foreign and domestic coercion. These include fighting and preventing terrorism, protecting cyberspace and ensure resilient acts n combating disasters. FBI counterterrorism department-this department is charged with the responsibility of taking the lead role in terrorist acts. . In other words, if there is a terrorist attack, it is for the local police to alert the FBI-CTD and the various other agencies in the plan. Once FBI reaches the place and takes over, the local police only act as a facilitator and a communication center through which FBI gets access to other important agencies in the program including health department, fire and rescue service and Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA- In the case of a natural disaster, the lead role goes to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA, 2012). Often, the agency is able to warn people of disasters like a hurricane in advance. It assigns the responsibilities to the relevant bodies depending on the magnitude and continues to monitor events. DOD- department of defense responds to calls on grave issues that cannot be handled by other federal agencies like the FBI or the department of homeland security. The tasks are assessed on the basis of the risk posed, the lethality of the threat, the cost implication and the appropriateness of the department’s involvement in the matter. The issues that are handled by the DOD require presidential sanction and when they take over disaster management, the other agencies stand in the periphery of the management process and are restricted to tasks assigned by the DOD (Homeland security, 2008). Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) - This department will be utilized if the occurrence a mêlée or a terrorist invasion. This agency has advanced technology that is useful in providing assistance to the military branches during these times. The Central Intelligence Agency has specialized training in communicating with foreign diplomats and attempting to defuse a high volatile situation (About-CIA, 2011). For Question 2: Diagram that shown this hierarchy are shown below Qn.4 How to share the plan The printed version of the document is made public and availed to the relevant agencies. The public are also informed using the hard copy documents circulated in the community trainings offered by the local area in schools and public forums. The website, public libraries and school databases are utilized in availing the information to a wider area as the electronic form is easily assessable and at minimal costs (LEDS, n.d.). The dissemination is as shown in the chart. For Question 3 Agency Hard Copies E-copies Total Department Distribution City Council 7 0 7 City Clerk 1 1 2 City Manager’s Office 4 0 4 Emergency Management 10 10 20 Coordinator (1), Deputy (2), Planner(1), Office (1), EOC (10), EIC (4), Library (1) City Budgeting 1 1 2 Commissioner 1 1 2 Communications 1 1 2 Fire Department 1 1 2 Health Department 1 1 2 Human Resources 1 1 2 Information Technology 1 1 2 Juvenile Services 1 1 2 Libraries & Information 1 1 2 Parks, Recreation and Tourism 1 1 2 Police Department 1 1 2 Public Utilities 1 1 2 Public Works 1 1 2 Purchasing 1 1 2 School Administration 1 1 2 Sheriff 1 1 2 Treasurer 1 1 2 Vehicle and Equipment Services 1 1 2 Qn. 5 what media sources to use 1. Website to provide up-to-the-minute information on road closures and evacuations, which will ensure that information, is disseminated timely. 2. Use of radio and television network- this medium is most effective used by the public and information conveyed through this medium is guaranteed to reach the public. 3. Use a form of a voice communications system to provide interoperability among area municipalities and the county. All local police, fire, and EMS departments are connected to the system, as well as the public service agencies and all area schools. Incorporate digital and analog technologies, to control stations and dispatch consoles. Qn.6 do you share everything? The public is the primary victim in any disaster. The acting agencies should ensure that the information passed down to the public is safe and one that does not trigger fear and mass panic. In cases where the threat posed is of a higher magnitude, the CIA can be contracted to handle the media. However, if the matter is not as grave, the information officer should perform routine updates on the situation and only brief the public on the need-to-know basis. Only information that affects the public should be released, nothing more (LEDS, n.d.). Qn. 7 what to tell the community • Official incident information • Available local and state public resources-ensures the authority remains accountable by the public. • Private resources • Capabilities of neighboring jurisdictions- this ensures the public are aware of the appropriate channels to use. • Federal resources • Status reports- this helps to encourage the community and gives them the satisfaction that the authorities are working to resolve the matter. • Local and state resources deployed • Emergency public information • Where to go for official information Qn. 8 Information to keep secret about the plan Information regarding the defense plans should not be revealed to the general public. technical information that is not necessary for the public to know and does not benefit the public in any way. Information which has a frightening effect on the public should be kept under cover. Discretion should be applied in determining what to share and what not to. The number of actual casualties reported should be kept at a minimum to keep the public from panicking. Also, if the disaster is not getting under control, such information should not be released too. Conclusion An integrated approach not only promises success but also efficiency and resource maximization. Handling hazards of different nature can be challenging and the multiagency approach means that the FBI puts its expertise in counterterrorism, the state health services ensure mass welfare and the state and local authorities put a concerted effort in ensuring that the disaster is solved as swiftly as possible. References Homeland Security. (2008). National Response Framework. Retrieved from www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nrf/nrf-core.pdf Homeland Security. (2008).Overview: ESF and Support Annexes Coordinating Federal Assistanc In support of the National Response Framework. Retrieved from www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nrf/nrf-esf-06.pd FEMA. (2011). Basic Plan. (2003). Retrieved from Federal Response Plan: http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/frp/frpbasic.pdf EMA. (n.d.). Disaster Sequence of Events. Retrieved from FEMA: http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/downloads/is208SDMUnit3.pdf Witt, J. L. (1999). Federal Response Plan. Retrieved from FEMA: http://biotech.law.lsu.edu/blaw/FEMA/frpfull.pdf About CIA. (2011). found in: Central Intelligence Agency.gov retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/index.html Law Enforcement Deployment Team,LEDS (n.d.). Retrieved from majorcitieschiefs.com: https://www.majorcitieschiefs.com/pdf/LEDT_Report_FINAL.pdf Urban Search and Rescue. (2010). US&R found in: FEMA retrieved from: http://www.fema.gov/emergency/usr/ Read More