Command and Control of Disaster Operations - Essay Example

INTRODUCTION The creation of Incident Command Systems and Incident Management Systems are an outcome of handling major emergencies and disasters thatwill or may be of significant impact to large communities and in some cases, impacts at an international level. The formulation of these management systems allows incident managers with a standardized process to handle a variety of situations, big or wide in scope in order to limit and minimize damage to both property and life (Greene, 2001). Every situation has the capability of being a major disaster or incident. With the formation of incident management systems, the capacity of these situations to have greater impact is diminished and contained to manageable levels (Greene, 2002). In every event or crisis, it is indispensable to devise an incident management plan. These plans may be carried out verbally and informally, especially for incidents that are simple in nature and have short duration by the Incident Commander. Written action plans, are considered whenever there are two or more areas of responsibility involved, the duration of the incident carried on into another operational period, new organizational elements are triggered and if it is required by agency policy (Greene, 2001). Incident management plans are written to clearly provide a statement of objectives and appropriate measures, provide a gauge to ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness and to provide a basis to assess the progress and accountability of the incident of the incident team (Greene, 2001). SAMPLE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT PLAN Incident Name: Power outage and sniper shooting Date/Time Prepared: Operational Period: August 20, 2006 - August 23, 2006 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Weather: may reach beyond 115F Scenario Due to extreme heat conditions and storms, the electricity within an entire 10 square mile grid was interrupted. Electricity is not expected to be restored in the next 24 to 72 hours. A sniper was reported within the vicinity of the power failure area. The said sniper is randomly shooting citizens in the downtown park area. Said area is congested due to the power outage. According to initial reports, two civilians were shot by said sniper and may still be alive. Objectives Scenario 1 Objective: To restore power service at the soonest possible time (24 hours) and to provide 24/7 support and aid to affected citizens. Strategies: 1. Initiate immediate repair of damaged power lines/installations 2. Tap other electrical sources 3. Set up aid and support groups to provide fast assistance to citizens Scenario 2 Objective: To secure downtown park area from citizens, apprehend sniper and rescue/provide medical attention to victims of shootout. Strategies: 1. Clear downtown area of possible sniper targets 2. Initiate contact with sniper 3. Negotiate to get victims and peaceful capitulation of sniper 4. Should negotiations fail, initiate retrieval of victims/submission of sniper by law enforcement units Organizational List There will be one assigned Incident Commander (IC) who will directly have the overall responsibility of the resolution of the situation. In this exercise, the Governor of Arizona is the most likely candidate as he/she is mandated by State of Arizona to execute the Emergency Response and Recovery Plan (SERRP), the ICS management plan of the state (State of Arizona, 2003). The IC shall oversee the functions of the incident command system (ICS) and their respective section chiefs - operations (responsible for direct tactical actions), planning (responsible for preparation of action plan, resource maintenance and situational status), logistics (provide support), finance administration (procurement of supplies and cost accounting), information officer, safety officer and other representatives from assisting agencies. (Greene, 2001). The unified command ICS structure will be used, as it is the structure being utilized by the SERRP. Due to the potentially wider scope and further implications of the scenarios, the Governor of Arizona (IC) will declare a statewide emergency and will implement the incident management plan. The Governor will meet with various heads of primary state and federal agencies concerned to obtain updates and background information on the incident and to initiate planning to resolve issue. Tactical Direction and Resource Assignments All section chiefs and conduits will be placed under the supervision of the IC. To provide a point of contact for public information, an information officer was assigned. The information officer shall provide hourly updates to media personnel. In the same manner, a liaison officer was also tasked to provide inter-agency contact (National Wildfire Coordinating Group, 1994a). In the case of the state of Arizona, the State Coordinating Officer (SCO) will liaise with State agencies designated as primary section/groups. The primary agency for this incident is the Department of Emergency & Military Affairs (DEMA) through its arm, the Division of Emergency Management (ADEM). Support state agencies that will be utilized are: Department of Administration (ADOA), Department of Building and Fire Safety (DBFS), Department of Commerce (ADC), Registrar of Contractors (ROC), Department of Corrections (ADOC), Department of Economic Security (ADES), Department of Emergency & Military Affairs (DEMA) through the National Guard (AZARNG), Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Geological Survey (AGS), Government Information Technology Agency (GITA), Office of the Governor (AOG), Department of Health Services (ADHS), Office of Homeland Security (OHS), State Land Department (ASLD), State Parks (ASP), Department of Public Safety (DPS), Radiation Regulatory Agency (ARRA), Department of Revenue (ADOR), Department of Transportation (ADOT), Department of Water Resources (ADWR). Support federal agencies are: Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) through its agency - Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Weather Service (NWS). Voluntary services will be provided by the American Red Cross (ARC), Arizona Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (AzVOAD), Civil Air Patrol (CAP), The Salvation Army (TSA) and Arizona Statewide Independent Living Council (AZSILC). In reference to the SERRP, a State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) will be set up to serve as base of the management system. The SEOC will ensure coordination as the nature of the emergency may involve more than one local or country and several state and federal agencies. The supervision and organization of response services mandated by the state shall also be through this agency. The State Coordinating Officer (SCO) will be tasked the efficient management of the resources. The SCO shall also manage the Joint Information Center (JIC) - the group in charge of processing and distributing emergency information to the public and the Public Inquiry (PI) - the group responsible for receiving and reacting to public inquiries regarding the situation (State of Arizona, 2003) The Operations Division is the section responsible for state strategic control coordination and event reaction assets. Coordination with mutual aid partners is also under its jurisdiction. It will monitor incident settings, operations deficits and provide for needs of affected individuals. The Operation Division will be headed by the ADEM Assistant Director for Operations in coordination with the following agencies: Department of Emergency & Military Affairs - National Guard; Department of Public Safety; Department of Transportation; Department of Health Services, Office of Homeland Security, Civil Air Patrol, State Land Department, Department of Corrections; the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, Radiation Regulatory Agency, Department of Building and Fire Safety, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Commerce - Energy Office, ADEM Search and Rescue Coordinator, other ADEM, local and private Representatives and support personnel (State of Arizona, 2003). The IC shall task the Operations Chief, National Guard, Office of Homeland Security, Civil Air Patrol, Department of Corrections, State and Local Police, ADEM Search and Rescue, SWAT Teams and local/private personal to deal with the sniper situation. The immediate resolution of this situation is vital to the security of the personnel that will handle the restoration of power service. To address this, tactical groups will be formed from the elements of these agencies. First task force will be tasked to apprehend the shooter, retrieve victims and to clear the area from citizens. Proper traffic management through Department of Transportation shall ensure downtown area is cleared of human and vehicular traffic, lessening the instance of additional casualties. In addition, some members of this task force will consist of elements of airborne and ground tactical teams. Said individuals are equipped to prevent sniper from creating more damage to life and property. Negotiators, traffic enforcers, SWAT and strike teams are among the members of this group. ADEM Search and Rescue will spearhead the retrieval of the victims and provide immediate medical attention. Once stabilized, victims shall be transferred under the care of the Red Cross or the Dept of Health Services. Their resources will include the following: helicopters, patrol cars, fire trucks, ambulances, paramedics, etc. Once the sniper situation is resolved, the Operations chief shall, without delay facilitate the mobilization of the second task force that will handle the immediate assessment and repair of the damaged power source and distribution lines. The Operations chief shall coordinate with the following agencies: Department of Emergency & Military Affairs - National Guard; Department of Public Safety; Department of Transportation; Department of Health Services, State Land Department, Radiation Regulatory Agency, Department of Building and Fire Safety, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Commerce - Energy Office and other local and private Representatives and support personnel (State of Arizona, 2003). The task force will consist of plant engineers, structural engineers, geodetic engineers, technicians and other related specialists who will work in shifts to ensure that power could be restored at the soonest. The Energy Office and Radiation Regulation Agency will assist in the formulation of alternative power sources that can alleviate the crisis and the work safety of the personnel. Since the situation may also lead to massive fire outbreak, the Department of Building and Fire Safety will deploy firefighting elements in the area. Providing security and unauthorized access to the repair site will be elements of law enforcement/military agencies and members of the fire brigade. Aside from these, the operations group is tasked to ensure proper allocation of resources and supplies, the operations group formed several task forces and units to manage unique situations that may arise - i.e. hospital/medical units, food/water/fuel distribution units, temporary housing and facility management, etc. (National Wildfire Coordinating Group, 1994b). Paramedics were to be deployed in areas that have high volume of people. Vital care for the victims of the sniper and other citizens that require immediate and specialized care shall also be organized. In the scenario represented, ADEM and the American Red Cross shall commence the operations of a disaster welfare information system to acquire, receive and disseminate information about the current status of citizens affected with the power outage and victims of the shooting incident. The group shall get in touch with the family of the victims. The two agencies are also on top of organizing and distribution of emergency relief packs to affected individuals (through mobile or direct feeding sites), provisioning of emergency shelters (tent cities, existing structure sites, decontamination units, etc.), establishment of mass care facilities and counseling servicing units. Special groups will also be formed to address special concerns (i.e. care for the elderly, animal protection, persons under special care) (State of Arizona, 2003). Technical support and data gathering arm needed for the formation of incident policies will be provided by the Director of the Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency (ARRA) in coordination with its technical support staff, Department of Health Services, Department of Environmental Quality, National Weather Service and state/ private agency representatives involved with the situation (State of Arizona, 2003). The establishment of the Logistical Section shall ensure proper coordination and utilization of personnel, resources, communications, supplies, etc. that is essential in supporting continued and effective response of state and federal response. It also maintains message centers, documentation of resources and financials involved with the emergency. Elements of this section are headed by its chief, the ADEM Assistant Director of Resource Management, Information Systems Manager, Resource Coordinator, Department of Administration; and State Land Department. Logistics will also initiate formation of secondary elements - communications unit (communications head and staff, chief of message center and specialists, radio operators and message distribution personnel), support unit (administrative assistants, telephone operations and facilities/maintenance group) and the fiscal services unit (accounting managers and accounting assistants) (State of Arizona, 2003). The formation of the Planning section is essential in the coordination of elements of information/data to provide proper incident analysis. The group is also responsible for the examination, prognosis and anticipation of developments of both the restoration of the power in the affected areas and the shooting incidents. It has direct control of producing and revising current incident action plans. The section chief assigned is the Assistant Director for Preparedness of ADEM. He will be supported by ADEM Situation Status Coordinators and team, Office of Homeland Security and other state/federal department/agency representatives (State of Arizona, 2003). REFERENCES Greene, Walter G. (2001). Command and Control of Disaster Operations. Richmond : Universal Publishers. Greene, Walter G. (2002). The Incident Command System For Public Health Disaster Responders. Richmond: University of Richmond. Molino, Sr., Louis N. (2006). Emergency Incident Management Systems: Fundamentals and Applications. Houston: Rothstein Associates. National Wildfire Coordinating Group. (1994c). Advanced ICS Module. WA: NWCG Publications Management System. National Wildfire Coordinating Group. (1994a). Basic ICS Module. WA: NWCG Publications Management System. National Wildfire Coordinating Group. (1994b). Intermediate ICS Module. WA: NWCG Publications Management System. Simchi-Levi, David, Philip Kaminsky and Edith. (2003). Designing and Managing the Supply Chain. NY: McGraw-Hill. State of Arizona. (2003). Emergency Response and Recovery Plan. Phoenix: Arizona Division of Emergency Management. Read More