Council Policy

COUNCIL POLICY

Emergency Management / Document No: / CPL275.2
Approval Date: / 13 December 2016
Approved By: / Council
Review Date: / 25 June 2019
Responsible Officer:
General Manager City Services / Version No: / 05
Authorising Officer: / Chief Executive Officer

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PURPOSE

The purpose of this Policy is to outline Council’s responsibilities and the management program for providing emergency management services in the City of Greater Geelong region.

SCOPE

This policy applies to all Council employees involved in emergency situations, particularly those who respond to and/or assist the community in recovering from emergencies that occur in the Geelong Region or within other municipalities where requested.

REFERENCES

· Emergency Management Act, 1986

· Local Government Act, 1989

· Emergency Management Manual Victoria (EMMV)

· Municipal Emergency Management Plan (MEMPlan)

· Geelong Heatwave Management Plan

DEFINITIONS

· AHES – After Hours Emergency Service

· CEO – Chief Executive Officer, City of Greater Geelong

· MEM – Municipal Emergency Manager (i.e. General Manager, City Services)

· MRM – Municipal Response Manager

· MEMPlan – Municipal Emergency Management Plan

· MERC – (Police) Municipal Emergency Response Coordinator

· MERO – Municipal Emergency Resource Officer

· RERC – Regional Emergency Response Coordinator

COUNCIL POLICY

Council is committed to providing the following emergency services:

· An effective and efficient After Hours Emergency Service (AHES) to respond to emergencies within its normal service delivery areas 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

· Provision of timely and co-ordinated response and recovery activities with its resources to assist in community emergencies as defined in the Municipal Emergency Management Plan (MEMPlan) for the City of Greater Geelong and the Emergency Management Manual Victoria.

The Chief Executive Officer and Municipal Emergency Manager (MEM), or in their absence, their delegates (as per the Instrument of Appointment and Authorisation) are authorised by Council to expend funds on the utilisation of urgently needed resources, with the Chief Executive Officer, Municipal Emergency Manager (MEM), Mayor and Councillors being advised of such allocation of resources as soon as practicable after the event.

Council will, where practicable, assist adjoining Councils in responding to or recovering from an emergency event by providing resources with the authorisation of the CEO or MEM, when requested by that Council through the Municipal or Regional Emergency Response Co-ordinator (designated officers of Victoria Police) to Council’s Municipal Emergency Resource Officer and/or Municipal Recovery Manager.

As Council resources are limited, they must be applied for the greatest community need which may limit the assistance that can be given to individuals, such as sandbagging individual properties, relocation or elevation of household goods prior to a flood event etc. Therefore residents are expected to take personal responsibility.

Council will pursue reimbursement of costs associated with significant resource allocation (personnel and equipment) for community emergencies, where considered appropriate by the Municipal Emergency Manager or Chief Executive Officer and in accordance with the Natural Disaster Financial Arrangements (NDFA).

QUALITY RECORDS

Quality Records shall be retained for at least the period shown below.

Record / Retention/Disposal Responsibility / Retention Period / Location
Municipal Emergency Management Plan / Corporate Records / Permanent / City Services
Emergency response records / Corporate Records / 7 years / Corporate Records
Level 3 or 4 Event Reports / Corporate Records / 7 years / City Services

ATTACHMENTS

Level of Response Tables x 2 No.

Municipal Emergency Management Planning

Levels of Response for Municipal Operations Table One – General Guide Excluding FLOODING

(Updated June 2016)

Incident Level / Incident Classification / Incident Criteria (examples only) / CoGG
Incident Manager / Operations Centre Status / Notification
Level Zero /

‘Typical’ AHES Response Operation

/ · Typical call volume being received from the After Hours Emergency Service (AHES) Carrier
· All calls being handled by Duty Officer
· Field crews being activated as required / Rostered Duty Officer / Not Active / None

Level One

AHES Response Operation

· Maximum 5 field (2-person) crews deployed or 3 arboriculture crews
· Longer term operation from 4-8 hours.
· After Hours carrier monitors all calls and maintains contact with Duty Officer via pager / iPhone
· Increasing number of requests arriving via After Hours Carrier. / · Calls arriving from AHES Carrier eg:
· Traffic accidents
· Isolated fallen trees/branches
· Missing/broken/dislodged pit lids. Routine issues that cannot wait to next working day.
· Debris blocking roadways
· Strong Gale / Storm warnings in effect – wind speeds 75 – 102Kph
· Regular requests for assistance being received via AHES Carrier
· Bush / Grass fire – CFA requesting assistance (one of two plant items req’d) /

Rostered Duty Officer with Backup Duty Officer assisting in the field.

Some prioritisation of jobs required by Duty Officer

Notes:
Duty Officer monitors dedicated email account and logs info on each job received:
· Job details
· Deployment of plant/crews /

Staffed by Ops Duty Officer, however, as the number / frequency of calls being received/increases, the Duty Officer may decide to call in admin support staff

/ · Contact Coordinator Maintenance and advise on situation when pager call volume prevents acknowledgments being carried out in a timely manner.
· Contact Coordinator Emergency Management when there is property damage and resident(s) require relocation / evacuation. OR where an agency/emergency service is requesting plant/personnel
Note: if Police request a small amount of traffic control that’s OK, if its more extensive, contact Coordinator Emergency Management
Level Two /

Escalating Response Operation

· As per Level 1 operation plus
· Large allocation of plant and staff in field, possibly involving a zone or municipal wide operation.
· 8+ hour operation. / · Bush / Grass Fire, CFA requesting additional resource support (more extensive support requested than Level 1 and over an extended period of time).
· Other councils/agencies requesting assistance (ie resources)
· Violent Storm warnings in effect – wind speeds 103 - 117Kph.
· Rostering of staff required
· Multiple job boards being used to track jobs / Level Two Incident Management Team (IMT) in place, viz:
· CoGG Incident Manager /Coordinator Maintenance
· Maintenance Officers/Supervisors (as req’d) / Council MEOC’s Activated and manned by Level 2 Event Management Team (EMT) / · Coordinator Emergency Management on all requests from Emergency Services and/or VicPol.
· Key supervisory staff activated & additional admin staff activated.
· If necessary, MERO to notify Municipal Recovery Manager
· At appropriate time MERO to notify MEM & relevant Divisional Managers
Level Three /

Emergency – ‘MEMPlan’ Operation

· As per Level 2 operation plus
· Municipal Emergency Management Plan ‘activated’.
· Extensive allocation of plant and staff in the field.
· Multi Agency Operation, eg 2006 Anakie Wildfire
· Control Agency ICC activated / Incident involving:
· Major asset damage or threat to same
· Evacuations
· Activation of an Emergency Relief Centre
· Activation of Control Agency Incident Control Centre (ICC) and MECC (if req’d)
· iEMT activated and MERO activated by VicPol / Level Three Incident Management Team in place viz:
· CoGG Incident Manager/MERO (or Delegate)
· Deputy MEROs
· Other staff as per Level two / Council MEOCs Activated and fully manned by Level 3 Event Management Team (EMT)
MECC activated if MERO and Police MERC request same / · As per Level 2 plus
· Stores personnel activated.
· MEM to advise CEO/Mayor, Manager Marketing & Communications, relevant councillor(s)

For Level Two Operation: Coordinator Maintenance to advise Coordinator Emergency Management/MERO of all requests from Emergency Services BEFORE actioning request

Municipal Emergency Management Planning

Levels of Response for Municipal Operations Table Two – General Guide FLOODING

(Updated June 2016)

Incident Level / Incident Classification / Incident Criteria (examples only) / CoGG
Incident Manager / Operations Centre Status / Notification

Level Zero

‘Typical’ AHES Response Operation

/ · Typical call volume being received from the After Hours Emergency Service (AHES) Carrier
· All calls being handled by Duty Officer
· Field crews being activated as required / Rostered Duty Officer / Not Active / None

Level One

AHES Response Operation

· Maximum 5 field (2-person) crews deployed or 3 arboriculture crews
· Longer term operation from 4-8 hours.
· After Hours carrier monitors all calls and maintains contact with Duty Officer via pager / iPhone
§ Increasing number of requests arriving via AHES Carrier. / § Drainage related calls arriving via AHES Carrier.
§ Minor and isolated flooding of roads, etc.
§ Flooding of Barrabool Road (2.1m)
Minor flooding of the Barwon (2.3m) & Moderate flooding of the Moorabool river (4.00m)
Flash Flood/ Severe Storm warnings in effect.
§ Moderate flooding (3.1m) of Barwon River with predictions below 3.1m at McIntyre Bridge
§ Waurn Ponds Creek in flood.
§ Other Agencies seeking assistance (plant & labour – one or two plant items requested) /

Rostered Duty Officer with Backup Duty Officer assisting in the field.

Some prioritisation of jobs required by Duty Officer

Notes:
Duty Officer monitors dedicated email account and logs info on each job received:
· Job details
· Deployment of plant/crews /

Staffed by Ops Duty Officer, however, as the number / frequency of calls being received/increases, the Duty Officer may decide to call in admin support staff

/ · Contact Coordinator Maintenance and advise on situation when pager call volume prevents acknowledgments being carried out in a timely manner.
· Contact Coordinator Emergency Management when there is property damage and resident(s) require relocation / evacuation. OR where an agency/emergency service is requesting plant /personnel
Note: if Police request a small amount of traffic control that’s OK, if its more extensive, contact Coordinator Emergency Management
Level Two /

Escalating Response Operation

· As per Level 1 operation plus
· Large allocation of plant and staff in field, possibly involving a zone or municipal wide operation.
· 8+ hour operation. / § Sandbagging operations req’d
§ Flooding of Hovells Creek. (no pumping req’d but monitoring levees & some road closures req’d)
§ CoGG wide heavily, mostly stationary rain storm event over Geelong with rainfall radar showing dark pink & red intensity
§ Major flood of Moorabool River Batesford gauge board exceeding (4.9m)
§ Rostering of staff req’d
§ Other Agencies seeking greater assistance (labour & plant ) that exceeds Level 1 criteria / Level Two Incident Management Team (IMT) in place, viz:
· CoGG Incident Manager /Coordinator Maintenance
· Maintenance Officers/Supervisors (as req’d) / Council MEOC’s Activated and manned by Level 2 Event Management Team (EMT) / § Contact Coordinator Emergency Management/MERO on all requests from Emergency Services and /or VicPol
§ Key Supervisory & Admin Support Staff activated. (If needed)
§ If necessary, MERO to notify MRM
§ At appropriate time MERO to notify MEM & relevant Divisional Managers
Level Three /

Emergency – ‘MEMPlan’ Operation

· As per Level 2 operation plus
· Municipal Emergency Management Plan ‘activated’.
· Extensive allocation of plant and staff in the field.
§ Multi Agency Operation response, eg 1995 Flood Barwon River Flood, Major flood on Hovells Creek
§ Control Agency ICC activated / Incident involving:
· Critical and/or Community asset damage or threat to same
· Pumping req’d at Lara, extensive rainfall over Hovells Crk catchment, creek nearing crests of flood levee
· Evacuations
· Activation of an Emergency Relief Centre
· Activation of Incident Control Centre (ICC) and MECC (if req’d)
§ iEMT activated and MERO activated by VicPol / Level Three Incident Management Team in place viz:
· CoGG Incident Manager/MERO (or Delegate)
· Deputy MEROs
· Other staff as per Level two / Council MEOCs Activated and fully manned by Level 3 Event Management Team (EMT)
MECC activated if MERO and Police MERC request same / · As per Level 2 plus
· Stores personnel activated.
· MEM to advise CEO/Mayor, Manager Marketing & Communications, relevant councillor(s)

For Level Two Operation: Coordinator Maintenance to advise Coordinator Emergency Management/MERO of all requests from Emergency Services BEFORE actioning request.