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27 V DIRECTION, CONTROL, AND COORDINATION PURPOSE To provide for the effective overall direction, control, and coordination of emergency management activities undertaken in accordance with the Klickitat County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) and to provide guidance for the dissemination of warning information. SCOPE 1. The provisions of this section encompass activation of all or part of the Klickitat County CEMP for emergencies and disasters in the County or in any of the participating jurisdictions. 2. Recognition and the use of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) at all levels provides for the expansion of the emergency management system to meet the specific needs of the incident, regardless of the nature and scope. 3. Functions covered by this portion of the plan are: a) Incident Command (Unified Command) b) Liaison c) Emergency Public Information and Warning d) Incident personnel safety POLICIES 1. The standards and practices of NIMS will be the primary emergency management concept. 2. It is the policy of Klickitat County and each city to establish overall direction, control and coordination through an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to support the community response to a disaster. Klickitat County Department of Emergency Management (KCDEM) is responsible for designating an alternate site(s) for the EOC. 3. Each participating jurisdiction designates primary and alternate locations from which to establish direction and control (ICP) during a disaster. The EOC shall be kept informed of current status and needs. ---PAGE BREAK--- 28 4. It is the policy of Klickitat County Department of Emergency Management to use the 24 hour dispatch center and other existing systems, such as telephone, telephone facsimiles, county radio frequencies, law enforcement teletype, and amateur radio for the dissemination of warning information. The Emergency Alerting System (EAS) may also be used. 5. It is the policy of Klickitat County Department of Emergency Management to endeavor to release timely and accurate emergency information to the public concerning emergency preparedness, response and recovery in a cooperative manner with the media. This will be coordinated with Incident Commanders, other jurisdictions and the State Emergency Management Division (EMD). All such releases will be under the control of the EOC. 6. All participating jurisdictions are encouraged to recognize the need to coordinate emergency public information. SITUATION EMERGENCY/DISASTER CONDITIONS AND HAZARDS Major incidents may occur in Klickitat County that requires the activation of special procedures for coordination of emergency response and recovery. Multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional response will necessitate special protocols to ensure close cooperation between all participants and the maximum use of resources. PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS 1. Because NIMS is the universal method for coordination, it may be used at many levels throughout the community. Simultaneous NIMS organizations should be anticipated. 2. Nothing in this plan is intended to inhibit innovative and resourceful response by communities and agencies in reaction to unique emergency needs. Expedient field activity is appropriate, provided that the ultimate goal is to establish safe and coordinated actions. 3. No part of this plan is intended to usurp or replace the command authority of any participating agency but reflects how those authorities can unite and coordinate their resources to their maximum collective advantage. 4. Supporting plans and procedures developed by participating agencies should not be inconsistent with the CEMP. ---PAGE BREAK--- 29 5. The current county warning system is limited. KCDEM is the lead agency for developing county warning procedures utilizing existing capabilities. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS GENERAL Under state law [RCW 38.52.070 responsibility for the direction and control of emergency management activities within the unincorporated area of Klickitat County rests with the Chair/BoC. The Mayors of each incorporated city are responsible for emergency management functions within each city boundary. Under the Interlocal Agreement for Emergency Services (Interlocal Agreement), KCDEM is the emergency management organization for the participating jurisdictions: Klickitat County, and the cities of Bingen, Goldendale, and White Salmon. Delegation of authority for daily routine management of the KCDEM is within Interlocal Agreement. Additional delegation may be given to the DEM at the time of a “Declaration of Emergency” by the Chair/BoC and/or Mayor(s), depending on the scope of the emergency. Suggested Operating Guidelines (OG’s) will be developed to provide for the incremental activation of this plan based on the type of hazard, location, and scope. The EOC may be activated based on the needs of the situation. Incident Command may transition from the field to Unified Command in the EOC as the scope of the incident broadens. ORGANIZATION 1. The EOC may be organized and staffed according to the NIMS. The EOC will function either in support of field operations (media coordination, resource acquisition, etc.) or as the primary coordination point in multi-agency or multi- jurisdictional incidents. 2. Sections and Functional Units will be established according to NIMS, as required by the nature and scope of the incident. Sections may include: a) Operations: Responsible for coordination of all first line services, including emergency medical services (EMS), fire, law enforcement, search and rescue (SAR), public works, and public health. b) Planning: Responsible for the coordination, collecting, analyzing and documenting of incident information. c) Logistics: Responsible for coordination of all material support to the incident, including supplies and equipment ordering, warehousing and distribution, transportation coordination, and facilities. ---PAGE BREAK--- 30 d) Finance and Administration: Responsible for coordination of incident related fiscal issues including cost tracking, recovery and restoration contracts management, procurement control, and financial records. ORGANIZATION 1. Direction and control of emergency management functions in Klickitat County is the responsibility of Klickitat County Department of Emergency Management (RCW 38.52.070 The Director of Emergency Management is responsible for the direction and control of emergency management activities in the all areas of Klickitat County. The Director of Emergency Management is “subject to the direction and control of” the Emergency Management Executive Board regarding disaster-related decisions about priorities and disaster response policy (RCW 38.52.070). 2. Under Interlocal Agreement the Director of Emergency Management is responsible for the preparation for and carrying out of emergency functions to mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters, subject to the direction of the Emergency Management Executive Board, for the unincorporated portions of Klickitat County. The Interlocal Agreement extends that responsibility to the incorporated cities. The authority for direction and control of the organization, administration and operation of the Klickitat County Department of Emergency Management program is found in RCWs 38.52.070 and 38.52.110. 3. The Klickitat County Commission’s responsibilities include filling vacancies of elected officials as provided in RCW, and appropriating money to meet emergency expenditure needs. 4. Effective disaster response requires improvisational problem solving. Klickitat County and city departments are expected to carry out their responsibilities outlined in this plan in their own best judgment and in a coordinated manner. 5. The KCDEM is the lead agency for facilitating coordination among local, state, federal and private sector agencies and organizations in Klickitat County. 6. Contact with the state EMD for assistance will be through the state Duty Officer or state EOC when activated. Requests for assistance may be made by any available means of communication. ---PAGE BREAK--- 31 PROCEDURES 1. Klickitat County intends to use the National Incident Management System in its EOC. The EOC will activate and communicate with field command posts to coordinate disaster resources and monitor the disaster situation. Field command posts will direct and coordinate field operations. 2. Each municipal government is responsible for coordinating its own resources. When an incident overwhelms a jurisdiction’s capability, overall coordination of response and recovery may be transferred to the NIMS structure in the EOC. 3. The Continuity of Government Act (RCW 42.14) sets forth provisions for the continuation of local government in the event its leadership is incapacitated. RCW 41.10 sets forth provisions for the identification and preservation of vital records. State law sets forth provisions for filling vacancies of elected and appointed officers in the county. Appendix 1 to the Basic Plan, Continuity of Government, contains detailed information on continuation of government in a disaster. 4. The Emergency Operations Center is located at the County Fairgrounds. It consists of a modular building with an office and a small conference area as well as some radio communications equipment and a telephone. 5. The Emergency Management Executive Board may form policy groups or other mechanisms that provide policy direction to incident command. 6. Maintenance of the primary EOC in a readiness mode is the responsibility of the DEM staff. 7. Activation Levels: The following general guidelines will be used for activation of the EOC: a) PHASE I (routine): KCDEM staff or the Duty Officer handles incidents. b) PHASE II (enhanced): The EOC is partially activated in support of field operations or to assume other coordination functions as required. c) PHASE III (full operation): EOC is fully activated as the central direction and control point for overall coordination. All appropriate agencies and organizations may be requested in the EOC. ---PAGE BREAK--- 32 INCIDENT COMMAND (UNIFIED COMMAND) PRIMARY AGENCY 1. Based on the hazard SUPPORT AGENCIES 1. As determined by Incident Command for each event. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS DESIGNATION OF THE INCIDENT COMMAND AGENCY The appropriate Incident Command agency is based on jurisdictional authority, the hazard (type of event) and/or scope (level of activation). Assumption of Incident Command (or participation in Unified Command) will be based on: Jurisdiction. Statutory authority or responsibility. Prior agreement or plan. Commitment of resources. UNIFIED COMMAND A unified command structure may be appropriate under the following conditions: The incident is contained totally within a single jurisdiction, but more than one department or agency shares management responsibility due to the nature of the incident or the kinds of resources required. The incident is multi-jurisdictional. LAYERED OPERATIONS The use of NIMS structures at more than one echelon of response is not inconsistent with nationally recognized IC concepts. Where more than one IC structure exists (such as where field resources have established on-scene command, and the EOC has been activated) coordination will take place between like functions. ---PAGE BREAK--- 33 RESPONSIBILITIES Incident Command (or Unified Command when established) is responsible for all incident response activities. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to the development and implementation of strategic decisions, incident objectives and priorities, ordering and releasing of resources, public information and emergency warning functions. Unified Command will not assume the development of nor implementation of tactical decisions. INCIDENT PERSONNEL SAFETY PRIMARY AGENCY 1. Incident Command SUPPORT AGENCIES 1. All participating jurisdictions, agencies and organizations CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS 1. Incident Command will designate a Safety Officer to assess hazardous and unsafe situations associated with response personnel and to develop measures for personnel safety. 2. The Safety Officer has emergency authority to stop or prevent unsafe acts when immediate action is required. 3. All personnel are immediately responsible for their own safety on an incident site. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SAFETY OFFICER Maintain awareness of active and developing situations. Expand support staff as needed to meet multiple incident sites and/or specialized safety requirements. Identify potentially unsafe situations. Correct unsafe acts or conditions through the regular line of authority when time permits. Stop unsafe acts that are immediately threatening to life or health. Develop Incident Safety Plans as required. ---PAGE BREAK--- 34 OPERATIONS PURPOSE This section of the plan defines how emergency services will execute coordinated response and recovery operations in the event of an emergency or disaster. SCOPE 1. These procedures, supported by the detailed internal procedures developed by each of the participating agencies, encompass all multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional operations undertaken in the execution of the Klickitat County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP). 2. In addition, this plan defines how external resources on a state or national level may be integrated into emergency efforts should the incident exceed the capacity of local and mutual aid resources to meet all local emergency needs. 3. The functions covered by this portion of the plan are: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Fire Services Law Enforcement Search and Rescue (SAR) Public Works and Engineering Energy and Utilities Public Health and Mortuary. POLICIES A. It is the policy of Klickitat County and the participating cities that a Disaster Medical Control Center (DMCC) will be designated to provide coordination in medical or trauma disaster situations. B. It is the policy of Klickitat County that Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), Paramedics or other responders providing emergency medical assistance in Klickitat County shall operate under accepted procedures and protocols designated by the Medical Program Director. ---PAGE BREAK--- 35 C. It is the policy of Klickitat County that a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) may be declared to allow EMS personnel to follow established written emergency protocols without base station contact. The adopted ATAB#6 MCI Plan is to be considered a part of this plan D. It is the policy of Klickitat County that personnel sent to assist other jurisdictions will maintain their own supervision and chain of command. They will accept mission assignments through a supervisor who will coordinate with the command structure of the requesting agency. E. It is the policy of Klickitat County and the participating that heavy rescue operations be a team effort of law enforcement, fire services, volunteers, other agencies, and the private sector. F. It is the policy of Klickitat County and the participating cities to provide public works response services to lands and facilities under county jurisdiction. In the absence of an emergency proclamation, response to private property problems shall be done only when a county facility, such as a culvert, is causing the problem or when life or public health is threatened. G. It is the policy of Klickitat County to use the inspection guidance in ATC-20-1, the field manual for post earthquake safety evaluation of buildings developed by the Applied Technology Council, to survey damaged buildings for safety (Published separately). H. It is the policy of Klickitat County that all utilities, whether publicly or privately owned, be prepared to respond to needs caused by an emergency or disaster. Klickitat County Department of Emergency Management (KCDEM) may request a liaison from such utility providers to coordinate disaster and emergency services. I. It is the policy of the Klickitat County Health Department to provide guidance to political jurisdictions, agencies and individuals on basic public health principles involving safe drinking water, food sanitation, personal hygiene, and proper disposal of human waste, garbage and infectious/hazardous waste. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS GENERAL 1. Initial Response: First response to major incidents will be according to the standing orders for each agency. On-scene direction and control of agency personnel and equipment will be carried out through the existing chain of command. NIMS will be the primary method for coordination of on-scene activities. ---PAGE BREAK--- 36 2. Mutual Aid: When circumstances require, local mutual aid resources will be requested according to standing mutual aid agreements. Extraordinary resources will be requested through the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). 3. Emergency Operations Center: When needed, central coordination by designated representatives of the response agencies will occur in the activated EOC. DESIGNATED AGENCY REPRESENTATIVES Functional units at the EOC will be staffed by representatives of the participating agencies or as otherwise identified in this plan. Designated agency representatives should be empowered to act on behalf of the agencies they represent with regard to overall coordination of response and recovery from the EOC. PROCEDURES Each participating agency and organization will develop internal policies and procedures (Suggested Operating Guidelines, etc.) which define how they will carry out their assigned responsibilities in the event of an emergency or disaster requiring activation of the CEMP or EOC.