Siskiyou County has been wrapping
up the first draft of its new Emergency Operations Plan (EOP.) A County training session
was recently held in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to get staff used to working
under the National Incident Management System (NIMS,) performing the various roles and
using the new County forms to circulate information and coordinate action. The EOC is set
up in larger emergencies to support the needs of folks working on a disaster out in the
field. The whole approach is built on the expandable Incident Command System (ICS)
structure that was developed by the fire services. This system is being used throughout
the United States by all levels of government. (And, being government, it has lots of
acronyms - sorry.)
In an EOC set up, the ICS establishes one Director and four
departments – Operations, Planning, Logistics and Finance. “Operations”
supports law enforcement, fire/rescue, public works, medical and coroner functions out in
the field. Operations finds out what they need and what the situation is on the ground.
“Planning” circulates information, keeps up to date on the situation out in the
field, assesses damages and the status or resources (people, equipment.) It also looks
forward to planning for the next operational period. “Logistics” arranges for
services for folks out in the field – communication, personnel, acre and shelter. It
also arranges for support – supplying food, needed equipment, facilities and
transportation. “Finance” takes care of tracking the costs, personnel time,
contracts and any claims.
In the chain of command, the Director is in charge. In addition to
the four departments, he is supported by a Public Information Officer, who writes up and
delivers status updates to the press; a legal officer, a safety and security officer. The
Board of Supervisors’ task is to set policy (mostly ahead of time.)
When an emergency involving the county happens, (like a flood,) Siskiyou
County will activate its Crisis Management Team (CMT.) These individuals will decide
whether to activate the EOC. If it is obvious that EOC activation is needed, the decision
can also be made immediately by the County Administrative Officer (CAO,) Sheriff or County
Fire Warden. Until the EOC is operational, the CMT will allocate needed resources to
support field response, coordinate mutual aid, disseminate critical information to other
jurisdictions and the public, and give direction to employees. If the EOC is activated,
the CMT will also set operational periods for shifts, develop a situational brief, and
establish strategic objectives and priorities for the first operational period. Priorities
in the initial period are always centered around human life, health, safety and then
property. While the CMT is functioning, the
first shift to staff the EOC will be setting it up for action. Field units and the EOC
will be functioning under the ICS/NIMS structure for the emergency from first response to
recovery.
Cities like Yreka and Community Services Districts have been invited
to create their own EOP for their jurisdictions from the County pattern. They have also
been invited to attend the various ICS and NIMS training sessions being offered by
Siskiyou County Office of Emergency Services (OES – Lt. John Villani.) The NIMS
system assumes that local jurisdictions will take care of emergencies. When those
emergencies/disasters exceed their resources, they may call in support from mutual aid and
the County. The county can also call in help from the state regional operational area,
which, in turn, can ask for national support under the Stafford Act.
Those interested in NIMS/ICS can take a course online at: http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is700.asp |
