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How to Prepare for a Disaster Before it Happens

Defining Emergency Management & the Role of Local Officials

2020 OTA Winter Conference 

Columbus, Ohio

Speakers

February 6 Session February 7 SessionMark ChristieEMAO President 

County Emergency ManagerCuyahoga County Emergency Management 

mchristie@cuyhogacounty.us

Mark MaxwellEMAO President‐Elect 

Director Knox County Emergency Management

mmaxwell@knoxcountyema‐oh.gov

Agenda

WelcomeEmergency Management Association of Ohio

Emergency Management Basics 

Local Official’s Role

Disaster Declarations

Do’s & Don’ts 

Next Steps

Questions

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Emergency Management Association of Ohio

MISSION STATEMENTEMAO strives to advance public safety for Ohioans through effective collaborations with local, state and federal partners.

VISION STATEMENTTo build effective emergency management leaders in Ohio by offering education, training and leveraging the professional experience of our membership.

Purpose & Goals

The purpose of this session is to provide local officials an overview of emergency management and their role in a disaster or other emergency

*Please feel free to ask questions during this presentation

Role of Government

Public Health and Safety

• One of the most essential and primary roles of government

• Responsibility of local government

• State and federal government may assist when local capabilities are exceeded

* All disasters start and end at the local level!

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Role of Government Continued

Local government responsibilities (Emergency Management) include:

• Initial response• Issue warnings and alerts• Preserve life and property• Conduct incident command• Provide situation updates• Inform the public• Assess damage• Record costs• Establish shelters• Remove debris• Repair infrastructure• Restore services

Legal Authorities

Robert T Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act as amended, and Related Authorities FEMA 592, June 2007

• Provides the statutory authority for most Federal disaster response activities as they pertain to FEMA and FEMA programs

ORC 5502.271(B) - requires each county or community to have an emergency management program consisting of:

• a Director

• an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)

• an annual exercises of the EOP

* Townships may fulfill the requirement by formally adopting (by resolution) their county emergency management agency

Emergency Management Defined

Emergency management is the process of preparing for, mitigating, responding to and recovering from emergencies or disasters.

COORDINATION

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Goals

• The goal of the emergency management program is to protect communities from natural, man-made and technological disasters and emergencies.

• While tornadoes, blizzards, pandemics, heat emergencies, and other events cannot be prevented, the goal is to reduce or mitigate the impact of these events by increasing the preparedness of citizens and public safety personnel.

PoliceAgencies

Fire Response Agencies

Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs)

School Districts

Communities

Utilities Hospitals 

Specialty Teams 

colleges/ universities

NGOs

A Whole Community Approach…

Duties

• Developing and maintaining the county Emergency Operations Plan, Hazard Mitigation Plan, and other plans

• Maintaining the County Emergency Operations Center

• Preparing and providing training and exercises

• Supporting public information and outreach activities

• Special events planning

• Managing grant programs

When a disaster or emergency occurs, most of what we do, we’ve already done.

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National Incident Management System (NIMS)

• NIMS is the nation’s emergency management structure

• NIMS is based on the concept that local jurisdictions retain command, control, and authority over response activities

• Under NIMS, county, state and federal agencies provide assistance and support to the affected local governments

• Adopting NIMS is required to be eligible for federal grants

* If you are not familiar with NIMS, please take the free on-line FEMA course titled: IS-700.A: National Incident Management System (NIMS) an Introduction

Key Elements of NIMS

• A template for incident management for all communities regardless of size, scale and complexity of the incident

• Applies to all levels of government across functional disciplines

• Promotes use of the Incident Command System (ICS)

• a standardized, on-scene, all-hazards incident management approach.

* If you are not familiar with ICS, please take the free on-line FEMA course titled: IS-100.B: Introduction to Incident Command System

NIMS works! Ask us how…

Hurricane Irma Deployment: Florida, 2017

Hurricane Florence Deployment:North Carolina, 2017

The Local Official’s Role in Emergency Management

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Mission Areas

Emergency Management Consists of 5 Interrelated Areas

• Prevention: Actions taken to avoid an incident

• Mitigation: Activities that prevent, reduce the likelihood, or reduce the effects of unavoidable hazards

• Preparedness: Developing plans, training, conducting exercises, and obtaining necessary equipment or supplies

• Promoting preparedness increases the ability to respond and recover

• Response: Actions taken in the immediate aftermath of a disaster

• Recovery: Restoring normal functions in the aftermath of a disaster

• Recovery activities involve the whole community (short-term or long-term)

Prevention 

Activities that prevent a disaster, reduce the chance of a disaster happening, or reduce the damaging effects of unavoidable disasters.

Mitigation

First – Understand the economic importance of mitigation

• Mitigation creates safer communities by reducing loss of life and property damage

Second – Know what kinds of mitigation programs your community may be eligible to receive

• All proposed projects must be coordinated with the Local Mitigation Strategy for funding consideration

* For a complete list of mitigation programs, visit https://ohiosharpp.ema.state.oh.us/ohiosharpp/

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Mitigation

Examples of Mitigation Projects• Tornado Safe Rooms

Examples of Mitigation Projects for structures that flood repeatedly:

• Acquisitions – local and federal dollars are used to purchase the structure, removing it from hazard area and eliminating future loss.

• Elevation – local and federal dollars are used to lift a structure to a higher elevation above flood level

• Drainage projects – local and federal dollars are used for flood control projects such as culverts or retention ponds.

Mitigation

Flood Mitigation Project Example from Valley View (Cuyahoga County)

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• The primary responsibility of local officials is to prepare their residents and their employees to respond effectively to any incidents that occur.

• Preparedness includes plans or preparations made before a disaster to save lives and to help response and rescue operations.

• First – Are you ready? Does your family have a disaster kit? A disaster plan?

• Second – Are your employees ready?

• Continuity of Government and Continuity of Operations Plans

Preparedness 

• Third – Know the plan before the disaster occurs.

• Work with first responders and EMA to learn the community's emergency plan

• Take an active role in training and exercising.

• Fourth – Understand the Basics of NIMS and ICS

• Be aware of how your role fits into the Incident Command Structure

* Visit ready.gov for preparedness ideas

Preparedness 

Preparedness 

Operational

Tactical

Strategic

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• Response actions are taken during an emergency to save lives and prevent further property damage

• Local jurisdictions have statutorily authority to invoke emergency-related mutual-aid assistance by declaring a state of local emergency

• Under a local state of emergency, the local elected leadership is in charge

• Under a state declaration of emergency the governor is in charge

Response 

• First – Know the order of priorities for the incident

• Life Safety

• Incident Stabilization

• Property Conservation

• Second – Know who’s in charge during a disaster • The Incident Commander is in charge of the scene

• Elected officials:

• Provide guidance on policy level decisions based on the situation and their community’s emergency plan

• Determine the need for a local disaster declaration

Response 

• Third – Know your powers and limitations• Who has the authority to declare a local state of emergency or

disaster declaration?

• Know the difference between a local disaster declaration, a state disaster declaration and a Presidential Disaster Declaration.

• Fourth – Understand the possibility for financial liability • Your jurisdiction could be fully responsible for purchases during a

response to a disaster

• You may be reimbursed up to 25% for eligible and approved purchases following a declared disaster

* All disasters and emergencies start and end at the local level!

Response 

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• Fifth – Know your Public Information Officers (PIO’s)• Before delivering a message to the public/media, coordinate

directly with the designated PIO.

• PIO’s will provide concrete information and guidance on what information is appropriate to be announced.

• PIO’s will keep the Elected Officials informed and a time schedule of when the media will be briefed.

Response 

Event Occurs:

Disaster Declaration Process 

Local Emergency Managers Respond

• If local resources are exhausted:

• Local elected officials can declare a local state of emergency

• Local elected officials can request assistance from the state

State Resources Deployed

• If state resources are exhausted:

• Governor declares a state of emergency

• Governor requests assistance from federal government

Federal Resources

Deployed

• President issues a Major Disaster or an Emergency Declaration

US Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Declarations

• SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to individuals and businesses

• To be eligible at least 25 homes or businesses must have sustained uninsured losses of 40% or more of the value

Other Federal Declarations 

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretarial Declaration

• For a natural disaster that specifically threaten Ohio’s agricultural industry damages and losses

• If approved will allow eligible producers access to low-interest Farm Service Agency loans, up to 100% of actual production or physical losses, not to exceed $500,000

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• Factors to consider when declaring a local state of emergency:• Scope and magnitude of the event• Impact of the damage and losses• The ability of the local jurisdiction to respond

• A declaration allows the following actions to be taken:• Mobilization of resources• Implementation of protective actions (evacuations & shelter-in-

place)• Initiation of mutual aid agreements• Suspension of statutes• Authorization of emergency funds

* A local declaration is also the initial step when requesting assistance from the state and to qualify for possible reimbursement

Local Declaration 

Local Declaration Escalation of Response 

Federal

State

County

Regional

Mutual Aid

Local Safety Forces

Incident Command Post

Requests for assistance

Cool Stuff

Your role in Recovery

Eligibility for disaster assistance begins on the date of the occurrence of the event that results in a major disaster declaration. Reasonable public assistance expenses incurred in anticipation of and immediately preceding the event may also be eligible for federal assistance.

Recovery

* The goal of recovery activities is to return to a normal or even safer situation following a disaster.

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First – Know the process for estimating the damage your community has sustained following a disaster.

Second – Know the difference between a local disaster declaration, a state disaster declaration and a Presidential Disaster Declaration.

Third – Know the types of assistance available to your community and the thresholds your community (and the state) must meet to be eligible for federal assistance.

Recovery

Immediately following a disaster, each affected community should conduct a rapid assessment.

This assessment should identify:• areas of significant damage

• losses of utility service

• transportation impacts

• infrastructure failure

• other disaster impacts

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Rapid Assessment

• Individual Assistance – helps individuals recover

• Public Assistance – helps communities recover

• For local government & certain private nonprofits

• Major forms include:• Debris removal

• Permanent restoration of infrastructure

• Certain emergency protective measures

• Document all work and costs

Recovery Programs

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DO get to know your local emergency management staff and visit the county Emergency Operations Center

DON’T assume a disaster automatically means your community will be eligible for financial assistance from FEMA

DO remember that emergency preparedness is a civic responsibility but managing constituent expectations is your responsibility

DON’T wait until a disaster strikes to learn your role. Take advantage of training and exercises to practice before a disaster occurs

DO get to know your county emergency management agency before emergencies happen

Do’s &Don’ts

Prepare your jurisdiction for disasters or emergencies

• Become familiar with local emergency plans and the County’s Emergency Operations Plan

• Provide outreach services to help prepare citizens

• Participate in training, exercises and other preparedness activities

• Continue to learn and educate your fellow officials

• Make sure you and your family are prepared

• Have a kit – Have a plan – Test the plan

Next Steps

Final Thoughts

We do not know when the next disaster will occur.

We do know that tomorrow • we will have one day less to prepare than we have today• that we will not rise to the occasion• but will sink to our level of our preparation

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Questions?

Emergency Management Association of Ohio

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