BUNCOMBE COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN
ANNEX A
DIRECTION AND CONTROL
I.PURPOSE
This annex outlines the direction and control procedures for emergency operations and identifies the personnel, facilities and resources which will be utilized in the coordinated response activities.
II.SITUATION AND ASSUMPTIONS
A.Situation
1.Direction and control of normal day-to-day emergencies is performed by senior on-scene emergency response personnel (i.e. law enforcement, fire, rescue, EMS) in accordance with local ordinances, policies and procedures.
2.Many hazards exist within or near the County which have the potential to cause disasters of such magnitude as to warrant centralization of the direction and control (EOC) function in order to conduct effective and efficient emergency operations.
3.Municipalities within the county may exercise independent direction and control of their own emergency resources, outside resources assigned to the municipality by the CountyEOC, and resources secured through existing mutual aid agreements with other municipalities. Requests for state/federal government assistance will be directed to the CountyEOC (Emergency Management Director prior to activation).
4.Centralized countywide direction and control (EOC activation) is desirable when one or more of the following situations occur:
a.there exists an imminent threat to the public safety/health;
b.extensive multiagency/jurisdiction response and coordination are necessary to resolve or recover from the emergency situation;
c.local resources are inadequate/depleted and significant mutual aid, state and/or federal resources must be utilized to resolve the emergency situation;
d.the disaster affects multiple political jurisdictions within the county which are relying on the same emergency resources to resolve the emergency situation;
e.local emergency ordinances are implemented to control the emergency situation.
5.The County Emergency Operating Center serves as the central direction and control point for countywide emergency response activities.
6.The primary County Emergency Operating Center (EOC) is located at 164 Erwin Hills Road.
7.In the event the primary EOC is inoperable, an alternate EOC may be established at the Asheville Police Department, or other locations.
B.Assumptions
1.The designated EOC will be activated upon the threat or occurrence of a major emergency/disaster and designated personnel will report to the EOC in a timely fashion.
2.The County EOC facility and equipment is adequate for coordinating countywide emergency operations.
3.Sufficient procedures have been developed to effectively direct and control disaster operations/recovery.
4.Emergency operations and coordination at all levels of government will be carried out according to plans and procedures.
III.CONCEPT OF OPERATION
A.General
1.Emergency operations shall include all activities which are directed toward reduction of the immediate hazard, establishing situation control and restoration of normal operations within the county.
2.The Emergency Management Director will activate, organize and operate the EOC in a flexible manner based on the magnitude of the situation.
3.The organizational structure of the EOC will be arranged according to the type of incident, agencies and/or jurisdictions involved, objectives and strategies selected to resolve the situation and the demands of the emergency. Municipalities will provide representation in the CountyEOC for interjurisdictional coordination when the event severely affects the jurisdiction or as requested.
4.The Chairman of the Board of Commissioners will be notified by the EOC telecommunicators when EOC activation is warranted to direct and control emergency operations.
5.The EOC will be managed in accordance with the County EOC Standard Operating Procedures.
6.On-scene activities of emergency response personnel will be managed utilizing the National Interagency Incident Management System - Incident Command System (NIIMS-ICS).
B.Staffing
Personnel assigned to the EOC will operate in one of five functional sections as assigned by the EM Director:
1.The Command Group, under the direction of the Chairman of County Commissioners (or designee), consists of the elected officials, jurisdictional management and liaison officials, Jurisdictional Safety Officer jurisdictional Public Information Officer (PIO). The Command Group will work under the Incident Command System when the EOC is activated during a major emergency or disaster. The Command Group is responsible forthe approval of policies and strategies pertinent to the emergency/disaster situation.
a)The EM Director (or designee) will determine by each major emergency or disaster on what scale (if any) the EOC should be opened and the size of staffing required. The EM Director shall notify the Chairman of County Commissioners and the County Manager that the EOC has been opened.
b)The EM Director (or designee) shall be the EOC Commander when the EOC is activated during a major emergency or disaster. The EOC Commander shall direct the Command Staff and General Staff during a major emergency or disaster.
2.The Operations Group, under the direction of the EOC Commander, may be established during a major emergency or disaster:
a)Operations Section Chief (OSC) supervises the Operations Section and is responsible for the management of all operations directly applicable to the primary emergency or disaster. The OSC activates and supervises organizational elements in accordance with the Incident Action Plan (IAP) and directs its execution. The OSC also directs the preparation of unit operational plans, requests or releases resources, makes expedient changes to the IAP as necessary; and reports such to the EOC Commander. The OSC reports major emergency or disaster information about special activities, events, and occurrences to the EOC Commander. The OSC also conducts briefings to the EOC Commander and Staff to assure coordination of emergency or disaster operations for each operation period. The OSC maintains Unit Activity Log/ICS Form 214.
b)The Operations Group consists of representatives of the agencies conducting emergency operations (law enforcement, fire, rescue, EMS, others as appropriate) and is responsible for the direct supervision of operations including the allocation of resources necessary to implement the approved strategies and policies.
3.The Planning Group, under the direction of the EOC Commander, may be established in a major emergency or disaster:
a)The Planning Section Chief is responsible for the collection, evaluation, display and disseminationof information regarding the incident and status of resources. The PSC is responsible for developing the IAP and for maintaining Unit/Activity Log - ICS Form 214. Information is needed to:
- Understand the current situation,
- Predict probable course of emergency or disaster events,
- Prepare alternative strategies and
control operations for the emergency or disaster,
- Anticipate resource requirements,
- Also conduct briefings to the EOC
Commander and Staff to assure
coordination of major emergency or
disaster plans for each operation period
b)The Planning Group, consists of advisors pertinent to the type of major emergency of disaster and is responsible for the following tasks:
- Collect, evaluate, display and disseminate information regarding the incident and status of resources,
- Maintain a journal, post data and maintain status boards,
- Analyze the predictable probable course of incident events,
- Develop strategies (action plans) and alternatives to control operations for the incident,
- Anticipate resource requirements.
4.The Logistics Group, under the direction of the EOC Commander, may be established during a major emergency or disaster:
a)The Logistics Section Chief (LSC) is responsible for providing facilities, services, and material in support of the major emergency or disaster. The LSC participates in development and implementation of the IAP and activates and supervises the Logistics Section. Also briefs EOC Commander and Staff to assure coordination of emergency or disaster logistics for each operation period. The LSC maintains Unit/Activity Log - ICS Form 214.
b)The Logistics Group consists of representatives of emergency support agencies (i.e. Support Branch Director, Service Branch Director, etc) and is established to coordinate the acquisition of supplies, equipment and other resources (public and private) necessary and approved to resolve/recover from the major emergency of disaster situation.
5.The Finance Group may be established during a major emergency or disaster:
a)The Finance Section Chief (FSC) is responsible for all financial administrative and cost analysis aspects of the major emergency or disaster and for supervising members of the Finance Group.
b)The Finance Group compiles and maintains documentation of purchases, acquisitions, and utilization of emergency supplies, equipment and other services.
c)The Finance Group compiles and maintains personnel and equipment time records.
d)The Finance Group compiles and maintains compensation and claims records.
e)The Finance Group compiles and maintains expenditure reports (personnel and equipment time records, purchases, claims, etc) in accordance with current FEMA regulations to facilitate cost recovery in a declared event.
IV.ORGANIZATION AND ASSIGNMENTS OF RESPONSIBILITIES
A.Organization
1.The onset of an emergency adds to the normal day-to-day role of existing agencies and organizations within the county in order to protect the population and property. Where possible, the emergency responsibilities in this plan have been assigned similar to the day-to-day responsibilities of the agencies/organizations. See APPENDIX 1, DIRECTION AND CONTROL ORGANIZATION.
2.Through the CountyOffice of Emergency Management, the CountyBoard of Commissioners exercises its emergency responsibilities during emergencies and disasters to provide for the health and safety of the public.
3.The Emergency Management Director is appointed in accordance with county personnel policy to manage the county emergency management program.
4.When activated, the EOC serves as a central, coordinating point for obtaining, analyzing, reporting and retaining disaster related information.
5.The first arriving emergency official with two-way communications capability will establish the initial Incident Command System (ICS), and will serve as the Incident Commander until relieved by appropriate senior personnel.
6.For long-term emergency/disaster situations, the "Incident Commander" will be designated by the on-scene senior officials of the emergency response agencies, or by the CountyEOC (when activated) based on the type, nature, or location of the incident.
7.In situations where the disaster effects are widespread (many incident sites), the EOC may select to establish the county fire districts or any other distinguishable boundaries as the "incident site" in order to achieve a manageable span of control. Reference APPENDIX 2, DIRECTION AND CONTROL INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM.
8.A single "Command Post" will be established near the scene of each emergency/disaster situation by the Incident Commander. Senior officials of the emergency agencies involved in the emergency response will report to this facility to afford optimum coordination. This facility will serve as the central command and control point for all on-scene resources, and will disseminate pertinent situation information and resource requests to the CountyEOC.
B.Responsibilities
1.Chairman, Board of County Commissioners/Municipal Mayors
a.Perform direction, control, coordination, and policy-making functions as necessary to provide for optimum protection of public health and safety within the jurisdiction.
b.Issue and distribute as appropriate, a local proclamation declaring a State of Emergency or terminating the State of Emergency.
2.County/City Managers
a.Ensure agencies update their annexes to the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and develop internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as necessary.
b.Ensure regular drills and exercises are conducted to test the functions of the EOP.
c.Implement direction, control, coordination, and policy-making functions as necessary to provide for optimum protection of public health and safety within the jurisdiction, including management of the EmergencyOperatingCenter.
d.Implement emergency policies/ordinances as appropriate on behalf of the governing body.
3.Emergency Management Director
a.Coordinate the development and update of the Emergency Operations Plan.
b.Develop and maintain a functional EOC. Select and equip an alternate EOC and/or mobile communications unit.
c.Ensure that a system is developed and implemented to manage information (including internal messages) pertaining to the emergency situation and disseminate it to other levels of government, the public and private sector.
d.Acquire maps, status boards and other display devices for the EOC which identify high hazard areas and pre-selected control/monitoring points.
e.Ensure that an events log (casualty and health concerns, property damage, fire status, size of risk area, scope of hazard, number of evacuees, radiation dose, etc.) is compiled and displayed in the EOC throughout the duration of the emergency.
f.Provide for acquisition/stocking of food, water supplies, and other equipment necessary for the effective operation of the EOC/staff.
g.Provide for acquisition/stocking of EOC administrative supplies and equipment.
h.Identify personnel/agencies having resources to support EOC operations.
i.Develop a schedule for testing, maintaining and repairing EOC and other emergency equipment.
j.Develop and maintain the EOC Standard Operating Procedure including an activation checklist and notification/recall roster.
k.Arrange for training and exercising of EOC staff.
l.Alert staff and activate EOC (for 24-hour coverage if necessary) when notified of potential/emergency situations.
m.Ensure that EOC Staff acknowledge and authenticate reports.
n.Ensure staff and officials briefings are conducted periodically during the emergency.
o.Establish and maintain coordination with other jurisdictional EOCs as appropriate.
p.Provide for adequate coordination of recovery activities among private, state, and federal agencies/organizations.
q.After EOC deactivation, ensure equipment is restored to a "ready" condition and EOC supplies are replenished.
4.Agency/Jurisdiction EOC Representatives
a.Report to the EOC and ensure continuous representation throughout activation.
b.Provide support personnel and services to the EOC as appropriate/necessary.
c.Ensure all information related to the emergency/disaster situation is coordinated with other response agencies/organizations.
d.Ensure agency staff are secured to provide for 24-hour operation.
5.Communications Supervisors
a.Ensure off-duty/volunteer communications staff can be recalled on short notice to supplement on-duty personnel.
b.Ensure information pertinent to the emergency/disaster situation is provided to the EOC via hard copy.
c.Develop and maintain an inventory of radio frequencies, communications equipment, call signs, etc. of other EOCs and communications resources to supplement local resources.
d.Develop and maintain equipment, methods and procedures for communications between the EOC and on-scene emergency resources.
e.Establish procedures to control twoway radio communications between the EOC and other forces, such as hospitals, ambulance dispatch points and amateur communications networks.
6.Sheriff
In addition to functions/duties assigned in the Basic Plan:
a.Provide for adequate EOC security.
b.Provide backup communications for EOC through mobile units.
c.Provide transportation for EOC personnel under emergency conditions, as warranted/necessary.
7.Incident Commander (IC)
a.Obtain incident briefing from prior incident commander.
b.Assess incident situation.
c.Conduct initial briefing.
d.Activate elements of the incident command system.
e.Brief command staff and section chiefs.
f.Insure planning meetings are conducted.
g.Approve and authorize implementation of incident action plan.
h.Determine information needs and inform command personnel of needs.
i.Coordinate staff activity.
j.Manage on-site incident operations.
k.Approve requests for additional resources and requests for release of resources.
l.Approve the use of trainees on the incident.
m.Authorize release of information to the news media.
n.Insure periodic status reports are completed and forwarded to the EOC.
o.Approve plan for demobilization.
V.DIRECTION AND CONTROL
A.The responsibility for the direction and control of disaster situations is vested in the County Board of Commissioners and is routinely exercised through the appointed Emergency Management Director.
B.The EOC is the operational area from which emergency response activities are directed, controlled and coordinated and utilizes the facilities of the County Communications Center.
C.The mechanics of the EOC operation are contained in the EOC Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
VI.CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT
A.Staffing assignments for positions in the EOC will allow for continuous 24-hour operations. Staffing of the EOC will be determined by the EM Director (or designee). Selection and assignment of personnel will be the responsibility of each involved agency.
B.In the event that the primary EOC is not functional, the alternate EOC will be activated.
VII.ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS
A. Facilities to be used as an EOC are provided by
BuncombeCounty. This includes furnishings, equipment and communications necessary for the operations staff. Expendable supplies and displays will be provided through the Emergency Management office.
B.The mechanics of activating, arranging and internal functioning of the EOC are contained in the EOC SOP.
VIII.PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE
A.The EOC SOP will address staffing, activation, internal functions and administrative and logistical support.
B.Operational plans and procedures will be developed by service chiefs and department heads to support both this plan and the activities of their department personnel in the EOC.
C.Periodic review and amendment of this plan will be identified in the plan by signature and change of the approval date of the plan. This action will be accomplished at least annually.
IX.AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES
A.North Carolina Emergency Management Act of 1977 as amended, NC G.S. 166A1, et. seq.
B.BuncombeCounty Emergency Management Ordinance.
X.Approval
This annex is approved by the undersigned:
Submitted:
______
Emergency Management Director Date
Approved:
______
County Manager Date
ANNEX A
APPENDIX 1
DIRECTION AND CONTROL
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE