Texas Department of Public Safety

Division of Emergency Management

TCEQ Regional Workshop: Emergency Response Preparing for Disasters and Emergency Incidents

Tuesday June 2, 2015

TDEM Initiatives

• Coordinate the state emergency management program.

• Ensure the state and its local governments respond to and recover from emergencies and disasters.

• Increase public awareness about threats and hazards.

• Coordinate emergency planning.

• Provide specialized training for emergency responders and local officials.

• Administer disaster recovery and hazard mitigation programs.

TDEM at a Glance

• Responsible for a comprehensive state emergency management program

• Over 200 EFTs serving six DPS regions

• Almost 500 full-time employees

• Chief reports to the governor for all emergency and disaster related matters

TDEM Executive TeamTDEM

Assistant DirectorChief Nim Kidd

DAD Operations Tom Polonis

State Coordinator - OperationsDede Powell

State Management Team Major Tim Smith

State Coordinator - PreparednessChuck Phinney

State Coordinator - CISJeff Newbold

DAD Support Services Sandra Fulenwider

DAD Recovery, Mitigation, & Standards

Paula Logan

State Coordinator - RecoveryEric Kuntz

State Coordinator - MitigationJohnna Cantrell

State Coordinator - RMS Services Traci Brasher

Chief of StaffLauren Allen

State Coordinator EMS

Maxie Bishop

State Coordinator Life Safety

Orlando Hernandez

Section Administrator Enterprise Risk

Management Miles Tollison

Section Administrator Chief of Staff’s Office

Suzannah Jones

Regional State Coordinator Field Response

Mike Miller

State Coordinators (Field Response)

District Coordinators

State Coordinator Regional Disaster Finance

Shari Ramirez-MacKay

Regional Disaster Finance

Coordinators

Disasters in Texas

• Over 250 Federally Declared Disasters in Texas from 1989-2015.

• Total – 288

• Emergency Declarations - 13

• Major Disasters – 40

• Fire Management Assistance Declaration (FMAG) – 235

• Texas has more disaster declarations than any other state

National Response Framework (NRF)

• The Framework defines the key principles, roles, and structures that organize the way we respond as a nation, from the smallest incident to the largest catastrophe.

• It describes how communities, tribes, states, the federal government, and private-sector and nongovernmental partners apply these principles for a coordinated, effective response.

Texas State Law

• Governor appoints Public Safety Commission (PSC)(5 members)

• Director, Department of Public Safety (DPS) is appointed by the PSC

• Chief, DPS, Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) is appointed by the DPS Director, with approval of the Governor

Incident Management in Texas

• Incidents typically begin and end locally, and are managed on a daily basis at the lowest possible geographical, organizational, and jurisdictional level.

Local Governments

• Local governments (counties, cities, or towns) respond to emergencies daily using their own resources.

• They rely on mutual aid and assistance agreements with neighboring jurisdictions.

• When local jurisdictions cannot meet incident response resource needs with their own resources or with help available from other local jurisdictions, they may ask the state for assistance.

State of Texas

• States have significant resources of their own.

• If additional resources are required, the state may request assistance from other states through interstate mutual aid and assistance agreements such as the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).

Federal Government

• If an incident is beyond local and state capabilities, the governor can request federal assistance.

• Emergency or major disaster declaration.

• The governor’s request is made

through the FEMA Regional Administrator and based on a finding that the disaster is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and affected local governments, federal assistance is granted.

Texas – Strong Partners in Disaster Response

• Local jurisdictions• Regional Organizations (RACs)• Voluntary Organizations• Special Response Teams (Emergency

Medical Task Force [EMTF], Texas Task Force 1, Public Works Response Team [PWRT])

• Local volunteer special response teams (Search One, TEXSAR, TCSAR, AASAR)

• Private Sector• State Government – TDEM and the

Emergency Management Council

Emergency Management Council• Adjutant General’s Department• American Red Cross• Department of Information

Resources• General Land Office• Texas Division of Emergency

Management• Texas Public Utility Commission• The Salvation Army• State Auditor’s Office• State Comptroller of Public

Accounts• Texas Animal Health

Commission• Texas Attorney General’s Office• Texas Procurement and Support

Services• Texas Commission on

Environmental Quality• Texas Commission on Fire

Protection• Texas Department of Agriculture• Texas Department of Criminal

Justice• Texas Department of State

Health Services• Texas Department of Housing

and Community Affairs

• Texas Health and Human Services Commission

• Texas Department of Insurance

• Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services

• Texas Department of Public Safety

• Texas Department of Transportation

• Texas Education Agency• Texas Engineering Extension

Service• Texas A&M Forest Service• Texas Parks and Wildlife

Department• Texas Department of

Assistive and Rehabilitative Services

• Texas Workforce Commission• Texas Department of Family

Protective Services• Texas AgriLife Extension

Service• Texas Office of Court

Administration

Regional Disaster Finance Program Design

• Ensures the disaster recovery process is proactive in fiscal responsibility before, during and after an emergency or disaster

Regional Disaster Finance Coordinators

• Work with local government chief financial officers, budget directors, finance directors, and auditors

• Work with other state agencies involved in recovery to assist local jurisdictions, non-governmental and non-profit organizations

• Stationed in each DPS region

How do Texans Support Each Other?

DO:• Relationship building before a

disaster• Business Emergency Operations

Center (BEOC)• Combined planning, training and

exercises

DON’T:• Wait until a disaster happens• Self-deploy

DPS State Regions

• Texas is divided into 6 DPS regions

• Region 7 is the Capitol Complex

• Field Response State Coordinators oversee a team of District Coordinators

State Disaster Districts

• Texas has 24 disaster districts

• Each disaster district has a TDEM District Coordinator

Requesting State Assistance through DDCs

• Staging areas

• Direction and control of resources

• Incident Management Team support

• Facilities and equipment

• State and District Coordinator interface

Local Elected Officials

Local Emergency Management

Disaster District Committees (DDC)

State Operations Center

Requesting Assistance

The Stafford Act

• Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act PL 93-288

• Authorizes President to declare an emergency or major disaster in a state

• Request to President comes from governor

• Makes federal assistance available to supplement state and local resources

Emergency Support Functions (ESFs)

• Provide structure for coordinating interagency support for response to an incident

• Functions are grouped together for most frequently used support during declared disasters and emergencies under the Stafford Act

Emergency Support Functions (ESFs)• ESF 1: Transportation• ESF 2: Communications• ESF 3: Public Works & Engineering• ESF 4: Firefighting• ESF 5: Emergency Management• ESF 6: Mass Care, Emergency Assistance,

Housing & Human Services• ESF 7: Logistics Management & Resource

Support• ESF 8: Public Health & Medical Services• ESF 9: Search & Rescue• ESF 10: Oil & Hazardous Materials Response• ESF 11: Agriculture & Natural Resources• ESF 12: Energy• ESF 13: Public Safety & Security• ESF 14: Long-Term Community Recovery• ESF 15: External Affairs

Presidential Declaration Process

Incident occurs, and local government

assesses damage and recovery capability

Mayor/County Judge sends a letter of request

to the governor certifying that the severity of the disaster is beyond their

capability and prepares a DSO

If damages appear to exceed state/local

capability, based on the DSO, the state contacts the FEMA

regional office

Federal, state, and local government personnel

conduct an on-site preliminary damage assessment (PDA)

If warranted, the governor requests assistance from the president, certifying that the severity of the disaster is beyond local

and state capability

FEMA regional personnel summarize

the information collected and send a recommendation to FEMA headquarters

The FEMA director recommends a course

of action to the president

The president determines whether to

grant or deny the gubernatorial request

If denied, the governor may appeal the decision within 30

days

SOC Organization 2015DPS AD

TDEM Chief

SOC Manager

Planning Section(TDEM)

Situation Unit

(EM Council)

Documentation Unit

(EM Council)

Resource Unit

(EM Council)

Demobilization Unit

(EM Council)

Ops Section(DPS)

Emergency Services Branch

(EM Council)

Infrastructure Branch

(EM Council)

Human Services Branch

(Council, VOAD)

Military Branch (TXMF)

Logistics Section(TDEM)

Service Coordinator

(TDEM)

Private Sector Unit

Supply Unit(TXMF)

Warehouse(TDEM)

Property Manager(TDEM)

Finance Section(TDEM)

Time Unit(State

Agencies)

Procurement Unit

(DPS, TPASS)

Cost Unit(OMB, CAO)

Recovery Liaison(TDEM)

Emergency Operations

• Level IV Normal Conditions

• Level III Increased Readiness – Watch Conditions

• Level II High Readiness – Warning

Conditions

• Level I Maximum Readiness – Emergency Conditions

The Four Challenges

The Four Challenges

• Be the Expert

The Four Challenges

• Be the Expert

• Stay in your lane

The Four Challenges

• Be the Expert

• Stay in your lane

• Collaborate at all cost

The Four Challenges

• Be the Expert

• Stay in your lane

• Collaborate at all cost

• Make a decision!

Personal Responsibility

• Are you ready?

• Is your family prepared?

• Does your workplace have a plan?

• Does your church, place of worship or civic organization have a plan?

• Does your neighborhood have a plan?

State Operations Center (2014)

Texas Department ofPublic Safety

Division of EmergencyManagement

@TDEM@TX_Alert

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