HHS and Public Safety Committee — Portland, ME
Date: 2025-09-09
Time: 17:30

Remote HHS and Public Safety MEMBERS
Meeting Agenda Councilor Anna Bullett, District 4, Chair
 Councilor April Fournier, At-Large
September 9, 2025 at 5:30 PM
 Councilor Sarah Michniewicz, District 1
Remote Meeting Councilor Wesley Pelletier, District 2



To submit written public comment on an agenda item, email HHSPS@portlandmaine.gov. Submissions must be
received by 12:00 pm the day before the Health & Human Services and Public Safety meeting to guarantee their
inclusion in the agenda packet. All submissions must include the commenter's name and legal address. To help
ensure your comment is submitted for the correct item, please include the name of the agenda item (see below).

The Health & Human Services and Public Safety Committee will conduct this meeting remotely via Zoom
pursuant to the Remote Meeting Policy adopted by the Portland City Council. Allow your computer to install
the free Zoom app to get the best meeting experience. If you are not able to attend live either in person or via
Zoom, a recording will be available in the Agenda Center following the meeting.

You are invited to a Zoom webinar!
When: Sep 9, 2025 05:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Remote HHS and Public Safety Meeting

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1. Announcements


2. Review and Approval of Minutes from July 8, 2025


 a. Draft minutes.
3. Discussion on Use of Drones (Mark Dubois, Police Chief)


 a. Attachments
4. City Emergency Operations Plan. (Keith Gautreau, Portland EMA Contract Employee)


 a. Attachments
5. Public Safety Update (Chad Johnston, Fire Chief)


6. Next Meeting: October 14, 2025

Remote HHS and Public Safety MEMBERS
Meeting Agenda Councilor Anna Bullett, District 4, Chair
 Councilor April Fournier, At-Large
September 9, 2025 at 5:30 PM
 Councilor Sarah Michniewicz, District 1
Remote Meeting Councilor Wesley Pelletier, District 2



To submit written public comment on an agenda item, email HHSPS@portlandmaine.gov. Submissions must be
received by 12:00 pm the day before the Health & Human Services and Public Safety meeting to guarantee their
inclusion in the agenda packet. All submissions must include the commenter's name and legal address. To help
ensure your comment is submitted for the correct item, please include the name of the agenda item (see below).

The Health & Human Services and Public Safety Committee will conduct this meeting remotely via Zoom
pursuant to the Remote Meeting Policy adopted by the Portland City Council. Allow your computer to install
the free Zoom app to get the best meeting experience. If you are not able to attend live either in person or via
Zoom, a recording will be available in the Agenda Center following the meeting.

You are invited to a Zoom webinar!
When: Sep 9, 2025 05:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Remote HHS and Public Safety Meeting

Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android:
https://portlandmaine-gov.zoom.us/j/82675299039?pwd=VGPpZcUwr4dN4jthSXZvX54pjL0RDJ.1
Passcode:468760

Phone one-tap:
+13126266799,,82675299039#,,,,*468760# US (Chicago)
+16469313860,,82675299039#,,,,*468760# US

Join via audio:
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Webinar ID: 826 7529 9039

 Page 1
Passcode: 468760
International numbers available: https://portlandmaine-gov.zoom.us/u/kcKumXlIC




1. Announcements


2. Review and Approval of Minutes from July 8, 2025


 a. Draft minutes.
3. Discussion on Use of Drones (Mark Dubois, Police Chief)


 a. Attachments
4. City Emergency Operations Plan. (Keith Gautreau, Portland EMA Contract Employee)


 a. Attachments
5. Public Safety Update (Chad Johnston, Fire Chief)


6. Next Meeting: October 14, 2025




 Page 2
 Health & Human Services and Public Safety Committee

 July 8, 2025, 5:30 PM Remote Meeting

Committee Attendance:
Anna Bullett, Chair (District 4), Sarah Michniewicz (District 1), Wesley Pelletier (District 2),
April Fournier (At-Large).
Councilor Attendance:
Mayor Mark Dion


City Staff:
Adam Harr, Executive Assistant; Dena Libner, Assistant City Manager; Greg Jordan, Assistant
City Manager; Maggie Mcloughlin, Director of Health and Human Services; Chad Johnston, Fire
Chief; Aaron Geyer, Director of Social Services; Keith Gautreau, EMA Contract Employee.

1. Announcements
 • None.

2. Review and Approval of Minutes from June 10, 2025
 • Councilor Michniewicz Moved to approve the minutes and seconded by Councilor Pelletier. The
 minutes were approved unanimously 3-0.

3. Process Update: Emergency Management Plan (Keith Gautreau, Portland EMA Contract
Employee)
 • The City is due for an Emergency Operations Plan with associated trainings.
 • The plan outlines the process for City Council approval that the state statute mandated plan that
 is also required by City Ordinance.
 • An Emergency Operations Plan is a playbook that defines roles and responsibilities and process
 for dealing with hazards identified locally and establishes mutual aid agreements with
 neighboring communities for large scale emergencies.
 • Process
 o Form a collaborative Planning Team
 ▪ The Emergency Management Advisory Committee has already been formed.
 o Understand the Situation
 ▪ Capabilities Risk Assessment (CaRAT) Identified the hazards the City faces in
 2024.
 ▪ Earthquake and wildfire are low on the list versus Winter ice storm.
 o Determine Goals and Objectives
 o Plan Development
 o Plan Preparation, Approval, and Review
 ▪ At this committee then to Council for final approval.
 o Plan Implementation & Maintenance




 Page 3
 o Table Top or Full Scale Exercise.
 • Now writing the plan.
 o Communications plan in place.
 • Will review the draft plan at this HHS&PS Committee.
 • Advisory Committee composition
 o Executive Department (Assistant City Manager, Public Information)
 o Fire
 o Police
 o Public Works
 o Health and Human Services (Public Health, Social Services)
 o Parks, Recreation, and Facilities (Facilities, Public Assembly Facilities, Forestry)
 o IT

Committee questions and discussion
 • Councilor Pelletier asked how identified police protests as a disaster and how many resources
 will be dedicated to them?
 o In inventorying disasters, we considered the uprisings and how they taxed emergency
 services, including closing three fire stations.
 o Councilor Pelletier cautioned against comparing protesting the police to mass shooting
 incidents.
 • Councilor Fournier highlighted the importance of the plan and the value of having coordinated
 assistance in place for when needed.
 • Councilor Michniewicz agreed on the importance of the plan and mutual aid. She asked what the
 public engagement plan is.
 o Assistant City Manager Jordan said there will be a strong communications component in
 the plan.
 ▪ There are different populations throughout the City that are exposed to risk in
 different ways which will be addressed.
 o Following the FEMA format with engagement with the public and other agencies such
 as Metro and CMP.
 ▪ Looks at linguistic demographics.
 • Councilor Bullett is interested in seeing the plan for how emergency responders are fed in
 emergencies and asked how other communities are informed of this updated plan.
 o Language changes in Chapter 2 that would include a defined time frame versus the vague
 languages stating it will be updated.
 o Is there a way for lighter lift items to be update without council approval such as
 supplemental document or other mechanism?
 ▪ They anticipate the City Manager would be able to make such changes.
 o Review expansion happens for partners after the draft, would some entities collaborate to
 inform the draft such as Maine Med.
 ▪ We will solicit feedback form these entities including nonprofit organizations to
 inform the draft.
 ▪ Portland Housing Authority to be included?
 • Yes
 • Will also include Avesta.

Opioid Settlement Fund (OSF)




 Page 4
 • Director McLoughlin updated the committee.
 o 2017, Portland joined a nationwide lawsuit against opioid manufacturers
 o City received $1.38M in settlements.
 ▪ ~$235,000 annually through FY39.
 o City Council allocated $1.3 in settlement funds on October 21, 2024 to be spent on the
 following: (1) Syringe Redemption Program, (2) On-peninsula day space, (3) On-
 peninsula methadone treatment.
 o The Syringe Redemption Program, launched January 2025, increased syringe returns by
 30%+
 o The City issued a request for applications (RFA) for on-peninsula methadone treatment
 providers and day space operators in December 2024, closing in January.
 o The total amount of funds requested across all applicants was $4,552,705.96 out of a total
 allocation of $1.3 million.
 o The scores for the four methadone treatment providers ranged from a high of 56 to a low
 of 41.
 ▪ applicant referred to plans to establish an on-peninsula facility in 2025, meeting
 the goals for on-peninsula treatment without additional City funds.
 o One applicant responded to the call for day space operators and received an application
 score of 53.
 ▪ The applicant did not have existing facilities and proposed using the 14 Baxter
 Boulevard location, which the RFA had suggested may be used as a location
 pending lease negotiations with the property owner. This property is owned by
 the Portland Housing Authority under a Declaration of Trust (DOT) from the
 Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and therefore any
 change of use is subject to HUD approval.
 ▪ Only available for three years.
 o Since the Council’s direction regarding the allocation and use of opioid settlement funds
 in October 2024, there have been significant shifts in the funding landscape for core
 services that address the opioid epidemic.
 ▪ Investing the vast bulk of our received OSF in an initiative that will not continue
 beyond two years may not meet the changing needs that are still emerging in
 response to the federal budget cuts to the sector.
 o Options
 ▪ Continue funding the syringe redemption program.
 ▪ Reserve funding to preserve core services for individuals affected by SUD.
 ▪ Explore alternative models for the day space.
 ▪ Consider reallocation of the funds to support a warming shelter.
Committee questions and discussion
 • Councilor Fournier is concerned that the low scores of the applications indicates a mismatch
 between what we want to meet the need and the RFA itself. We need day space that gets people
 off streets and doorways. She supports using the funds for day space.
 o Assistant City Manager Libner explained the work that informed the RFA and how
 mismatch is descriptive of the lack of resource and appropriate space on the peninsula.
 o Analyze what can be done for this resource to be financially viable.
 ▪ We will need to decide what to give up such as wrap around services or other
 safeguards and services.




 Page 5
 o We asked respondents consider other funding opportunities which this applicant had not
 set forth.
• Councilor Michniewicz
 o The HSC model leverages time in emergency shelter with services and referrals made
 onsite which would be cost prohibitive to have the staffing needed to replicate.
 o Is there an alternative model that links with the funding available?
 ▪ Staff will look at the tradeoffs such a scale and location.
 • The current application would need $2.5 million.
 ▪ We will identify and return to the committee.
 o There is concern in putting one time money in a temporary space for a permanent need.
• Councilor Fournier said two or three years meets our immediate need.
 o Would rather serve 50 people well versus more people poorly.
 o Outreach workers are providing wrap around services where people are at; this space
 could be leveraged by outreach as an intermediary to the HSC.
• Councilor Pelletier is disheartened by the roadblocks and thinks three years gives people a place
 to congregate and supports getting it done.
 o MECAD supports and there could be property tax incentives.
 o He does not think the downtown ambassador program will solve this.
• City Manager Libner heard concerns around a less prescriptive model that would move forward.
• Councilor Bullett said that the goal us for people to not die; if we only, have it for two years, we
 will leverage partners and figure out what happens in two years.
• Councilor Michniewicz agrees having something is better than nothing but seeing what happened
 with the resource center suddenly ending gives her pause.
 o The warming shelter is needed for survival; if we do not shift OSF funding to warming
 shelter, how would warming shelter be funded?
 ▪ The City continues to look for operators with space that would be interested in
 using.
 ▪ The barriers are availability of physical space. Additional funding could be
 explored to see if that would be solved.
 ▪ The 14 Baxter Boulevard location cannot be emergency zoned as an overnight
 warming shelter.
• Councilor Bullett thinks the day space and overnight warming shelter should be one in the same
 in some paired down capacity.
 o We cannot do both but we can do one fairly well; if there was a preference between the
 two, which would the committee rather prioritize.
 ▪ Day Space if we had to prioritize, but we would like the barriers to doing both
 identified.
 o The committee continues to seek engagement from the County.
• Councilor Pelletier asked if the Council could vote to change the phoning.
 o Spot rezoning would be down with planning bard and City Council approval with
 approval with the current propriety owner.
 ▪ The current owner would likely oppose this and not sign a lease as a result.
 o He thinks the City should use its power to get it down.
• Councilor Michniewicz said that Zoning limited emergency shelters to downtown. Rezoning was
 necessary for the HSC to be in riverside.
 o There is impact to having a shelter such as 24 hour operations




 Page 6
 o Must do this while considering collateral impacts.
 • Staff will return with alternatives. The committee would like to review any RFA that might
 follow.

Helping Individuals Regain Employment (HIRE) and Portland Opportunity Crew (POC)
 • HIRE is a relaunch from stopping due to covid as job fairs were curtailed.
 o Embedded in GA program.
 o Mock interviewing
 o Resume review
 o Skill assessments
 o Job fairs on the third Thursday of each month at 39 Forest Avenue.
 ▪ Partners include:
 • Goodwill Workforce Solutions
 • Southern Maine Community College Career Development
 • Portland Adult Education
 • MaineHealth’s Workforce Development
 • New Mainers Resource Center
 ▪ 86 individuals have participated in job fairs so far.
 ▪ Parks and Rec will join job fairs to fill their positions.
 ▪ Our staff, Oscar, Tyler, Amanda, and Rebecca are making it a success.
 • POC launched in 2017 as the 5th such program and was curtailed by covid until this year, starting
 in Spring and will end in the Fall.
 • Up to last Friday
 o 6 participants with 3 new starting this week.
 o Been in community for 10 days of field work, completing 178 hours of work.
 o Collected 107 bags of trash and have returned grocery carts.
 o Sites are throughout the City and focus on parks.
 • They are doing spot cleanings throughout the City.
 • It is focused on employment paired with the goal of securing housing. One of the six individuals
 has been housed and a second has just secured housing and is set to move in next week.
 • POC program coordinator helps secure IDs which then helps housing navigation.
 • 4/6 have taken additional shifts with Complete Labor and one has secured employment.
 • They assist with beautification projects in addition to trash pick-up.


 Committee questions and discussion.
 • Councilor Michniewicz loves the program.
 • Are there plans to put up new signs for text to donate?
 • Businesses can sponsor the crew.
 • Mayor Dion asked if we have engaged Maine Works as a possible partner?
 o We have not.

Public Safety Update
 • Violent crime is down and we have not had a murder in the first six months of the year.
 • Property crime is slightly higher than in previous years.




 Page 7
 • Calls for service are split between reactive (initiated by a member of the public/911) and
 proactive (by police).
 o Proactive is declining; some are supplanted by reactive calls and time spent on scene is
 increasing.
 o Calls for service are consistent with last year with the Bayside, the Old Port, and the West
 End seeing the most.
 o Persons bothering is the number one call for service.
 • Arrests have steady year to year.
 • Clearance rates are consistent with the national average.
 o Crimes against property:
 ▪ Lower clearance rates if there is no video evidence of the crime/theft.
 o Crimes against people:
 ▪ Detectives focus on crimes against people.
 ▪ Usually have witnesses or additional evidence.
Committee questions and discussion
 • There is concern that increased beats a monument square will displace to the neighborhoods
 when it generally goes back to bayside.
 o Is Comstat still being used and would heat maps be useful?
 ▪ Yes, through a grant PD uses it and will have a public facing dashboard in the
 future.
 ▪ We put our focus on where has the most need and tend to chase the same people
 around but in generally are concentrated where people
 o How is pro phoenix going?
 ▪ Challenging.
 ▪ There are conversations about changing this but it is not at the committee level
 yet.

Next meeting: September 9, 2025

Councilor Michniewicz moved to adjourn; Councilor Pelletier seconded. The motion passed unanimously
4-0 and the meeting ended at approximately 7:07 PM.




 Page 8
 Attachment A
 Portland Police Department
 Drone FAQs



How will this drone be used by the Portland Police Department? ​

For at least some of the purposes below, Portland PD reaches out to other agencies to borrow
their drones, however, this often results in significant delays which can be crucial when lives are
at stake.​

 ●​ Search & Rescue operations - the use of the drone could be crucial in time-sensitive
 searches for missing children, endangered persons, and suicidal individuals, as well as
 persons believed to be in the waters in and around Casco Bay.
 ●​ Active assailant/school shooter scenarios - the drone would be able to assist law
 enforcement to determine where in a building the assailant is in a school/workplace
 assailant event and give them an advantage in ending the scenario without loss of life.
 ●​ Accident reconstruction - Currently, reconstruction of fatal and other serious crashes
 require roads to be closed for up to 5 hours, including the time required to conduct scans
 with reconstruction equipment (faro scanner - a laser scanner which provides 3D
 measurements and imagining, and cameras) which can take up to 2 hours when done
 on the ground. With a drone equipped with the appropriate software (the faro software,
 which we already own, and which will be compatible with the Axon drone*), the
 necessary scans can be accomplished in 15 to 30 minutes, drastically reducing the
 amount of time police will need to close roads. In the past 12 months, our Crash
 Reconstruction Team has been called out for reconstructions nine times.
 ●​ Barricaded suspects - The Special Reaction Team (SRT) is often (28 total calls for
 service since the beginning of the year) called upon when a criminal suspect has
 barricaded themselves - sometimes with other individuals - inside a residence or other
 location. This creates tension when it is unknown whether that individual is armed and
 will harm themselves or others. A drone can be used in this situation to look through
 upper windows to provide police with a view of whether weapons are present or not,
 potentially saving civilians and police from harm.
 ●​ Hazardous Devices Investigations - The Hazardous Devices Unit (“Bomb Squad”) is
 tasked with investigating possible explosives and other hazardous devices. Bomb
 squads around the country commonly use drones for an initial approach on suspicious
 packages, which protects the human bomb techs from having to make an initial
 approach, and is much faster than using a robot. Drones can also be used to clear
 locations where there are suspected boobytraps, and searching and clearing areas of
 suspected IEDs (improvised explosive devices) during large gatherings and/or bomb
 threats. ​
 ​




 Page 9
 Attachment A
 Portland Police Department
 Drone FAQs



 ●​ Crime scene reconstruction - This often shuts down streets while scans and photographs
 are taken. As an example, the last homicide scene was approximately 3.5 city blocks
 inside apartments and stretching across two major avenues of the City- and across the
 busiest intersection in the entire State. We had to use the State Police drone to cover
 the faro scans and waited an additional 2.5 hours for the drone to be brought from the
 middle of the State to assist.
 ●​ Train vs pedestrian reconstruction- almost all of these scenes are extremely long in
 distance - usually up to a ¼ mile in length, which is about the distance a train takes to
 stop its momentum after a collision. As with accident and crime scene reconstructions, a
 drone would make this process much faster and limit the disruption to train and vehicle
 traffic.
 ●​ Fire scene assessment - drones can be used in conjunction with the fire department
 when responding to large calls, or to assess a large scene after a fire.
 ●​ Storm and flood damage assessment - use of a drone will be helpful in assessing
 damage to the shoreline and properties along the shore after severe storms and
 flooding, such as the devastating January 2024 storms, and depending on availability of
 the drone and a pilot, we could assist other City departments with this task.


How will this drone not be used by the PD?

 ●​ Use of the drone will be governed by Police Department Standard Operating
 Procedures, which in turn follow Maine state law regarding the use of unmanned aerial
 vehicles (drones) (25 M.R.S. § 4501). As with all activities engaged in by law
 enforcement, use of the drone will also be governed by the principles of the constitutions
 of the State of Maine and of the United States. ​

 ○​ Generally speaking, the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution
 requires that police obtain a search warrant before searching private property
 looking for evidence of criminal activity. Those same protections apply to the use
 of drones by law enforcement in Maine.
 ○​ Police cannot use drones to conduct surveillance of private citizens peacefully
 exercising their right to free speech and assembly.
 ○​ In accordance with Portland City Code, police in Portland will not be able to use
 any type of facial recognition software for any purpose through use of the drone
 (Portland City Code Sec. 17-131).




 Page 10
 Attachment A
 Portland Police Department
 Drone FAQs


How will PPD ensure that inadvertent recordings unrelated to an investigation are not
viewed/released? ​

​ When this question was raised at the HHS/PS committee meeting in 2024, the
assumption appeared to be that the drone, when deployed, would be flying over private
property en route to the target location. In fact, in order to preserve battery life and for the sake
of efficiency, the drone will be transported to the location where it is needed, before being
deployed, drastically reducing any inadvertent filming of unrelated people/property. Obviously in
the case of a missing person, the drone will be flying over a greater area, however, as with all
video recordings and other police records, there are state laws which make police records
confidential if their public release would constitute an unwarranted invasion of privacy.

Additionally, the drone will not be recording passively while flying, recording capability must be
affirmatively turned on before any footage is recorded.

Who owns the recordings?

We anticipate purchasing the drone and software package, including data storage, from Axon,
the vendor currently used for police body and cruiser and other camera systems. Our Master
License agreement with Axon, which would cover footage captured by the drone, gives PD
exclusive ownership of any footage captured and stored. The specific language reads:

 Agency owns Agency Content. Agency controls and owns all right,
 title, and interest in Agency content. Except as outlined herein, Axon
 obtains no interest in Agency Contact, and Agency Content is not Axon’s
 business records. Agency is solely responsible for uploading, sharing,
 managing, and deleting Agency Content. Axon will only have access to
 Agency Content for the limited purposes set forth herein. Agency agrees
 to allow Axon access to Agency Content to (a) perform troubleshooting,
 maintenance, or diagnostic screenings; and (b) enforce this Agreement or
 policies governing the use of Axon products.

In other words, PPD owns its content exclusively, and Axon will not sell or otherwise
disseminate recordings from the deployment of the PPD drone.




 Page 11
 Attachment A
 Portland Police Department
 Drone FAQs


Anticipated costs of drone ownership and operation:

 ●​ Up front costs:
 ○​ Drone purchase price: $20,231
 ○​ Licensing and Storage (3 years): $18,541
 ○​ 3-year service contract: $5,249
 ○​ Subtotal: $44,021​

 ○​ Pilot license training ($110 x 5 max) (right now we have 3 qualified pilots): $550
 ○​ Fee to take test ($149 x 5 max): $745
 ○​ Ongoing training - no cost
 ○​ Subtotal: $1,295​

 ○​ Total: $45,316**​

 ●​ Year 4:
 ○​ Licensing & storage (3 years): $18,540
 ○​ Warranty/Service contract (3 years): $5,250
 ○​ Total: $23,790​

 ●​ Repair/replacement costs (as needed) :
 ○​ 1 time free, 2nd and 3rd are prorated (if drone/sensor damage/loss is accidental):
 ○​ 2nd: drone $1,650/sensor:$974
 ○​ 3rd: $2,956/sensor: $2975


* The drone we plan to acquire is an Axon product and will therefore be compatible with existing
body camera and cruiser camera systems and software.

**Funds to cover the initial costs have already been allocated (November 2, 2023 Council
meeting) from federal forfeiture funds.




 Page 12
 PORTLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT
 STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE

 Subject: USE of SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT Policy #: 47B

 Distribution: Internal/External Effective: / /2024

 By Order of: Chief of Police Revised:



I. PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for the use of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS), commonly
known as drones.

II. POLICY

The Portland Police Department will utilize sUAS in a safe and efficient manner to facilitate the Department’s
mission of protecting lives and property when other means and resources are not available or may be less effective.
Any use of sUAS will be in accordance with 25 M.R.S. §4501 (Regulation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and all
applicable Federal Aviation (FAA) requirements and guidelines.

III. DEFINITIONS
 A. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV): an aircraft operated without a physical human presence within
 or on the aircraft that, in the manner in which the aircraft is used or the manner in which it is
 equipped, is capable of performing audio or visual surveillance.

 B. Unmanned Aerial System (UAS): A UAV along with the elements necessary to operate the UAV in
 a safe and efficient manner. These elements may include, but are not limited to a control station,
 data links, communications and navigation equipment.

 C. Small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS): a UAS which features a UAV weighing less than 55 pounds
 on takeoff.

 D. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): The federal authority charged with regulating all aspects
 of civil aviation.

 E. Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC): A member of the Portland Police Department holding a current
 FAA certification to operate an sUAS and designated to exercise control over a flight. The RPIC is
 directly responsible for and is the final authority as to the operation of the sUAS.

 F. Surveillance: with respect to an owner, tenant, occupant, invitee or licensee of privately-owned
 real property, the observation of such persons with sufficient visual clarity to be able to obtain
 information about their identity, habits, conduct, movements, or whereabouts.




 47B-1

 Page 13
IV. PROCEDURES

 A. General

 1. Only sUAS specifically authorized by the Chief of Police may be deployed in support of Portland
 Police operations or requests for mutual aid. When operating the sUAS in support of another agency,
 officers will follow the policies and procedures of the Portland Police Department as well as applicable
 federal and state laws and regulations.

 2. Department authorized sUAS may only be operated by PPD employees who hold a current remote
 pilot airman certification from the FAA and have been trained in the operation of the specific
 Department-owned sUAS. Non-certified personnel may manipulate the flight controls of the sUAS
 under the direct supervision of a certified PPD remote pilot in command, however the RPIC must
 maintain the ability to immediately take direct control of the sUAS.

 3. All sUAS operations will be conducted in accordance with 25 M.R.S. §4501 (Regulation of
 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), all applicable Federal Aviation (FAA) requirements and guidelines to
 include 14 CFR Part 107 - Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, and the minimum standards established
 by the Maine Criminal Justice Academy Board of Trustees.

 4. The Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC) is the final authority as to the operation of the sUAS and is
 solely responsible for determining whether or not to conduct or abort a requested mission as well as
 the specifics of the mission to include altitude, speed, and flight path.

 5. The sUAS and related equipment shall be maintained in a state of operational readiness. Remote
 Pilots shall inspect and test the sUAS prior to deployment to ensure proper functioning and shall use
 reasonable care when operating the equipment. Equipment malfunctions shall be brought to the
 attention of the Traffic Sergeant.

 B. Deployment

 1.The Chief of Police or their authorized designee must give prior approval before an sUAS is
 deployed. When determining whether to approve a deployment, the Chief or designee shall consider
 whether the deployment will result in an excessive number of sUAS’s at the same location or same
 event at the same time.

 2. If multiple licensed PPD remote pilots are on scene at a deployment, the most senior will serve as
 the RPIC for the mission, unless they expressly delegate the RPIC role to another licensed remote pilot.

 3. The RPIC will conduct a pre-flight inspection of the sUAS equipment and follow the established
 pre-flight checklist prior to deployment.

 4. As required by 25 M.R.S. §4501(5)(C), the RPIC will obtain the approval of the appropriate
 prosecutorial authority (Cumberland County District Attorney’s Officer or Maine Attorney General’s
 Office) prior to deploying the sUAS for criminal investigation purposes.

 5.The RPIC will notify Emergency Communications upon launch and recovery of the sUAS and dispatch
 will enter those times in the appropriate CADCALL.


 47B-2

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 6. When operating the sUAS over locations that the RPIC believes are irrelevant to the purpose of the
 deployment, they will operate the sUAS in accordance with the following parameters:
 a. At a minimum altitude of 200 feet above ground level; and
 b. At a minimum horizontal speed of 5 miles per hour; unless
 c. Operating the sUAS in accordance with subparagraph a and b above, would jeopardize
 the objective of the sUAS deployment or violate FAA regulations.

 7. In order to minimize the impact of inadvertent recording on third parties, the RPIC shall limit use
 the sUAS mounted audio or video recording equipment to those locations where the RPIC believes
 utilizing audio or video recording technology could support the purpose for which the sUAS is
 deployed.

 8.The RPIC must maintain the ability to adequately track the location of the sUAS at all times as failure
 to do so could prove hazardous to persons and property on land and in the air.

 C. Permissible Uses
 1. The sUAS may be used for the following:
 a. Search and Rescue
 b. High-risk tactical operations (hostage/barricade incidents, high-risk warrants, active assailant
 incidents etc.)
 c. Accident scene reconstruction
 d. Crime scene reconstruction
 e. Disaster Response
 f. Searches for suspects and/or evidence.
 g. For training, testing, and product evaluation purposes.

 2. The sUAS may be used for a criminal investigation purpose only when:
 a. The appropriate prosecutorial authority has approved use of the sUAS; and
 b. A warrant has been obtained or a recognized exception to the warrant requirement exists.

D. Prohibitions on Usage of sUAS
 1. The sUAS shall not be used for criminal investigation without a warrant except as permitted by a
 recognized exception to the warrant requirement.

 2. Absent a warrant or exigent circumstances, the Remote Pilot shall not intentionally record or
 transmit images of a location where a person would have a reasonable expectation of privacy (e.g.,
 inside a home, a fenced yard or an otherwise enclosed area).

 3. The sUAS shall not be used to conduct random surveillance or to conduct surveillance of private
 citizens peacefully exercising their constitutional rights of free speech and assembly.




 47B-3

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 4. The use of enhancement technology such as night vision technology, high powered zoom lenses,
 video analytics, and thermal imaging is prohibited unless the Chief or designee explicitly authorized
 the use of those technologies when authorizing deployment of an sUAS.

 5. The use of facial recognition technology is strictly prohibited.

 6. The sUAS will not be equipped with weapons of any kind including, but not limited to firearms,
 lasers, impact projectiles, chemical agents or irritants, or any other lethal or non-lethal weapon.

E. Privacy Considerations
 1. The decision to deploy an sUAS requires that PPD carefully weigh public safety needs against
 privacy concerns.

 2. When there are specific and articulable grounds to believe the sUAS will collect evidence of
 criminal wrongdoing or if the sUAS will be used in a manner that is likely to intrude upon the
 reasonable expectation of privacy, the Department shall obtain a search warrant prior to
 deployment.

 3. Any time an sUAS is deployed:
 a. The sUAS will be operated at an altitude, speed and with a planned flight plan that minimizes
 any invasion of privacy of a third party.
 b. The Remote Pilot shall make a reasonable effort to record only the target of the operation
 (accident scene, disaster area, etc.) and to avoid other areas as much as possible.

 F. Audio and Video Recordings and Remote Pilot Records

 1. An inadvertent audio or video recording, photograph, or other such documentation of or relating
 to a private third party that results from the use of an sUAS shall not be duplicated or transmitted
 by the Portland Police absent a court order, and must be permanently and irretrievably erased or
 destroyed within a reasonable period of time after its creation, pursuant to the applicable record
 retention schedule.

 2. Prior to their duplication and further dissemination, any audio or video recordings, photographs,
 or any other such documentation resulting from the deployment of an sUAS must be reviewed to
 determine whether such further dissemination may occur.
 a. Such review must specifically include an assessment of whether the documentation itself
 constitutes “intelligence and investigative record information” under 16 M.R.S. §801 et seq., and, if
 so, whether, if at all, the documentation may be further disseminated pursuant to that law.

 3. Audio and video recordings, photographs, and any other documentation resulting from an sUAS
 deployment related to a criminal investigation will be retained in accordance with the




 47B-4

 Page 16
 corresponding Maine law on evidence retention as well as the rules for records retention
 promulgated by the Maine State archivist.

 4. Audio and video recordings, photographs, and any other documentation resulting from an sUAS
 deployment not relating to a criminal investigation will be retained in accordance with the
 corresponding rules for records retention promulgated by the Maine State archivist.

 G. Documentation and Reporting
 1. Any deployment of an sUAS, other than for training, shall be documented in a call for service.

 2. A supplemental incident report shall be completed by the RPIC anytime an sUAS is deployed in
 support of a criminal investigation.

 3. Additionally, the details of each sUAS deployment must be documented on a form or database
 designed for that purpose within 14 days of the deployment. Documentation will include, at a
 minimum:
 a. The date of the deployment;
 b. The name of the RPIC;
 c. The purpose of the deployment;
 d. The duration of the deployment;
 e. The flight path of the deployment; and
 f. Any other information the Chief deems necessary.

 4. The Traffic Sergeant will ensure that all sUAS deployments are properly documented and will
 report deployment related data to appropriate governmental bodies. This reporting shall
 include the mandatory annual reporting to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, as well as, upon
 request, reporting to the Mayor, City Manager, and/or the City Council.


V. sUAS-RELATED RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TRAFFIC SERGEANT

 The Traffic Sergeant – who may, but does not need to be, a Remote Pilot -- shall:
 1) Maintain a list of PPD certified Remote Pilots
 2) Maintain a list of the make/model of each PPD sUAS
 3) Maintain a list of the FAA registration number of each PPD sUAS
 4) Be the representative of the Portland Police Department for any waiver and/or airspace
 authorization obtained through the FAA; and
 5) Have ongoing knowledge of the operations of the sUAS under any waiver/airspace
 authorization
 6) Maintain a record of the disposition of each PPD sUAS after it is taken out of service (i.e.,
 destroyed, used for parts, sold to another law enforcement agency)




 47B-5

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VI. REPORTS OF INJURY OR PROPERTY LOSS RESULTING FROM sUAS USE

  A. Any operation of an sUAS that results in serious injury, loss of consciousness, or property damage (to
 property other than property of the agency) of at least five hundred dollars ($500) must be reported
 within ten (10) days to the FAA.
  B. Any operation that results in any injury or property damage (other than to the sUAS) must be reported
 immediately to the patrol supervisor or Shift Commander.
  C. Any operation that results in damage to the sUAS must be reported as soon as practicable to the Traffic
 Sergeant.


VII. MISUSE OF AN sUAS

  Any PPD employee who intentionally uses an sUAS in violation of this policy shall be subject to disciplinary
  action up to and including termination.

  Additionally, a violation of the minimum policy standards established by the Maine Criminal Justice Academy
  Board of Trustees and included in this policy may constitute grounds for the Board to take disciplinary action
  against a law enforcement officer’s certificate of eligibility pursuant to 25 M.R.S. §2806-A(5)(J) or seek a civil
  penalty against the law enforcement officer pursuant to 25 M.R.S §2803-(C).




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 MRS Title 25, §4501. REGULATION OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES




 §4501. Regulation of unmanned aerial vehicles
 1. Findings. The Legislature finds that evolving technology regarding unmanned aerial vehicles
 presents a potential economic driver for the State, an opportunity for research and development and a
 very real benefit for security, for search and rescue efforts and for disaster prevention and relief, as well
 as a tool for the investigation of serious crimes, but the technology also presents a potential threat to
 the privacy of citizens of this State if used by law enforcement in the conduct of criminal investigations
 without appropriate guidelines and supervision.
 [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 2. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms
 have the following meanings.
 A. "Law enforcement agency" has the same meaning as in section 3701, subsection 1. [PL 2015,
 c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 B. "Unmanned aerial vehicle" means an aircraft operated without a physical human presence
 within or on the aircraft that, in the manner in which the aircraft is used or the manner in which it
 is equipped, is capable of performing audio or visual surveillance. [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 3. Acquisition of unmanned aerial vehicles. The acquisition of an unmanned aerial vehicle by a
 law enforcement agency must be approved by the governing body of the governmental unit overseeing
 the law enforcement agency seeking to make such an acquisition or, in the case of a state agency, by
 the commissioner of that agency.
 [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 4. Law enforcement agency operation of unmanned aerial vehicles. A law enforcement
 agency's operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle must fully comply with all Federal Aviation
 Administration requirements and guidelines, including the acquisition of a certificate of authorization
 or waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration. Additionally, a law enforcement agency's use of
 an unmanned aerial vehicle is governed by the following provisions.
 A. A law enforcement agency may not use an unmanned aerial vehicle before adopting standards
 that meet, at a minimum, the standards set forth in subsection 5. [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 B. Except as permitted by a recognized exception to the requirement for a warrant under the
 Constitution of Maine or the United States Constitution, a law enforcement agency may not use an
 unmanned aerial vehicle for criminal investigations without a warrant. [PL 2015, c. 307, §1
 (NEW).]
 C. Notwithstanding paragraph A, a law enforcement agency may use an unmanned aerial vehicle
 for the purpose of a search and rescue operation when the law enforcement agency determines that
 use of an unmanned aerial vehicle is necessary to alleviate an immediate danger to any person or
 for training exercises related to such uses. [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 D. Notwithstanding paragraph A, a law enforcement agency may use an unmanned aerial vehicle
 for purposes other than the investigation of crime, including, but not limited to, aerial photography
 for the assessment of accidents, forest fires and other fire scenes, flood stages and storm damage.
 [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 E. In no case may a weaponized unmanned aerial vehicle be used or its use facilitated by a state or
 local law enforcement agency in this State. [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 F. A law enforcement agency may not use an unmanned aerial vehicle to conduct surveillance of
 private citizens peacefully exercising their constitutional rights of free speech and assembly. [PL
 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]


Generated
10.30.2023 §4501. Regulation of unmanned aerial vehicles | 1
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 MRS Title 25, §4501. REGULATION OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES



 G. Notwithstanding paragraph A, a law enforcement agency may use an unmanned aerial vehicle
 for an emergency use approved by the chief administrative officer of the agency or the Governor.
 [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 5. Minimum standards for law enforcement. The Board of Trustees of the Maine Criminal
 Justice Academy, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, shall establish minimum
 standards for written policies and protocols for use of unmanned aerial vehicles by law enforcement
 agencies. The standards must include at a minimum:
 A. Training and certification requirements for a person operating an unmanned aerial vehicle; [PL
 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 B. Requirements for prior authorization for the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle by the chief
 administrative officer of the law enforcement agency seeking to use such a vehicle; [PL 2015, c.
 307, §1 (NEW).]
 C. Approval by the Attorney General or chief prosecuting attorney for the appropriate jurisdiction
 for the deployment of an unmanned aerial vehicle for criminal investigation purposes; [PL 2015,
 c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 D. Restrictions on the use of night vision technology, high-powered zoom lenses, video analytics,
 facial recognition technology, thermal imaging and other such enhancement technology; [PL
 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 E. Procedures to minimize the inadvertent audio or visual recording of private spaces of 3rd parties
 who are not under investigation; [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 F. Procedures for destroying any unnecessary audio or visual recordings without further
 duplication or dissemination; [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 G. Recommended minimum altitudes and speeds at which an unmanned aerial vehicle may be
 flown in order to minimize the invasion of privacy of 3rd parties who are not under investigation;
 [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 H. Methods to minimize the number of unmanned aerial vehicles deployed at any one time in any
 one area or at any one event; [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 I. Procedures to avoid hazards to persons and property on land and in the air due to the operation
 of unmanned aerial vehicles; [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 J. Methods for tracking and recording the flight of each unmanned aerial vehicle; [PL 2015, c.
 307, §1 (NEW).]
 K. Requirements for regular statistical reporting of all uses of unmanned aerial vehicles, including
 the purposes, the results and the duration of such uses, to the appropriate governmental bodies; and
 [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 L. Accountability of a law enforcement agency for any mistake in deployment or misuse of an
 unmanned aerial vehicle, including sanctions as provided in section 2803‑C or section 2806‑A, as
 applicable. [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 6. Data collection. On or before July 1, 2016 and July 1st of each subsequent year, the
 Commissioner of Public Safety shall submit to the Legislature a report containing the number of
 instances in which an unmanned aerial vehicle has been deployed by any law enforcement agency in
 the State with summary descriptions of the number of deployments for investigative purposes, the
 general nature of those investigations and the number of search warrants sought and the number of
 search warrants obtained for the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles.


2 | §4501. Regulation of unmanned aerial vehicles
 Generated
 10.30.2023


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 MRS Title 25, §4501. REGULATION OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES



 [PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).]
 SECTION HISTORY
 PL 2015, c. 307, §1 (NEW).

The State of Maine claims a copyright in its codified statutes. If you intend to republish this material, we require that you include
the following disclaimer in your publication:
All copyrights and other rights to statutory text are reserved by the State of Maine. The text included in this publication reflects
changes made through the First Regular and First Special Session of the 131st Maine Legislature and is current through November
1. 2023. The text is subject to change without notice. It is a version that has not been officially certified by the Secretary of State.
Refer to the Maine Revised Statutes Annotated and supplements for certified text.
The Office of the Revisor of Statutes also requests that you send us one copy of any statutory publication you may produce. Our
goal is not to restrict publishing activity, but to keep track of who is publishing what, to identify any needless duplication and to
preserve the State's copyright rights.

PLEASE NOTE: The Revisor's Office cannot perform research for or provide legal advice or interpretation of Maine law to the
public. If you need legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.




Generated
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City of Portland | Police Department
Mark Dubois, Police Chief



To: Health and Human Services and Public Safety Committee
Councilor Anna Bullett, Chair




MEETING DATE
September 9, 2025

AGENDA ITEM
Agenda Item 3 - Proposed Police Department Acquisition of Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)

PURPOSE
The committee is asked to consider the Police Department's proposal to acquire a UAS ("Drone")
to support operations. Maine state law (25 M.R.S.A. §4501) requires that the governing body of a
governmental unit approve any acquisition of an unmanned aerial system (UAS) by a law
enforcement agency.

This item is for public comment as well as discussion and direction from the committee on
recommending City Council approval in October.

COMMITTEE WORK PLAN/CITY COUNCIL GOAL ALIGNMENT
This item is not directly identified in either the committee’s work plan or the City Council’s 2025
priorities.

BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
The information provided below was presented to the Council Committee at its July 9, 2024
meeting. During that meeting, Councilors requested additional information from staff on
measures to ensure protection of privacy and avoid misuse, acquisition costs and annual
recurring expenses, and development of a communications piece to address public questions and
concerns. Attachments A includes information in response to these questions and requests for
additional information. Attachment B includes the Police Department’s proposed policy on UAS
use, and Attachments C and D outline statutory requirements for using this technology.

As the Committee is aware, the Portland Police Department is significantly understaffed. New
technologies, such as the UAV, provide an opportunity to help maintain public safety with greater
efficiency and effectiveness in accordance with the rights of residents and applicable legal
requirements. .

The use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in law enforcement is not new. Municipal and state
law enforcement agencies have utilized the technology for more than a decade while all five U.S.



 1

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Department of Justice law enforcement components (FBI, ATF, DEA, Marshal’s Service and Bureau
of Prisons) use UAS in support of their operations.
​
Portland Police Department has requested mutual aid from surrounding communities utilizing
their UAS in search and rescue operations,during motor vehicle accident reconstruction needs,
and during high risk warrant applications.

UAS usage by law enforcement is well-regulated in Maine and the applicable statutory language
as well as rules imposed by the Maine Attorney General’s Office are incorporated into the
department policy. Additionally, UAS operations are regulated by the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) to include the requirement that officers assigned as UAS pilots must be
licensed by the FAA.

Purchasing a UAS will enhance police operations during search and rescue operations. A UAS can
search areas, both land, coast line, and waterways much faster and more efficiently than
personnel. UAS will supplement tracked and wheeled robots for searches involving barricaded
subjects. Those vehicles are restricted when obstacles prevent them from freely moving or
climbing staircases.

Portland Police traffic unit reconstructs motor vehicle traffic accidents when there is serious
bodily injury, death, or serious crashes involving police vehicles. The use of an UAS to plot the
scene is completed in a fraction of the time and more accurately, which results in significant
savings of time and money. Using a UAS to map a crash scene allows opening the closed roadway
much faster than using traditional methods, resulting in less impact to the public.

In terms of officer safety, using a UAS during a barricaded suspect incident allows the Incident
Commander to search interior spaces before sending in personnel. This creates a significant
tactical advantage for officers and alleviates the need to put personnel in extremely dangerous
situations. This operation is currently done with robots, which have some significant limitations.
Robots are unwieldy, expensive to repair, and limited in their maneuverability.

The UAS system identified is from Axon Corporation which is the vendor for our body camera
and in-car camera system. The UAS is compatible with this system, allowing all video to be
recorded and secured on our dedicated evidence storage platform.

FISCAL IMPACT
The one-time cost to acquire the UAS is estimated to be $45,316. Sufficient funding was
appropriated as part of the appropriation request in January 2024 using proceeds from the US
Department of Justice’s Equitable Sharing Program. Renewal of software maintenance and
licensing agreements after 3 years would cost $23,790 in FY 2027-28. Other than minor annual
training/certifications expenses, no material annual recurring costs to support the UAS are
anticipated. Attachment A includes a cost breakdown. The UAS system has an estimated useful
life of 5-7 years.




 2

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CONCLUSION(S)
Approving the purchase of a UAS allows Portland Police to train and deploy the system when
appropriate and in compliance with our policy. Currently, when the need arises we utilize mutual
aid from surrounding agencies. Having our own UAS allows better control, faster response, and a
more skilled and knowledgeable pilot. Having a department UAS allows us to utilize technology to
improve the service we provide to our community.

PRIOR COMMITTEE REVIEW
Health-Human Services & Public Safety Committee (September 10, 2024) - Issue review & action
Health-Human Services & Public Safety Committee (July 9, 2024) - Issue introduction

PREPARED BY

Mark Dubois Greg Jordan
Chief of Police Assistant City Manager
Police Department Executive Department


ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Draft FAQs for Public Information on UAS Use
Attachment B - Portland Police Department draft policy for UAS
Attachment C - MRS Title 25, §4501. Regulation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Attachment D - MRS Title 25, §4501. Annual Legislative Report on UAV use.




 3

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 ARTICLE VIII. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MANAGEMENT


Sec. 2-401. Purpose.

 It is the intent and purpose of this article to establish an
Office of Emergency Management bureau of emergency preparedness in
compliance and in conformity with the provisions of Title 37-B,
M.R.S.A., Section 781 et seq., to ensure the complete and efficient
utilization of the city's facilities and resources to prevent, prepare
and respond to all hazards, natural and manmade human-made, that may
occur in the City of Portland and the surrounding region.
(Ord. No. 377-90, 6-6-90; Ord. No. 293-04/05, 6-20-05)

Sec. 2-402. Definitions.

 The following definitions shall apply in the interpretation of
this article:

 Bureau. "Bureau" shall mean the bureau of emergency preparedness
as established by this article.

 Director. “Director” means the Director of Emergency Management
appointed by the City Council pursuant to the provisions of this
article.

 Emergency Management. “Emergency Management” means the
coordination and implementation of an organized effort to mitigate
against, prepare for, respond to and recover from a disaster.

 Disaster. "Disaster" means the occurrence or imminent threat of
widespread or severe damage, injury or loss of life or property
resulting from any natural or man-made cause including, but not limited
to, fire, flood, earthquake, wind, storm, wave action, oil spill or
other water contamination requiring emergency action to avert danger or
damage, epidemic, air contamination, critical material shortage,
infestation, explosion, or riot or hostile military or paramilitary
action.

 Emergency preparedness. "emergency preparedness" means the
preparation for and the carrying out of all emergency functions, other
than functions for which military forces are primarily responsible, to
minimize and repair injury and damage resulting from disasters or
catastrophes caused by enemy attacks, sabotage, riots, terrorism or
other hostile action, or by fire, flood, earthquake or other natural or
man-made causes. These functions include, without limitation,
firefighting, police, medical and health, emergency welfare, rescue,
engineering, and communications services; evacuation of persons from
stricken areas; allocation of critical materials in short supply;
emergency transportation; other activities related to civilian
protection and other activities necessary to the preparation for the
carrying out of these functions.



 Page 30
 Emergency Preparedness Management ForcesResources. "Emergency
preparedness management forcesresources" shall mean the employees,
equipment and facilities of all city departments, boards, institutions
and commissions; and in addition, it shall include all volunteer
persons, equipment and facilities contributed by or obtained from
volunteer persons or agencies.

 Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). “Emergency Operations Plan” is a
comprehensive document that assigns responsibility during an emergency
and /or disaster, sets forth lines of authority, describes how people
and property are protected. It identifies personnel, equipment,
facilities, supplies and other resources available within the
jurisdiction or by agreement with other jurisdictions.

 Fire Chief. "Fire Chief" means the Fire Chief of the City of
Portland.
 Office. “Office” means the Office of Emergency Management
established pursuant to this article.
(Ord. No. 377-90, 6-6-90; Ord. No. 293-04/05, 6-20-05)

Sec. 2-403. Organization.

 (a) The City Manager shall be responsible for the
Office’sbureau's organization, administration and operation. The City
Manager may employ such permanent or temporary employees as they he or
she deems necessary and may prescribe their duties.

 (b) The City Council shall review the existing operational
organization to ascertain the bureau's ability to cope with its
responsibilities and shall approve the city's emergency preparedness
operations plan.
(Ord. No. 377-90, 6-6-90; Ord. 98-15/16, 11-16-2015)

Sec. 2-404. Appointment of Director of BureauOffice; duties and
responsibilities
 The Fire Chief shall serve as theCity Manager or his or her
designee shall be the Director of Emergency Management. the Bureau, and
The Director shall coordinate the activities of all city departments,
organizations and agencies for emergency preparedness management
within the city and maintain a liaison with other emergency
preparedness agencies, public safety agencies, and have such additional
duties as necessary. If the Fire Chief is temporarily absent or
otherwise unable to serve as the Director for a period of time, the
Chief of Police shall serve as the Director during such period.
(Ord. No. 377-90, 6-6-90; Ord. No. 293-04/05, 6-20-05; Ord. 98-15/16, 11-16-2015)

Sec. 2-405. Rules and regulations.

 The Director of the Bureau shall prepare such policies as may be
deemed necessary for the administration and operational requirements of
the bureau Emergency Management, which policies must be approved by the
City Council prior to becoming effective.
(Ord. No. 377-90, 6-6-90; Ord. No. 293-04/05, 6-20-05; Ord. 98-15/16, 11-16-2015)

Sec. 2-406. Emergency proclamation.

 Page 31
 (a) The City Manager shall have the power and authority, after
consultation with the Director and Mayor, or one or more City Council
members in the Mayor’s absence, to issue a proclamation that an
emergency exists whenever a disaster or civil emergency exists or
appears imminent. The proclamation may declare that an emergency exists
in any or all sections of the city. If the City Manager is temporarily
absent from the City or otherwise unavailable, the Assistant City
Manager may issue the proclamation that an emergency exists. If neither
the City Manager nor the Assistant City Manager are available, then the
following persons shall have the power and authority to issue a
proclamation that an emergency exists, in the following order of
succession: the Fire Chief; if unavailable, the Chief of Police; if
unavailable, the Director of Public Works. A copy of such proclamation
shall be filed within twenty-four (24) hours in the office of the City
Clerk.
 (b) Notwithstanding the above, when consultation with the Mayor
or members of the City Council would result in a substantial delay in
an effective response in alleviating or preventing an emergency or
disaster, the City Manager is authorized to take whatever actions are
necessary to prevent the loss of life and property in the City.
 (c) The City Manager, in consultation with the Director, as the
Director of the Bureau shall be responsible for submitting a full
report to the City Council of all actions taken as a result of the
declared emergency as soon as the City Council can be convened.
 (Ord. No. 377-90, 6-6-90; Ord. No. 293-04/05, 6-20-05; Ord. 98-15/16, 11-16-2015;
Ord. No. 54-18/19, 9-5-2018)

Sec. 2-407. Termination of emergency.

 (a) When the City Manager is satisfied that a disaster or civil
emergency no longer exists, they he or she shall terminate the
emergency proclamation by another proclamation affecting the sections
of the city covered by the original proclamation, or any part thereof.
Said termination of emergency shall be filed in the office of the City
Clerk.

 (b) No state of emergency may continue for longer than tenfive
(105) days unless renewed by the City Council.
(Ord. No. 377-90, 6-6-90; Ord. No. 293-04/05, 6-20-05; Ord. 98-15/16, 11-16-2015)

Sec. 2-408. City Manager's duties and emergency powers.

 (a) During any period when an emergency or disaster exists or
appears imminent, the City Manager may promulgate such regulations as
they he or she deems necessary, and consistent with the purposes of
this article, to protect life and property and to preserve critical
resources. Such regulations may include, but are not limited to, the
following:

 (1) Regulations prohibiting or restricting the movement of
 vehicles in areas within or without the city;

 (2) Regulations facilitating or restricting the movement of
 persons within the city;

 Page 32
 (3) Regulations pertaining to the movement of persons from
 hazardous areas within the city;

 (4) Such other regulations necessary to preserve public peace,
 health and safety.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority or
responsibility of any department to proceed under powers and authority
granted to them by state statute, city ordinance or the charter of the
city.

 (b) The City Manager or his or her designee may order the
evacuation of persons from hazardous areas within the city.

 (c) The City Manager shall be authorized to request aid or
assistance from the state or any political subdivision of the state and
shall render assistance to other political subdivisions under the
provisions of Title 37-B, M.R.S. § 784-A.

 (d) The City Manager may obtain vital supplies, equipment and
other items found lacking and needed for the protection of health, life
and property.

 (e) The provisions of this section will terminate at the end of
the declared emergency.
(Ord. No. 377-90, 6-6-90; Ord. No. 293-04/05, 6-20-05; Ord. 98-15/16, 11-16-2015)

Sec. 2-409. Emergency operational plans Operations Plan.

 The Director of the BureauEmergency Management shall prepare an
emergency operational plan (EOP) for the city, which shall be submitted
to the City Council for approval. The emergency plan shall reflect the
use of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) as its primary
command and control system for all city, county, state and federal
agencies.
 Continued review and revision of the EOP is essential to the
City’s Emergency preparedness. Not less than once every three years,
the Director, in consultation with the City Manager shall review and
revise the EOP  and submit it to the City Council for
approval. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Director, in consultation
with the City Manager, is authorized at any time to make administrative
changes to the plan. For purposes of this Article, administrative
changes are defined as those that do not substantially change emergency
processes or organizational roles and responsibilities otherwise
described in the EOP.
 It shall be the responsibility of all municipal departments and
agencies to perform the functions assigned and to maintain their
portions of the plan in a current state of readiness.
(Ord. No. 377-90, 6-6-90; Ord. No. 293-04/05, 6-20-05; Ord. 98-15/16, 11-16-2015)

Sec. 2-410. Immunity from liability.

 All members of emergency preparedness forces, while engaged in
emergency preparedness activities, shall be immune from liability, as

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set forth in Title 37-B, Section M.R.S. § 822.
(Ord. No. 377-90, 6-6-90; Ord. No. 293-04/05, 6-20-05; Ord. 98-15/16, 11-16-2015)

Sec. 2-411. Compensation for injuries.

 All members of emergency preparedness forces shall be deemed to be
employees of the state when engaged in training or on duty while on,
preparing for, or training for emergency management duty, and shall
have all of the rights of state employees under the Workers’men's
Compensation Act, as set forth in Title 37-B, M.R.S. § 823.
(Ord. No. 377-90, 6-6-90; Ord. No. 293-04/05, 6-20-05; Ord. 98-15/16, 11-16-2015)

Sec. 2-412. Violation of regulations.

 It shall be unlawful for any person to violate any provisions of
this article or of the regulations or plans issued pursuant to the
authority contained herein, or to obstruct, hinder or delay any member
of the emergency preparedness organization as herein defined in the
enforcement of the provisions of this article or any regulation or plan
issued thereunder.
(Ord. No. 377-90, 6-6-90; Ord. No. 293-04/05, 6-20-05)

Sec. 2-413. Penalty.

 Any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this
article or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder, upon
conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one
thousandfive hundred dollars ($1,000.00500.00) and the costs of
prosecution.
(Ord. No. 377-90, 6-6-90)

Sec. 2-414. Severability.

 Should any provision of this article be declared invalid for any
reason, such declaration shall not affect the validity of other
provisions, or of this article as a whole, it being the legislative
intent that the provisions of this article shall be severable and
remain valid notwithstanding such declaration.
(Ord. No. 377-90, 6-6-90)

Sec. 2-415. Conflicting ordinances, orders, rules and regulations
suspended.

 At all times when the orders, rules and regulations made and
promulgated pursuant to this article shall be in effect, they shall
supersede all existing ordinances, orders, rules and regulations,
insofar as the latter may be inconsistent herewith.
(Ord. No. 377-90, 6-6-90)

Sec. 2-416. – 2-429. Reserved




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City of Portland, Maine
EMERGENCY
OPERATIONS PLAN
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Emergency Operations Plan 2025​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Pg.1

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Table of Contents
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION AND RISK ASSESSMENT​ 8
 1.1 Introduction​ 8
 1.1.1 Purpose​ 8
 1.1.2 Foundational Laws and City Code​ 8
 1.1.2.1 Local​ 8
 1.1.2.2 State​ 8
 1.1.3 EOP Structure​ 9
 1.1.4 Planning Principles​ 9
 1.1.5 Scope and Applicability​ 10
 1.2 Community Risk​ 11
 1.2.1 City Overview and Makeup​ 11
 Visual 1.1 Older Population by Age in Portland, ME​ 11




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 Visual 1.2 Population Pyramid​
 Visual 1.3 Median Household Income​
 Visual 1.4 Race / Ethnicity composition​
 Visual 1.5 City of Portland Islands​
 1.2.2 Community Risk and Hazards Summary​
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 1.2.2.1 Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment​
 1.2.2.2 Capability and Risk Assessment Tool (CaRAT)​
 1.2.2.3 Integration into the EOP​
 Visual 1.6 Summary of Threat and Hazard Risk Assessment​
SECTION 2: CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS (CONOPS)​
 2.1 Emergency Management Authorities and Responsibilities​
 2.1.1 Introduction​
 2.1.2 City Council​
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D 2.1.3 Mayor​
 2.1.4 City Manager​
 2.1.5 City Clerk​
 2.1.6 Emergency Management Director (Local)​
 2.1.6.1 Legal Authority:​
 2.1.7 Office of Emergency Management​
 2.1.7.1 Composition​
 2.1.7.2 Authority and Responsibilities:​
 2.1.7.3 Legal Authority:​
 2.1.8 Private Sector​
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 2.1.8.1 Legal and Policy Frameworks:​ 24
 Table 2.1 Key Private Sector Partners in the Portland Metro Area​ 24



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 2.1.9 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)​ 25
 2.1.9.1 Legal and Policy Frameworks:​ 26
 Table 2.2 Key NGOs in the Portland Metro Area​ 26
 2.1.10 Cumberland County EMA (CCEMA)​ 27
 2.1.11 State of Maine EMA (MEMA)​ 28
 2.1.12 Federal Government EMA (FEMA)​ 29
 2.1.12.1 Legal Authority​ 29
 2.2 Emergency Organization and Operations​ 30
 2.2.1 Introduction​ 30
 2.2.2 Incident Command System (ICS)​ 30
 2.2.2.1 ICS Overview​ 30
 2.2.2.2 ICS Command Staff​ 31
 2.2.2.3 ICS Operations Section​ 31
 2.2.2.4 ICS Planning Section​ 31



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 2.2.2.5 ICS Logistics Section​
 2.2.2.6 ICS Finance and Administration Section​
 2.2.2.7 ICS Intelligence and Investigation Section​
 Visual 2.1 Incident Command Sections​
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 Visual 2.2 Incident Command Sections Explained​
 Visual 2.3 ICS Chart​
 2.2.2.8 Area Command​
 2.2.2.9 Incident Management Teams​
 2.2.2.10 ICS and EOC Integration​
 2.2.3 Emergency Operations Center (EOC)​
 2.2.3.1 EOC Purpose and Application​
 2.2.3.2 EOC Management Section​
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D Visual 2.5: EOC Functional Chart​
 2.2.3.3 EOC Operations Section​
 2.2.3.4 EOC Planning Section​
 2.2.3.5 EOC Logistics Section​
 2.2.3.6 EOC Finance and Administration Section​
 2.2.3.7 IT Information Section​
 2.2.3.8 EOC Liaison Section​
 2.2.4 Joint Information System (JIS) & Center (JIC)​
 2.2.5 Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMATs)​
 2.2.6 Disaster Assistance Center (DAC)​
 2.2.7 Mass Casualty Management Structures​
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 2.2.9.1 Victim Identification Center (VIC)​ 38
 2.2.9.2 Family Assistance Center (FAC)​ 38


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 2.2.8 Joint Field Office (JFO)​ 38
 2.2.9 Public Alert and Warning​ 39
 2.2.9.1 Authority​ 39
 Table 2.3 Key Elements of Public Alert and Warning​ 39
 2.2.10 Public Protective Actions​ 41
 2.2.10.1 Introduction​ 41
 2.2.10.2 Evacuation​ 41
 2.2.10.3 Shelter in Place​ 42
 2.2.10.4 Curfew​ 42
 2.2.10.5 Avoid the Area​ 42
 2.2.10.6 Public Health Protective Actions​ 42
SECTION 3: ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES​ 43
 3.1 Organizational Emergency Functions​ 43
 3.1.1 Emergency Functions Overview​ 43



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 3.1.1.1 Lead Agencies / Organizations​
 3.1.1.2 Support Agencies / Organizations​
 3.1.1.3 Partner Organizations​
 3.1.2 Core Capabilities​
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 3.1.2.1 Capabilities Shared Among All Mission Area​
 3.1.2.2 Prevention and Protection Mission Areas​
 3.1.2.3 Mitigation Mission Area​
 3.1.2.4 Response Mission Area​
 3.1.2.5 Recovery Mission Area​
 3.1.3 Capability Tables​
 3.1.4 Other Emergency Responsibilities​
 3.1.4.1 General Responsibilities for All City Departments and Agencies​
 3.1.4.2 Responsibilities for Partner Organizations​
 3.1.4.3 Responsibilities for All Personnel​
 3.2 Responsibilities: City of Portland Departments​
 3.2.1 Finance Department​
 3.2.2 Planning & Urban Development Department​
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 3.2.3 Health and Human Services Department​ 52
 3.2.4 Corporation Counsel / Legal Department​ 53
 3.2.5 Permitting and Inspections Department​ 54
 3.2.6 Police Department​ 55
 3.2.7 Fire Department​ 56
 3.2.8 Public Works Department​ 57
 3.2.9 Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Department​ 58
 3.2.10 Portland International Jetport (PWM)​ 59


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 3.2.11 Communications & Digital Services Department​ 61
 3.2.12 Information & Technology (IT)​ 61
 3.3 Responsibilities: Internal City Support​ 62
 3.3.1 Human Resources​ 63
 3.3.2 Housing and Economic Development​ 64
 3.3.3 Assessor​ 64
 3.4 Responsibilities: Independent Agencies, State Government, Federal Government and
 Quasi-governmental Organizations​ 64
 3.4.1 Portland Public Schools (PPS)​ 65
 3.4.2 Metropolitan Transportation (Greater Portland METRO)​ 65
 3.4.3 Central Maine Power (CMP)​ 66
 3.4.4 Portland Water District (PWD)​ 66
 3.4.5 Maine Medical Center and Northern Light Mercy Hospital​ 66
 3.4.6 Portland Housing Authority (PHA)​ 67
 3.4.7 Colleges and Universities​

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 3.4.8 Private Schools and Charter Schools​
 3.4.9 Neighborhood Districts​
 3.4.10 Amtrak and Railroad Transportation​
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 3.4.11 State of Maine​ 69
 3.4.12 Federal Government​ 69
 3.5 Responsibilities: Private Sector Partners​ 70
 3.5.2 Local Business Groups & Organizations​ 70




 ra 3.5.3 Portland Downtown District​
 3.5.4 Lodging / Hotel Providers​
 3.5.5 Tourism Industry​
 3.5.6 Cruise Ship Industry​
 3.5.7 Supermarkets and Food Suppliers​
 3.5.8 Assisted Living Facilities & Nursing Homes​
 3.5.9 Transportation Industry​
 3.5.10 Financial Institutions​
 3.5.11 Hospitals​
 3.5.12 Utility Companies​
SECTION 4: PLAN MAINTENANCE​
 4.1 Introduction​
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 4.2 Maintenance Process​ 75
 4.2.1 Formal Approval​ 75
 4.2.2 Record of Changes / Revisions​ 76
 4.3 Training, Exercises, and Evaluation​ 76
 4.3.1 Training, Exercises, and Evaluation​ 76


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 4.3.1.1 Training​ 76
 4.3.1.2 Exercises​ 76
 4.3.1.3 Evaluation and Improvement Planning​ 77
SECTION 5: APPENDICES AND ANNEXES​ 77
 5.1 Support Appendices​ 77
 5.1.1 Glossary of Terms and Acronyms​ 77
 Table 5.1 Portland EOP Glossary of Terms and Acronyms​ 77
 5.1.2 Record of Revision / Change​ 79
 5.1.3 Record of Distribution​ 79
 5.1.4 City of Portland Organizational Chart​ 81
 Visual 5.1​ 81
 5.1.5 Private Sector Partners – Quick Reference​ 81
 5.2 Hazard Specific and Functional Annexes​ 83
 5.2.1 Introduction​



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 5.2.2 List of Hazard Specific Annexes​
 5.2.3 List of Functional Annexes​
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SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION AND RISK ASSESSMENT

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 Purpose
This Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) provides a framework for the coordinated management
of emergencies that affect the City of Portland. This plan considers the entire community and
was developed in cooperation with all City departments, agencies and offices (departments), as
well as special districts; local, state and federal government agencies; private sector
organizations; and citizen groups (partner organizations). The EOP creates a unified framework
for emergency operations by identifying roles and responsibilities, as well as actions to be taken
before, during and after an emergency or disaster. It sets forth lines of authority and



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organizational relationships. It identifies personnel, equipment, facilities, supplies and other
resources available within the jurisdiction or by agreement with other jurisdictions.


1.1.2 Foundational Laws and City Code




D 1.1.2.1 Local




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 ●​ City of Portland Chapter 2 Article VIII Emergency Management Sec. 2-401
 ●​ City of Portland Chapter 2 Administration Sec. 2-17 (a)
 ●​ City of Portland Chapter 2 Administration Sec. 2-17 (b)
 ●​ City of Portland Chapter 2 Administration Sec. 2-17 (c)
 ●​ City of Portland Chapter 2 Administration Sec. 2-17 (d)
 ●​ City of Portland Chapter 2 Administration Sec. 2-17 (e)
 ●​ City of Portland Chapter 2 Administration Sec. 2-17 (f)
 ●​ City of Portland Chapter 2 Article VIII Emergency Management Sec. 2-409

  1.1.2.2 State
 ●​ Maine State Statute Title 37-B § 781
 ●​ Maine State Statute Title 37-B § 783

  1.1.2.3 Federal
 ●​ Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act of 1986 (42 U.S.C. § 11001 et.
 seq.)
 ●​ Comprehensive Planning Guide 101 (CPG) 2021 Version 3.0
 ●​ FEMA’s National Incident Management System (NIMS) 3rd Edition October 2017
 ●​ FEMA’s National Preparedness Goal, 2nd Edition, September 2015


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 ●​ Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.)


1.1.3 EOP Structure
This Portland Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is comprised of three distinct components:
 1.​ Base Plan: The Base Plan defines the purpose of the EOP, the plan’s underpinning legal
 authorities, the City’s emergency management organization, roles and responsibilities
 during an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activation, and each department’s major
 emergency responsibilities. It defines the roles and relationships of external
 stakeholders, private partners, and non-governmental organizations.
 2.​ Support or General Appendices: The general appendices include a Glossary of Terms
 and Acronyms, Record of Change / Revision, Record of Distribution and other indexes to
 guide use of the EOP and exhibit compliance with all relevant standards. Any references
 that have been used to create this document will be located in this section.



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 3.​ Hazard Specific Annexes: While it is impossible to list all hazards the City may face, the
 Hazard Specific Annexes examine management strategies for certain consequential
 threats and hazards. These annexes focus on critical operational functions and who is
 responsible for carrying them out. They clearly describe the policies, processes, roles,
 and responsibilities that agencies and departments carry out before, during and after




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 any emergency. While the base plan provides broad, overarching information relevant
 to the EOP as a whole, these annexes focus on specific responsibilities, tasks, and
 operational actions that pertain to a particular emergency.
 4.​ Functional Annexes: Functional annexes are the detailed, action-oriented sections of the
 EOP. They provide a "how-to" guide for specific emergency management functions that
 are essential for an effective and coordinated response. The functional annexes break
 down the operational details, roles, responsibilities, and procedures for critical activities
 that must be performed by multiple departments or agencies during an emergency.


1.1.4 Planning Principles
This particular plan outlines the City’s emergency response and recovery framework structured
to manage any emergency that occurs. The EOP allows flexibility and discretion within a
well-defined emergency management framework to enable a nimble and coordinated response.
The EOP is based on the following principles:
 ●​ Emergency preparedness is everyone’s responsibility. Residents, businesses and
 government have individual preparedness responsibilities that must be internally
 addressed and coordinated with each other.




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 ●​ The immediate response priority to an emergency or disaster situation of any size and
 scope is saving lives and then protecting critical infrastructure, property and the
 environment.
 ●​ The EOP addresses Portland’s emergency management from a whole community
 perspective by incorporating the needs, responsibilities and capabilities of not only
 government, but that of private and non-profit partners as well.
 ●​ Nothing in this plan alters or impedes the ability of local, state, and federal governments
 or private agencies and organizations from carrying out their specific authorities or
 performing their specific responsibilities under all applicable laws, executive orders and
 directives. In other words, the day to day duties and responsibilities are not replaced by
 this EOP. This plan is available when a disaster or emergency exists that warrants the
 use of parts of it or in its entirety.
 ●​ An emergency may impact emergency management and response personnel rendering
 them unable to execute their emergency responsibilities. Each department and partner


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 organization should build personnel depth within their organizations to ensure they are
 able to meet their responsibilities outlined in this plan.
 ●​ It is the responsibility of Department Heads in each department and organization to
 ensure their staff is trained, prepared and available to meet the requirements of this




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 plan.
 ●​ Response operations may last for several hours, days, weeks or longer. Recovery
 operations may last for days, weeks, months or even years.
 ●​ An emergency may require the mobilization and reallocation of available local resources.
 All resources maintained by the City of Portland may be called upon to assist with
 emergency response. Furthermore, resources not normally available to the City may be
 acquired through emergency procurement, donations or other means.
 ●​ If an emergency exceeds local response capabilities, outside assistance may be available
 through mutual aid agreements with nearby jurisdictions or through the State’s
 Emergency Operations Center. Often a local emergency must be declared and local
 resources fully committed before state or federal assistance is requested. Additionally,
 depending on the size and scope of the emergency and/or concurrent emergencies
 across a wide geographic area, resources may not be available in a timely manner.


1.1.5 Scope and Applicability
The EOP is the principal plan governing all emergencies and disasters occurring within the limits
of the City or affecting the well-being of the residents, visitors, businesses or environment. This
plan was created with input from a variety of government, nonprofit and private sector
stakeholders and defines how the whole Portland community responds to and recovers from
emergencies. City departments must support the EOP’s Concept of Operations and carry out

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their assigned functional responsibilities to ensure orderly and timely delivery of assistance
during an emergency.

Furthermore, the EOP applies to all partner organizations, private businesses and NGOs
operating inside the City limits. While the EOP is not binding on the operations of organizations
external to City government, this plan strongly encourages all local organizations and businesses
to coordinate their emergency plans and procedures with the provisions of the EOP to ensure a
coordinated citywide emergency response and recovery effort. This same concept applies to
critical infrastructure, facilities, vulnerable geographical areas, Casco Bay Islands, hospitals,
assisted living facilities, and nursing homes.

The EOP does not need to be officially activated prior to one or more of the sections herein
being implemented. Furthermore, each department and organization listed in the EOP is
responsible for understanding its own emergency authority and procedures when implementing


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the provisions of the EOP. This plan, similar to the NIMS and ICS models, is designed to be
scalable to meet the needs of all City departments from small daily incidents to large scale
emergencies.




D
1.2 Community Risk

1.2.1 City Overview and Makeup




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Portland is the most populous city in the state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County.
According to the 2023 American Community Survey, Portland’s population estimate is 69,104
with an estimate of 32,393 households, 46.7% of which are owner-occupied. The Greater
Portland metropolitan area has a population of approximately 550,000 people, making it by far
Maine’s most populous metropolitan area. Seventeen percent of our population is 65 years or
older, and 15.4% is under 18.

Visual 1.1 Older Population by Age in Portland, ME




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Visual 1.2 Population Pyramid




Visual 1.3 Median Household Income
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The median household income is $76,174.




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Although English is the primary language spoken in the Portland Metro Area, there is a significant
population that speaks different languages. The Portland Public Schools serves approximately
6,500 students in pre-K through grade 12, about one-third of whom come from homes where a
language other than English is spoken - for a total of more than 50 languages. The top five
languages spoken in Portland other than English are:
 1.​ French
 2.​ Spanish
 3.​ Portuguese
 4.​ Somali
 5.​ Arabic

Roughly 80% of our population identifies as Caucasian with 9% identifying as Black alone, 6.2%
as two or more races, 3.2% as Asian, and 3.1% as Hispanic or Latino. Eleven percent of our
population identifies as being foreign-born.


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Visual 1.4 Race / Ethnicity composition
 Race/Ethnicity 2020 2010 2000 1990 1960

 White 84.6% 83.6% 91.27% 96% 99.4%

 African Americans 8.4% 7.1% 2.59% 1.1% 0.5%

 Asian 3.5% 3.5% 3.08% 1.7% 0.1%

 Two or more races 2.9% 2.7% 1.86% 0.2% NA

 Hispanic or Latino 3% 3% 1.52% 0.8% NA

 Native American 0.1% 0.5%


 ft 0.47% 0.4% NA



There are also five islands in Casco Bay that are part of the City of Portland. The five Islands
which receive City services and are part of City Council District #1 are:




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 ●​ Peaks Island
 ●​ Little Diamond Island
 ●​ Great Diamond Island
 ●​ Cliff Island
 ●​ Cushing Island

Visual 1.5 City of Portland Islands




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The City has adopted a council-manager style of government that is detailed in the City Charter.
The citizens of Portland are represented by a nine-member City Council (eight councilors and
mayor), which makes policy, passes ordinances, approves appropriations, appoints the City
Manager, Corporation Counsel and City Clerk, approves department head positions, and
oversees the municipal government. Portland’s municipal budget for FY26 was $365.6 million.
The City Council is elected by the citizens of Portland. The City has five voting districts, with
each district electing a city councilor to represent their neighborhood interests for a three-year
term. There are also three members of the City Council who are elected at-large for three-year
terms. The Mayor is popularly elected and serves a four-year term. Elections for council and
mayoral seats are determined by ranked-choice voting when necessary.

Visual 1.6 The Five Voting Districts of Portland




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1.2.2 Community Risk and Hazards Summary
  1.2.2.1 Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
  The City of Portland utilizes the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
  (THIRA) process and the Capability and Risk Assessment Tool (CaRAT) as foundational
  elements of its emergency management program. These assessments ensure that
  preparedness efforts are risk-based and capability-driven, aligning with FEMA’s National
  Preparedness System and the State of Maine’s emergency management framework.
  ​
  THIRA – Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment:​
  The THIRA is a structured, FEMA-recommended process used to identify and assess the
  threats and hazards that could affect the City of Portland. It provides a framework for
  understanding the potential impacts of these events and determining the capability targets
  necessary to manage them effectively.
  ​
  The THIRA process involves:
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 ●​ Identifying natural, technological, and human-caused hazards relevant to Portland.
 ●​ Describing the context and potential impacts of each hazard.
 ●​ Establishing measurable capability targets to guide response and recovery.




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 ●​ Using the results to inform emergency planning, training, exercises, and resource
 allocation.

  1.2.2.2 Capability and Risk Assessment Tool (CaRAT)
  The CaRAT is used in conjunction with the THIRA to measure the City’s current capabilities
  against the identified capability targets. This tool, provided by the Maine Emergency
  Management Agency (MEMA), allows Portland to assess its strengths and identify areas for
  improvement across FEMA’s Core Capabilities.​

 The CaRAT process involves:
 ●​ Linking THIRA-identified hazards and capability targets to capability assessments.
 ●​ Evaluating the City’s current capacity for each Core Capability.
 ●​ Identifying gaps between existing capabilities and required targets.
 ●​ Prioritizing investments in training, equipment, partnerships, and planning to close
 capability gaps

  1.2.2.3 Integration into the EOP
  The results of the THIRA and CaRAT assessments directly inform this Emergency Operations
  Plan (EOP), particularly the core capabilities matrix, operational concepts, and resource
  management strategies. While the full THIRA and CaRAT documents are maintained

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 separately as part of the City’s emergency management program, their findings are
 summarized within this plan to ensure alignment between identified risks, capability targets,
 and operational readiness.

 In 2024, the City’s Emergency Management Coordinator conducted a series of workshops
 with key city departments, partner agencies, and community stakeholders to compile a
 comprehensive Risk and Hazards Summary. These workshops gathered local knowledge and
 historical data, validated hazard scenarios, and refined the City’s hazard profiles. The
 information collected during these sessions directly informed both the THIRA and CaRAT
 processes, ensuring that the City’s capability targets and gap analyses are based on current,
 locally relevant risk data.

Visual 1.6 Summary of Threat and Hazard Risk Assessment




 High Risk ft
 ●​ Cyber Incident
 ●​ Winter Storm - Nor’Easter
 ●​ Terrorist / Mass Violence
 ●​ Winter Storms - Blizzard & Ice Storm
 ●​ Extreme Cold
 ●​ Flash Flooding




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  Medium Risk
 ●​ Infectious Disease Outbreak
 ●​ Summer Weather - Windstorm

 ●​ Coastal Flooding
 ●​ Transportation (Mass Casualty) Incident
 ●​ Hazmat Release - Transportation
 ●​ Hazmat Release - Fixed site
 ●​ Urban Multi-Structure Fire
 ●​ Earthquake
 ●​ Space Weather
 ●​ Riverine Flooding
 ●​ Heat Wave
 ●​ Radiological Incident

 ●​ Rural Wildfire
 ●​ Landslide
 Low Risk ●​ Bridge / Building Collapse
 ●​ Tornadoes
 ●​ Drought




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SECTION 2: CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS (CONOPS)

2.1 Emergency Management Authorities and Responsibilities

2.1.1 Introduction
City, state and federal agencies are each granted unique authorities to manage emergencies.
These authorities are closely coordinated between government agencies as well as with
external partner organizations to ensure a whole community emergency management strategy.
While successful emergency management is a collaborative effort, Maine Revised Statutes,
Title 37-B, Chapter 13 (the “Maine Emergency Management Act”) vests ultimate legal authority
for coordinating emergency response and recovery activities within Portland with City
government, and the City of Portland Code of Ordinances, Chapter 2, Article VIII – Emergency



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Management (the “Emergency Management Ordinance”) provides authority and limited
liability protections for City employees, agents, or representatives engaged in carrying out these
activities. Large emergencies and disasters may require the support and resources of state and
federal entities, but overall direction and control of emergency response and recovery activities
is maintained by City government until the point that Portland can no longer maintain




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continuity of operations.


2.1.2 City Council




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The Portland City Council serves as the legislative body of the City and plays a key policy-making
and oversight role in emergency management. While day-to-day operational authority during an
emergency resides with the City Manager and designated incident management officials, the
City Council holds important statutory and governance responsibilities to ensure the
community’s readiness, response, and recovery.

  2.1.2.1 Authorities and Responsibilities

 ●​ Policy Oversight: Provide policy direction and oversight for the City’s emergency
 management program, including review and adoption of the Emergency Operations Plan
 (EOP) and any substantive amendments.
 ●​ Appropriation of Funds: Authorize the allocation or reallocation of City resources and
 funds for emergency preparedness, response, and recovery activities, including
 supplemental appropriations during or following a declared emergency.




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 ●​ Declaration of Emergency: Ratify or extend a local emergency proclamation issued by
 the City Manager, consistent with the Maine Emergency Management Act and the
 Emergency Management Ordinance.
 ●​ Legislative Support: Adopt temporary ordinances or measures necessary to protect life,
 property, and the environment during emergencies.
 ●​ Community Representation: Serve as representatives of their constituents by
 communicating public concerns to the City Manager, Public Information Officer, and
 other officials during an emergency.
 ●​ Post-Incident Review: Participate in post-incident briefings, After Action Reports (AARs),
 and improvement planning to assess the effectiveness of City response and recovery
 efforts.

  2.1.2.2 Coordination




 ft
 The City Council works in coordination with the City Manager, Office of Emergency
 Management, and other executive staff to ensure emergency policies are aligned with
 community priorities and legal requirements. During emergency operations, Council
 Members receive situational updates and may participate in the Joint Information System
 (JIS) for consistent public messaging.




Dra
 As elected advocates for the five City Council Districts, council members are responsible for
 coordinating with their respective districts during an emergency to determine the needs of
 the citizens of their districts. At-Large council members are responsible for assisting their
 colleagues in identifying the needs of the City as a whole. These needs should then be
 communicated back to the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC).


2.1.3 Mayor

Under the Portland City Charter, the Mayor is elected citywide and serves as the official head of
the City for ceremonial purposes and as the chair of the City Council. The Mayor’s role includes
providing policy leadership, presiding over Council meetings, and representing the City in
intergovernmental and ceremonial matters.​
​
 For Emergency Management purposes, the Mayor’s authority and responsibilities include:

 ●​ Providing policy leadership to the City Council on emergency preparedness, response,
 and recovery priorities.
 ●​ Communicating with the public as the elected leader of the City to provide reassurance,
 situational updates, and policy direction during emergencies.


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 ●​ Representing the City in intergovernmental coordination, including meetings with
 county, state, federal, and tribal officials on disaster response and recovery matters.
 ●​ Coordinating with the City Manager and Emergency Management Director to ensure
 that emergency declarations, ordinances, and resource requests are consistent with the
 City’s needs and legal requirements.
 ●​ Support coordinated public messaging in partnership with the Public Information Officer
 (PIO) and Joint Information System (JIS).
 ●​ Participating in official actions of the City Council, such as adopting emergency
 measures, approving resource allocations, and ratifying emergency declarations when
 required.
 ●​ Supporting continuity of government operations by ensuring that the Council remains
 functional and engaged during and after an emergency.

While the City Manager retains administrative control over emergency operations, the Mayor



 ft
plays a vital role in setting policy priorities, maintaining public confidence, and fostering
intergovernmental relationships during all phases of Emergency Management.


2.1.4 City Manager




D
Under the Portland City Charter (Article VI, Section 5), the City Manager serves as the chief
administrative officer of the City of Portland. Appointed by the City Council, the City Manager is
selected solely on the basis of executive and administrative qualifications.




 ra
For Emergency Management purposes, the City Manager’s authority includes:

 ●​ Enforcing all laws, ordinances, and Council policies applicable to emergency
 management operations.
 ●​ Exercising administrative control over all City departments and directing the
 implementation of emergency policies established by the Council.
 ●​ Ensuring compliance with the City’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and delegating
 authority to department heads and the Emergency Management Director as
 appropriate.
 ●​ Preparing and submitting emergency-related budget proposals and resource requests.
 ●​ Presenting reports to the Council on emergency preparedness, response, and recovery
 status.
 ●​ Keeping the Council informed on the condition of the City, including hazard
 vulnerabilities and emergency response capabilities.
 ●​ Coordinating with the Mayor, Emergency Management Director, and other stakeholders
 to prepare and maintain the City’s emergency planning and response framework.


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 ●​ Issue local emergency proclamations when necessary, consistent with the Maine
 Emergency Management Act and the Emergency Management Ordinance.
 ●​ Serve as the City’s Chief Executive Officer with overall responsibility for managing
 emergency operations.
 ●​ Direct and coordinate all City departments and agencies during emergency operations.
 ●​ Authorize the activation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and designating an
 EOC Manager.
 ●​ Approve emergency policies, resource allocations, and mutual aid requests.
 ●​ Serve as the primary link between the City Council and the Office of Emergency
 Management during emergency situations.
 ●​ Represent the City in intergovernmental coordination efforts at the county, state, and
 federal levels.
 ●​ Ensure that critical information is communicated promptly to elected officials,
 department heads, and the public.

In all emergency situations, the City Manager retains ultimate administrative responsibility for


 ft
ensuring that emergency operations are carried out effectively, in accordance with the City
Charter, applicable ordinances, and the EOP.


2.1.5 City Clerk




D
Under the Portland City Charter, the City Clerk is appointed by the City Council and serves as the
official records custodian for the City of Portland. The Clerk’s duties include maintaining the
official record of Council proceedings, preserving all ordinances and resolutions, managing




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public notices, and ensuring compliance with applicable open government laws.​
​
For Emergency Management purposes, the City Clerk’s authority and responsibilities include:

 ●​ Maintaining official emergency records, including Council resolutions declaring a state of
 emergency and related legislative actions.
 ●​ Attesting and certifying emergency declarations, ordinances, and orders issued by the
 City Council or City Manager under emergency powers.
 ●​ Coordinating public notification of emergency measures, including publishing official
 notices as required by law.
 ●​ Preserving historical documentation related to the emergency for legal, financial, and
 after-action reporting purposes.
 ●​ Supporting continuity of government operations by safeguarding critical records and
 ensuring access to essential documents during emergency situations.
 ●​ Working in coordination with the Emergency Management Director and City Manager to
 ensure that official communications are timely, accurate, and compliant with statutory
 requirements.

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In all emergency situations, the City Clerk plays a critical role in ensuring legal compliance,
accurate recordkeeping, and transparency in official City actions, in accordance with the City
Charter, applicable ordinances, and state public records laws.


2.1.6 Emergency Management Director (Local)

Under the City of Portland’s municipal code and in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes,
Title 37-B, the City’s Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director is responsible for the
coordination and administration of the City’s emergency management program. In Portland,
this position is held by the Fire Chief, who serves in a dual role providing both operational
leadership for the Fire Department and overall direction for Emergency Management activities
within the City.​
​
For Emergency Management purposes, the EMA Director / Fire Chief’s authority and
responsibilities include:

 ft
 ●​ Coordinating all-hazards emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation
 activities within the City of Portland.
 ●​ Activating and directing the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during incidents




Dra
 requiring multi-agency coordination.
 ●​ Serving as the primary point of contact between the City Manager, Mayor, Department
 Heads, Cumberland County EMA, and the Maine Emergency Management Agency
 (MEMA) during emergencies.
 ●​ Developing, maintaining, and exercising the City’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and
 related annexes.
 ●​ Overseeing emergency training and exercise programs to ensure readiness of City
 personnel and partner agencies.
 ●​ Coordinating resource requests from City departments and integrating mutual aid,
 county, state, and federal resources into City operations.
 ●​ Advising the City Manager and Mayor on emergency declarations, public protective
 actions, and policy decisions.
 ●​ Ensuring compliance with NIMS and the National Response Framework (NRF) for all City
 emergency management activities.
 ●​ Maintaining situational awareness and ensuring timely dissemination of critical
 information to stakeholders and the public.




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  2.1.6.1 Legal Authority:
  The position and authorities of the EMA Director are established by the Emergency
  Management Ordinance in alignment with section782 of the Maine Emergency Management
  Act, which mandates each municipality to designate an EMA Director with responsibility for
  local emergency management. The Fire Chief also operates under Chapter 2 Sec. 2-17 (b)
  and Chapter 10 Fire Prevention & Protection.


2.1.7 Office of Emergency Management
The City of Portland Office of Emergency Management (OEM) serves as the central coordination
body for all emergency management activities within the City. The OEM functions under the
authority of the City’s Emergency Management Ordinance and the Maine Emergency
Management Act, and in alignment with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and
the National Response Framework (NRF).



 ft
The OEM is responsible for ensuring that the City is prepared to prevent, protect against,
respond to, recover from, and mitigate the impacts of all hazards, whether natural,
technological, or human-caused. The City Manager is responsible for the Office’s organization,
administration and operation.




D 2.1.7.1 Composition
  The OEM will be composed of:




 ra●​ Fire Chief / Local EMA Director – serving as the lead official for emergency management
 coordination.
 ●​ City Emergency Management Coordinator – managing day-to-day emergency
 management program activities and planning efforts.
 ●​ Assistant City Manager for Public Safety – providing executive-level oversight and policy
 direction.
 ●​ Key Department Heads or Designees – including representatives from Fire, Police,
 Communications & Digital Services, Public Works, Parks, Recreation & Facilities, Health &
 Human Services, and other departments as necessary based on incident type.

  2.1.7.2 Authority and Responsibilities:
  The OEM’s authority and responsibilities will include:
 ●​ Maintaining, updating, and exercising the City’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and
 associated annexes.
 ●​ Oversee hazard and risk assessments, including the Threat and Hazard Identification and
 Risk Assessment (THIRA) and Capability Assessment for Readiness (CaRAT).



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 ●​ Coordinating the activation and management of the City’s Emergency Operations Center
 (EOC) during emergencies and planned events.
 ●​ Facilitating interdepartmental coordination to ensure a unified, efficient, and timely
 emergency response.
 ●​ Serving as the primary liaison to Cumberland County EMA, Maine Emergency
 Management Agency (MEMA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
 and supporting voluntary organizations..
 ●​ Overseeing citywide training and exercise programs to ensure operational readiness
 across departments.
 ●​ Coordinate emergency preparedness outreach and public education.
 ●​ Coordinating public warning and information systems to provide timely and accurate
 information to the public.
 ●​ Managing resource requests, logistics, and mutual aid integration during emergencies.
 ●​ Leading hazard mitigation planning efforts in collaboration with city departments and
 external partners.

 ft
 ●​ Engaging the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and community-based
 groups in preparedness and resilience initiatives.
 ●​ Maintaining situational awareness by monitoring potential hazards, threats, and




D incidents in coordination with relevant partners.
 ●​ Coordinating City-wide recovery efforts for federally declared disasters.

 2.1.7.3 Legal Authority:




 raThe OEM derives its authority from the Emergency Management Ordinance and Maine
 Emergency Management Act, which require municipalities to establish and maintain a local
 emergency management agency. The OEM’s operational structure and activities will be
 consistent with the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Title 44
 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and other applicable state and federal guidance.


2.1.8 Private Sector

Private sector partners include for-profit businesses, trade organizations, and infrastructure
owners/operators that provide critical goods, services, and capabilities to the City of Portland
before, during, and after emergencies. While they operate under private ownership and
governance, many are recognized as part of the community’s essential infrastructure and lifeline
sectors under the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) and the National Response
Framework (NRF).​
​



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For Emergency Management purposes, the private sector’s authority and responsibilities
include:

 ●​ Maintaining continuity of operations to provide essential goods and services during
 disruptions.
 ●​ Coordinating with the City of Portland and Cumberland County EMA to share situational
 information and resource availability.
 ●​ Protecting critical infrastructure and key resources such as utilities, transportation hubs,
 and communication systems.
 ●​ Participating in preparedness activities, including planning, training, and exercises with
 public agencies.
 ●​ Supporting response operations by providing equipment, facilities, personnel, and
 technical expertise.
 ●​ Collaborating on recovery efforts, including debris management, restoration of utilities,



 ft
 and resumption of commercial operations.
 ●​ Complying with emergency orders and regulations issued under Municipal, County,
 State, and Federal authority.

  2.1.8.1 Legal and Policy Frameworks:




Dra
 ●​ Private sector emergency management engagement is recognized in the Robert T.
 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and implemented through the
 National Response Framework.
 ●​ Critical infrastructure protection responsibilities are defined in the National
 Infrastructure Protection Plan and relevant Presidential Policy Directives (PPDs).
 ●​ Sector-specific entities may also be subject to federal and state regulations, such as 49
 CFR for transportation, 47 CFR for communications, and 42 CFR for healthcare facilities.

Table 2.1 Key Private Sector Partners in the Portland Metro Area

 Organization Role in Emergency Management

 Central Maine Power (CMP) Electric utility responsible for restoring power and supporting
 critical infrastructure during outages.

 Unitil / Summit Natural Gas Natural gas provider ensuring safe restoration of service and
 supporting heating needs during emergencies.

 Portland Water District Ensures potable water supply, water quality, and wastewater
 management during incidents.


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 Casco Bay Lines Provides ferry transportation to Casco Bay Islands, critical for
 evacuation and supply delivery.

 Eimskip / International Maritime shipping and cargo handling for supply chain
 Marine Terminal continuity.

 Maine Medical Center / Healthcare facilities providing emergency medical services and
 Northern Light Mercy surge capacity.
 Hospital

 WGME / WMTW / WCSH / Local broadcast media partners for public information and
 Maine Public emergency alerts.

 Hannaford / Shaw’s / Retail food supply chains ensure community access to
 WholeFoods / Trader Joe’s
 Supermarkets

 Home Depot & Lowes
 ft
 groceries and essential goods.


 Support response and recovery efforts by providing
 construction and mitigation supplies during emergencies.




DHospitalityMaine / Major
 Hotels




 ra
 Verizon / AT&T / Spectrum
 Supports sheltering, feeding, and housing of displaced
 individuals during emergencies.

 Telecommunications providers ensure restoration of
 communications infrastructure.

2.1.9 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are private, nonprofit, and faith-based entities that
provide essential services and support before, during, and after emergencies. While NGOs are
not government agencies and therefore are not governed by the same statutory authorities,
their emergency management roles are recognized within the National Response Framework
(NRF) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS) as critical partners in
preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.​
​
For Emergency Management purposes, NGOs’ authority and responsibilities include:

 ●​ Providing disaster relief services, such as sheltering, feeding, mass care, health services,
 and case management.



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 ●​ Supporting community resilience through preparedness training, public education, and
 outreach programs.
 ●​ Offering volunteer and donations management capabilities during disasters.
 ●​ Providing specialized technical services such as disaster mental health support, animal
 sheltering, debris removal, or transportation assistance.
 ●​ Partnering with local, county, state, and federal agencies to coordinate resources and
 services in alignment with the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).
 ●​ Operating under agreements such as Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) or mutual
 aid compacts with the City of Portland or other jurisdictions.

  2.1.9.1 Legal and Policy Frameworks:

 While NGOs operate under their own organizational bylaws and governance structures, their
 emergency functions are recognized and supported through the National Response



 ft
 Framework , NIMS, and state and local emergency management plans.

 Specific NGOs may operate under additional legal authority based on their charter or
 enabling legislation (e.g., American Red Cross Charter Act, 36 U.S.C. §§ 300101–300111).




D
The following Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) operate in the Portland, Maine
metropolitan area and play important roles in emergency preparedness, response, recovery,
and community resilience. While not government agencies, these organizations are recognized
within the National Response Framework (NRF) and National Incident Management System




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(NIMS) as key partners in disaster operations.

Table 2.2 Key NGOs in the Portland Metro Area

 Organization

 American Red Cross –
 Northern New England
 Key Functions

 Provides sheltering, mass care, emergency preparedness
 education, and assistance coordination during disasters.

 Salvation Army – Northern Offers emergency feeding services, mobile canteen
 New England Division response, spiritual and emotional care, and long-term
 recovery support.

 Maine VOAD (Volunteer Coordinates disaster-related nonprofits to ensure effective
 Organizations Active in community support during crises.
 Disaster)




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 Maine Island Trail Association Conserves coastal islands, supports Maine Island Trail,
 (MITA) assists in environmental disaster debris cleanup.

 Maine Wing, Civil Air Patrol Provides aerial search-and-rescue, aerial damage imagery,
 (CAP) and supports emergency services.

 Maine Ready / Volunteer Connects trained volunteers to emergency needs such as
 Maine sheltering, supply distribution, and donation coordination.


2.1.10 Cumberland County EMA (CCEMA)

The Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency (CCEMA) operates under the
authority of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 37-B, which establishes the framework for



 ft
emergency management within the State of Maine. CCEMA serves as the designated
county-level emergency management organization responsible for coordinating preparedness,
response, recovery, and mitigation activities across all municipalities in Cumberland County,
including the City of Portland.​
​




D
For Emergency Management purposes, CCEMA’s authority and responsibilities include:




 ra
 ●​ Providing regional coordination and support to municipalities during incidents and
 disasters.
 ●​ Serving as the liaison between municipal emergency management officials and the
 Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). In this case they are the direct conduit
 to the State for the local EMA Director, Portland’s Fire Chief and EMA Coordinator.
 ●​ Facilitating the sharing of resources, personnel, and equipment among jurisdictions
 during emergencies.
 ●​ Assisting in the development, maintenance, and exercise of municipal emergency
 operations plans, including the City of Portland’s EOP.
 ●​ Coordinating county-level training and exercises to enhance readiness and
 interoperability among municipalities.
 ●​ Activating and managing the Cumberland County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to
 provide situational awareness, resource management, and operational support to
 affected communities.
 ●​ Assisting with damage assessment, disaster recovery coordination, and the
 administration of state and federal disaster assistance programs.




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In all emergency situations, CCEMA functions as a critical partner to the City of Portland,
ensuring that countywide resources and capabilities are integrated into the City’s preparedness,
response, and recovery efforts.


2.1.11 State of Maine EMA (MEMA)

The Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) operates under the authority of the Maine
Revised Statutes, Title 37-B, which establishes the state’s emergency management system.
MEMA is the primary state agency responsible for coordinating emergency preparedness,
response, recovery, and mitigation activities across Maine.​
​
For Emergency Management purposes, MEMA’s authority and responsibilities include:

 ●​ Serving as the statewide coordinating agency for disaster preparedness, response, and
 recovery operations.

 ft
 ●​ Supporting county and municipal emergency management agencies, including the
 Cumberland County EMA and the City of Portland.
 ●​ Coordinating state resources, personnel, and equipment to support local jurisdictions
 during incidents and disasters.




Dra
 ●​ Administering the State of Maine Emergency Operations Plan and integrating it with
 local and federal emergency plans.
 ●​ Managing the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) to provide situational
 awareness, resource coordination, and operational oversight.
 ●​ Serving as the primary liaison to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
 and other federal partners.
 ●​ Administering state and federal disaster assistance programs, including the Public
 Assistance and Individual Assistance programs.
 ●​ Coordinating statewide training, exercises, and public education programs to strengthen
 readiness.​
 Supporting long-term hazard mitigation planning and project implementation to reduce
 disaster impacts.

In all emergency situations, MEMA works in close coordination with the Cumberland County
EMA and the City of Portland to ensure that local needs are met and that state nd federal
resources are effectively integrated into emergency operations.




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2.1.12 Federal Government EMA (FEMA)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) operates under the authority of the
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended, and is part of the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). FEMA is the primary federal agency responsible
for coordinating national efforts to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the
impacts of disasters and emergencies.​
​
For Emergency Management purposes, FEMA’s authority and responsibilities include:

 ●​ Coordinating the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating,
 responding to, and recovering from disasters.
 ●​ Supporting state, tribal, territorial, and local governments when their capabilities are
 overwhelmed.



 ft
 ●​ Administering federal disaster assistance programs, including Public Assistance,
 Individual Assistance, and Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs.
 ●​ Managing the National Response Framework (NRF) and National Incident Management
 System (NIMS) to ensure nationwide interoperability and coordinated response.
 ●​ Providing technical assistance, training, and exercise support to enhance state and local




Dra
 readiness.
 ●​ Pre-positioning resources and deploying federal assets such as Urban Search and Rescue
 teams, Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, and incident management teams.
 ●​ Coordinating with the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and Cumberland
 County EMA to integrate federal resources into state and local operations.
 ●​ Supporting long-term disaster recovery, including community resilience initiatives and
 infrastructure rebuilding projects.​
 ​
 In all emergency situations, FEMA works in partnership with state and local governments
 to ensure that federal capabilities and resources are rapidly mobilized to meet the needs
 of affected communities, including the City of Portland.

2.1.12.1 Legal Authority
 FEMA’s emergency management authorities are derived from the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
 Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 5121–5207) and implemented through
 Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations, including but not limited to Parts 201 (Mitigation
 Planning), 204 (Fire Management Assistance Grant Program), and 206 (Federal Disaster
 Assistance for Disasters Declared After November 23, 1988).




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2.2 Emergency Organization and Operations

2.2.1 Introduction
The management of large emergencies or declared disasters within the City of Portland requires
coordination between on-scene resources, support and coordination organizations, public
information entities and policy makers. The concerted effort of the multiple organizations
needed to accomplish these key emergency management tasks is known as a Multi-Agency
Coordination System (MACS). Portland adheres to the principles of the National Response
Framework, National Disaster Recovery Framework and NIMS in organizing a MACS. On-scene
incident response is conducted using the Incident Command System (ICS). Citywide emergency
response and short-term recovery coordination is conducted through the EOC. Long-term
recovery operations are conducted through the Long-Term Recovery Committee (LTRC) or in
Portland’s case the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). The Joint Information Center (JIC)


 ft
coordinates all citywide emergency public information. City departments may also establish
Departmental Operations Centers (DOCs) or Communication Centers to coordinate their
internal response. Portland and Cumberland County generally use the term Command Post in
lieu of DOC’s. The Portland International Jetport has established an Airport Emergency




D
Operations Center (AEOC) which can be stood up during an emergency and is supported by a
24-7 Operations Center. Disaster Assistance Centers (DACs) may open to provide access to key
emergency information, services and programs. When critical commodities become scarce or
inaccessible, the City may establish logistics staging areas (LSAs) and commodity points of




 ra
distribution (C-PODs). Medical Counter Measure Points of Dispensing (PODs) may be needed to
deliver essential supplies and medicine to citizens. Partner organizations may also establish
their own EOCs to manage emergency needs and coordinate with Portland’s EOC. Each of these
organizations is a critical component of the MACS and must be integrated into a unified
emergency management effort.


2.2.2 Incident Command System (ICS)
 2.2.2.1 ICS Overview
  The ICS as defined in the NIMS establishes a structure for how all incidents throughout the
  City are managed. The ICS is based on the principle of unity of command, meaning that
  teams of three to seven responders on an incident site each report to one supervisor, and the
  supervisors in turn report to one supervisor, on up the chain to the Incident Commander (IC).
  The IC is responsible for leading multi-agency operations on an incident scene and approving
  an Incident Action Plan (IAP) to guide incident objectives. An IC should be from the agency
  with the appropriate incident management responsibility listed in Section 3 of this plan. All
  agencies involved in incident response report up through the ICS structure regardless of their


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 usual chain of command. The ICS structure is scalable, modular and flexible to meet changing
 incident demands. This means that only the components needed to meet incident demands
 are activated.

 Some complex incidents fall within the jurisdiction of multiple agencies and require increased
 inter-agency coordination to manage. For these incidents, the IC may choose to establish a
 Unified Command. Unified Command consists of two or more representatives from different
 agencies working together to lead an ICS structure. Establishing Unified Command means
 that there is no longer a single IC, and all command decisions must be agreed upon among
 the Unified Commanders (UCs) and communicated down the ICS structure with a singular
 voice. Whether led by an IC or UC, a fully implemented ICS structure consists of the
 command staff and four or five general staff sections.

  2.2.2.2 ICS Command Staff


 ft
  The Command Staff is composed of the IC and several support positions needed to ensure
  incident safety, liaise with the EOC or other MACS structures, and coordinate with the media
  or JIC.




D 2.2.2.3 ICS Operations Section
  The Operations Section is responsible for all tactical operations at the incident level. This
  includes carrying out the objectives of the incident action plan and providing information on
  ongoing operations to the ICS Planning Section. The Operations Section Chief manages the




 ra
  section and reports to the IC.

  2.2.2.4 ICS Planning Section
  The Planning Section is responsible for the collection, evaluation and dissemination of
  information related to the incident, and for the preparation and documentation of Incident
  Action Plans and situation reports. The Planning Section maintains information on the
  current and forecasted situation and tracks the status of resources assigned to the incident.
  The Planning Section Chief manages the section and reports to the IC.

  2.2.2.5 ICS Logistics Section
  The Logistics Section is responsible for providing facilities, services and materials for the
  incident. The Logistics Section Chief manages the section and reports to the IC.




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  2.2.2.6 ICS Finance and Administration Section
  The Finance and Administration Section is responsible for reviewing expenditures, allocating
  funds, and managing all other financial considerations. The Finance and Administration
  Section Chief manages the section and reports to the IC.

  2.2.2.7 ICS Intelligence and Investigation Section
  During certain incidents, the IC may choose to add an ICS Intelligence and Investigation
  Section. This section is responsible for investigating possible crimes and gathering
  information to prevent future threats.

Visual 2.1 Incident Command Sections




 ft
Dra
Visual 2.2 Incident Command Sections Explained




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Visual 2.3 ICS Chart




 ft
D 2.2.2.8 Area Command
  For emergency incidents spanning multiple geographic locations, an Area Command may be
  established. An Area Command structure consists of an individual or unified command
  structure that oversees multiple incident locations which are in turn managed by their own IC




 ra
  and ICS structure. An Area Commander (AC) is responsible for the operational response
  components of the incident area and the effective deployment of resources to each of the
  area’s ICs and UCs.

Visual 2.4 Area Command




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  2.2.2.9 Incident Management Teams
  An Incident Management Team (IMT) provides on-scene incident management support
  immediately prior to and during incidents or events that exceed a jurisdiction’s or agency’s
  capability or capacity. Teams could include members of local, county, state, federal, entities;
  NGOs; and private sector organizations. Portland may request an IMT to assist in running
  operations for large incidents; however, Portland does not typically transfer incident
  command authority to an IMT. Instead, IMTs are used to support incident management
  under the authority of the IC.

  2.2.2.10 ICS and EOC Integration
  The ICS structure defines how agencies organize to manage incident operations within their
  respective areas of responsibility. Agencies and their respective incident management
  responsibilities are detailed in Section 2.1 of this plan. Once an incident progresses to a
  degree that normal incident management capabilities are strained, the IC, UC or AC should
  request that the EOC be activated.

 ft
2.2.3 Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
  2.2.3.1 EOC Purpose and Application




D Typically the EOC activates at the discretion of the City’s Emergency Management Director in
  consultation with the City Manager and EMA Coordinator, all who are part of the Office of
  Emergency Management (OEM). Currently, the City’s Local Emergency Management Director




 ra
  is the Fire Chief, who oversees the EMA Coordinator which is a civilian position. An EOC
  activation is established to coordinate the efforts of the whole community to manage an
  emergency or disaster that is beyond the normal capabilities of one or two departments. The
  EOC does not usurp the responsibilities of an IC but instead supports ICs while managing
  citywide emergency needs by mobilizing resources, tracking costs, planning for future needs
  and addressing systemic issues that are beyond the focus of any individual incident. EOC
  operations are guided by an EOC Action Plan that outlines strategic objectives for each
  operational period. The OEM maintains primary and alternate EOC facilities for Portland. The
  Primary EOC is located in the Munjoy Hill / Cummings Center building at 134 Congress Street.
  Similar to the ICS structure, the EOC is scalable, modular and flexible to meet the demands of
  each emergency. If the EOC is going to be activated for an extended period of time, generally
  the operational periods will be either 12 or 24 hours at a time.




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  2.2.3.2 EOC Management Section
  The EOC Management Section is responsible for setting the EOC strategic objectives, making
  key citywide emergency management decisions and supporting each of the other sections as
  they work to achieve these objectives. The EOC Director serves as the Section Chief of the
  EOC Management Section and is responsible for coordinating Portland’s citywide emergency
  response efforts. The City Manager serves as the EOC Director or delegates this role to
  another senior City official. Portland does not establish a separate policy group or
  multi-agency coordination group (MAC Group) to issue emergency policy directives.

Visual 2.5: EOC Functional Chart




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Dra
  2.2.3.3 EOC Operations Section
  The EOC Operations Section is the coordination conduit between the EOC and the response
  organizations in the field. The EOC Operations Section provides updates from the public and
  private organizations involved in emergency response activities to track progress towards
  achieving the EOC’s strategic objectives. Additionally, the EOC Operations Section identifies
  unmet response needs and works with the logistics sections to meet them. The EOC
  Operations Section Chief leads the EOC Operations Section.




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  2.2.3.4 EOC Planning Section
  The EOC Planning Section is responsible for gathering status updates from the other EOC
  sections, forecasting future incident demands and creating plans to accomplish the EOC’s
  strategic objectives for each upcoming operational period. The Planning Section prepares
  EOC Action Plans and situation reports. In addition, the Planning Section begins planning
  recovery actions during the initial response phase of an emergency. The EOC Planning
  Section Chief leads the EOC Planning Section.

  2.2.3.5 EOC Logistics Section
  The EOC Logistics Section is responsible for ordering, tracking and overseeing delivery of all
  resources requested through the EOC. Departments may deploy their internal resources or
  other resources for which there are pre-existing agreements without processing the request
  through the EOC Logistics Section. Similarly, communication centers and DOCs may order
  resources without going through the EOC. However, departments, communication centers


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  and DOCs must report all resource orders and deployments to the EOC Logistics Section for
  citywide resource tracking and accounting. The EOC Logistics Section coordinates with the
  EOC Finance and Administration Section to track expenditures and adhere to spending limits.
  The EOC Logistics Section Chief leads the EOC Logistics Section.




D 2.2.3.6 EOC Finance and Administration Section
  The EOC Finance and Administration Section is responsible for managing all emergency
  expenditures by setting purchase limits, tracking costs and managing claims. The EOC Finance




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  and Administration Section is also responsible for coordinating with the Plans Section to
  quantify damage estimates to determine possible eligibility for state and federal disaster
  assistance programs. The EOC Finance and Administration Section Chief leads the EOC
  Finance and Administration Section.

  2.2.3.7 IT Information Section
  The IT Information Section is part of the Logistics Section and is responsible for managing all
  technology, including camera systems, dashboards, computers, networks, communications,
  information sharing tools and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The EOC Information
  Section also houses the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), which provides auxiliary
  communication capability to the EOC. The IT Information Section Chief leads the IT
  Information Section.




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  2.2.3.8 EOC Liaison Section
  The EOC Liaison Section is responsible for managing relationships and communications with a
  wide array of organizations including City Council, other EOCs, Portland Public Schools, the
  State of Maine Emergency Management Agency and the private sector. The EOC Liaison
  Section consists of standing positions as well as numerous ad hoc positions that can be filled
  by representatives from various companies and organizations affected by the emergency. The
  EOC Liaison Section Chief leads the EOC Liaison Section.


2.2.4 Joint Information System (JIS) & Center (JIC)
During an emergency, the City must gather information from a myriad of departments, partner
organizations, media outlets and open source platforms; synthesize it into clear messaging; and
communicate the message with one voice to the public. For small incidents, this is
accomplished using a Joint Information System (JIS) in which an agency’s Public Information



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Officer (PIO) coordinates messaging with relevant organizations and then communicates directly
with the public. During a significant emergency, however, public information demands quickly
outpace the ability of one PIO, and the JIC must be activated. The JIC brings together public
information professionals from across the City in one location to manage citywide media
relations, public relations, public warnings and advisories, and media monitoring. The JIC is led




D
by the JIC Manager, who reports directly to the EOC Director when the EOC is active and to the
City Manager, or his or her designee, when the EOC is inactive.




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2.2.5 Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMATs)
Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMATs) are small groups of County or State personnel
(typically about 5 members) that deploy to an EOC during a large emergency that may require
assistance. An IMAT’s primary responsibility is to coordinate with the local EOCs to support the
deployment of state or federal resources to assist in response and recovery efforts. IMATs do
not possess direction and control authority. Instead, an IMAT supports the City and state as they
exercise their respective emergency management responsibilities and authorities. Portland
coordinates with IMAT teams through Cumberland County first and a State IMAT team if the
emergency should warrant additional support.


2.2.6 Disaster Assistance Center (DAC)
Portland’s EOC may establish Disaster Assistance Centers (DACs) to serve as a clearinghouse for
recovery assistance during an emergency or declared disaster. Each DAC provides disaster
assistance to residents, visitors and businesses. These services include financial, insurance,
employment and housing assistance, among others. DACs are staffed by representatives from



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public, private and non-profit recovery service providers. DACs coordinate with the EOC through
the EOC Liaison Section’s DAC Branch.

If the City and or Cumberland County is included in a Presidential Disaster Declaration, a DAC
may transition to a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) by integrating state and federal staff into the
existing DAC. The DRC structure makes resources available that may not be regularly offered or
are depleted at the local level. DRC supervision is provided jointly by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), state and local managers through the Joint Field Office (JFO). The
process of establishing a DRC is initiated through a recommendation by the State Coordinating
Officer (SCO) to the Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) overseeing federal operations for the
disaster.


2.2.7 Mass Casualty Management Structures



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  2.2.9.1 Victim Identification Center (VIC)
  The rapid identification of human remains during a mass fatality incident is critical to
  supporting victims’ families and informing any ongoing investigation. If the normal resources
  of the Medical Examiner’s Office are overwhelmed, the City may establish a Victim
  Identification Center (VIC) to augment and expedite the City’s existing victim identification




D capabilities. The VIC is responsible for collecting records, data, DNA and other resources to
  identify victims and assist the Family Assistance Center (FAC) in managing the missing
  persons list. The VIC coordinates its operations with overall City emergency management




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  efforts through regular communication with Portland’s Public Health Division and the Maine
  Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

  2.2.9.2 Family Assistance Center (FAC)
  A Family Assistance Center (FAC) may be established following a mass casualty incident to
  assist the families of the missing, injured or deceased. FACs are responsible for managing the
  missing persons list and informing family members of the status of their loved ones. This
  often includes answering questions from family members who arrive at the FAC or who call in
  for information. The FAC may also provide initial psychological, spiritual and emotional
  support services to the family members of those affected. The FAC Coordinates its operations
  with City emergency management efforts through the Mass Care DOC.


2.2.8 Joint Field Office (JFO)
During presidentially declared disasters, FEMA may establish a Joint Field Office (JFO) to
coordinate recovery operations among federal, state and local entities. There is typically only
one JFO for a disaster area, and the JFO may not be located within Portland. The JFO does not


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manage on-scene recovery operations or provide services directly to citizens. Instead, the JFO
focuses on providing support to on-scene efforts and conducting broader support operations
that may extend beyond the incident site. The JFO also coordinates the resources and
information being distributed throughout the disaster region including at DRCs. Portland’s EOC
Recovery Branch is responsible for coordination with the JFO.


2.2.9 Public Alert and Warning

The purpose of the Public Alert and Warning function is to ensure that timely, accurate, and
actionable emergency information is disseminated to the public before, during, and after an
incident. Effective alerts help protect life and property, guide protective actions, and maintain
public confidence.

  2.2.9.1 Authority



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  The City of Portland’s public alert and warning activities are conducted under the authority
  of:
 ●​ Maine Revised Statutes Title 37-B, Chapter 13 (Emergency Management)
 ●​ Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Integrated Public Alert and Warning




D
 System (IPAWS) guidelines
 ●​ Local emergency management ordinance and operational policies

This section summarizes the key elements of the City of Portland's Public Alert and Warning




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program in a matrix format, grouping related elements under their respective categories for
clarity and ease of reference.

Table 2.3 Key Elements of Public Alert and Warning

 Category

 Primary
 Agencies and
 Roles
 Element

 Office of Emergency
 Management (OEM)


 Public Information
 Officer (PIO)
 Description

 Coordinates citywide alert and warning efforts
 and ensures alignment with Cumberland
 County EMA and Maine EMA protocols

 Develops and approves public messaging in
 coordination with the Joint Information System
 (JIS) and Joint Information Center (JIC) when
 Communications & activated. Operates and maintains City
 Digital Services communication channels, including website,
 Department social media, and mass notification systems.


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 Police and Fire Provide incident-specific information to the
 Departments OEM/PIO for rapid dissemination

 City Manager Authorizes major alerts when required by
 policy or in sensitive situations

 Methods of Wireless Emergency Life-safety threats requiring immediate public
 Notification Alerts (WEA) via IPAWS action

 Emergency Alert System Widespread or multi-jurisdictional emergencies
 (EAS)

 City Mass Notification Localized incidents or public information needs
 System



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 Social Media Platforms


 City Website Alerts
 General updates, advisories, and situational
 awareness

 Supplementary to other alerts; ongoing




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 Message
 Development
 Press Releases / Media
 Briefings

 Outdoor Warning
 Systems

 Door-to-Door
 Notifications

 Common Alerting
 Protocol (CAP) Format
 incident updates

 Provide details, context, and updates to media
 outlets and the public

 Localized audible alerts for immediate
 protective actions

 Used in high-priority or inaccessible areas


 Standardized format for interoperability and
 compliance
 and Approval
 PIO & Incident Command Ensures timeliness, accuracy, and actionable
 Coordination guidance

 Sensitive Alert Protocols Allows expedited release without full
 administrative approval when time-critical




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 Accessibility Plain Language Easily understood by the general public
 Messaging

 Language Translation Where feasible, translated into commonly
 spoken languages in the community

 ADA-Compliant Formats Accessible to individuals with visual, hearing, or
 cognitive impairments

 Coordination Regional & State Coordination with Cumberland County EMA,
 Alignment Maine EMA, and neighboring municipalities


 Joint Information System Integrated messaging during regional or


 Testing and
 Training
 (JIS)


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 Annual System Testing
 statewide incidents

 Testing of public alerting systems at least
 annually or as required




D Staff Training



2.2.10 Public Protective Actions




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  2.2.10.1 Introduction
 Annual training for staff authorized to issue or
 approve alerts




  Public protective actions consist of orders to the public to take measures to protect their
  lives, property and wellbeing. These orders may be issued by an IC for an incident scene or by
  the City Manager for large portions of the City. While there are many potential public
  protective action orders that may be issued, the most common are detailed below.

  2.2.10.2 Evacuation
  Evacuation orders are notices to the public to leave a geographic area. Evacuation areas can
  be a single city block or a large portion of the City. Evacuations must consider the
  transportation needs and accessibility challenges of people in the area being evacuated.
  Affected populations must also be given information regarding safe evacuation routes.
  Additionally, an evacuation center should be set up nearby to receive evacuees and provide
  information related to returning to the evacuated area or support evacuees through an
  extended displacement. Evacuations also require significant coordination to ensure safe and
  organized re-entry and reoccupation of evacuated areas. The Portland Police Department &
  Portalnd Fire Department are responsible for enforcing and carrying out evacuation orders.


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  2.2.10.3 Shelter in Place
  Certain threats require the public to immediately go indoors and stay there until told it is safe
  to leave. This type of protective action is typically implemented to address immediate
  security threats, police operations in an area or a hazardous materials release. The order to
  shelter in place is normally short-lived and targets a specific neighborhood or at-risk
  geographic area. For hazardous materials releases, the public may also receive instructions to
  close all doors, windows, flumes and other exterior openings of a structure. Portland Police
  and or Fire are responsible for enacting and enforcing shelter in place orders. When relevant,
  the Fire Department and Police Department are charged with providing subject matter
  expertise involving the chemical or environmental hazard and what areas should be sheltered
  in place.

  2.2.10.4 Curfew
  Curfew orders assist in preventing damages, injuries or unrest by restricting who may be


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  outside of their home in a certain geographic area at a given time. Curfew orders should
  include the times of the curfew, the area of the curfew and who is exempt from the curfew.
  Only the City Manager has the authority to issue curfews, which are then enforced by the
  Police Department and publicized by the JIC.




D 2.2.10.5 Avoid the Area
  Avoid the area orders deny access to a geographic area and instruct the public to avoid that
  area. Avoid the area orders are often issued in tandem with orders to those living, working




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  or otherwise doing business in the restricted area to shelter in place or evacuate. The Police
  Department is responsible for enacting and enforcing avoid-the-area orders.

  2.2.10.6 Public Health Protective Actions
  Public health protective actions are as varied as the public health threats that may face the
  City. For example, contamination of the City’s drinking water may result in instructions to boil
  or not use tap water. Portland Water District is responsible for issuing Boil Water, Do Not
  Drink, or Do Not Use Order. For communicable diseases, certain quarantine, isolation, or
  social distancing orders may be issued. Subsequent to a state of emergency and upon the
  recommendation of subject matter expertise or any lead agency, the City Manager may issue
  a public health protective action. Portland Public Health is responsible for implementing
  public health protective actions and coordinating with all relevant lead, support and partner
  organizations.




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SECTION 3: ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

3.1 Organizational Emergency Functions

3.1.1 Emergency Functions Overview
City departments and outside partner organizations have critical emergency management roles,
categorized by core capability. Core capabilities are the key functions necessary to
comprehensively address Portland’s five emergency management mission areas: Prevention,
Protection, Mitigation, Response and Recovery. Each City department and external
organization supports Portland’s core capabilities as either the lead agency, support agency or a
partner organization.




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  3.1.1.1 Lead Agencies / Organizations
  Lead agencies are Portland departments that are assigned primary responsibility for
  coordinating the community’s effort to address a capability. Lead agencies are not expected
  to address their core capabilities alone but are instead charged with organizing support from
  other City departments and external organizations. Lead agencies are ultimately accountable




D to the City Manager for the development of their core capability.

  3.1.1.2 Support Agencies / Organizations




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  Support agencies are Portland departments that assist the lead agency in accomplishing an
  assigned core capability. Core capabilities are assigned only one lead agency, but they may
  have numerous support agencies that bring an array of useful assets and skill sets. Support
  agencies work in coordination with the lead agency but are ultimately accountable to the City
  Manager for assisting the lead agency in developing an assigned core capability.

  3.1.1.3 Partner Organizations
  Partner organizations are organizations external to the City of Portland that are critical in
  addressing a core capability. Core capabilities may require the resources and aptitudes of
  numerous partner organizations to successfully build resiliency. Like support agencies,
  partner organizations should coordinate their efforts with the lead agency; however, partner
  organizations do not ultimately report to the City Manager and therefore possess more
  autonomy than support agencies. This concept falls in line with Unified Command under the
  NIMS and ICS models which are further defined in section 2.2 of this document.




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3.1.2 Core Capabilities
Core capabilities must be continuously developed and evaluated to ensure the City is
adequately prepared for an emergency. Portland’s core capabilities are listed by mission area in
this section. Some capabilities are shared among all mission areas and are listed first. The five
mission areas in emergency management are as follows:
 1.​ Prevention: Activities focused on avoiding, preventing, or stopping an imminent threat,
 such as terrorism or a mass casualty incident.
 2.​ Protection: Capabilities aimed at securing the homeland against threats and hazards,
 protecting citizens, residents, visitors, and assets.
 3.​ Mitigation: Actions taken to reduce the loss of life and property damage by lessening
 the impact of future disasters.
 4.​ Response: Actions taken immediately before, during , or after an incident to save lives,
 protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs.



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 5.​ Recovery: Activities that focus on restoring the affected area to its pre-incident
 condition.

The Prevention and Protection Mission Areas share a number of common capabilities and are
grouped together in this core capability section.




D 3.1.2.1 Capabilities Shared Among All Mission Area




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 ●​ Operational Coordination: Establish and maintain a unified and coordinated operational
 structure and process that integrates all critical stakeholders and supports the execution
 of core capabilities.
 ●​ Planning: Create an ongoing and systematic process engaging the whole community in
 the development and execution of strategic, operational and/or tactical-level
 approaches to meet defined objectives.
 ●​ Public Information and Warning: Deliver coordinated, prompt, reliable and actionable
 information to the whole community through the use of clear, consistent, and culturally
 and linguistically appropriate communications regarding any threat or hazard, including
 the actions taken and the assistance available.

  3.1.2.2 Prevention and Protection Mission Areas
 ●​ Access Control and Identity Verification: Apply and support necessary
 physical,technological and cyber measures to control access to critical locations and
 systems.
 ●​ Cyber Security: Protect (and if needed, restore) electronic communications systems, data
 and services from damage, unauthorized use, and exploitation.



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 ●​ Forensics and Attribution: Conduct forensic analysis (including means, methods and
 attribution) of terrorist acts and/or preparation for an attack in an effort to prevent
 initial or follow-on acts and/or swiftly develop counter-options.
 ●​ Intelligence and Information Sharing: Gather and provide timely, accurate and actionable
 information concerning physical and cyber threats; the development, proliferation, or
 use of weapons of mass destruction; or any other matter threatening Portland’s security.
 Information sharing is the ability to exchange intelligence, information, data or
 knowledge among government or private sector entities.
 ●​ Interdiction and Disruption: Delay, divert, intercept, halt, apprehend or secure threats
 and/or hazards.
 ●​ Physical Protective Measures: Implement and maintain risk-informed countermeasures
 and policies protecting people, structures, materials, products and systems associated
 with key operational activities and critical infrastructure.
 ●​ Risk Management for Protection Programs: Identify, assess and prioritize risks to inform


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 protection activities, countermeasures and investments.
 ●​ Screening, Search and Detection: Identify, discover and locate threats and/or hazards
 through active and passive surveillance and search procedures. This may include the use
 of systematic examinations and assessments, bio surveillance, sensor technologies or




Dra
 physical investigation and intelligence.
 ●​ Supply Chain Integrity and Security: Strengthen the security and resilience of the supply
 chain.

  3.1.2.3 Mitigation Mission Area
 ●​ Community Resilience: Enable the recognition and understanding of potential
 risks,encourage adequate planning for those risks and empower individuals and
 communities to make informed decisions necessary to adapt to, withstand and quickly
 recover from future incidents.
 ●​ Long-Term Vulnerability Reduction: Build and sustain resilient systems, communities,
 critical infrastructure and key resource lifelines to reduce vulnerability to natural,
 technological and human-caused threats and hazards by lessening the likelihood,
 severity and duration of the adverse consequences.
 ●​ Risk and Disaster Resilience Assessment: Assess risk and disaster resilience so that
 decision makers, responders and community members can take informed action to
 reduce risk and increase resilience.
 ●​ Threat and Hazard Identification: Identify the threats and hazards that could occur,
 determine the potential frequency and magnitude and incorporate this into planning
 processes to clearly understand the needs of a community or entity.




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  3.1.2.4 Response Mission Area
 ●​ Critical Transportation: Provide transportation (including infrastructure access and
 accessible transportation services) for response priority objectives, including the
 evacuation of people and animals, and the delivery of vital response personnel,
 equipment and services into the affected areas.
 ●​ Environmental Response/Health and Safety: Conduct appropriate measures to ensure
 the protection of the health and safety of the public and workers, as well as the
 environment, from all-hazards in support of responder operations and the affected
 communities.
 ●​ Fatality Management Services: Provide fatality management services, including
 decedent remains recovery and victim identification; provide mortuary processes,
 temporary storage or permanent internment solutions; share information with mass
 care services for the purpose of reunifying family members and caregivers with missing
 persons/remains; and provide counseling to the bereaved.


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 ●​ Fire Management & Suppression: Provide structural, wild-land and specialized
 firefighting capabilities to manage and suppress fires of all kinds and complexities while
 protecting the lives, property and the environment in the affected area.
 ●​ Infrastructure Systems (Shared with the Recovery Mission Area): Stabilize critical




Dra
 infrastructure functions to minimize health and safety threats, and efficiently restore
 and revitalize infrastructure systems and services to support a viable, resilient
 community.
 ●​ Logistics and Supply Chain Management: Deliver essential commodities, equipment and
 services in support of impacted communities and survivors, to include emergency power
 and fuel support, as well as the coordination of access to community staples.
 ●​ Mass Care Services: Provide life-sustaining and basic services to the affected population,
 including hydration, feeding, sheltering, temporary housing, evacuee support,
 reunification and emergency supplies.
 ●​ Mass Search & Rescue Operations: Deliver traditional and atypical search-andrescue
 capabilities, including personnel, services, animals and other assets to survivors in need,
 with the goal of saving the greatest number of endangered lives in the shortest time
 possible.
 ●​ On-Scene Security, Protection and Law Enforcement: Ensure a safe and secure
 environment through law enforcement and related security and protection operations
 for people and communities in affected areas and also for response personnel engaged
 in lifesaving and life-sustaining operations.
 ●​ Operational Communications: Ensure the capacity for timely communications in support
 of security, situational awareness and other emergency operations by any and all means




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 available, among and between affected communities in the impact area and all response
 forces.
 ●​ Public Health, Healthcare and EMS: Provide life-saving medical treatment via emergency
 medical services and related operations, and avoid additional disease and injury by
 providing targeted public health, medical treatment and behavioral health support, and
 bringing medications and other medical supplies to all affected populations.
 ●​ Situational Assessment: Provide all decision makers with relevant information regarding
 the nature and extent of the hazard or emergency, the status of the response and any
 cascading effects.

3.1.2.5 Recovery Mission Area
 ●​ Economic Recovery: Return economic and business activities (including food and
 agriculture) to a healthy state and develop new business and employment opportunities
 that result in an economically viable community.


 ft
 ●​ Health and Social Services: Restore and improve health and social services capabilities
 and networks to promote the resilience, independence, health (including behavioral
 health) and well-being of the whole community.
 ●​ Housing: Implement housing solutions that effectively support the needs of the whole




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 community and contribute to its sustainability and resilience.
 ●​ Natural and Cultural Resources: Protect natural and cultural resources and historic
 properties through appropriate planning, mitigation, response and recovery actions to
 preserve, conserve, rehabilitate and restore them consistent with community priorities
 and best practices and in compliance with applicable environmental and historic
 preservation laws and executive orders.


3.1.3 Capability Tables
According to FEMA, core capabilities are the essential elements needed to achieve the National
Preparedness Goal. FEMA identifies 32 core capabilities in total. Examples include Planning,
Public Information and Warning, Operational Coordination, Community Resilience, Critical
Transportation, and Public Health, Healthcare, and Emergency Medical Services. Each
capability has defined target outcomes and performance objectives that ensure a coordinated,
whole-community approach to preparedness. By assessing these core capabilities, jurisdictions
can identify gaps, prioritize investments, and develop training, exercises, and plans that
enhance their ability to withstand and rapidly recover from disasters.

The following tables list core capabilities and identify the role that each Portland Department,
agency, or outside partners play during an emergency or disaster.



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Figure 3.1.3 Portland’s Capability Roles by Department




 ft
D
​ra P = Primary S = Support O = Outside Organization




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Figure 3.3.1 Cont. Portland’s Capability Roles by Department




 ft
D
​
 ra P = Primary S = Support O = Outside Organization

3.1.4 Other Emergency Responsibilities

In addition to the specific authorities and responsibilities assigned to City leadership,
departments, and agencies, all City personnel and partner organizations share common
emergency responsibilities that support the overall readiness and resilience of the City of




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Portland. These responsibilities ensure a coordinated, efficient, and effective response to all
hazards.

  3.1.4.1 General Responsibilities for All City Departments and Agencies
 ●​ Plan Familiarity and Compliance: Maintain familiarity with the Emergency Operations
 Plan (EOP), Hazard-Specific Annexes, and relevant departmental procedures, and
 execute assigned roles in accordance with these documents.
 ●​ Continuity of Operations: Maintain a departmental Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)
 to ensure the ability to perform essential functions during and after an incident
 ●​ Resource Management: Identify, maintain, and make available resources, equipment,
 and personnel that may be required to support emergency operations.
 ●​ Situational Reporting: Provide timely and accurate information on departmental status,
 capabilities, and needs to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) or Incident
 Command.



 ft
 ●​ Staff Training: Ensure that personnel are trained in their emergency roles and participate
 in City-led exercises and drills as required.
 ●​ Workforce Accountability: Maintain rosters and contact information to account for all
 employees during emergencies and ensure personnel safety.




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 ●​ Damage Assessment: Assist in the collection and reporting of preliminary damage and
 impact assessments within the department’s areas of responsibility.
 ●​ Public Information Support: Provide subject matter expertise to the Public Information
 Officer (PIO) for the development of coordinated public messaging.

  3.1.4.2 Responsibilities for Partner Organizations
 ●​ Coordination: Maintain liaison with the City’s Office of Emergency Management and
 participate in EOC operations when requested.
 ●​ Mutual Aid Support: Provide personnel, equipment, and services in accordance with
 existing mutual aid agreements or memoranda of understanding (MOUs).
 ●​ Information Sharing: Exchange timely and relevant information to support a common
 operating picture across all responding organizations.

3.1.4.3 Responsibilities for All Personnel
 ●​ Personal Preparedness: Maintain personal and family emergency plans to ensure
 availability during a City emergency.
 ●​ Compliance with Direction: Follow lawful orders and directions issued by the Incident
 Commander, EOC Manager, or department leadership during emergency operations.
 ●​ Safety Practices: Adhere to safety guidelines and report hazards or unsafe conditions to
 supervisors immediately.


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3.2 Responsibilities: City of Portland Departments

3.2.1 Finance Department
Legal Authority: Portland City Code Chapter 2 Sec. 2-17 (f)
Capabilities Led: Risk Management for Protection Programs
EOC Positions Staffed: EOC Finance & Admin Section Chief, EOC Documentation Branch, EOC
Cost/Time Branch, EOC Claims & Compensation Branch, EOC Risk Manager Branch, EOC Safety
Officer, EOC Scribe
JIC Positions Staffed: None
DOC Managed: None
Incident Management Responsibilities: None

Major Emergency Management Responsibilities:


 ft
 ●​ Coordinate with the EOC’s Finance and Administration Section to set citywide spending
 limits for emergency response activities.
 ●​ Ensure employees, contractors and vendors continue to be paid during an emergency.
 ●​ Coordinate with all City departments and agencies to track, collect and catalog all




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 emergency expenditures.
 ●​ Identify mission essential functions that must be maintained or rapidly restored during
 an emergency and maintain a department specific continuity of operations plan to
 address these functions.
 ●​ As the City’s lead agency for disaster finance and administration, account for all internal
 emergency/disaster related expenditures and report these expenditures to the EOC
 Finance and Administration Section with the appropriate supporting documentation.


3.2.2 Planning & Urban Development Department
Legal Authority: Portland City Code Chapter 2 Sec. 2-17 (h)
Capabilities Led: None
EOC Positions Staffed: EOC Plans Section Chief, EOC Situation Branch, EOC Advance Planning
Branch, EOC Recovery Branch, EOC Resources Branch
JIC Positions Staffed: None
DOC Managed: None
Incident Management Responsibilities: Incidents related to the structural
habitability of buildings and or recovery efforts

Major Emergency Management Responsibilities:
 ●​ Assist with the demolition of any unsafe structures.


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 ●​ Assist with GIS mapping as needed to identify environmental hazards.
 ●​ Assist Permitting and Inspections Department in evaluating structural stability of public
 infrastructure.
 ●​ Oversee the long-term recovery operations of the City.
 ●​ Advise recovery and rebuilding efforts to ensure compliance with the Portland
 Comprehensive Plan, otherwise known as Portland’s Plan 2030.
 ●​ Vet and credential vendors and residents for re-entry operations.
 ●​ Identify mission essential functions that must be maintained or rapidly restored during
 an emergency and maintain a department specific continuity of operations plan to
 address these functions.
 ●​ Account for all internal emergency/disaster related expenditures and report these
 expenditures to the EOC Finance and Administration Section with the appropriate
 supporting documentation.




 ft
3.2.3 Health and Human Services Department
Legal Authority: Portland City Code Chapter 2 Sec. 2-17 (g)
Capabilities Led: Health and Safety; Mass Care Services; Public Health, Healthcare
EOC Positions Staffed: EOC Public Health and Environment Branch,




D
JIC Positions Staffed: JIC Status Board Administrator
DOC Managed: Public Health and Environment DOC
Incident Management Responsibilities: Public health emergencies, environmental




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emergencies, animal health emergencies.

Major Emergency Management Responsibilities:
 ●​ Public Health: Lead citywide public health preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.
 ●​ Public Health: Support the JIS or JIC with public information messaging for incidents
 involving public health.
 ●​ Public Health: In coordination with Maine CDC, support the implementation of
 emergency behavioral health provider support to incident scenes, the EOC, shelters,
 DACs or other locations.
 ●​ Public Health: In coordination with the Maine CDC, provide vector control by assessing
 the threat of vector-borne diseases following a major emergency or disaster, providing
 technical assistance and offering protective actions regarding vector-borne threats.
 ●​ Public Health: Assist in fatality management efforts, including management of the Victim
 Identification Center (VIC).
 ●​ Public Health: Assist the Maine CDC in public health surveillance and disease
 investigations



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 ●​ Public Health: Support the activation and enforcement of pharmaceutical and
 non-pharmaceutical public health interventions deemed necessary
 ●​ Public Health: Complete any necessary community health assessments associated with
 the emergency, as relevant.
 ●​ Public Health and Social Services: Establish, staff, and equip emergency shelters and
 other temporary housing options (including accessible housing) for the affected
 population.
 ●​ Social Services: Administer emergency financial assistance and housing support
 programs.
 ●​ Social Services and Office of Elder Affairs: Coordinate with social service agencies and
 volunteer organizations to ensure continuity of care.
 ●​ Office of Elder Affairs: Identify and maintain contact with vulnerable older adult
 populations.
 ●​ Office of Elder Affairs: Support public messaging targeted to older adults, including
 accessibility considerations.

 ft
 ●​ Office of Elder Affairs: Assist with sheltering and resource distribution tailored to seniors’
 needs.
 ●​ All: Ensure equitable access to services for all residents, especially vulnerable
 populations.




D
3.2.4 Corporation Counsel / Legal Department
Legal Authority: Portland City Code Chapter 2 Sec. 2-17 (e)




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Capabilities Led: None
EOC Positions Staffed: EOC City Attorney, EOC Contracting Branch
JIC Positions Staffed: None
DOC Managed: None
Incident Management Responsibilities: None

Major Emergency Management Responsibilities:
 ●​ Advise the City Manager and Mayor concerning the legal implications of emergency
 management decisions and declaring an emergency declaration.
 ●​ Vet all emergency contracts to ensure compliance with laws, regulations, and state and
 FEMA guidelines.
 ●​ Risk Management: Manage emergency volunteer wavers, insurance and liability issues.
 ●​ Risk Management: Determine what losses to the City during an emergency are covered
 by insurance and calculate the total uninsured loss.
 ●​ Ensure all emergency intergovernmental agreements and mutual aid contracts comply
 with applicable laws and regulations.
 ●​ Review all emergency plans for legality.

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 ●​ Identify mission essential functions that must be maintained or rapidly restored during
 an emergency and maintain a department specific continuity of operations plan to
 address these functions.
 ●​ Account for all internal emergency/disaster related expenditures and report these
 expenditures to the EOC Finance and Administration Section with the appropriate
 supporting documentation.


3.2.5 Permitting and Inspections Department
Legal Authority: Portland City Code Chapter 2 Sec. 2-17 (h) (The Directors of both Planning &
Urban Development and Permitting & Inspections fall under same section of Portland city code
for authority)
Capabilities Led: None
EOC Positions Staffed: EOC Plans Section Chief, EOC Situation Branch, EOC Advance Planning



 ft
Branch, EOC Recovery Branch, EOC Resources Branch
JIC Positions Staffed: None
DOC Managed: None
Incident Management Responsibilities: Incidents related to the structural
habitability of buildings and or recovery efforts




D
Major Emergency Management Responsibilities:




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 ●​ Assist with initial damage assessments of all private businesses and homes within the
 City of Portland.
 ●​ Assist in the restoration of operations at licensed facilities following an emergency
 through expedited permitting and communicating the needs of licensed facilities to the
 EOC
 ●​ Evaluate structural stability and safety of homes and businesses.
 ●​ Oversee the demolition of any unsafe structures.
 ●​ Assist with initial damage assessments of all private businesses and homes within the
 City of Portland.
 ●​ Evaluate structural stability and safety of homes and businesses.
 ●​ Respond and assist Fire Department, Police Department and other departments during
 emergencies involving structures for; licensing, stability, and damage assessment.
 ●​ Evaluate structural stability of public infrastructure.
 ●​ Oversee the long-term recovery operations of the City.
 ●​ Vet and credential vendors and residents for re-entry operations.
 ●​ Conduct initial damage assessments of all private businesses and homes within the City
 of Portland.
 ●​ Evaluate structural stability and safety of homes and businesses.

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 ●​ Respond to emergencies involving public restaurants and Portland licensed vendors.
 ●​ Assist Technology Services as needed with mapping environmental hazards.
 ●​ Identify mission essential functions that must be maintained or rapidly restored during
 an emergency and maintain a department specific continuity of operations plan to
 address these functions.
 ●​ Account for all internal emergency/disaster related expenditures and report these
 expenditures to the EOC Finance and Administration Section with the appropriate
 supporting documentation.


3.2.6 Police Department
Legal Authority: Portland City Code Chapter 2-17 (c); Chapter 20; Maine Statutes 30-A M.R.S.
§2671
Capabilities Led: Forensics and Attribution; Intelligence and Information Sharing; Screening,



 ft
Search, and Detection; Access Control and Identity Verification; Physical Protective Measures;
Supply Chain Integrity and Security; Response to Mass Casualty incidents; Bomb Threats;
On-Scene Security; Protection and Law Enforcement
EOC Positions Staffed: EOC Operations Section Chief, EOC Police Branch, EOC 911 Branch, EOC
Evacuation Branch, EOC Security Branch, EOC Scribe




D
JIC Positions Staffed: JIC Warning Coordinator, JIC Media Relations Branch, JIC Social Media
Branch, JIC Dissemination Branch
Communication Center/DOC Managed: 911 Communications




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Incident Management Responsibilities: Law enforcement incidents, criminal investigation
incidents, fire suppression incidents, search and rescue incidents, hazardous materials incidents
(initial response only), search-and-rescue incidents, technical rescue incidents, evacuations and
shelter-in-place orders.

Major Emergency Management Responsibilities:
 ●​ 911 Communications: Issue initial warning to the public through the 911 system, the
 Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). Alerts are issued in
 geographically targeted means and with attention to various access and functional
 needs. Use of Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) in collaboration with
 County & State EMA.
 ●​ 911 Communications: Take calls for assistance through 911 and dispatch the appropriate
 resources to incidents throughout the City.
 ●​ 911 Communications: Serve as the City’s primary entity for routine emergency
 information gathering, detection and monitoring.
 ●​ 911 Communications: Manage Police and Fire response resources and triage calls by
 ●​ priority when resources are limited.

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 ●​ 911 Communications: Request mutual aid or other routine first-response resources to
 assist in incident response.
 ●​ Police: Provide law enforcement, incident investigation, forensic analysis and crime
 ●​ prevention services.
 ●​ Police: Establish and enforce perimeters around incident scenes or critical infrastructure.
 ●​ Police: Partner with Health and Human Services and other providers to provide
 behavioral health services to emergency victims.
 ●​ Police: Coordinate victim identification and family reunification operations.
 ●​ Police: Make initial evacuation decisions and coordinate with 911 communications to
 issue public warnings.
 ●​ Police: Provide continuous on-scene protection at shelter sites.
 ●​ Police: Issue and enforce evacuation and shelter-in-place orders.
 ●​ All: Provide subject matter experts and public information officers to help manage
 incidents.


 ft
 ●​ All: Support and control traffic flow around critical emergency facilities.
 ●​ All: In coordination with the OEM, maintain mutual aid agreements for emergency
 response resources with entities external to the City.
 ●​ All: Maintain tactical level incident plans related to crowd control, response deployment,




Dra
 facility pre-plans, triage or other relevant incident response tasks.
 ●​ All: Identify mission essential functions that must be maintained or rapidly restored
 during an emergency and maintain a department specific continuity of operations plan
 to address these functions.
 ●​ All: Account for all internal emergency/disaster related expenditures and report these
 expenditures to the EOC Finance and Administration Section with the appropriate
 supporting documentation.


3.2.7 Fire Department
Legal Authority: Portland City Code Chapter 2 Sec. 2-17 (c); Chapter 10 Fire Prevention
Capabilities Led: Intelligence and Information Sharing; Fire Management and Suppression;
Emergency Medical Response; Fire Prevention and Fire Investigation; Access Supply Chain
Integrity and Security; Mass Search and Rescue Operations; Technical Rescue and Water Rescue;
Emergency response to all five Islands; and Public Education.
EOC Positions Staffed: EOC Operations Section Chief, EOC Planning Section Chief, EOC Fire
Rescue Branch, EOC 911 Branch, EOC Evacuation Branch, EOC Scribe,
JIC Positions Staffed: JIC Warning Coordinator, JIC Media Relations Branch, JIC Social Media
Branch, JIC Dissemination Branch
Communication Center/DOC Managed: 911 Communications



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Incident Management Responsibilities: Law enforcement incidents, criminal investigation
incidents, fire suppression incidents, search and rescue incidents, hazardous materials incidents
(initial response only), search-and-rescue incidents, technical rescue incidents, evacuations and
shelter-in-place orders.

Major Emergency Management Responsibilities:
 ●​ Provide fire suppression, fire prevention, search-and-rescue services and hazardous
 materials response.
 ●​ Provide emergency medical services at the Advanced Life Support (ALS) level.
 ●​ Provide fire code regulation/enforcement.
 ●​ Provide technical rescue response (swift water, open water, ice, confined space,
 structural collapse/instability, rope rescue and high/low angle rescue).
 ●​ Conduct evacuations of residents from unsafe structures.
 ●​ Coordinate victim identification and family reunification operations.


 ft
 ●​ Make initial evacuation decisions and coordinate with 911 communications to issue
 public warnings.
 ●​ Issue and enforce evacuation and shelter-in-place orders.
 ●​ Provide buses and trucks for the movement of responders, evacuees or supplies.




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 ●​ Provide subject matter experts and public information officers to help manage incidents.
 ●​ Support and control traffic flow around critical emergency facilities.
 ●​ In coordination with the OEM, maintain mutual aid agreements for emergency response
 resources with entities external to the City.
 ●​ Maintain tactical level incident plans related to crowd control, response deployment,
 facility pre-plans, triage or other relevant incident response tasks.
 ●​ Identify mission essential functions that must be maintained or rapidly restored during
 an emergency and maintain a department specific continuity of operations plan to
 address these functions.
 ●​ Account for all internal emergency/disaster related expenditures and report these
 expenditures to the EOC Finance and Administration Section with the appropriate
 supporting documentation.


3.2.8 Public Works Department
Legal Authority: Portland City Code Chapter 2 Sec. 2-17 (d) (The Directors of both Public Works
and Parks, Recreation, and Facilities fall under the same section of Portland City Code for
authority)
Capabilities Led: Critical Transportation, Infrastructure Systems




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EOC Positions Staffed: EOC Fleet and Fuels Branch, EOC Infrastructure Branch, EOC
Transportation Branch, EOC Utilities Branch, EOC Damage Assessment Branch, EOC Debris
Management Branch, EOC WebEOC Resource Ordering Branch
JIC Positions Staffed: JIC Field Information Branch
DOC Managed: Traffic Management Center (TMC)
Incident Management Responsibilities: Utility interruptions, water shortages,
transportation incidents

Major Emergency Management Responsibilities:
 ●​ Fleet Management: Assist in maintaining fuel needs and mechanical readiness for
 vehicles involved in emergency operations.
 ●​ Street Maintenance: Manage debris collection, staging, sorting and disposal operations.
 ●​ Street Maintenance: Maintain primary and contingency debris management and
 monitor contracts to augment the City’s debris management capabilities.


 ft
 ●​ Street Maintenance: Maintain Portland’s transportation infrastructure and provide rapid
 repair of key transportation pathways.
 ●​ Traffic Operations: Oversee transportation and traffic management operations from the
 State of Maine DOT.




Dra
 ●​ Traffic Operations: Assist in routing and traffic control during evacuations.
 ●​ Water Resources: Maintain Portland’s wastewater/stormwater and flood mitigation
 infrastructure.
 ●​ All: Coordinate with public and private sector partners to ensure the maintenance or
 rapid restoration of energy and utility services.
 ●​ All: Conduct initial damage assessments of Portland’s wastewater, fiber optic and
 transportation networks in coordination with the Portland Water District (PWD).
 ●​ All: Assist in providing heavy equipment as needed for certain recovery and response
 efforts.
 ●​ All: Identify mission essential functions that must be maintained or rapidly restored
 during an emergency and maintain a department specific continuity of operations plan
 to address these functions.
 ●​ All: Account for all internal emergency/disaster related expenditures and report these
 expenditures to the EOC Finance and Administration Section with the appropriate
 supporting documentation.


3.2.9 Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Department
Legal Authority: Portland City Code Chapter 2 Sec. 2-17 (d) (The Directors of both Public Works
and Parks, Recreation, and Facilities fall under the same section of Portland City Code for
authority)

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Capabilities Led: Natural and Cultural Resources
EOC Positions Staffed: EOC Parks and Recreation Branch
JIC Positions Staffed: JIC Gathering, Writing, Production and Analysis (GWPA) Branch – Info
Gathering
DOC Managed: None
Incident Management Responsibilities: Incidents occurring on/in Parks and Recreation
property and facilities (often conducted in unified command with other departments).

Major Emergency Management Responsibilities:
 ●​ Provide land for debris management sites and response staging areas.
 ●​ Conduct initial Damage Assessments of all Parks and Recreation facilities within the City.
 ●​ Conduct initial Damage Assessments of all Public Buildings and Waterfront Facilities
 within the City.
 ●​ Create and maintain mitigation strategies for hazards affecting parks, trails, public


 ft
 buildings, and City owned waterfront facilities.
 ●​ Coordinate and conduct debris removal in conjunction with Public Works.
 ●​ Provide public buildings and/or recreation facilities and staff to establish DACs and
 shelters.




Dra
 ●​ Coordinate facilities and support personnel to manage LSAs, C-PODs and P-PODs.
 ●​ Provide personnel, vehicles, and resources for DACs, shelters and emergency
 logistics operations.
 ●​ Coordinate with public safety agencies to ensure event safety and security.
 ●​ Integrate emergency planning into large-scale event operations.
 ●​ Serve as liaison to event organizers during emergencies that impact public gatherings.
 ●​ Support public information dissemination during planned events and unplanned
 incidents affecting event activities.
 ●​ Identify mission essential functions that must be maintained or rapidly restored during
 an emergency and maintain a department specific continuity of operations plan to
 address these functions.
 ●​ Account for all internal emergency/disaster related expenditures and report these
 expenditures to the EOC Finance and Administration Section with the appropriate
 supporting documentation.


3.2.10 Portland International Jetport (PWM)
Legal Authority: Portland City Code Chapter 18 Article IV Airport Facilities § 18.81 14 C.F.R. Part
139; 49 C.F.R. § 1542; 14 C.F.R. 91.137; 29 C.F.R. 1910.120; 29 C.F.R. 1910.1200
Capabilities Led: None
EOC Positions Staffed: EOC Airport Branch

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JIC Positions Staffed: None
Communication Center/DOC Managed: Airport Emergency Operations Center (AEOC)
Incident Management Responsibilities: Incidents, aviation-related or otherwise, on
airport property

Major Emergency Management Responsibilities:
 ●​ Maintain or restore Portland’s air transportation infrastructure to meet the needed
 capacity following an emergency.
 ●​ Maintain an Airport Emergency Plan (AEP) for the Portland International Jetport that
 provides both authority and responsibility for organizations to perform tasks during
 emergency situations.
 ●​ Assist with the coordination of the orderly movement of evacuees out of Portland by
 aircraft.
 ●​ Receive emergency supplies, equipment, response personnel and repatriates arriving in
 Portland by aircraft.

 ft
 ●​ Support ground transportation operations at the airport by providing vehicles, drivers
 and equipment for evacuation and movement of supplies and responders.
 ●​ Ensure adequate passenger and cargo air transportation capabilities exist to support




Dra
 the Portland Metro Area economy and recovery operations following an emergency.
 ●​ Warn travelers and implement protective actions when hazards threaten airport
 property, including activation of Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA).
 ●​ Coordinate and assist in sheltering, feeding and supporting all airport passengers
 stranded at the airport during an emergency.
 ●​ Conduct damage assessment of airport property when necessary and report findings to
 the EOC Damage Assessment Branch.
 ●​ Rapidly remove debris from airport property that impedes airport operations or
 emergency services and coordinate with the EOC Debris Management Branch to collect
 and dispose of debris on airport property.
 ●​ Ensure security protections for all airport facilities and flight operations.
 ●​ Coordinate with Portland’s Public Health Division and Maine CDC to implement
 infectious disease control measures at the airport during times of public health concern.
 ●​ Identify mission essential functions that must be maintained or rapidly restored during
 an emergency and maintain a department specific continuity of operations plan to
 address these functions.
 ●​ Account for all internal emergency/disaster related expenditures and report these
 expenditures to the EOC Finance and Administration Section with the appropriate
 supporting documentation.




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3.2.11 Communications & Digital Services Department
Legal Authority: N/A
Capabilities Led: Public Information & Warning
EOC Positions Staffed: EOC Public Information Officer (PIO), EOC Joint Information Center (JIC)
Manager, EOC Social Media Branch, EOC Media Relations Branch, EOC Rumor Control Branch
JIC Positions Staffed: JIC Manager, Media Liaison, Social Media Coordinator, Public Outreach
Specialist
DOC Managed: None
Incident Management Responsibilities: Lead agency for citywide public information and
warning during emergencies.

Major Emergency Management Responsibilities:

 ●​ PIO: Coordinate all official City communications during emergencies through the Joint
 Information System (JIS).

 ft
 ●​ PIO: Ensure timely and accurate dissemination of information to the public through
 multiple channels, including news media, social media, City website, and emergency
 alert systems.
 ●​ PIO: Monitor media and public information sources for accuracy, misinformation, and




Dra
 public sentiment.
 ●​ Public Outreach: Ensure communications are accessible, culturally appropriate, and
 available in multiple languages as needed.
 ●​ All: Maintain public information templates and pre-scripted messages for likely hazards.
 ●​ All: Support rumor control and ensure consistent messaging across all departments and
 partner agencies.
 ●​ All: Identify mission essential functions related to public communication and maintain a
 department-specific Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP).

3.2.12 Information & Technology (IT)
Legal Authority: N/A
Capabilities Led: Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Systems
EOC Positions Staffed: EOC IT Branch Director, EOC Network Support Unit, EOC Communications
Systems Support, EOC Data Management Unit
JIC Positions Staffed: None
DOC Managed: IT Operations Center (if activated)
Incident Management Responsibilities: The Information Technology Department is responsible
for maintaining critical City technology systems, ensuring continuity of data and
communications infrastructure, and supporting the EOC with technical resources during
emergency incidents.


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During activations, IT will coordinate with OEM and departmental stakeholders to ensure
technology services remain operational and responsive to the needs of first responders,
leadership, and field operations.

Major Emergency Management Responsibilities:

 ●​ Maintain critical City technology infrastructure, including on-premise servers, core
 network systems, and emergency communications platforms during incidents.
 ●​ Coordinate with OEM and vendors to maintain redundant network connectivity and
 ensure availability of remote access solutions for continuity operations.
 ●​ Maintain City VoIP systems and coordinate with PRCC and OEM to support continuity of
 radio and dispatch communications infrastructure.
 ●​ Support EOC activities by providing staffing, hardware, networking, and access to
 productivity tools for EOC personnel
 ●​ Ensure continuity of essential applications and services, including CAD/RMS (in
 coordination with PRCC), Finance ERP, Permitting systems, and GIS (in coordination with
 Public Works)

 ft
 ●​ Provide access to GIS servers and mapping platforms hosted by IT in support of
 situational awareness and emergency planning, in coordination with Public Works GIS
 staff.
 ●​ Ensure reliable data protection and recovery through backup and continuous data




Dra
 protection; Execute system restoration based on predefined RTO/RPO objectives.
 ●​ Support departmental COOP by assisting in the identification of mission-essential
 applications and infrastructure and enabling alternate service delivery methods.
 ●​ Maintain and regularly test department-specific COOPs to identify and prioritize
 mission-essential IT functions and services that must be maintained or rapidly restored
 during emergencies.

Cybersecurity Response

Cybersecurity responsibilities, including threat monitoring, incident response, and protection of
City systems against malicious activity during emergencies, are covered in the separate Cyber
Incident Annex (in development). IT will maintain heightened vigilance during incidents,
especially during known periods of disruption or exposure.


3.3 Responsibilities: Internal City Support
Some City Departments may not have a role in the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
but provide support to emergency operations.




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3.3.1 Human Resources

The Human Resources (HR) Department plays a critical role in supporting the City’s workforce
during emergency operations. HR ensures that personnel resources are effectively managed,
policies are followed, and employee needs are addressed to maintain continuity of government
operations and essential services.

Primary Responsibilities
 ●​ Ensure workplace safety and train employees on the Employee Emergency Action Plan
 and safety policies.
 ●​ Maintain an up-to-date roster of all City employees, including emergency contact
 information.
 ●​ Coordinate with department heads to identify essential personnel and ensure adequate
 staffing levels during incidents.



 ft
 ●​ Facilitate reassignments or cross-department deployments when necessary to support
 emergency operations.
 ●​ Assist in communicating personnel reporting instructions, alternate work locations, and
 telework expectations during emergencies.




Dra
 ●​ Track employee availability and maintain a current status of on-duty, off-duty, and
 displaced personnel.
 ●​ Advise leadership on HR-related policies, procedures, and labor agreements during
 emergency response and recovery operations.
 ●​ Support implementation of emergency-related leave policies, timekeeping procedures,
 and overtime approvals.
Support Responsibilities
 ●​ Coordinate employee wellness checks, counseling, and access to Employee Assistance
 Programs (EAP) during and after emergencies.
 ●​ Support demobilization and recovery by addressing workforce fatigue and stress
 management needs.
 ●​ Maintain processes to recruit and onboard temporary personnel or contractors to fill
 staffing gaps.
 ●​ Support volunteer and mutual aid integration when required.
Coordination
The HR Department works closely with:
 ●​ City Manager’s Office for continuity of government functions
 ●​ Department Heads for staffing coordination
 ●​ Finance Department for payroll, benefits, and compensation during emergencies




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 ●​ Emergency Management & Public Safety for integration with the Emergency Operations
 Center (EOC) and situational awareness


3.3.2 Housing and Economic Development
Primary Responsibilities
 ●​ Assist in identifying locations for PODs, LSAs, shelters and other emergency facilities.
 ●​ Administer emergency programs that assist with repairing, rebuilding, or purchasing
 permanent housing when available.
 ●​ Coordinate with local businesses on continuity planning and recovery resources.
 ●​ Facilitate public-private partnerships for disaster response and recovery.
 ●​ Assist affected businesses in accessing state and federal economic recovery programs.
 ●​ Provide economic impact assessments to the EOC during recovery operations.

3.3.3 Assessor
Primary Responsibilities
 ft
 ●​ Assist with surveys to physically inspect and document damaged or destroyed
 properties.




Dra
 ●​ Reassessing the value of properties affected by a disaster to reflect their post-disaster
 condition.
 ●​ Assist with GIS mapping to track damaged properties.
 ●​ Provide information on property damage to help decision makers understand the
 economic impact of a disaster to assist in long-term recovery planning.


3.4 Responsibilities: Independent Agencies, State Government,
Federal Government and Quasi-governmental Organizations
The City of Portland works closely with a range of independent agencies, state and federal
government entities, and quasi-governmental organizations to ensure a coordinated and
effective emergency management program. These partners provide critical expertise, resources,
and operational capabilities that enhance the City’s preparedness, response, recovery, and
mitigation efforts. The following outlines the primary roles and responsibilities of these
organizations in relation to the City’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).




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3.4.1 Portland Public Schools (PPS)

Portland Public Schools operates under the authority of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A,
and is governed by the Portland Board of Public Education. PPS is responsible for ensuring the
safety, security, and continuity of education for all students, staff, and visitors across its facilities.
The district maintains an all-hazards District Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) that aligns with
the City of Portland’s EOP and coordinates closely with the City’s emergency management,
police, and fire departments to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies that may
impact school operations.

For emergency management purposes, their authority and responsibilities include:

 ●​ Implementing protective actions such as lockdown, shelter-in-place, evacuation, or
 relocation to safeguard students and staff.
 ●​ Activating and managing the District Operations Center (DOC) to coordinate
 school-based emergency response efforts.


 ft
 ●​ Maintaining accountability systems to track the status and location of students and staff
 during incidents.
 ●​ Communicating timely and accurate information to parents, guardians, staff, and
 students during emergencies.
 ●​ Providing facilities, when requested by the City, for use as temporary shelters,




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 reunification centers, or points of distribution (PODs).
 ●​ Supporting the continuity of educational services, including remote learning capabilities,
 following significant disruptions.
 ●​ Participating in joint training, exercises, and after-action reviews with City departments
 and partner agencies.

3.4.2 Metropolitan Transportation (Greater Portland METRO)

The Greater Portland Transit District (METRO) operates under Maine Revised Statutes, Title
30-A, Chapter 163, providing public bus transportation services to the Portland metropolitan
area and surrounding communities. METRO is a vital partner in the City’s emergency
transportation network, supporting evacuation, relocation, and the movement of essential
personnel and resources.

For emergency management purposes, their authority and responsibilities include:

 ●​ Providing buses and drivers to support evacuation and relocation operations when
 requested by the City.
 ●​ Assisting in the transportation of individuals with access and functional needs to shelters
 or safe locations.
 ●​ Maintaining communications with the City’s EOC during emergencies to coordinate
 transportation resources.



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 ●​ Adjusting routes and services to support emergency operations and avoid hazardous
 areas.
 ●​ Participating in preparedness planning, training, and exercises with City and regional
 partners.

3.4.3 Central Maine Power (CMP)

Central Maine Power, regulated by the Maine Public Utilities Commission, is the primary electric
utility serving the City of Portland. CMP plays a critical role in restoring electrical service during
emergencies and prioritizes power restoration for critical facilities.

For emergency management purposes, their authority and responsibilities include:

 ●​ Assessing damage to electrical infrastructure and deploying repair crews during
 emergencies.
 ●​ Prioritizing restoration for critical facilities, including hospitals, emergency shelters, and
 public safety facilities.

 ft
 ●​ Coordinating with the City’s EOC for resource requests, situational updates, and public
 information dissemination.
 ●​ Supporting public safety operations by isolating damaged electrical infrastructure.
 ●​ Participating in joint training and exercises to improve response and coordination




D capabilities.

3.4.4 Portland Water District (PWD)




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The Portland Water District, established under Maine Private and Special Laws of 1907 and
governed by an elected Board of Trustees, provides water and wastewater services to the City of
Portland. PWD is a key partner in maintaining public health and safety during emergencies.

For emergency management purposes, their authority and responsibilities include:

 ●​ Ensuring the safety and quality of drinking water during emergencies. Including issuing
 any Boil Water Orders for customers in any affected areas of the City.
 ●​ Maintaining and restoring water and wastewater services disrupted by incidents.
 ●​ Providing technical expertise and equipment to support emergency response
 operations.
 ●​ Coordinating with the City’s EOC for situational awareness and resource requests.
 ●​ Participating in hazard mitigation and infrastructure resilience planning.

3.4.5 Maine Medical Center and Northern Light Mercy Hospital

Maine Medical Center and Northern Light Mercy Hospital operate under applicable federal and
state healthcare regulations, including licensure through the Maine Department of Health and


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Human Services. These hospitals are critical healthcare providers in the City of Portland,
delivering emergency medical care, inpatient services, and specialized treatments. They
maintain hospital-specific emergency operations plans that coordinate with the City’s EOP.

For emergency management purposes, their authority and responsibilities include:

 ●​ Providing emergency and inpatient medical care during disasters or mass casualty
 incidents.
 ●​ Coordinating with emergency medical services (EMS) and the City’s EOC for patient
 surge and resource needs.
 ●​ Maintaining hospital incident command systems to manage internal response
 operations.
 ●​ Supporting public health surveillance and reporting during outbreaks or public health
 emergencies.
 ●​ Participating in regional healthcare coalitions, training, and exercises.




 ft
3.4.6 Portland Housing Authority (PHA)

The Portland Housing Authority operates under the authority of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937
and relevant HUD regulations. PHA provides affordable housing options for low-income
residents and plays an important role in ensuring the safety and well-being of tenants during




D
emergencies.

For emergency management purposes, their authority and responsibilities include:




 ra
 ●​ Implementing emergency procedures to protect residents during incidents affecting PHA
 properties.
 ●​ Coordinating with the City’s EOC and social services agencies to meet residents’ needs
 during and after emergencies.
 ●​ Providing information to tenants regarding protective actions and recovery resources.
 ●​ Identifying available housing units for relocation of displaced residents.
 ●​ Participating in community preparedness and outreach initiatives.

3.4.7 Colleges and Universities

Portland is home to several institutions of higher education, including the University of
Southern Maine, University of New England, The Roux Institute - Northeastern University and
the Maine College of Art and Design. These institutions operate under state higher education
statutes and maintain their own campus safety and emergency management programs that
coordinate with the City’s EOP.

For emergency management purposes, their authority and responsibilities include:

 ●​ Maintaining campus emergency operations plans aligned with the City’s EOP.


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 ●​ Implementing protective measures such as lockdown, evacuation, or shelter-in-place
 when necessary.
 ●​ Coordinating with local law enforcement, fire, and EMS during emergencies affecting
 campus operations.
 ●​ Providing facilities and resources, when available, to support City response operations.
 ●​ Participating in training, exercises, and public information campaigns.

3.4.8 Private Schools and Charter Schools

Private and charter schools in Portland operate under applicable state education laws and
maintain independent governance structures. These schools are responsible for the safety of
their students and staff and work in coordination with City emergency services to prepare for
and respond to incidents.

For emergency management purposes, their authority and responsibilities include:



 ft
 ●​ Developing and maintaining school emergency operations plans consistent with best
 practices.
 ●​ Implementing protective actions during emergencies to safeguard students and staff.
 ●​ Maintaining communications with parents, guardians, and City emergency management
 during incidents.




D ●​ Participating in joint training and exercises with City and regional partners.
 ●​ Providing facilities, when feasible, for community response needs such as sheltering.

3.4.9 Neighborhood Districts




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Neighborhood districts, including organized neighborhood associations, play an important role
in supporting community resilience and emergency preparedness. These groups operate under
their own governance structures but often collaborate with the City to enhance communication,
mutual aid, and disaster response efforts.

For emergency management purposes, their authority and responsibilities include:

 ●​ Providing local situational awareness and damage reports to the City’s EOC during
 emergencies.
 ●​ Coordinating volunteer efforts and community resources for preparedness and recovery
 activities.
 ●​ Assisting in disseminating emergency information to residents.
 ●​ Supporting vulnerable populations within their neighborhoods during incidents.
 ●​ Participating in community-based training and exercises.




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3.4.10 Amtrak and Railroad Transportation

Passenger rail services in Portland are provided by Amtrak’s Downeaster line, while freight rail
operations are conducted by regional carriers. Rail operators are subject to federal safety
regulations and work in coordination with the City for emergency planning and incident
response.

For emergency management purposes, their authority and responsibilities include:

 ●​ Implementing rail-specific emergency response plans and coordinating with City public
 safety agencies.
 ●​ Providing transportation resources during evacuations or large-scale incidents when
 feasible.
 ●​ Ensuring rapid communication with the City’s EOC during rail incidents affecting public
 safety.
 ●​ Supporting hazardous materials response efforts when incidents involve rail cargo.


 ft
 Following FRA guidelines by reporting any collision, derailment, or incident resulting in a
 fatality or serious injury to a passenger or crew member, and events involving hazardous
 materials or property damage exceeding a certain reporting threshold.
 ●​ Participating in joint training and emergency drills with City and regional partners.




D
3.4.11 State of Maine

The State of Maine, through its various departments and the Maine Emergency Management
Agency (MEMA), provides statewide coordination, resources, and support to municipalities




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during emergencies. State agencies operate under Maine Revised Statutes and collaborate
closely with the City to enhance preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation capabilities.

For emergency management purposes, their authority and responsibilities include:

 ●​ Providing specialized resources, technical expertise, and personnel to support local
 emergency operations.
 ●​ Coordinating with the City’s EOC through MEMA’s regional liaisons.
 ●​ Administering state-level disaster assistance programs and facilitating federal aid
 requests.
 ●​ Supporting public health, public safety, and critical infrastructure protection.
 ●​ Participating in statewide training and exercises that include City agencies.

3.4.12 Federal Government

The Federal Government, through agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA), provides nationwide coordination, funding, and operational support to state
and local governments during emergencies. Federal agencies operate under applicable U.S. laws



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and regulations and coordinate with the State of Maine and the City of Portland during major
disasters.

For emergency management purposes, their authority and responsibilities include:

 ●​ Providing disaster assistance through FEMA programs and other federal agencies.
 ●​ Deploying federal resources, teams, and equipment when requested and approved.
 ●​ Coordinating with state and local governments to ensure an integrated response.
 ●​ Offering technical guidance, training programs, and planning support.
 ●​ Supporting long-term recovery and hazard mitigation initiatives.


3.5 Responsibilities: Private Sector Partners
The City of Portland relies on private sector organizations across multiple industries to support
preparedness, response, and recovery operations. Each subsection below details sector-specific



 ft
partners, their roles, and their capabilities.

3.5.2 Local Business Groups & Organizations
Local business associations help coordinate resources, maintain economic continuity, and




D
provide situational awareness during emergencies.


Business Group/
Association




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Chamber of
Commerce


Downtown
District
 Organization(s)


 Portland Regional
 Chamber of Commerce


 Portland Downtown
 Emergency Role & Capabilities


 Coordinates communication with businesses,
 assists in mobilizing private sector resources.


 Supports storefront resilience, event
 coordination, and outreach to small
 businesses.

Regional Greater Portland Council Provides regional planning, transportation
Planning of Governments (GPCOG) coordination, and business continuity
 resources.

Hospitality HospitalityMaine Liaison for hotels and restaurants; assists in
Advocacy feeding and sheltering during incidents.




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3.5.3 Portland Downtown District
The downtown district is vital for commerce, tourism, and events, requiring coordination to
sustain operations during disruptions.


Entity Organization(s) Emergency Role & Capabilities

Merchant Portland Downtown Coordinates communication with local
Associations businesses and supports continuity planning.


Event Venues Cross Insurance Arena; Facilitates emergency use of venues for
 State Theatre sheltering or staging operations.

Storefront Local retailers and Support economic recovery, provide food and
Businesses restaurants


3.5.4 Lodging / Hotel Providers ft supplies during emergencies.




Hotels and lodging providers play a key role in sheltering evacuees, housing emergency




D
responders, and supporting displaced populations.


Lodging Type




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Hotels



Boutique Hotels


Short-Term
 Organization(s)

 Marriott, Hilton, Holiday
 Inn, Westin, Harbor Hotel


 Local independent inns
 and hotels
 Emergency Role & Capabilities

 Provide shelter for displaced residents, first
 responders, and recovery workers.


 Offer supplemental sheltering capacity and
 short-term housing.

 Airbnb, VRBO, local rental Expand sheltering options for visitors and
Rentals properties evacuees.




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3.5.5 Tourism Industry
Tourism partners support continuity of visitor services and large-event coordination.


 Tourism Sector Organization(s) Emergency Role & Capabilities

 Destination Visit Portland Provides visitor information, supports
 Marketing coordination of tourists during emergencies.

 Tour Operators Local tour companies, Assist in evacuation transport and continuity of
 bus lines services.

 Event Services Convention and visitor Support relocation of large gatherings and
 bureaus conferences.


3.5.6 Cruise Ship Industry
 ft
The cruise industry brings thousands of passengers and requires coordination for safety and
evacuation during emergencies.




DCruise Entity

 Cruise




 ra
 Coordination

 Passenger
 Services

 Hospitality
 Support
 Organization(s)

 CruiseMaine, Port of
 Portland

 Shore excursion
 companies

 Local tourism providers
 Emergency Role & Capabilities

 Coordinate arrival/departure, manage
 large-scale passenger handling in emergencies.

 Support evacuation logistics and visitor safety.


 Assist in housing stranded passengers or crew.



3.5.7 Supermarkets and Food Suppliers
Food suppliers and retailers ensure access to essential goods and emergency food support.


Food Entity Organization(s) Emergency Role & Capabilities

Supermarkets Hannaford, Shaw’s Maintain food supply chains and support
 emergency food distribution.


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Wholesalers Sysco, UNFI Provide large-scale food distribution to shelters
 and hospitals.

Food Banks Good Shepherd Food Offer emergency food support for vulnerable
 Bank, Preble Street, populations.
 Wayside Food


3.5.8 Assisted Living Facilities & Nursing Homes
Facilities caring for seniors and vulnerable populations must coordinate closely in emergencies.


 Care Type Organization(s) Emergency Role & Capabilities

 Assisted Living


 Nursing Homes
 ft
 Local assisted living
 facilities
 Ensure safety of residents, coordinate
 evacuation when necessary.

 Long-term care centers in Provide medical support and coordinate with
 Portland hospitals for patient transfer.




DMemory Care




 ra
 Specialized dementia
 care facilities


3.5.9 Transportation Industry
 Safeguard highly vulnerable populations and
 support medical evacuation.




Transportation partners provide continuity of mobility and support evacuation efforts.


 Transport
 Mode

 Ferry Service
 Organization(s)


 Casco Bay Lines
 Emergency Role & Capabilities


 Maintain lifeline access to islands, support
 evacuation operations.

 Rail Service Amtrak Downeaster Support evacuation of passengers and transport
 of supplies.

 Bus / Coach Concord Trailways Support evacuation of passengers and or support
 Service for transportation vehicles for mass evacuation.




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 Public Transit Greater Portland METRO Assist in evacuation, transport responders, and
 maintain commuter mobility.


 Trucking/Logis Private trucking Maintain supply chain distribution and deliver
 tics companies emergency resources.


3.5.10 Financial Institutions
Banks and credit unions maintain financial stability and ensure continuity of access to funds.


 Financial Organization(s) Emergency Role & Capabilities
 Entity

 Banks



 Credit Unions
 ft
 Local and regional banks



 Regional credit unions
 Ensure continuity of services, facilitate
 emergency loans, protect assets.


 Support members with emergency relief funding




DATM
 Networks




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3.5.11 Hospitals
 Banking networks
 and continuity of services.

 Maintain access to cash and digital banking
 services during power outages.




Hospitals provide surge medical support, coordinate with EMS, and support mass care
operations.


 Healthcare
 Facility
 Organization(s) Emergency Role & Capabilities


 Primary Maine Medical Center Provide trauma and specialty care, maintain
 Hospital regional surge capacity.

 Community Northern Light Mercy Support inpatient and outpatient care,
 Hospital Hospital coordinate with regional EMS.




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 Clinics Local urgent care centers Offer supplemental medical capacity and urgent
 and clinics care support.

 Pharmacies CVS, Walgreens, Ensure access to medications, support mass
 Hannaford, Walmart, dispensing.
 independent pharmacies


3.5.12 Utility Companies
Utilities sustain community lifelines by restoring power, water, and communications systems.


 Utility Type Organization(s) Emergency Role & Capabilities

 Electricity


 Natural Gas
 Central Maine Power
 (CMP)
 ft
 Summit Natural Gas, Unitil
 Restore power, prioritize critical facilities, and
 manage outages.

 Maintain gas distribution and ensure safe
 restoration after outages.




DWater &
 Wastewater




 ra
 Telecommuni
 cations
 Portland Water District


 Verizon, AT&T, Spectrum,
 T-Mobile




SECTION 4: PLAN MAINTENANCE

4.1 Introduction
 Maintain drinking water supply and wastewater
 systems.

 Ensure continuity of phone, internet, and
 emergency communications.




The City of Portland Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is a living document that will be
maintained to ensure its continued relevance, accuracy, and compliance with local, state, and
federal requirements.




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4.2 Maintenance Process

4.2.1 Formal Approval

 ●​ Substantive Changes – Any substantive changes that alter the intent, scope, authorities,
 or responsibilities outlined in the EOP shall require formal review and approval by the
 Portland City Council.
 ●​ Administrative Changes – Administrative changes, such as updates to contact
 information, resource inventories, department names, or minor procedural adjustments,
 may be approved and implemented by the City Manager without City Council action.
 ●​ Council Review Cycle – The EOP shall be formally reviewed and reapproved by the
 Portland City Council at least once every three (3) years, or more frequently if required
 by changes in law, organizational structure, or hazard risk.


4.2.2 Record of Changes / Revisions
 ft
All updates to the EOP, whether administrative or substantive, will be documented in the Record
of Changes log, including the date, nature of the change, and the approving authority.




D
4.3 Training, Exercises, and Evaluation




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4.3.1 Training, Exercises, and Evaluation
The City of Portland recognizes that the effectiveness of the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
depends on the ability of City staff, partner agencies, and stakeholders to understand their roles
and responsibilities and to perform assigned tasks under real-world conditions. To that end, the
City’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will maintain a comprehensive training, exercise,
and evaluation program in alignment with the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation
Program (HSEEP).




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  4.3.1.1 Training
  The OEM will coordinate annual training opportunities for City staff and partner agencies to
  ensure familiarity with the EOP, Hazard-Specific Annexes, Standard Operating Guidelines
  (SOGs), and related plans.
 ●​ Training will include both classroom-based instruction and practical, scenario-driven
 activities, tailored to the hazards and operational priorities identified in the City’s Threat
 and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA).
 ●​ New employees in designated emergency response or support roles will receive
 orientation on EOP roles and responsibilities within their first year of service.

  4.3.1.2 Exercises
 ●​ The OEM will plan and conduct exercises in accordance with HSEEP guidelines to test
 and validate the EOP and supporting procedures.
 ●​ Exercises will vary in type and complexity, including seminars, workshops, tabletop


 ft
 exercises, functional exercises, and full-scale exercises.
 ●​ At least one City-wide exercise will be conducted every year, with additional
 hazard-specific or department-level exercises scheduled as needed.




D 4.3.1.3 Evaluation and Improvement Planning




 ra
 ●​ All exercises and actual incidents will be evaluated to identify strengths, areas for
 improvement, and recommended corrective actions.
 ●​ The OEM will develop an After Action Report (AAR) and Improvement Plan (IP) following
 each exercise or incident, documenting lessons learned and assigning responsibility for
 corrective actions.
 ●​ Identified improvements will be incorporated into the EOP, Hazard-Specific Annexes, and
 departmental procedures during the next plan review cycle, or sooner if urgent.



SECTION 5: APPENDICES AND ANNEXES

5.1 Support Appendices

5.1.1 Glossary of Terms and Acronyms​ ​ ​ ​

Table 5.1 Portland EOP Glossary of Terms and Acronyms

 Acronym Term Definition


Emergency Operations Plan 2025​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Pg.77

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 AAR After Action Report A formal report analyzing response actions, lessons learned, and
 recommendations following an incident or exercise.

 ARC American Red Cross Nonprofit organization providing disaster relief, shelter, and
 humanitarian services.

 COOP Continuity of A plan to ensure essential government functions continue during and
 Operations Plan after a disruption.

 DAC Disaster Assistance Facility where individuals and businesses can access post-disaster
 Center services and information.

 DEM Department of City/County office coordinating preparedness, response, recovery,
 Emergency and mitigation activities.
 Management

 DOC Department Facility where a department coordinates its own emergency response


 EAS


 EOC
 Operations Center

 Emergency Alert
 System

 Emergency Operations
 Center
 ft
 activities.

 National system for public warning via broadcast, cable, and satellite
 media.

 Central location for coordinating emergency management activities
 and resources.




DEOP


 FEMA




 ra
 ICS


 IMAT


 JIC
 Emergency Operations
 Plan

 Federal Emergency
 Management Agency

 Incident Command
 System

 Incident Management
 Assistance Team

 Joint Information
 Center
 Document describing the framework for how the City responds to
 emergencies and disasters.

 U.S. agency providing federal disaster response and recovery support.


 Standardized, on-scene, all-hazards incident management approach.


 Team providing operational support to incident management
 activities.

 Facility for coordinating public information and media relations
 during an incident.

 JIS Joint Information Framework for integrating public information across agencies during
 System incidents.

 LEOP Local Emergency The jurisdiction-specific plan for managing emergencies.
 Operations Plan

 LTRC Long-Term Recovery Group coordinating resources and services for long-term disaster
 Committee recovery.

 MACS Multiagency Framework for coordinating resources and decision-making among
 Coordination System multiple agencies.


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 MOU Memorandum of Agreement between parties outlining roles, responsibilities, and
 Understanding resource sharing.

 NIMS National Incident Nationwide framework for standardized incident management and
 Management System coordination.

 OEM Office of Emergency The central coordination body for all emergency management
 Management activities within the City.


 PIO Public Information Designated official responsible for disseminating public information
 Officer during an incident.

 POD Point of Distribution Location where the public can obtain emergency supplies or services.


 SitRep Situation Report Summary of incident status, actions taken, and resource needs.

 VOAD Voluntary
 Organizations Active in
 Disaster


5.1.2 Record of Revision / Change
 ft
 Coalition of nonprofit groups supporting disaster response and
 recovery.




D
Record of Change
 Date




 ra
 Approving Authority Description




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5.1.3 Record of Distribution
Record of Distribution
 Name Agency Date of Number of
 Delivery Copies




 ft
Dra
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5.1.4 City of Portland Organizational Chart
Visual 5.1




 ft
Dra
5.1.5 Private Sector Partners – Quick Reference

The City of Portland relies on a broad range of private sector partners to support emergency
preparedness, response, recovery, and continuity of community lifelines. The table below
summarizes key partners, their roles, and the capabilities they provide.


 Sector / Organization(s) Emergency Role & Capabilities
 Partner

 Utilities Central Maine Power Restore electrical and natural gas service,
 (CMP); Unitil; Summit protect utility infrastructure, support critical
 Natural Gas facilities during outages.



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 Water & Portland Water District Maintain potable water supply, water quality,
 Wastewater (PWD) and wastewater management during incidents.

 Transportation Casco Bay Lines; Amtrak; Provide continuity of ferry service to Casco Bay
 Greater Portland METRO; Islands; maintain commuter and freight
 private trucking & mobility; support evacuation and supply
 logistics companies distribution.

 Healthcare Maine Medical Center; Deliver emergency medical care, surge capacity,
 Northern Light Mercy pharmaceutical distribution, and coordination
 Hospital; private clinics & of healthcare response.
 pharmacies

 Telecommunic Verizon; AT&T; Spectrum Ensure continuity and restoration of phone,
 ations


 Media & WGME, WMTW, WCSH
 ft internet, and data systems critical for response
 operations.

 Provide accurate, timely emergency messaging




D
 Communicatio (local TV); Portland Press to the public; support Joint Information
 ns Herald, Maine Public System/Center.
 Radio




 ra
 Food Supply &
 Retail




 Hospitality &
 Lodging


 Tourism &
 Cruise
 Industry
 Hannaford; Shaw’s; local
 supermarkets,
 wholesalers, food
 distributors

 HospitalityMaine; major
 hotel providers; local inns
 and short-term rentals

 CruiseMaine; Portland
 cruise ship operators;
 Visit Portland
 Maintain food distribution chains; coordinate
 with the City for emergency food supply and
 shelter feeding.


 Provide shelter and housing for displaced
 populations, emergency responders, and
 recovery personnel.

 Support large-scale passenger management,
 assist in coordinating visitors during
 emergencies.

 Financial Local and regional banks Ensure continuity of financial services, expedite
 Institutions & credit unions disaster assistance disbursement, protect
 customer assets.




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 Assisted Living Local long-term care Safeguard vulnerable populations, coordinate
 & Nursing facilities evacuation and medical support when required.
 Homes

 Business & Portland Regional Coordinate private sector resources, share
 Industry Chamber of Commerce; situational awareness, and support continuity
 Portland Downtown; local of economic activity.
 business associations

5.2 Hazard Specific and Functional Annexes

5.2.1 Introduction



 ft
The EOP is supported by Hazard Specific Annexes (HSAs), Functional Annexes, Standard
Operating Guidelines (SOGs), department-specific policies, and other operational documents
that provide detailed procedures for the management of specific incident types. These
documents are primarily intended for use by City staff and partner agencies during operations
and may contain sensitive or security-related information. Due to the confidential and




D
operational nature of these materials, HSAs, SOGs, and certain policies will not be made readily
available to the public. Publicly releasable summaries of hazard-specific strategies may be
developed for community awareness and engagement purposes.




 ra
5.2.2 List of Hazard Specific Annexes

The following Hazard-Specific Annexes provide targeted response guidance for identified threats
and hazards. Detailed operational procedures, sensitive information, and Standard Operating
Guidelines (SOGs) are maintained separately as noted in Section 5.2.1 to protect security and
confidentiality.


Hazard / Incident Annex Title Scope & Key Considerations

Pandemic / Public Annex A – Pandemic / Public Mass prophylaxis, vaccination, quarantine, continuity
Health Emergency Health Response of operations, coordination with CDC/State DHHS.




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Cyberattack / Annex B – Cybersecurity & IT Ransomware, denial-of-service, IT/SCADA recovery,
Infrastructure Failure Resilience coordination with Maine IT & federal agencies.




Aircraft Incident Annex C – Aviation Incident FAA/NTSB coordination, Jetport emergency plan
(Plane Crash / Aircraft Response integration, mutual aid fire/rescue, mass casualty
Down) management.



Extreme Weather Annex D – Extreme Weather Snow emergencies, road clearance, utility outages,
(Snow, Ice, Response warming centers, vulnerable populations.
Nor’easter)

Hurricane / Tropical Annex E – Hurricane & Coastal Evacuation zones, storm surge, coastal flooding,
Storm



Hazardous Materials
Release
 Storm Response



 ft
 Annex F – Hazardous Materials
 Response
 sheltering, debris management.



 HazMat team deployment, decontamination,
 evacuation, public safety messaging.




D
Flooding (Riverine /
Urban)




 ra
Terrorism / Active
Threat




Mass Casualty
Incident (General)
 Annex G – Flood Response




 Annex H – Terrorism / Active
 Shooter Response




 Annex I – Mass Casualty &
 Fatality Management
 Sandbagging, pumping operations, evacuation,
 coordination with Army Corps & PWD.



 Law enforcement coordination, unified command,
 triage, casualty management, FBI/State Police
 support.



 Medical surge, hospital coordination, fatality
 management, MEOC integration.



Emerging Hazard Annex J – [To be Determined] Placeholder for new or emerging risks (e.g., PFAS
(Reserved) contamination, energy grid failure).



5.2.3 List of Functional Annexes

Functional Annexes are the detailed, action-oriented sections of the EOP. This structure allows
for easy updates to specific functions without a complete overhaul of the entire plan and
ensures that responders can efficiently and effectively perform their assigned duties during an


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emergency. The following Functional Annexes provide targeted response guidance for essential
emergency management functions. Detailed operational procedures, sensitive information, and
Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) are maintained separately as noted in Section 5.2.1 to
protect security and confidentiality.


 Functional Area Annex Title Scope & Key Considerations

 Continuity of Annex 1 – Continuity of Succession of leadership, preservation of records,
 Government Government essential functions, relocation of government
 operations.



 Communications Annex 2 – Redundant systems, interoperability, backup
 Communications infrastructure, coordination with MaineIT, FCC
 compliance.



 Emergency Public
 Information &
 Warning
 ft
 Annex 3 – Public
 Information & Warning
 Alert & warning systems, Joint Information Center
 (JIC), social media coordination, rumor control.




DMass Care,
 Emergency
 Assistance,




 ra
 Housing & Human
 Services

 Resource
 Management

 Critical
 Infrastructure &
 Key Resources
 (CIKR) Restoration
 Annex 4 – Mass Care &
 Human Services




 Annex 5 – Resource
 Management

 Annex 6 – CIKR
 Restoration
 Sheltering, feeding, reunification, functional needs
 support, coordination with Red Cross & DHHS.




 Procurement, staging, mutual aid, asset tracking,
 emergency contracts.

 Protection & restoration of utilities, transportation,
 energy, water, and essential services.




 Damage Annex 7 – Damage Field surveys, structural inspections, coordination
 Assessment Assessment with MEMA & FEMA for disaster declarations.



 Firefighting Annex 8 – Firefighting Urban & wildland fire suppression, mutual aid,
 Operations resource staging, firefighter safety protocols.




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 Logistics Annex 9 – Logistics & Supply chain continuity, staging sites, PODs (Points
 Management & Resource Support of Distribution), private sector integration.
 Resource Support

 Search & Rescue Annex 10 – Search & Urban search & rescue (USAR), water rescue, K9
 Rescue deployment, Coast Guard coordination.



 Hazardous Annex 11 – Hazardous HazMat team deployment, decontamination,
 Material Response Materials Response evacuation, coordination with Maine DEP & EPA.



 Public Safety & Annex 12 – Public Safety Law enforcement, crowd control, site security,
 Security & Security unified command with State Police & FBI.



 Long-Term
 Community
 Recovery ft
 Annex 13 – Long-Term
 Recovery
 Housing recovery, infrastructure restoration, small
 business support, FEMA Recovery Support
 Functions.




DFinancial
 Management




 ra
 Mutual Aid /
 Multi-Jurisdictiona
 l Coordination



 Volunteer &
 Donations
 Management
 Annex 14 – Financial
 Management



 Annex 15 – Mutual Aid
 Coordination




 Annex 16 – Volunteer &
 Donations Management
 Disaster finance tracking, FEMA Public Assistance
 (PA), cost recovery, audits, reimbursement
 processes.

 EMAC agreements, regional coordination, interstate
 mutual aid, integrated response operations.




 VOAD coordination, donations warehousing,
 volunteer credentialing, convergence management.




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‭Executive Summary:‬

‭Community Engagement for Preparedness‬
‭City of Portland • Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)‬

‭Overview‬
‭The City of Portland is developing an updated Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)‬
 ‭guided by FEMA’s Community Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101 framework. Community‬
  ‭engagement is central to this process, ensuring that the plan reflects the unique needs,‬
 ‭priorities, and resources of our community. This is an ongoing effort designed to build‬
 ‭trust, improve preparedness, and strengthen resilience across all sectors.‬


‭Our Approach‬
‭Inclusive Planning‬‭:‬‭Engage residents, businesses,‬‭nonprofits, and agencies to ensure‬
 ‭diverse voices are represented.‬
  ‭Transparent Process‬‭:‬‭Share updates and invite input‬‭at every stage of plan‬
 ‭development.‬
 ‭Accessible Outreach‬‭:‬‭Host in-person forums, online‬‭surveys, and neighborhood‬
 ‭workshops to reach all demographics.‬
 ‭Continuous Improvement‬‭:‬‭Maintain community involvement‬‭after plan adoption‬
 ‭through annual reviews, exercises, and feedback loops.‬


‭Why This Matters‬
‭Ensures the EOP meets the needs of all Portland residents.‬
 ‭Builds trust and confidence between residents and city leadership.‬
  ‭Strengthens community resilience by fostering shared responsibility.‬
 ‭Aligns local planning with national best practices and FEMA standards.‬




 Page 121
‭Next Steps‬
‭This collaborative process marks a long-term commitment towards a partnership‬
 ‭between city government and the community. Residents, local organizations, and‬
  ‭businesses are encouraged to participate as we work together to ensure Portland is‬
 ‭prepared for emergencies and resilient in the face of future challenges.‬

‭The City will begin engaging the community with an engagement website:‬‭Emergency‬
 ‭Planning Engagement‬‭and at public meetings and events. We will reach out to the‬
  ‭community to ask for input about emergency preparedness and feedback on the City’s‬
 ‭EOP. We will ask community leaders to share the website and let us know if there are‬
 ‭other ways to engage with their community about this project.‬

‭September 2025 - November 2025: Initial Community Outreach and Stakeholder‬
 ‭Engagement‬
 ‭●‬ ‭September 10, 2025: Email message to leaders of community and faith based‬
 ‭organizations‬
 ‭●‬ ‭September 12, 2025: Coffee & Climate: Emergency Preparedness - share project‬
 ‭and website link‬
 ‭●‬ ‭September 12, 2025: Project and website information in City News Roundup‬
 ‭●‬ ‭September 18, 2025: Age Friendly Summit: Emergency Preparedness for Older‬
 ‭Adults - share project and website link‬
 ‭●‬ ‭October 14, 2025: Health & Human Services & Public Safety Committee public‬
 ‭comment on the Emergency Operations Plan‬

‭November 2025 - June 30 2026 and Ongoing: Public Awareness Campaign and‬
 ‭Community Education‬
 ‭●‬ ‭Create a plan for further community engagement and education based on results‬
 ‭of survey and outreach events‬
 ‭●‬ ‭Develop and share informational materials based on community input on the‬
 ‭project Idea Board website and feedback from outreach events and‬
 ‭communication with community and faith based leaders.‬




 Page 122
Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
2025 Draft
Health & Human Services & Public Safety Committee •

September 9, 2025


 Page 123
 Project Timeline
 Revised August 29 , 2025




 Plan Preparation
 August Plan Review September -
 Develop & Compose different Review and Revise the Plan
 sections of the Plan Step/Phase 5
 November
 Step/Phase 6


 July August
Step/Phase 4 Plan Preparation, Approval & Review Step/Phase 5 Review & Approval Process by
 Write the Plan Committee and City Council
 Review the Plan by EMPAC Cont. Implementation of Plan
 Exercise the Plan
 Ongoing Maintenance




 Page 124
 Portland EOP — Purpose & Structure




 Purpose & Structure of the EOP
 Purpose: Structure: 3 Components
 • Unified framework to prepare for, • Base Plan — authorities,
 respond to, and recover from roles, responsibilities, and
 disasters & emergencies. EOC/ICS integration.
 • Support Appendices —
 glossary, record of changes,
 distribution.
 • Hazard-Specific /
 Functional Annexes —
 operational playbooks for
 priority threats.
 2023 December Storm


City of Portland, Maine Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) — 2025 Draft
 Page 125
 Portland EOP — Purpose & Structure




Sections of the Plan

 • Table of Contents
 • Section 1: Introduction & Risk Assessment
 • Section 2: Concept of Operations
 • Section 3: Roles & Responsibilities
 • Section 4: Plan Maintenance
 • Section 5: Appendices & Annexes


City of Portland, Maine Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) — 2025 Draft
 Page 126
 Portland EOP — Risk Landscape (THIRA / CaRAT)




 Risk Landscape: Top Threats & Hazards

 • High Risk: Cyber incidents,
 Nor’easters, mass violence,
 infectious diseases

 • Medium Risk: Coastal
 flooding, hazmat, urban
 multi-structure fires

 • Low Risk: Tornadoes,
 drought, rural wildfires


City of Portland, Maine Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) — 2025 Draft
 Page 127
 Portland EOP — Roles & Responsibilities




 Who Does What: Governance & Coordination
• City Leadership — Council, Mayor, City
 Manager: policy, declarations, resource
 allocation.
• Office of Emergency Management —
 EOP maintenance & stewardship, EOC
 activation/coordination, training &
 exercises.
• Departments — Police, Fire, Public
 Works, Health & Human Services, Parks,
 IT, Finance, etc. utilize the plan.
• Outside Agencies & Partners —
 Cumberland County EMA, MEMA/FEMA,
 utilities, healthcare, schools, NGOs,
 private sector.



City of Portland, Maine Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) — 2025 Draft
 Page 128
 Portland EOP — Preparedness & Next Steps




EOP Components Requiring Additional
 Work & Attention
 A. Shelters / Facilities List
 B. Functional & Hazard Specific Annexes
 C. Streamlining / Combining Sub-sections
 D. Formatting & Appearance
 E. Community Engagement
 F. External Agencies, NGO’s, & Private Partners
 Engagement

City of Portland, Maine Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) — 2025 Draft
 Page 129
 Portland EOP — Preparedness & Next Steps


 Preparedness Priorities & Next Steps
 _________________________Priorities_______________________________
• Resource Readiness — Evaluate current capabilities, facilities, operational plans.
• Communications — Community engagement, improve workflows & collaboration.
• Partnerships — Deepen coordination with utilities, hospitals, schools, private sector.
 ____________________________Next Steps___________________________________
• Committee Feedback — Integrate input into final EOP; schedule annex workshops.
• City Council — Approve current draft, G402 training, approving future changes to EOP.
• Training & Exercises — EOC activation, expand multi-agency drills and integration.




City of Portland, Maine Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) — 2025 Draft
 Page 130
 Portland EOP — Preparedness & Next Steps




 Questions & Discussion
 Thank you for your time and attention.
 We welcome your questions, feedback, and recommendations.




 City of Portland, Maine • Office of Emergency Management
 Email: chager@portlandmaine.gov | Phone: (207) 756-8053

City of Portland, Maine Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) — 2025 Draft
 Page 131
​City of Portland | Fire Department​
 ​Chad D. Johnston,​​Fire Chief​




​To: Health & Human Services & Public Safety Committee​
 ​Councilor Anna Bullett, Chair​




​MEETING DATE​
 ​September 9, 2025​

​AGENDA ITEM​
​Emergency Operations Plan Draft and Chapter 2 Ordinance Changes related to​
 ​Emergency Management.​

​PURPOSE​
​City staff are seeking feedback on the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Draft &​
 ​Proposed Changes to Chapter 2 Article VIII Emergency Preparedness from the​
  ​Committee for guidance on next steps.​

​COMMITTEE WORK PLAN/CITY COUNCIL GOAL ALIGNMENT​
​Per State Statute Title 37-B Sec. 783 and City Ordinance Chapter 2 Article VIII Emergency​
 ​Preparedness, Municipal Disaster / Emergency Plans must be in place and approved by​
  ​the governing body.​

​BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS​
​A Municipal Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is vital because it helps the city prepare​
 ​for and respond to emergencies in a coordinated and comprehensive way. Given recent​
  ​national events including flooding, wildfires, global pandemic, weather events,​
 ​shootings, etc. updating the EOP is a top priority for city leadership and the city’s​
 ​Emergency Management Director.​

​A jurisdiction’s EOP is a document that:​

 ​●​ ​Assigns responsibility to organizations and individuals for carrying out specific​
 ​actions that exceed routine responsibility at projected times and places during an​
 ​emergency​
 ​●​ ​Sets forth lines of authority and organizational relationships and shows how all​
 ​actions will be coordinated​




 ​1​

 Page 132
 ​●​ ​Describes how people (including unaccompanied minors, individuals with​
 ​disabilities, others with access and functional needs, and individuals with limited​
 ​English proficiency) and property are protected​
 ​●​ ​Identifies personnel, equipment, facilities, supplies, and other resources available​
 ​within the jurisdiction or by agreement with other jurisdictions​
 ​●​ ​Reconciles requirements with other jurisdictions.​


​An EOP is flexible enough for use in all emergencies. A complete EOP describes: the​
 ​purpose of the plan along with the situation, assumptions, organization and assignment​
  ​of responsibilities, administration and logistics, plan development and maintenance,​
 ​and authorities and references.​

​To assist with the EOP’s update, an internalEmergency Management Project Advisory​
 ​Committee (EMPAC) was formed with representation from most City departments. The​
  ​EMPAC has reviewed the attached draft during several feedback and suggestion​
 ​sessions in the last two months.​

​As part of this EOP rewrite process, City Ordinance around emergency preparedness​
 ​needed to be reviewed for potential updates and or language changes to meet the unique​
  ​needs, priorities, and current resources that currently exist.​

​Proposed changes to the Ordinance Chapter 2 Article VIII include;​
 ​●​ ​Updating the title​
 ​●​ ​Changes in sec. 2-402 Definitions (Change Bureau to Office of Emergency​
 ​Management)​
 ​●​ ​Minor changes and additions to sec. 2-403 Organization, 2-404 Director​
 ​●​ ​Minor changes to the sec. 2-406 Emergency Proclamation​
 ​●​ ​Added language under sec. 2-409 Emergency Operations Plans​
 ​●​ ​Changes in sec. 2-411 Compensation for injuries​

​Significant progress has been made on the rewriting of this EOP and its first initial draft​
 ​for review. However, there are several components of the plan that still need some​
  ​additional work and attention in the next two months and ongoing into next calendar​
 ​year. Those areas include;​
 ​●​ ​Shelters / Facilities List​
 ​●​ ​Functional and Hazard Specific Annexes​
 ​●​ ​Streamling / Combining Sub-sections​
 ​●​ ​Community Engagement​
 ​●​ ​External Agencies / Partnerships Engagement​




 ​2​

 Page 133
​FISCAL IMPACT​
​There​ ​is​ ​no​ ​anticipated​ ​material​ ​fiscal​ ​impact​ ​associated​ ​with​ ​updating​ ​the​ ​EOP​ ​and​
 ​Chapter​ ​2,​ ​Article​ ​VIII​ ​of​ ​the​ ​City​ ​Code.​ ​Some​ ​funding​ ​or​ ​budget​ ​capacity​ ​might​ ​be​
  ​required​ ​to​ ​train​ ​and​ ​exercise​ ​the​ ​final​ ​approved​ ​plan​ ​in​ ​the​ ​current​ ​and​ ​future​ ​fiscal​
 ​years.​

​CONCLUSION(S)​
 ​This​ ​item​ ​is​ ​for​ ​information​ ​and​​discussion.​​Staff​​anticipate​​this​​item​​will​​be​​placed​​on​
  ​the​​committee’s​​October​​agenda​​for​​action​​and​​public​​comment,​​followed​​by​​City​​Council​
 ​consideration.​

​PRIOR COMMITTEE REVIEW​
 ​Health & Human Services and Public Safety Committee (July 8, 2025) - Introduction​

​PREPARED BY​
 ​Chad Johnston​ ​Greg Jordan​
  ​Fire Chief​ ​Assistant City Manager​
 ​Fire Department​ ​Executive Office​

​Keith Gautreau​ ​Caity Hager​
 ​EMA Contract Employee​ ​EMA Coordinator​
  ​Fire Department​ ​Fire Department​

​ATTACHMENTS​
​Attachment A - Draft changes to Chapter 2 Article VIII Emergency Preparedness​
 ​Attachment B - First Draft of Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)​
  ​Attachment C - Executive Summary Memo for Community Engagement​
 ​Attachment D - PowerPoint Summary of EOP Slide Deck​




 ​3​

 Page 134

Health & Human Services and Public Safety Committee

 September 9, 2025, 5:30 PM Remote Meeting

Committee Attendance:
Anna Bullett, Chair (District 4), Sarah Michniewicz (District 1), Wesley Pelletier (District 2).
Councilor Attendance:


City Staff:
Adam Harr, Executive Assistant; Greg Jordan, Assistant City Manager; Chad Johnston, Fire
Chief; Jason King, Police Major; Caity Hager, Emergency Management Coordinator. Linda
Weare, Director of Elder Services; Keith Gautreau, Contract Employee; Nicole Albert, Associate
Corporation Counsel.

1. Announcements
 • None.
2. Review and Approval of Minutes from May 13, 2025
 • Councilor Pelletier Moved to approve the minutes and seconded by Councilor Michniewicz. The
 minutes were approved unanimously 3-0.

3.Drones
 • There is extensive back up material.
 • How will the police department prevent surveillance of daily life from inadvertent filming?
 o Assumption that drones would take off from the Police Department was incorrect;
 drones are carried or driven to the location of a specific law enforcement action.
 o They do not passively record; police must activate recording.
 o There are statutes governing investigation records which anything recorded would be.
  If the release would be an unwarranted invasion of privacy, they would be
 protected.
 o Ownership
  The City would be the sole owner of our footage, not Axon.
  It is only accessible by Axon
 o Storage capacity
  The data storage demand is so great that it simply impractical to record more
 than the discrete law enforcement action.
 • Uses
 o Search and rescue
 o Barricades subjects
 o Active Assailant
 o Accident reconstruction.
 o Crime scene reconstruction
Public comment opened at 5:57PM and closed at 5:58 PM without pubic testimony.
Committee questions and comments.

 •  Councilor Fournier appreciates the backup materials and FAQs which address privacy concerns
 and explain the uses which will increase efficiency and add resources.
 • Councilor Pelletier is concerned about drones being used on public assembly.
 o Statute dictates that law enforcement cannot use drones on private citizens peacefully
 exercising their rights of free assembly.
  It is hard to delineate when peaceful protests stop being peaceful.
  Can we positively affirm the use cases?
  Violations would be investigated by Internal Affairs and violators would go
 before the Board of Trustees of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.
 • Councilor Michniewicz
 o Asked what the storage of data looks like?
  Evidence.com account store our sensitive data from body cams currently and our
 data would be stored there.
  At the recommendation of the manufacturer, we are at medium resolution to limit
 file size.
  Safety does not need to be recorded and reconstruction may not need to be
 recorded either.
 • Councilor Bullet
 o Thanked the Major and Nicole for checking the Axom agreement on data ownership.
 o She asked about the ongoing costs and if additional funding would be needed.
 o Asset forfeiture has some funds and it will be looped in to their other Axom contract
 costs.
Committee Action
 • Councilor moved to recommend the Drone program be passed at the full Council and Councilor
 M seconded and the motion was approved unanimously 4-0.

4. Emergency Operation Plan (EOP)
 • The EOP is still in draft form.
 • The EOP aligns the City with FEMA standards and makes sure it is compliant with our own
 ordinance and state statute.
 • Seeking committee feedback with a committee and City Council approval sought at upcoming
 meetings.
 • EOP purpose is to provide a unified framework to respond to emergencies.
 • Risk assessment
 o Identifying hazards most likely to affect Portland.
 o (THIRA)
 o CaRAT
 • Roles
 o City Leadership
  Policy, declarations, and resource allocation.
 o Office of Emergency Management
  EOP maintenance & Stewardship
  EOC activation/coordination
  Training
 o Departments
  Utilize the plan.
 o Outside agencies and partners
  Cumberland County, EMA, MEMA/FEMA, utilities, healthcare, schools, NGOs
 and Private sector.
• Preparedness Priorities & Next Steps
  2023 shooting shut down busiest intersection in Maine for 5 hours waiting for the
 State’s drone for reconstruction.
• Chapter 2 article changes
 o Changed title from Emergency Preparedness to Emergency Management
 o City manager emergency declaration takes one additional councilor.
 o Section 409.
  Recommends review and update every three years.
• Community engagement
 o Open ended plan that will solicit and incorporate public feedback.
  Transparent and inclusive planning process.
 o New engagement page on the City website.
  https://portland.civilspace.io/en/projects/emergency-planning
  Idea board
 o September 18th Age Friendly Summit: Emergency Preparedness for Older Adults
  Thursday, September 18, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
  Located at 1342 Congress Street (Jewish Community Alliance)
  Free - lunch included
  Registration:
 • Online Form:
 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScKLjPpaX97M4R0dxOG
 mr_-A7qcWlz2eUaRtG1YpdkO4eQRug/viewform
 • Physical Form: Print form by visiting: chrome-
 extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://content.civicplus.c
 om/api/assets/e6e5d1e9-1198-4585-a114-8f2fbd3798ae
  Questions? Email: AgeFriendlyCommunity@PortlandMaine.Gov or call 207-
 541-6620
 o Many changes are just terminology.
 o Suggests removing 403 requiring City Council reviewing emergency management
 organization as it contradicts 403.A.
 o 404 Designates the Fire Chief as the Director Emergency Management as the City
 Manager cannot be.
 o 406 clarifies when declaring an emergency the City Manager must consult with one or
 more City Council Members when the Mayor is not available.
 o 407 maximum number of days from 5 to 10 for emergency declarations for needing a
 council extension.
 o Review every three years.
 o City Manager has authority to make administrative changes to EOP such as annexes or
 lists of partners.

 Committee Questions and Discussion
 o Councilor Michniewicz asked if neither the Police Chief or Fire Chief are available,
 who becomes the director?
 o The department designee who normally leads when either Chief is
 unavailable.
  If neither is available it would eb their designee when they are out of
 town.
 o Language will be reviewed to establish a clear line of succession when neither
 chief is available.
 o Chair Bullett
 o This is for us to make policy as such that operations play out as best as it can.
 o Councilor Fournier is excited for public engagement.
 o She asked if staff is working with Communications Director Grondin and if there
 will be social media promotion?
  Yes.
  Age Friendly Portland Summit is well advertised.
 o What are going to go for extreme cold and hot weather?
 o When look at ordinance it is framework to respond and have these plans in place.
  Don’t want to give too much direction as policy makers with details too in
 the weeds on the operations side.
 o Councilor Pelletier asked if there are any components of the plan that staff think is
 particularly well crafted, improving on the current plan.
 o The plan is concise and interactive, reducing the plan from 300 pages to 95 pages.
  Easier to find things.
 o Section 3 defines which each department’s roles are in an emergency.
 o This will return in October for public comment recommendation to the full council.

Public Safety Update: Fire
 o Calls for service is closely tracking just under last year’s.
 o Downtown has slightly more calls than normal.
 o Ambulance transport:
 o Grant ambulance
 o Non-linear response levels for EMS Calls for Service
 o Hot (multiple) to Cold (Single)
 o Capability (BLS to ALS)
 o ECHO conditions require very early recognition and immediate dispatch if the nearest
 trained crew.
 o Omega conditions approved low acuity and qualify for non-EMS referrals.
Committee Questions
 • Councilor Fourier had to leave the meeting before committee questions and discussion.
 • Councilor Bullett asked what is counted as travel time

Chair Bullett entertained a motion to adjourn: moved by Councilor Michniewicz and seconded by
Councilor Pelletier. The motion passed 3-0 with Fournier absent. The meeting adjourned at approximately
6:52 PM.