16 Reflective Essays of NSCI 351

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Environmental Health Training in Emergency Response (EHTER)

Introductory Level







Module 1
Disaster Management

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IMAGE: Robert A. Eplett/OES CA

Introductory cover slide

Terminal Learning Objectives

  • Participants will be able to explain how the disaster management system works and describe the role of environmental health in emergency preparedness and response operations.

Enabling Objectives

  • Identify the characteristics and differences associated with emergencies, disasters, and catastrophes.
  • Identify activities associated with the four phases of the Emergency Management Cycle.
  • Develop good problem statements and response objectives.
  • Identify the national and state directives for preparedness and response planning.  
  • Explain the components of an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and other types of plans as well as the importance of the planning process.

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The objectives for this module are as follows:

  • We will discuss differences between emergencies, disasters, and catastrophes. Participants will be able to identify characteristics associated with each.
  • We will discuss the four phases of the Emergency Management Cycle. Participants will be able to identify activities associated with each phase.
  • We will discuss the differences between hazards, vulnerabilities, threats, and risks. We will also discuss the importance of determining emergency response capacity prior to an incident.
  • We will look at developing good problem statements and response objectives. Through group discussion and activities, participants will be developed improved problem statements and response objectives.
  • We will discuss the specific components of an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and look at other types of plans (federal/state/local). Highlighted will be the importance of the planning process. Participants will obtain planning resources and be able to identify response partners for the planning process.

Enabling Objectives (cont.)

  • Identify the types of emergency response facilities, such as Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs), Incident Command Posts (ICPs), and Joint Information Centers (JICs).
  • Recognize the importance of mutual aid in emergency response capacity and mutual aid agreements, such as the national Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).
  • Identify the types of exercises associated with emergency preparedness, such as workshops, drills, tabletop exercises, functional exercises, and full-scale exercises. 

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  • We will discuss different types of emergency response facilities and coordinating centers. Participants will be able to describe differences between different facilities and centers, such as Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs), Incident Command Posts (ICPs), Joint Field Offices (JFOs), and Joint Information Centers (JICs).
  • We will discuss the importance of mutual-aid in emergency response surge capacity and identify specific mutual-aid agreements, such as the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).
  • We will discuss different types of needs assessments, including Rapid Needs Assessments (RNAs), Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNAs), and Environmental Health needs assessments.
  • We will discuss the different types of exercises associated with emergency preparedness. Participants will be able to identify differences between workshops, drills, tabletop exercises, functional exercises, and full-scale exercises.
  • We will briefly discuss after-action reviews, developing after-action reports, and corrective action planning following exercises and real-world events. Participants will obtain after-action review and corrective action planning resources and be able to identify response partners for the after-action review process.
  • And finally, we will examine the role of Environmental Health in emergency preparedness and response.

Incident Management

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IMAGE: U.S. Coast Guard

Are there any questions up to this point?

(Cover Slide)

Now, we will talk about incident management.

National Response
Framework

Comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach to domestic incident response

Overview of key response principles, roles, and structures that guide national response

Contains Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) and support and incident annexes

Replaces the National Response Plan (NRP)

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The National Response Framework (NRF). Ask the audience, “How many people have either seen or heard of the NRF?”

  • The NRF is a comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach to domestic incident response. It is not a plan, but rather a “framework.”
  • It provides a lengthy overview of key response principles, roles, and structures that guide national response.
  • It contains 15 Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) and several Support and Incident Annexes.
  • Now… if this sounds a lot like the National Response Plan (NRP), well… it sort of is the NRP. The NRF is based on the NRP (it is actually the NRP, but slightly revised.) Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA undertook an effort to revise and update both NIMS and the NRP. The resulting document stemming from the NRP is the NRF. It is no longer referred to as a “plan,” but instead a “framework.”
  • ESF #1 – Transportation
  • ESF #2 – Communications
  • ESF #3 – Public Works & Engineering
  • ESF #4 – Firefighting
  • ESF #5 – Emergency Management
  • ESF #6 – Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Housing & Human Services
  • ESF #7 – Resource Support
  • ESF #8 – Public Health & Medical Services
  • ESF #9 – Search & Rescue
  • ESF #10 – Oil & Hazardous Materials Response
  • ESF #11 – Agriculture & Natural Resources
  • ESF #12 – Energy
  • ESF #13 – Public Safety & Security
  • ESF #14 – Long-term Community Recovery
  • ESF #15 – External Affairs

Federal Emergency Support
Functions (ESFs)

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Here are the 15 ESFs as stated in the NRF. Ask the audience, “Which ESFs do you think Environmental Health has roles and responsibilities during emergency response?”

Each time you click the mouse, a specific ESF will be underlined. The ESFs with which Environmental Health will most likely have roles and responsibilities include:

  • ESF #3 – Public Works and Engineering
  • ESF #6 – Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Housing & Human Services
  • ESF #8 – Public Health & Medical Services
  • ESF #10 – Oil & Hazardous Materials Response
  • ESF #11 – Agriculture & Natural Resources
  • And ESF #14 – Long-term Community Recovery

Ask audience members to think about what types of specific Environmental Health activities would occur under each ESF.

The Stafford Act

  • Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief & Emergency Assistance Act (1988)

  • Amended version of Disaster Relief Act of 1974

  • Provides statutory authority for most federal disaster response activities and assistance for states and localities

  • Triggered by Presidential Disaster Declaration

  • Financial & physical assistance through FEMA
  • The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act was introduced and passed by Congress in 1988. It is referred to as The Stafford Act.

  • Basically, The Stafford Act is an amended version of the Disaster Relief Act of 1974.

  • This act is vital to emergency response because it provides the statutory authority for most Federal disaster response activities. There are other statutory authorities for emergency response, but this, by far, is the primary one.

  • The Stafford Act and its provisions are triggered by a Presidential Disaster Declaration. There is a specific process for issuing a Presidential Disaster Declaration. It must be requested by a state Governor in writing.

  • Basically, The Stafford Act provides a variety of financial and physical assistance measures through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

  • It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with The Stafford Act if you are not already familiar with it.

National Incident Management System (NIMS)

Established through Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) – 5

Comprehensive, national approach to incident management

Standardized organizational structures

Applicable to

All jurisdictional levels and functional disciplines

All incidents and hazards, regardless of size or complexity

Public and private entities

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The National Incident Management System… or NIMS… was mentioned earlier in the presentation. How many people have either heard of NIMS or were at least familiar with it prior to the presentation?

  • NIMS was established through Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5.
  • It is a comprehensive, national approach to incident management.
  • NIMS includes many standardized organizational structures.
  • And it is applicable to:
  • All jurisdictions and functional disciplines (including Environmental Health!)
  • All incidents and hazards, regardless of size or complexity
  • And both public and private entities

NIMS Components

Command & management

Preparedness

Resource management

Communications & information management

Supporting technologies

Ongoing management & maintenance

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IMAGE: Fed Govt.

Here are some key components of NIMS:

  • Command & management - designed to enable effective and efficient incident management and coordination by providing flexible, standardized incident management structure. The structure is based on three key organizational constructs: the Incident Command System, Multiagency Coordination Systems, and Public Information.
  • Preparedness - preparedness activities conducted on an ongoing basis, in advance of any potential incident. Preparedness involves an integrated combination of planning, procedures and protocols, training and exercises, personnel qualifications and certification, and equipment certification.
  • Resource management - defines standardized mechanisms and establishes the resource management process to: identify requirements, order and acquire, mobilize, track and report, recover and demobilize, reimburse, and inventory resources.
  • Communications & information management - describes the requirements necessary for a standardized framework for communications and emphasizes the need for a common operating picture. NIMS is based upon the concepts of interoperability, reliability, scalability, portability, and the resiliency and redundancy of communication and information systems.
  • Supporting technologies – FEMA’s Incident Management Systems Division, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate, oversees and coordinates the ongoing development of incident management−related technology including strategic research and development.
  • Ongoing management & maintenance – This is also accomplished through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FEMA’s Incident Management Systems Division.

Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS)

  • Origins
  • What It Is
  • What it is Not
  • Following Oakland Hills fire Oct. 1991 need for coordination resulted in passage of SB 1841 (Petris) (added to Government Code Section 8607)
  • Authorized OES and emergency response agencies to develop a Standardized Emergency Management System by regulation with key state and local emergency response agencies. Dec, 1, 1996 – SEMS comes into effect (required for all state agencies; local governments must use to be eligible for response-related personnel costs). (SEMS CCR Section 2400)
  • SEMS is based on FIRESCOPE ICS
  • SEMS includes a Maintenance System (regs. only identify SEMS Advisory Board)
  • SEMS includes an Approved Course of Instruction (ACI) – Intro class, EOC Class, Executive Class, Field level Class (enhanced FIRESCOPE and National Wildfire Coordinating Group ICS)
  • Unlike NIMS, which is a National Program, SEMS is a California standardized emergency response system.

SEMS Incorporates

  • Incident Management System
  • Multi-agency coordination
  • Mutual Aid
  • Operational Area Concept
  • ICS – FIRESCOPE developed in 1970s for coping with multiple state, local, and federal agencies responding to Southern California Wildfires (Fire Resources of California Organized for Potential Emergencies)
  • Multi-agency coordination, a variation on the Fire Services MACs concept, inclusion of all affected agencies, with jurisdictional responsibilities to coordinate resources toward common objectives.
  • Mutual Aid based on the Ca. Master Mutual Aid Agreement (1950 Agreement) – neighbor helping neighbor without the expectation of reimbursement. NIMS recognizes the CA MMAA as a model of mutual aid, but goes on to address interstate mutual aid as well.
  • Operational Area concept- when activated acts as a county coordination point for resources and information between the county (and all its political subdivisions) and OES regions for emergency response. (58 Counties = 58 Operational Areas). NIMS does not address this concept.

SEMS
5 Organizational Levels

Field (ICS)

Operational Area

Local Government

OES Region

State

  • As each response level is activated, an ICS structure is established. At the Field Level an Incident Command Post (ICP), EOCs at other levels, as required to support field response. EOCs and their functions are not addressed in NIMS to the level of detail in SEMS.
  • SEMS regulations identify conditions for activating the Operational Area, Region, and State EOCs. NIMS does not address activation conditions.
  • Local EOCs activation criteria are set by local authorities.

Common to SEMS and NIMS:

  • Resource requests begin at the field level, one level up at a time
  • Most emergencies are handled before reaching the state level.
  • All levels above the field level support the field response

Incident Command System
(ICS)

Standard, on-scene, all-hazard incident management system

Features include

Common terminology

Organizational resources

Manageable span of control

Organizational facilities

Use of position titles

Reliance on an Incident Action Plan (IAP)

Integrated communications

Accountability

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The Incident Command System… or ICS… is a key component within NIMS. How many people have either heard of or are familiar with ICS?

  • ICS is a standard, on-scene, all-hazards incident management system. Please notice the “on-scene” language.
  • Some of its key features include:
  • Common terminology – ICS attempts to alleviate confusion by establishing a “common language” and “common terminology” among all response partners, regardless of functional discipline.
  • Organizational resources – ICS provides a mechanism for coordinating the resources of multiple response partners and organizations.
  • Manageable span of control – The ideal span of control in ICS is 1:5. Acceptable is 1:7. In other words, no more than 7 people at most will report to a single person. The organization is expanded beyond 7 people.
  • Organizational facilities – ICS recognizes Incident Command Posts (ICPs), Staging Areas, EOC, etc.
  • Use of position titles – Those who work in the ICS system have official position titles, such as Section Chiefs, Branch Directors, etc.
  • Reliance on an IAP – ICS uses IAP for emergency response. We already discuss IAPs in detail earlier in the module.
  • Accountability – All of these aspects of ICS help provide accountability for the response effort. There is a logical structure with individuals accountable to the system.

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Here is the basic Command and General Staff structure in ICS.

  • At the very top you have the Incident Commander (IC)… or Incident Command.
  • The Public Information Officer (PIO), Safety Officer, and Liaison Officer (LNO) are part of the Command Staff and coordinate closely with the Incident Commander.
  • Please note that the Safety Officer play an extremely important role in ICS and actually has the authority to over-ride the Incident Commander and halt all response operations if he/she deems the response environment to be “unsafe.”
  • Then you have the 4 main sections of ICS:
  • Operations
  • Planning
  • Logistics
  • Finance/Administration
  • Each Section has a Chief.
  • Please note that although not listed on the organizational chart above, there is another section that may be used in ICS. It is known as the Intelligence Section. The Intelligence Section collects and analyzes intelligence information that is essential to the emergency response. You will usually find this section in a response that is heavy with law enforcement.

Facilities and Coordinating
Centers

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IMAGE: CDC

Are there any questions up to this point?

(Cover Slide)

Next, let’s talk about different types of facilities and coordinating centers used in emergency response. Some of these were already briefly mentioned earlier in the module and alluded to in the NRF and NIMS sections.

Incident Command Post
(ICP)

Physical location

Tactical-level, on-scene incident command

Located at or near incident site

Can be fixed or mobile

Typically comprises command and general staff, but can have other officials

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IMAGE 1: Department of Energy, Hanford Site, Richland Operations Office

IMAGE 2: Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

Let’s start at the closest site to the incident or event. The Incident Command Post… or ICP.

  • An ICP is an actual physical location. It is temporary and used during an incident or event.
  • An ICP is the location at which tactical-level, on-scene incident command decisions are made and where operations take place. It is a “boots on the ground” location.
  • It is usually located either at the site of the incident itself or as close to the incident site as safely and practically possible.
  • An ICP can be either fixed or mobile. Here is a good example in the above picture of a mobile ICP. Sometimes, certain fixed structures or buildings can be used for an ICP, depending on the location of the incident and the structure/building in question.
  • Usually, you will find command and general staff at an ICP (such as the Incident Commander, Safety Officer, etc.), but there can be other officials as well. Oftentimes, dignitaries and political officials like to come and tour ICPs.
  • Generally, the ICP is a busy, bustling location. The larger or more serious the incident, the busier it is.
  • Environmental Health practitioners will generally not find themselves located at an ICP, although there may be some exceptions. Again, it depends on the magnitude of the incident and the cohesiveness of the response community.

Staging Area

Usually temporary
location

Established by
Operations Section
Chief

Can have multiple
staging areas

  • Positioning of resources awaiting assignment
  • Manager assigned to each staging area by Operations Section Chief

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IMAGE: DoD/USAF

Next is the Staging Area.

  • The staging area is usually a temporary location.
  • It is established by the Operations Section Chief in coordination with the Logistics Section Chief.
  • There can be multiple staging areas during a single event. Again, it depends on the magnitude and scale of the event.
  • At the staging area, resources are “checked in” and positioned prior to deployment. Resources are “staged.” Almost every kind of resource imaginable comes through the staging area: Water, food, medical supplies, personnel, equipment, etc.
  • At each staging area, there is a Manager who is assigned by the Operations Section Chief.
  • So again, the staging area is another very tactical, operations-oriented location.

Emergency Operations
Center (EOC)

Physical location

Federal, state, &
local levels

Coordinates
information & resources

Supports on-scene
operations

Department Operations Center (DOC)

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IMAGE: CDC

You also have Emergency Operations Centers… or EOCs. Ask the audience, “How many people have ever worked in an EOC?”

  • EOCs are also physical locations. They are usually fixed locations.
  • There are EOCs at all jurisdictions… at all levels of government. Federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, etc.
  • The primary purpose of an EOC is to coordinate information and resources to support the on-scene tactical response. It is more of a strategic-level facility.
  • Finally, EOCs can be organized in a number of different ways… by functional disciplines, specific jurisdictions, ICS, or a combination of all three.
  • For example, if organized according to functional disciplines, you will have representatives from public health, EMS, fire, law enforcement, emergency management, Environmental Health, etc. in the EOC.
  • If organized according to specific jurisdictions, you will have seats for federal, state, local, and tribal representatives, etc.
  • And if organized by ICS, you will have desks set up for operations, planning, logistics, finance/administration, etc.
  • Many EOCs are set up with a combination of all three.
  • EOCs can be very simple, with basic equipment such as telephones, fax machines, computers, dry-erase boards, hard-copy maps, etc.
  • The can be also very high-tech, with large-panel screens, GIS, digital maps, special incident management software, secure communications equipment, special controlled access, etc. The CDC EOC is a very high-tech facility.
  • One is not necessarily better than the other. It all depends on the needs of the community and the incident in question.

Joint Information Center
(JIC)

Focal point for release of incident-related information to the public

Established at or virtual connection to EOC, or other facility

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IMAGE: CDC

Finally, we’ll talk about Joint Information Centers… or JICs.

  • A JIC is an actual physical location.
  • It is the focal point for the release of incident-related information to the public. Public Service Announcements (PSAs), press releases, official statements, etc. are all released through the JIC.
  • JICs can be established as a component of a facility, such as a JFO, EOC, etc… or it can be a stand-alone, virtual facility. It doesn’t necessarily have to be co-located with another facility, but it oftentimes is because of practicality.
  • There may be multiple JICs at multiple facilities during an incident.
  • It is staffed by public affairs and External Affairs professionals from a variety of agencies and organizations. Staff members can be from all jurisdictions (federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, etc.)
  • Not mentioned in the slide is a fairly new concept mentioned in the NRP and NRF call a Joint Information System (JIS). A JIS is not necessarily a physical location. It is a coordinating “mechanism” for integrating public information activities to ensure coordinated and consistent message development, verification, and dissemination. The JIS can be:
  • As simple as two PIOs talking on the phone about an incident that involves both of their agencies.
  • A PIO at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) talking to a PIO at the site of the incident.
  • PIOs from several departments working together at a single location.
  • Many PIOs from many agencies working from several locations—all working together to ensure clear and accurate information is being delivered to the public.

We have discussed just some of the major physical locations and facilities used during emergency response. There are also Multi-agency Command Center (MACCs), Area Field Offices (AFOs), and a host of other coordinating locations and facilities. More information on these other types of facilities can be found in the NRF, NIMS, and other documents. Please go back to the different Web sites we have referenced throughout the module. You will find a plethora of information on these sites.

Preparedness

  • Planning
  • Training
  • Exercising
  • Education

Incident

Emergency Management
Cycle

Recovery

  • Debris removal
  • Decontamination
  • Reoccupancy
  • Long-term assist.

Response

  • Warnings
  • Evacuation
  • Sheltering
  • Resources

Mitigation

  • Vulnerability reduction
  • Land-use planning
  • Building codes
  • Flood insurance

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Now that all of you are thinking a little about particular aspects of emergencies, disasters, and catastrophes, let’s focus on the traditional Cycle of Emergency Management. Ask the audience, “How many people are familiar with the four phases of the Emergency Management Cycle?” Following audience discussion, click to advance…

  • The first phase is Preparedness. This includes things like planning, training, exercising, and education.
  • (Click to advance) Then you have an incident or situation.
  • (Click to advance) Then comes the Response to that incident or situation. You may have actions such as warnings, evacuations, sheltering, etc.
  • (Click to advance) Recovery follows response. It is more long-term. It includes activities such as debris removal, decontamination, and re-occupancy.
  • (Click to advance) Then the cycle comes full circle with Mitigation. These are actions taken to “mitigate” the effects of future incidents or situations. They help strengthen Preparedness.
  • Ask the audience where they see Environmental Health activities fitting under which phases. Why?
  • Ask the audience if they can think of any other activities not listed under each phase. Open the floor for a very brief discussion (no more than a minute or two.)
  • Critical elements
  • National preparedness vision
  • National planning scenarios
  • Universal task list (UTL)
  • Target capabilities list (TCL)

National Preparedness
Guidelines

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There are 4 critical elements in the National Preparedness Guidelines:

  • The National Preparedness Vision, which provides a concise statement of the core preparedness goal for the Nation.
  • The National Planning Scenarios, which depict a diverse set of high-consequence threat scenarios of both potential terrorist attacks and natural disasters. Collectively, the 15 scenarios are designed to focus contingency planning for homeland security preparedness work at all levels of government and with the private sector. The scenarios form the basis for coordinated federal planning, training, exercises, and grant investments needed to prepare for emergencies of all types.
  • The Universal Task List (UTL), which is a menu of some 1,600 unique tasks that can facilitate efforts to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from the major events that are represented by the National Planning Scenarios. It presents a common vocabulary and identifies key tasks that support development of essential capabilities among organizations at all levels. Of course, no entity will perform every task.
  • The Target Capabilities List (TCL), which defines 37 specific capabilities that communities, the private sector, and all levels of government should collectively possess in order to respond effectively to disasters.

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Here is a sample of the TCL for Environmental Health. The TCL for Environmental Health is approximately 28 pages long.

National Planning Scenarios

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Here is a listing of the 15 National Planning Scenarios.

Which of these do you think would have implications for Environmental Health?

Developing Emergency Plans

Essential resource for how to develop an EOP.

Here is an absolutely essential resource that will provide much more detailed information on all-hazards emergency operations planning and how to develop each piece of the EOP.

Ask the audience, “How many people have heard of FEMA’s State and Local Guide 101… or the SLG 101? It has been around since the late 90’s and has been considered the “bible” of emergency operations planning for state and local jurisdictions. The SLG 101 was replaced by the Comprehensive Planning Guide or CPG 101 in 2008. It contains much of the same information as the SLG 101, but will also include additional information about NIMS, NRF, and other areas related to emergency planning and preparedness.

Preparedness - Planning Process

More important than the plan itself

Don’t “reinvent the wheel”

Don’t go it alone: use a team approach

Don’t forget the politicians and administrators

Plan development, validation, & maintenance

Continuous process

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IMAGE: NOAA

Okay… we’ve talked about different types of plans, SOPs, SOGs, processes and procedures. Now, let’s talk a little about the process of planning… or “The Planning Process” itself.

  • Always remember that the planning process is always more important that the physical paper plan itself. With a strong, solid process of stakeholder involvement, the plan is useless. During the planning process, you get stakeholder “buy-in” on the plan and you actually get to meet your partners face-to-face before an incident. Remember, the time to exchange business cards is not when the emergency is occurring.
  • You should take advantage of others’ experiences, plans, procedures, etc. when planning. There is no need to “reinvent the wheel.” Build on what already exists in your jurisdiction or your neighboring jurisdictions. Use available guidance, materials, and information in the planning process.
  • Don’t try to write the plan alone in a closed room! Use a team approach when developing the plan. Be sure to include all the appropriate stakeholders early and up-front in the planning process. There should be a community-based approach to planning.
  • We usually remember to include all of the subject-matter-experts and technical specialists in the planning process, but don’t forget to include and get buy-in from the leadership, administration, and politicians early-on in the process. You must have the support of these individuals in the planning process or it might fail.
  • Then it finally comes time to start writing the actual plan, to validate it according to existing regulations, laws, and existing processes/procedures, and to maintain the plan with your team on a regular and frequent basis.
  • The planning process is a continuous process. It is never-ending. It is a continuous repetitive cycle. There is:
  • Plan development
  • Plan review
  • Training and education on the plan
  • Testing of the plan through exercises, etc.
  • Updating and improvement of the plan
  • Review and re-testing of the plan
  • Re-updating and improvement of the plan
  • Etc.

Emergency Ops Plan

All-hazards approach

Functional annexes

Focus on critical emergency functions

Examples: communications, evacuation, mass care, health & medical services, resource management, environmental health

Incident/hazard-specific appendices

Based on hazard & vulnerability assessment

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In addition to the Basic Plan, there are other parts of an EOP. (Click now) There are Functional Annexes. How many people are familiar with Functional Annexes?

  • Functional Annexes focus on specific emergency functions that are critical for emergency response.
  • Some examples include Communications, Evacuation, Mass Care, Health and Medical Services, Resource Management… What about Environmental Health? Is it a critical function of emergency response?
  • The number and type of Functional Annexes will vary according to a jurisdiction’s needs, capabilities, organization, capacities, etc. There is no set specific number.
  • Functional Annexes are focused on operations and will reflect those emergency response personnel involved in carrying out operations during emergency response.
  • And finally, the general information outlined in the basic plan is not repeated in the Functional Annexes. They are not a “re-hashing” of the Basic Plan.

Continuity of Operations
(COOP) Planning

Identify and prioritize essential functions

Identify and roster essential personnel

Determine conditions (triggers) that would activate COOP

Determine alternate locations and sites

List necessary resources to perform essential functions

Establish capabilities to restore/reconstitute agency to pre-event status

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Now, let’s talk briefly about Continuity of Operations Planning… or COOP planning. COOP is an effort within departments and agencies to ensure continuity of essential functions and services across a wide range of emergencies and events. As part of the COOP planning process and at a minimum, agencies must:

  • Identify and prioritize their essential functions and activities. What it is that must be continued, regardless of the situation.
  • Identify and develop on-call rosters for essential personnel. Of course, this will vary from agency to agency.
  • Determine what incidents, events, or conditions that would activate the COOP plan. Is it an earthquake? Terrorism incident? Tsunami? Etc.
  • Determine alternate locations and/or sites at which essential functions and activities can be continued, at least on a temporary basis. These alternate locations and/or sites, however, may also be used on a longer-term basis (weeks to months). For example, an alternate or back-up EOC would be included in a COOP plan.
  • The necessary resources to perform essential functions and activities must be pre-identified and pre-determined.
  • And finally, capabilities must be restored and reconstituted to at least a level prior to an incident or event. The ability to do this should be identified in a COOP plan.

Also extremely important, but not mentioned in the bullets, are “orders of succession” and “delegation of authority.” Pre-determining “who’s in charge” when the leadership may be incapacitated is extremely important. “Who makes what decisions” and “who becomes the leader” are extremely important parts of any COOP plan. These must be determined prior to an incapacitating incident or event.

  • Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)
  • Exercise Evaluation Guides (EEGs)
  • After-action reviews & reports
  • Corrective action planning

Preparedness Exercises

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IMAGE: CDC

The DHS/FEMA Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) provides information, resources, and guidance on all aspects of exercising. Everyone should become familiar with this program.

  • Also included in the HSEEP program are Exercise Evaluation Guides… or EEGs. EEGs are sets of guidance that focus on specific emergency response disciplines and functions. They can be used during an exercise to evaluate performance and capability in specific areas of emergency response. EEGs exist for Environmental Health. All Environmental Health practitioners should become familiar not only with HSEEP, but also with the EEGs, particularly the Environmental Health EEGs.
  • Following an exercise, there is an after-action review and an after-action report that is generated. Although after-action reviews and reports are covered in the HSEEP program, there is little guidance on how to conduct and develop these in a uniform manner. When conducting an after-action review, it is important to include all the key stakeholders who participated in the exercise… or actual event. There are usually community-based after-action review that include all community response functions and disciplines (fire, EMS, public health, law enforcement, etc.) There can also be an after-action review within a specific function or discipline (for example, an after-action review within your Environmental Health department to evaluate capacity and performance following an exercise or actual event. Also, don’t forget to include the leadership, administrators, and political officials in the after-action review process. It is very important to get buy-in from them in order to be able to implement recommended changes in the after-action report.
  • And speaking of implementing recommended changes in the after-action report, corrective action planning is also a very important part of an exercise program that is often overlooked. You may have the best after-action review and report in the world, but if you don’t have a plan to implement recommended changes, then it is less-than-effective. It is important to develop a corrective action plan for implementing recommended changes following an exercise or actual event. Changes and improvements can occur rapidly or in a more deliberate manner over time. The corrective action plan will capture this in a time and in detailed fashion.

Preparedness Exercises

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I would also like to take a few moments to briefly touch upon the area of exercises and corrective action planning. According to the DHS/FEMA Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP), this visual shows the different types of exercises for emergency preparedness. They are divided between discussion-based exercises and operations-based exercises.

  • Discussion-based exercises include seminars, workshops, tabletops, and games. Again, in these types of exercises, participants identify and discuss specific types of issues related to emergency preparedness and response. As you go from left to right on the scale, the amount of planning, preparatory work, and time needed to conduct each of these types of exercises increases.
  • Operations-based exercises include drills, functional exercises, and full-scale exercises. Drills focus on one or more specific process, procedure, or activity that is being practiced [e.g., donning specific types of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)]. Functional exercises contain both discussion-based components and actual hands-on implementation. Full-scale exercises, of course, is hands-on, “boots-on-the-ground.” Personnel are deployed, sampling is conducted, etc.
  • As you go from left to right on the scale, the complexity of each type of exercise increases and so does the capability of exercise participants.

Evaluation

Response

Capacity

Requirements

Plan

The Response Concept

Problems

Actual

Response

Capacity

Operations

Hazards

Vulnerabilities

Threats

Risks

Response

Capacity

SOPs

SOGs

Objectives

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Let’s talk about the general concept of emergency response:

  • (First click) In emergency response, everyone talks about having an emergency response plan.
  • (Next click) Our Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) are based on that plan. We will be talking more about SOPs and SOGs later in the module.
  • (Next click) The plan, SOPs, and SOGs are based on a number of factors, including: What hazards exist? What are the vulnerabilities? Are there any real or perceived threats? What risks exist? What is the assessment of our capacity to respond? These will vary from community to community and geographic location to location.
  • (Next click) After an incident occurs, problems must be identified.
  • (Next click) The problems that are identified, in conjunction with established SOPs and SOGs, will drive the emergency response objectives that are developed.
  • (Next click) The ability to meet these objectives will be influenced by the response capacity required and our actual capacity to respond.
  • (Next click) Actual response capacity will result in the emergency response operations undertaken.
  • (Next click) Following the response, performance will be evaluated.
  • Then, the cycle repeats itself again. Hazards, vulnerabilities, threats, risks, and response capacity will be re-visited, the plan and SOPs/SOGs will be revised, etc.

Response Process

Incident/situation description

Identify problems & causes

Develop response objectives

Assumptions

Prioritization of problems & objectives

Action Plans

Resource/asset requirements

Evaluations/assessments

After action review

*

A little more simplified, the response process can be described as follows:

  • There is an incident and/or a description of a particular situation.
  • Next, problems and their root causes will have to be identified and addressed in an efficient and effective manner.
  • In order to address identified problems, response objectives are developed.
  • Then, a set of assumptions (usually pre-determined in the emergency response plan) will influence what response actions are taken based on the response objectives. For example, if the assumption is that the release of a chemical into a local waterway may affect drinking water quality and aquatic wildlife, you will make certain decisions and initiate response actions based on that assumption.
  • Once problems are identified and response objectives developed, they must be prioritized. For example, is it more important to initiate aerial spraying for mosquito control or inspect retail restaurant establishments following a flood?
  • The decisions made and response actions taken will be affected by the amount of resource and assets on-hand to address the problems.
  • Following the completion of response actions, they will be evaluated and/or assessed through an after-action review process.

What Is an Emergency?

Unforeseen combination of circumstances or resulting state requiring immediate action (Merriam-Webster)

Political term indicating need for assistance or relief (e.g., The governor declared a state of emergency after the flood)

“Emergency”… “major disaster”… “catastrophic event”… “Incident of National Significance” (Stafford Act & NRP)

Multitude of other definitions and descriptions!

*

What is an emergency? What constitutes an emergency? How does one define an emergency?

  • Webster’s dictionary defines an emergency as an “unforeseen combination of circumstances requiring immediate action…”

  • The term “emergency” is also a political term indicating the need for assistance or relief. For example, the governor of Iowa declared a state of emergency after the flood.

  • The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (aka The Stafford Act) and the National Response Plan include the terms “emergency,” “major disaster,” “catastrophic event,” and “Incident of National Significance.” All have different meanings and characteristics. For example, according to the NRP, you can have an “Incident of National Significance” without having a “catastrophic event,” but you cannot have a “catastrophic event” without having an “Incident of National Significance.”

  • And there are multitudes and multitudes of other definitions and descriptions of emergencies, disasters, and catastrophes in literature and on the Web.
  • Describe some characteristics of an emergency, disaster, or catastrophe

  • Size/scope?

  • Response capacity?

  • Impact?

  • Unexpected?

  • Perception?

  • Political?

  • Other?

Describe an Emergency

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IMAGE: Robert A. Eplett/OES CA

So, instead of trying to define what constitutes an emergency, disaster, or catastrophe... it may be better to think of certain characteristics associated with each event.

  • Size or scope? How far-reaching is the event?
  • Response capacity? (we will talk more about this later in the module)
  • Impact?
  • Is it unexpected? Not all emergencies, disasters, or catastrophes are unexpected. (e.g., a category 5 hurricane striking Tampa, FL)
  • Perception? What may be an emergency to one person may not necessarily be an emergency to another. For example, in the photo on the right side with the car pile-up… Is this an emergency? What if I own a wrecker service? This is an major money-making opportunity!
  • Are there political considerations? If your house and The White House is on fire, which one is considered an “emergency?”
  • (Ask the audience) Are there any other characteristics you can think of associated with emergencies, disasters, and catastrophes? Open the floor for a brief discussion.

There should be varying opinions and no right or wrong answers among the audience. Opinions and comments will vary according to individual perspectives.

Emergency, Disaster, or Catastrophe?

*

IMAGE: Robert A. Eplett/OES CA

San Joaquin Home on Robert’s Island. 1996 – 1997 storm floods.

Ask the audience if the image above constitutes an emergency, disaster, or catastrophe. Open the floor for a very brief discussion (no more than about one minute.) Ask them why they feel a certain way.

Again, there should be varying opinions and no right or wrong answers among the audience. Opinions and comments will vary according to individual perspectives.

Emergency, Disaster, or Catastrophe?

*

IMAGE: Robert A. Eplett/OES CA

California wildfire

Ask the audience if they think there are any Environmental Health issues associated with this image!

Ask the audience if the image above constitutes an emergency, disaster, or catastrophe. Open the floor for a very brief discussion (no more than about one minute.) Ask them why they feel a certain way.

Again, there should be varying opinions and no right or wrong answers among the audience. Opinions and comments will vary according to individual perspectives.

Problem Statement

Important part of the response process

Should be created using available information

Information may not be perfect or complete

Represents a problem within the mission of the response team

May not be specific or quantified

Should always be clear, brief, focused, and agreed on by the response team

*

  • Developing a problem statement is an extremely important part of the response process.
  • When developing problem statements, you should use whatever information you have available at the time.
  • Remember… during an emergency or incident… information will almost always never be complete or perfect. Regardless, you have to work with the information you have at the time.
  • The problem statement represents a problem within the mission of the response team. In other words… keep the problem statement focused on the mission and purpose of your team.
  • At first, and based on available information at the time, a problem statement many not be very specific or quantifiable. Again, do the best you can with the information you have available.
  • Problem statements should ALWAYS be clear, brief, focused, and agreed upon by the response team. A problem statement with more than one or two sentences is too long. A vague problem statement is not acceptable. If there are conflicting opinions on your team on whether or not a specific issue or problem should be addressed, revisit that problem or issue.
  • And ironically, problem statements are not captured on the ICS Form 202 (response objectives and tasks form), even though response objectives are. We will be discussing this form along with the Incident Action Plan (IAP) later in the module.

Response Objectives

Important part of the response process

Address identified/defined problems

May be multiple objectives for a single problem

Should be “SMART”

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Realistic

Time-framed

*

  • The development of response objectives are also an important part of the response process.
  • Response objectives address problems that have been identified and defined following an incident or situation.
  • Several objectives may be needed to address a single problem.
  • “Good” response objective MUST be specific, measurable, realistic, and time-framed. Please remember these characteristics of “good” response objectives. We’ll be coming back to them in a few minutes.

Response Objectives

Do not define

How objectives will be achieved

Why the action/activity will occur

Appropriateness of action/activity

May require modification: be flexible!

Without them, activities are conducted without a purpose or end and without means of assessment

Captured on ICS Form 202

*

  • Response objectives do not indicate:
  • How they will be achieved. Usually, an Incident Commander (IC) does not want to know how you’re doing to achieve something, but that you’re going to achieve it.
  • Why the response action or activity will occur. Again, the IC doesn’t care about this.
  • Appropriateness of the action or activity being undertaken.
  • Please be aware that response objectives may (and probably will) change over time! So, be flexible! Sometimes, the objectives can change with the incident or situation before you even initiate your actions to meet them! Remember… emergency response is an extremely dynamic process! Semper Gumby!
  • If you don’t have response objectives, then you’re just running around “doing stuff” during the response. Your response actions have no purpose and there is no way to evaluate or measure how successful you are with your actions and activities.
  • Response objectives ARE captured on the ICS Form 202 (although problem statements are not).

Sample Response Objective

“Test water supplies after disaster”

  • Is this a good response objective?
  • Is it specific? Measurable? Realistic? Time-framed?
  • What is needed to achieve this objective?
  • When do you evaluate/assess?
  • What are you going to measure?

*

  • Show this slide to the audience and ask them if they think this is a good objective.

  • Is it specific, measurable, realistic, and time-framed?

  • What types of resources are needed to achieve this objective?

  • When and how will you evaluate, assess, or measure this objective?

  • It should become readily apparent that this is not a well-written response objective.

Sample Response Objective

Better objective:

“Perform total and fecal coliform testing on 3 municipal water systems in County, and present results to County EOC at 0900”

*

After clicking the slide advancer, a more detailed objective will appear at the bottom of the screen.

  • Ask the audience if they think the revised objective is better than the original.

  • Is it specific, measurable, realistic, and time-framed?

  • You should have a better idea of what resources and assets are needed to achieve this objective.

  • You should also have some idea of how to measure, evaluate, or assess this objective.

  • It should become readily apparent that this is a much better-written response objective.
  • Develop response objectives from a problem statement
  • Problem should be environmental health and/or public health in nature

Exercise

*

Now it’s time for a group activity!

  • Assign participants to specific groups (usually they are already in groups at their tables.)

  • Tell them that you will show them an image in a few minutes and they have to identify and define at least one problem and develop response objectives to address that problem(s).

  • Encourage them to identify problems that may be related to Environmental Heath or Public Health in general. They don’t have to limit themselves to these specific areas, however.

  • Let them know that the activity will be timed… so, speed will be important!
  • Develop at least one problem statement
  • Develop response objectives
  • 10 minutes

Exercise Scenario

*

IMAGE: Robert A. Eplett/OES CA

Okay… here’s the image. Remind them to develop at least one problem statement and response objectives based on the image shown here.

You have about 10 minutes to do this.

***You will probably get a lot of questions from the audience asking where this is, what is in the container, is there any wildlife nearby, time/season of year, etc. You shouldn’t give them answers to all these questions, unless they really need to know a critical piece of information. The entire purpose of the activity is for them to just take whatever information (limited and imperfect) they have at this given point in time and try their best to identify potential problems and develop response objectives. Audience answers will be varied and there really aren’t any wrong or right answers.***

***The one thing to look for is whether or not audience members are actually identifying potential problems or if they are just simply providing a description of the incident or situation. If a problem statement indicates that there is “yellow stuff in the water,” then this is not a “good” problem statement. This is just merely a description of what you see in the image.***

They are really going to have to think in this activity!

Exercise (cont.)

Remember!

Problem statements should be

Clear, Brief, Focused

Agreed on by the team

Response objectives should be

Specific

Measurable

Realistic

Time-framed

*

Before showing the audience the image, show them this slide and remind them that “good” problem statements must be:

  • Clear
  • Brief
  • Focused, and
  • Agreed upon by the team

They should also remember that “good” response objectives must be:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Realistic, and
  • Time-framed

Is everybody ready? Are there any questions before we begin? Go ahead and click for the next slide.

Residents’ Immediate Priorities

  • Family/safety/security
  • Shelter
  • Drinking water
  • Food
  • Utilities
  • Ice

IMAGE: unknown

The priorities of residents in your community will be reflective of your own priorities for your family’s well being and concern about the loss of property and possessions, some of which cannot be replaced.

What do you think are the most important priorities of a private citizen/homeowner before, during, and after the event?

Safety of family (protection of property and family after the storm too!)

Hope my home stays in one piece

If it does, I hope there are no roof leaks or damage

No windows broken or doors compromised

No flooding of my home or property: can I drive somewhere if I need to?

No electrical shortages or fires!

No power outage…at least not too long!

No loss of water service because of broken water mains or damaged or destroyed water treatment plants (or if on a well and lose power or the well becomes flooded)

Will I be able to get money?

There are many competing priorities depending on your area of responsibility, but our first priority must be the care of the affected population to ensure safe food, safe water, and safe shelter.

We have to address these needs first

What Is the Role of EH in Disasters?

Response operations

Identifying EH problems, issues, & concerns

Developing response objectives

Ensuring continuity of essential services

EH guidance, information, & resources to response partners and the general public

Providing mutual aid

Community recovery

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In actual emergency response operations during an incident, Environmental Health practitioners:

  • May conduct Environmental Health needs assessments
  • Will be expected to identify specific Environmental Health problems, issues, and concerns
  • and will develop response objectives to address identified problems, issues, and concerns. These objectives will become part of the IAP.
  • will play a key role in ensuring that essential services, such as the proper functioning and operations of wastewater system, municipal water system, etc., continue to function following an incident.
  • may provide technical assistance, consultation, and support to other ESFs, functions, and disciplines. Environmental Health may work closely with Public Works, other health and medical professionals, and other response partners.
  • may provide mutual aid through EMAC and other mutual-aid agreements for emergency response surge capacity. This aid may be rendered in neighboring communities or across state lines.
  • And finally, Environmental Health will provide guidance, information, and resources on specific Environmental Health topics to response partners and the general public during an incident.
  • So, as one can readily see, there are lots of roles and responsibilities for Environmental Health in emergency preparedness and response!

Mutual-Aid
Agreements

Local

Intrastate

Regional

Interstate mutual-aid agreements

Other (e.g., cross-border, international)

*

Although we’ve focused primarily on EMAC up to this point, please remember that there are other larger-scale mutual-aid agreements that might have applicability to Environmental Health emergency response. Here are some examples:

  • The Mid-America Alliance – Mutual Assistance for Public Health Preparedness. This is an agreement between 10 states in the Midwest. You can find more information about this agreement at www.unmc.edu/dept/midamerica
  • The Great Lakes Border Health Initiative. Another mutual-aid arrangement between 4 states that surround the Great Lakes and Ontario, Canada. This is actually an international, cross-border arrangement. You can find more information about the Great Lakes Border Health Initiative at www.michigan.gov/borderhealth
  • Pacific Northwest Emergency Management Arrangement (PNEMA). This is another mutual-aid agreement that has been Congressionally ratified. It is also an international, cross-border agreement. It includes 4 states in the Northwest part of the United States, British Columbia, and the Yukon. There is not an actual Web site dedicated to this agreement, but if you conduct an Internet search for it, you can find the actual agreement itself.

Resource Typing

  • DHS/FEMA is leading Resource Typing Initiative at the national level

  • National Integration Center (NIC) Incident Management Systems Division

  • States also engaged in resource typing

  • EH is a Tier 1 Resource Typing Definition under Medical and Public Health Teams
  • All environmental health practitioners need to be aware of resource typing.
  • This effort is being led at the national level by the DHS/FEMA National Integration Center (NIC) Incident Management Systems Division.
  • Resource typing is the categorization and description of response resources that are commonly exchanged in disasters through mutual aid agreements.
  • It involves the categorization, by capability, the resources requested, deployed, and used in incidents.
  • Measurable standards identifying resource capabilities and performance levels serve as the basis for categories.
  • Resource users at all levels use these standards to identify and inventory resources.
  • Resource kinds may be divided into subcategories to define more precisely the capabilities needed to meet specific requirements.
  • Currently, there are over 120 resource typing definitions. This list will continue to grow.
  • Several states are heavily engaged in resource typing. Examples include FL, IA, KY, LA, CA, and others.
  • Please be aware that environmental health is a Tier 1 resource typing definition under Medical and Public Health Teams. Basically, this means that environmental health is considered a resource typing priority... Which is a good thing!

Credentialing

  • Process entails objective evaluation of:
  • Certification, license, or degree
  • Training and experience
  • Competence or proficiency to meet nationally accepted standards, provide particular services and/or functions, or perform specific tasks under specific conditions during an incident
  • For NIMS, process for validating personnel qualifications and providing authorization to perform specific functions & to have access to an incident involving mutual aid.
  • All environmental health practitioners need to be aware of the credentialing initiative being led by DHS/FEMA.

  • The credentialing process entails the objective evaluation and documentation of an individual’s current
  • certification, license, or degree;
  • training and experience;
  • and competence or proficiency to meet nationally accepted standards, provide particular services and/or functions, or perform specific tasks under specific conditions during an incident.

  • For the purpose of NIMS, credentialing is the administrative process for validating personnel qualifications and providing authorization to perform specific functions and to have specific access to an incident involving mutual aid.

EH Response Teams

  • Several states already have or are developing teams

  • Based on NIMS resource typing & credentialing

FL Region 5 EH Strike Team

CO Monitoring – Iowa Floods ‘08

  • Touch briefly on environmental health response teams.
  • This is a “hot” and upcoming issue in environmental health emergency response.
  • Several states have either already developed or are currently developing environmental health emergency response teams.
  • Some states refer to them as “strike teams” (like in Florida); others call them Environmental Health Emergency Response Teams (EHERTs... Like in Iowa).
  • The two states that probably have the most advanced capability with these are Florida and Iowa.
  • Other states, like Louisiana, California, and Indiana are currently developing and expanding these teams.
  • You can see in the photos an example of a Florida Environmental Health Strike Team.
  • During the extensive flooding in Iowa during the fall of 2008, Florida deployed 2 Environmental Health Strike Teams to Iowa under an EMAC mission to assist with emergency response efforts.
  • The teams and the mission were very successful.
  • In the photo on the right side is a member of Florida’s Environmental Health Strike Team conducting carbon monoxide monitoring while on deployment to Iowa.

Environmental Health:
An Iowa–Louisiana Story

After Hurricane Katrina, 6 EHRT members sent from IA to LA

First state to send EH professionals to
LA via EMAC

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IMAGES: Fed Govt.

Now that we’ve talked very briefly about some of the salient characteristics and features of EMAC, here is a fairly recent example of how EMAC was used for Environmental Health emergency response assistance and support.

  • Following Hurricane Katrina, a 6-member Environmental Health Response Team (EHRT) was sent from Iowa to Louisiana in response to a request for assistance.
  • Iowa was the first state to send Environmental Health assistance to Louisiana through EMAC following Hurricane Katrina. The team was sent there just a few days after the storm made landfall.

Water-quality testing

Sewage

…and a whole lot more!

Shelters

What Did They Do?

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IMAGES: Fed. Govt.

So… what exactly did the Iowa EHRT do while in Louisiana?

  • The Iowa EHRT coordinated and worked with a number of different jurisdictions and agencies in an around the greater New Orleans area.
  • They performed many Environmental Health response functions, including:
  • Testing water in private and municipal systems
  • Addressing issues related to sewage
  • Inspection of retail and industrial food establishments
  • Inspection and assessment of evacuation shelters
  • Addressing issues related to vector control and pest management
  • Building assessments and inspections
  • Solid waste management and removal
  • and a whole lot more! If you can imagine an Environmental Health activity following a major hurricane… they did it!
  • The was one of the many EMAC success stories following Hurricane Katrina.

EMAC

Voluntary interstate mutual-aid compact

50 states, 3 territories (USVI, PR, & Guam), and DC have enacted EMAC

Administered & managed by NEMA

Mission: share resources during disasters

*

Ask the audience, “How many people have either heard of or are familiar with EMAC?”

  • EMAC is a voluntary interstate mutual-aid compact. Stress the word VOLUNTARY because according to the language of the compact, states are NOT REQUIRED to join EMAC or to ask for or provide assistance through EMAC.
  • It was ratified by Congress and signed into law in 1996. It is one of the very few Congressionally-ratified mutual-aid agreements.
  • It’s predecessor was the Southern Regional Emergency Management Assistance Compact (SREMAC), which was developed by the Southern Governor’s Association following Hurricane Andrew in Florida in 1992.
  • All 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia are all currently member of EMAC.
  • EMAC is administered and managed by the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA). The actual operational aspects of EMAC, however, which are carried out during an incident, is actually carried out by the state emergency management agencies.
  • The mission of EMAC is simple: To share resources during disasters. ANY type of resources and personnel can be shared through EMAC, including Environmental Health personnel, resources, and assets.

What EMAC Does

Provides a system and methodology for interstate mutual aid

Provides a legal framework for both requesting & assisting states

Legal issues addressed include

Worker’s compensation

Liability & immunity

Credentialing & licensure

Reimbursement

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Now, let’s talk about what EMAC does. EMAC:

  • Provides a system for facilitating interstate mutual-aid to precede and supplement federal assistance.
  • It provides a legal framework for both requesting and assisting states.
  • It addresses many legal issues that are usually “sticking points” in mutual-aid agreements. These include:
  • Worker’s compensation
  • Liability and immunity
  • EMAC provides protections for responders regarding liability and immunity issues during the response.
  • Credentialing and licensure
  • If you’re a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) in North Carolina and you deploy on an EMAC mission to California, your credentials and licensure are valid for emergency response under the articles of the compact. Credentials and licenses are honored across state lines under the compact.
  • And finally, reimbursement.
  • This is a very important issue with mutual-aid. Everyone want to get paid after the response is over.
  • EMAC contains strong language in terms of reimbursement.

“I declare a state of emergency”

EMAC National Coordinating Group (NCG)

Assistance from another state(s)

How Does EMAC Work?

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IMAGE 1: Robert A. Eplett/OES CA

IMAGE 2: FBI

So how does EMAC actually work? Here is an abbreviated version:

  • First, you have an incident. (This is a photo from the California wildfires in 2007)
  • Next, the governor of an affected state must issue a disaster declaration. In order for EMAC to be used, there has to be a gubernatorial disaster declaration. There does not have to be a disaster declaration issued by the President of the United States. Without the governor’s disaster declaration, EMAC is a moot point.
  • Then, a formal request for assistance is issued by the impacted state. This is done through the REQ-A process using a REQ-A form. In effect, the REQ-A form becomes a binding compact between two or more states for emergency response assistance and support. The documentation on the REQ-A form is important for the reimbursement process.
  • The request for assistance is sent to the EMAC National Coordinating Group (NCG) for broadcast to all member states. There is an electronic system established for issuing EMAC Broadcasts.
  • Finally, states that are able to assist the requesting state answer the request for assistance (broadcast) and send their personnel and resources. The fine details of this are worked out on the REQ-A form.
  • Please remember that this is just the process in a “nutshell” and it is a little more complicated than this.

Module Summary

In this module, the components of the Disaster Management system was discussed including how Environmental Health fits into the system. Concepts of NIMS, SEMS, ICS and the NRF were covered along with information on mutual aid systems.