# Presentation: 060797

## Managing Emergency Operations

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Module Objectives

- Describe the purpose and benefits of an Operations Centers (EOC).
- Explain the steps involved in developing a basic EOC capability.
- Demonstrate the ability to participate in an incident action planning process.

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Agenda

- 1330	Introductions
- 1345	(Emergency) Operations Centers
- 1415	Managing Information
- 1445	Incident Action Planning
- 1500	Break
- 1530	Small Group Exercise
- 1645	Evaluations

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Key Terms

- Incident Command Post (ICP)
- Department Operations Center (DOC)
- Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
- Regional Operations Center (ROC)
- Emergency Response Team (ERT)
- Disaster Field Office (DFO)

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## More Terms...

- State Coordinating Officer (SCO)
- Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO)
- Defense Coordinating Officer (DCO)
- Joint Information Center (JIC)
- Unified command
- Area command
- Multi-Agency Coordination System (MACS)

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## ICP - EOC - DOC

- An Incident Command Post (ICP) is a location at the scene of an emergency where interagency coordination and tactical decision-making occurs.
- An Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is a location remote from the scene where overall situation status, inter-agency coordination and resource management occurs.
- A Department Operations Center (DOC) is a location where a single agency or department coordinates its incident support activities.

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## State Response Levels

- Field Incident Command Post (ICP)
- Area Command
- Local Government EOC
- County EOC (Operational Area)
- Mutual Aid Region EOC
- State EOC
- Disaster Field Office

- SEMS

- Veterans Health Administration

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## ICP-Dispatch-DOC-EOC:Reporting Relationships

- SEMS

- Veterans Health Administration

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## Agency DOCs

- Local Gov’t / County EOC(s)

- State EOC(s)

- FEMA’s Regional EOC

- FEMA’s National EOC

- ICP

- Disaster Field Office

- ICP

- ICP

- Area Command

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## State

- EOC

- DFO
- Orlando

- ROC
- Atlanta

- Some ARFs given directly to FEMA LNO

**ARF**

- HHS Liaison validated some requests

- HHS
- SOC

- Coordination with other agencies/ OPDIVs as necessary

- SERT

- “Heads-up”

- “Heads-up”

- Requests cost estimate (CO)

- Requests
- cost estimate (CO)

**MA**

**MA**

**MA approved**

- (CO)

- “Heads-up”

- “Heads-up”

- ESF-8/
- ERT-A

**Information Flow**

- Holtermann

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

**Notes:**
No info flow back down change – ERT-A would get calls – is this an MA? Had no idea – had to track it down.

## Features Commonto All Levels

- Essential management functions
- Management by objectives
- Action planning
- Modular organization/flexibility
- Organizational unity and hierarchy of authority
- Span of control

- SEMS

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Features (con’t)

- Personnel accountability
- Common terminology
- Resources management
- Integrated communications

- SEMS

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Principles of Mutual Aid 

- Mutual aid is an agreement between organizations that they will assist each other in an emergency
- Resources are provided following a formal request
- Terms can be in-kind or reimbursement
- An organization providing personnel retains responsibility for their pay, insurance, etc. even though they under the operational control of the requestor

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## ICS-EOC InterfaceProblems

- Poor communications
- Inadequate training
- Lack of resources
- ??

- FEMA

- Veterans Health Administration

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## Most Emergencies

- 911 Communications Center takes caller(s).
- Jurisdictional public safety agencies are dispatched.
- First Officer on scene takes Command, establishes an Incident Command Post
- Agency resources are sufficient to handle the problems encountered.

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## More Problems Than Normal

- As the number of distinct incident sites and/or the resources required increase, assistance is requested from neighboring jurisdictions.
- Significant damage and unusual problems will result in extended operations
- When is an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) needed?

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## General Activation Criteria

- Resources beyond the capabilities of one agency or one level are required.
- The emergency is of long duration.
- Multiple agency/jurisdictional involvement.
- Unique problem(s) may require policy decisions.
- A local state of emergency has been declared.

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Definition 1`

-    *“**An unfamiliar place*
*where leaders of an organization go*
*to make decisions*
*in little or no time*
*based on little or no information”*
- Snowshoe Thompson, 1856

- Veterans Health Administration

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## Definition 2

- A common location from which government at any level can provide for interagency coordination and executive decision-making for managing disaster response and recovery.

- FEMA

- Veterans Health Administration

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## What are your Experiences?

- Does your facility/community have an (Emergency) Operations Center?
- Who is responsible for it?
- Is it used?
- When is it activated?

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Advantages

- Centralized direction, control and coordination.
- Single point for collection, evaluation, display, dissemination and DOCUMENTATION of situation and resource status information.
- Facilitates verification of information.
- Provides a repository of data.
- Makes maximum use of existing communications.

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Basic Functions

- Direction and control (broad guidance, not tactical)
- Situation assessment
- Coordination
- Priority establishment
- Resource management

- FEMA

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Basic Capabilities

- Can be activated within an hour.
- Can remain operational.
- Affords sufficient space for other agencies.
- Offers communications per work space.
- Facility can perform information processing, coordination and documentation functions.

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Configuration

- No “one” configuration, but must allow for:
- Message center
- Operations coordination
- Display area
- Other adjacent areas should provide for:
- Planning meetings
- Communications equipment
- Administrative support
- Media briefings

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Message

- Center

- Public
- Information
- Officer

- Master Displays

- Finance
- Chief

- SITSTAT

- Logistics
- Chief

- Plans
- Chief

- RESTAT

- EOC
- Manager

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Don’t Forget...

- EOP - Standard Operating Procedures !!
- Call-down rosters
- Resource lists
- Maps/blueprints
- Phone books
- Nametags
- Flashlights/batteries

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Situation Reports

- Travel Orders
- Resource Activation
- Mission Assignments
- Computer Problems
- Work Environment
- Shift Schedules
- Conference Calls
- Inter-agency Liaison
- Incident Status
- Resource Status
- Office Supplies
- Briefings
- Shift Action Plan
- Parking/Bldg. Access
- Procurement/Budget

- Operations
- Section

**Activities**

- Plans
- Section

- Logistics
- Section

- Finance
- Section

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

**Notes:**
Here is an example of some EOC activities and where they would be assigned.  The black dots indicate primary responsibility, with the gray dots indicating what other Sections and Units would be involved with that activity, or coordinated with to accomplish that activity.

## EOC Staff

- Agency administrator
- EOC Director
- PIO
- General staff sections
- Operations
- Plans
- Logistics
- Finance
- Support (security, commo, etc.)
- Clerical

*Position*
*Checklists &*
*Operational*
*Checklists*

- Veterans Health Administration

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## EOC Groups

- Policy-making
- Elected officials
- Information analysis
- Operations
- Involved agencies
- Resource acquisition and allocation
- Involved agencies - MACS

- FEMA

- Veterans Health Administration

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## Common Mistakes

- Lack of a viable Emergency Operations Center.
- No knowledge of disaster resources.
- Lack of visible leadership.
- Not establishing a control on information flow.
- Untrained staff.
- Key people leave.
***Not focusing on what happens next !***

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Additional EOC References

- State of California, Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) _[www.oes.ca.gov](http://www.oes.ca.gov/)_
- Federal Emergency Management Agency, ICS/EOC Interface Course, Contact your State EMA Training Officer (www.fema.gov)

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Managing Information

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Managing Information

- Incoming information
- Message flow
- Displays, Reports, Data
- Outgoing information
- Responders
- Other agencies
- Citizens

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Incoming Information

**Inquiries** asking for information
**Advisories** providing information
**Requests** asking for resources or decisions
**Orders** directing resources or activities
- Media reports
- Rumors

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Information Management

- Source(s)

- Telephone

- Radio

- FAX

- E-Mail

- Mass Media

- Rumor

**Verify**

**Analyze**

**Log**

**Synthesize**

- Visual
- Displays

- Situation
- Briefings

- Action
- Plans

- Situation
- Reports

- Historical
- Records

**Distribute**

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

**Notes:**
This slide illustrates the components of the Information/Intelligence process.

## Displays

- Situation Status (SITSTAT)
- Incident history
- Current status
- Patients, facilities, weather
- Current objectives and assignments
- Resource Status (RESTAT)
- Assigned resources
- Available (staged) resources

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## How/where does the EOC get information?

- Veterans Health Administration

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## Sources of Information

- Utility Service Control Centers

***“******Rapid, Reliable & Complete”***

- Electric Power Outages
- Interruption of Telephone Service
- Loss of Pressure ~ Water & Natural Gas

***“******Less Rapid, Reliable or Complete”***

- Media Coverage
- Public Reports
- Amateur Radio Operators

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## What Utilities Know

- Estimated Restoration Time Frame

***Immediately...***

***Within Hours...***

- Boundaries of Service Interruption
- Number and Types of Customers
- Source & Location of Problem

*In general, community recovery depends*
*upon utility service restoration *

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Information Collection Strategies

- A proactive process
- Essential Elements of Information (EEIs)
- Key indicators for analysis
- Assignments to agencies
- Investigation/observation/reporting

- FEMA

- Veterans Health Administration

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## “EEIs”

- Boundaries of the disaster area
- Status of transportation systems
- Status of communications systems
- Weather data
- Status of critical facilities
- Status of ESF activation
- Hazard specific information

- FEMA

- Veterans Health Administration

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## What are some Medical and Health EEIs?

- Veterans Health Administration

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## Information Processing Function

- Information collection, analysis, formatting and reporting
- Community health surveillance
- Patient surveillance and tracking
- Boundary-spanning information processing
- Resource status tracking
- Operational site/functional area report tracking
- Expert information
- Document control
- Information systems administration

- MaHIMS

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Plans Development & Assessment Function

- Event epidemiological projection
- Measuring effectiveness
- Alternate and long-range strategy planning
- Contingency planning
- Demobilization planning
- Briefing support

- MaHIMS

- Veterans Health Administration

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## Incident Action Planning

- Veterans Health Administration

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## Incident Action Planning

- Process used to organize and sustain response and recovery activities
- Based upon management-by-objectives
- Focused around operational periods
- Provides for input from all involved entities
- Incident Action Plans (IAPs) are not always written

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Elements of an IAP

- Name of event and operational period.
- Summary of the current situation.
- Statement of policy(s), overall objectives and priorities.
- Statements of operational period objectives for each major section.
- Action items to carry out the objectives.
- Current organizational chart/listing

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Operational Period

- The period of time scheduled for execution of a given set of actions specified in an Incident Action Plan (IAP).
- Can be of any length, although rarely longer than 24 hours.
- Not necessarily related to shift length.

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Predicting What Happens Next

**Protective Actions**

**Situation Assessment**
**Fire Suppression**
**Hazmat Control**
**Search and Rescue**
**Medical Services**
**Public Information**
**Debris Clearance**

**Mass Care**
**Individual Assistance**
**Essential Services**
**Temporary Housing**
**Debris Removal**

**Service Restoration**
**Business Restoration**
**Permanent Housing**
**Debris Disposal**

*Pre-Impact*

*Initial Response*

*Initial Recovery*

*Reconstruction*

- CUSEC Journal

- Veterans Health Administration

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## Incident Action Planning Steps

- Brief on current situation and resource status
- Set incident objectives
- Determine areas of operation
- Specify objectives and tactics for each group
- Specify resources needed by each group

- Veterans Health Administration

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## Incident Action Planning Steps (con’t)

- Specify operating facilities and reporting locations
- Place resource and personnel orders
- Consider communications, medical, safety and traffic requirements
- Finalize, approve and implement

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Activities to be Accomplishedin each Operational Period

- Establishing the operational period
- Cycle of activities
- First operational period
- Remaining operational periods
- Shift change meetings
- Situation briefing
- Action planning meeting
- Brief supervisors on plan
- Track, coordinate incident progress
- Situation updates

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Planning cycles

*Planning cycles*
*must be*
*synchronized*
*between *
*agencies and *
*organizational*
*levels*

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Slide 54

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## Individual Activity

- Your hospital is located near a major sporting venue.  A national event attracting hundreds of thousands of people is scheduled to occur next month.  The CEO has asked you to the lead pre-event planning for the facility.
- What types of actions would you recommend the organization take in the next few weeks?

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## The Next Week

- The local Emergency Management Agency has invited your hospital to participate in a contingency planning meeting for the upcoming event.
- During the meeting, you are asked to identify aspects important to hospitals regarding a major incident occurring at this event.
- What are some of your ideas?

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## In a Meeting with Leadership and Key Managers...

- ...about the upcoming event, you suggest they participate in a training session on the Incident Action Planning process...
- You go on to say that this is essentially applying “MBO” to emergency situations and suggest that this will conducted in a simulated EOC environment.
- They can’t wait!

- Veterans Health Administration

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## During that Training Session

- Veterans Health Administration

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## Situation

- A helicopter filming the event falls from the sky into the crowd and explodes, injuring untold many spectators.  Staff working near a TV hear the news and contact you...
- As a participant in this training session, set the operational period and identify several objectives that will guide the organization’s response.

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Setting Objectives

- Specific, measurable statements that are attainable within that period of time.
- What needs to be done to:
- Reduce hazard exposure
- Increase hazard resistance
- Promote a return to normal operations.

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Next...

- Use the matrix side of the Key Activity Management Tool to identify the various activities that need to be implemented during this operational period to accomplish your objectives (0-4 hr. column).
- Flip it over and color in the corresponding dots in the ICS organizational structure.
- Think about the level of supervision needed.

- Veterans Health Administration

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## Action Planning Process

**Mgmt**

**Plans**

**Logistics**

**Finance**

- Business
- Continuity

- Safety &
- Security

- Equip,
- Plant & Util

- Health &
- Medical

**Operations**

- Overall Objectives
- & Priorities

- Situation

- Tactical Objectives,
- Resource Needs

- Capability &
- Capacity

- Cost

**Plans**

- Finalize
- Action Plan

**Mgmt**

- Approve,
- Implement
- Action Plan

- Veterans Health Administration

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## IAP Responsibilities:Incident Manager

- Provide general control objectives and strategy.
- Activate ICS positions, as needed.
- Establish policy for resource orders.
- Approve completed IAP.

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## IAP Responsibilities:Planning Chief

- Prepare for the Planning Meeting.
- Conduct the Planning Meeting.
- Coordinate preparation of the IAP.
- Advise Incident Manager on ICS Units needed.

- Veterans Health Administration

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## IAP Responsibilities:Operations Chief

- Determine area(s) of operation.
- Advise Incident Manager on ICS Groups/Units needed.
- Determine tactics.
- Determine work assignments.
- Determine resource requirements.

- Veterans Health Administration

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## IAP Responsibilities:Logistics Chief

- Ensure resource ordering procedures are developed.
- Advise Incident Manager on ICS Units.
- Ensure the IAP can be supported.

- Veterans Health Administration

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## IAP Responsibilities:Finance Chief

- Provide cost implications of control objectives, as required.
- Ensure the IAP is within the cost limitations established by Management.
- Advise Incident Manager on ICS Units needed.

- Veterans Health Administration

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## Please Divide into Small Groups (5 people minimum)

- Select the ICS position you would like to practice.
- Conduct a meeting to develop and incident action plan for the following situation:

- Veterans Health Administration

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## Situation

-  Early on the morning of the “big event,” the power from the electric utility is cut from a large explosion.  Your hospital is immediately affected, like most of the downtown area hospitals.  The sporting venue is fed from another station and the event will continue.
- The city emergency manager contacts you to see if your hospital can still be considered a receiving station should something happen.

- Veterans Health Administration

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## Soon After...

- The city’s water pumping station fails, cutting off water supplies to the downtown area, although still not affecting the sporting venue.

- Veterans Health Administration

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## Then...

- Several hours later, during the event, an explosion under the grandstands has injured hundreds and collapsed the outside bearing wall.

- Veterans Health Administration

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## Getting Organized...

- _INCIDENT BRIEFING_
- Date/time of start of incident
- Type of incident
- Services involved
- Current incident status
- Current resource status
- Current strategy/objectives
- Communications systems being used
- Special problems/issues

***Nature***

***Size***

***Location***

***Time of Day***

***Day of the Week***

***Initially***

- Mobilization
- Checklist

*What ?*
*Where ?*
*When ?*
*Who’s Involved ?*
*Where Is It Going ?*

- Emergency
- Operations
- Center
- Incident
- Action
- Planning

- Veterans Health Administration

- 111504

## Questions?

- Veterans Health Administration

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