AN EMERGENCY IS A SITUATION THAT REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ACTION BEYOND THE SCOPE OF NORMAL OPERATIONS AND MUTUAL AID. It is beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of that particular political subdivision and requires the combined forces of other political subdivisions to combat (California Emergency Services Act § 8558(c)).

The Board of Supervisors of Modoc County is committed to its responsibility to save lives, limit injuries, and minimize damage to property and the environment when disaster strikes. Dedicated, caring, capable responders and managers within the county’s emergency organization carry out this awesome responsibility.

It is the responsibility of the Modoc County Office of Emergency Services to coordinate the task of response as effectively as possible. Modoc County has a relatively small population and many people perform more than one job. This plan will help Modoc County make the mobilization of an emergency response and recovery efficient and effective.

A. During emergencies, to answer the questions, "Who's in charge?" and "What should I do?".

B. During emergencies, to make sure that necessary jobs get done.

C. To provide for the continuity of government during emergencies.

D. To describe the Modoc County emergency organization.

E. To provide guidance for disaster education and training.

F. To provide planning guidance and references to more detailed information.

G. This plan does NOT replace the operating procedures of any agency. In fact, it depends upon agencies that respond for their proven expertise. This plan provides channels for communication between agencies that do not normally work together. It provides a means to access needed resources; it provides a framework for recovery; and it provides a method of organizing and confirming information for public release.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN

This plan was developed by the Modoc County Disaster Council which is mandated by County Code to develop and maintain the Emergency Operations Plan. The City of Alturas participated on the Council along with County departments having responsibilities relating to emergencies and with various responding agencies including fire protection districts, emergency medical services, and the medical system. The Deputy Director of Emergency Services acted as chief writer/editor for the project and facilitated Council meetings.

The plan is designed to guide the reader or user through each phase of emergency: preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. It is divided into the following parts:

Chapter I introduces the goals and objectives, explains the phases of emergency response, delineates authorities, and outlines continuity of government, plan maintenance and distribution.

Chapter II discusses roles and responsibilities and details the emergency organization based on the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS). (For information on SEMS, see Appendix A.)

Chapter III analyzes potential hazards that may occur within the County, identifies the likelihood of occurrence, and identifies areas at risk from different threats.

Chapter IV focuses on the preparedness phase and pre-event mitigation. It describes seven elements of emergency management including education, planning, training, capability, exercises, mitigation, and coordination.

Chapter V covers the response phase both initially and for extended response. It outlines the operational procedures for County emergency management staff to conduct extended emergency response operations, usually coordinated by the Modoc County EOC. It also addresses the transition to the recovery phase and the framework to implement SEMS. Its hazard-specific checklists provide departments and field-level responders with the basic considerations and actions necessary for effective emergency response.

Chapter VI addresses recovery and post-event mitigation activities. It describes the procedures to coordinate recovery operations within Modoc County, procedures to mitigate future events and procedures for obtaining state and federal disaster assistance funds for damage restoration and mitigation projects.

Appendices provide supporting and supplemental information.

A. Standardized Emergency Management System

B. Glossary for Functional Matrices (Chapter 3)

C. Modoc County Code Chapter 2.40

D. Forms

Annexes provide in-depth coverage of specific hazards or response needs.

· Multi-Casualty and Medical Emergency Plan

· Communications Plan

· Terrorism Response Plan

· Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Plan

· Care and Shelter Plan (future need)

· Energy Contingency Plan (future need)

· Telecommunications Contingency Plan (future need)

· Information Technology Contingency Plan (future need)

· Animals in Disaster Plan (future need)

· Evacuation Plan (future need)

Associated plans are also available for the Modoc Auxiliary Communications Service, Emergency Alert System, and a variety of industry and departmental operating plans and procedures. Hazardous materials plans for businesses are on file at the Environmental Health Department.

Selected sections of many plans need to be extracted and included in operations handbooks for the EOC, emergency responders and others as a part of implementing this overall plan.

Authorities

The following references provide the authorities for conducting and/or supporting emergency operations:

Federal

· Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950 (Public Law 920, as amended).

· Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988 (Public Law 93-288, as amended).

· Army Corps of Engineers Flood Fighting (Public Law 84-99).

State

· California Emergency Services Act (Chapter 7 of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code).

· Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) Regulations (Chapter 1 of Division 2 of Title 19 of the California Code of Regulations) and (California Government Code §8607 et sec).

· Hazardous Materials Area Plan Regulations (Chapter 4 of Division 2, Title 19, Article 3, §2720-2728 of the California Code of Regulations ) and (California Health and Safety Code, Division 20, Chapter 6.95, Section 25503.5)

· California Department of Water Resources Flood Control (California Water Code §128).

· Orders and Regulations that may be selectively promulgated by the Governor during a STATE OF EMERGENCY.

· Orders and Regulations that may be selectively promulgated by the Governor to take affect upon the existence of a STATE OF WAR.

· Public Health Officer authorities and regulations (California Health and Safety Code § 101000 et seq.)

Local

· Modoc County Resolution adopting the California Master Mutual Aid Agreement, dated 3/4/57.

· Ordinances 136A, 8/20/73, as amended by 136B, 5/19/86, creating the County Disaster Committee and designating members

· Ordinance 136C, 2/21/89, designating the Sheriff as Director of Emergency Services

· Modoc County Code Chapter 2.40 Emergency Organization (Appendix C)

CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT

Government at all levels is responsible for providing continuity of effective leadership and authority, direction of emergency operations and management of recovery operations. To this end, it is particularly essential that the County of Modoc, the special districts within the County, and the City of Alturas continue to function as government entities. A major disaster could result in the death or injury of key government officials, the partial or complete destruction of established seats of government, and the destruction of public and private records essential to continued operations of government. The California Government Code and the Constitution of California provide the authority for state and local government to reconstitute itself in the event that incumbents are unable to serve.

Lines Of Succession

Section 8638, Article 15, Chapter 7, Division 1, Title 2 of the California Government Code provides for the appointment of up to three standby officers for each member of the governing body. This article also provides for the succession of officers who head departments responsible for maintaining law and order or for furnishing public services relating to health and safety. Additionally, Article 15 outlines procedures to assure continued functioning of political subdivisions in the event the governing body, including standby officers, are unavailable to serve. The standby officers shall have the same authority and powers as the regular officers or department heads. The succession list for the County of Modoc is provided in Table I-1. The list for the City of Alturas is in Table I-2.

Table I-1. Modoc County Lines of Succession

FUNCTION/ DEPARTMENT	TITLE/POSITION
County Administrative Officer	1. Assistant County Administrative Officer
	2. Risk Manager
County Sheriff/Coroner	1. Undersheriff/Assistant Coroner
	2. Senior Sergeant
Director of Emergency Services	1. Assistant Director of Emergency Services
	2. Deputy Director of Emergency Services
County Public Works Director	Deputy Director of Public Works
	Deputy Director of Roads
County Fire Coordinator	1. Fire Mutual Aid Coordinator
	2. President, Modoc Fire Chiefs’ Assoc.
County Health Officer	1. none formalized
Agriculture Commissioner	Agricultural Field Inspector
	Agricultural Field Supervisor
Environmental Health Director	1. Environmental Scientist (Susanville Office)
	2. Lassen Co. Environmental Director
Superintendent of Schools	1. Assistant Superintendent
	2. SELPA Director
	3. Chief Business Officer
Director of Social Services	1. SW Supervisor/Deputy Director
	2. Eligibility Help Desk
	3. Eligibility Supervisor
County Counsel	1. none
County Auditor/Recorder	1. Accountant/Auditor I
	2. Accountant Technician
County Assessor	1. Office Administrator
	2. Senior Appraiser
Treasurer/Tax Collector	1. Assistant Treasurer
	2. Assistant Tax Collector
County Clerk	1. Senior Deputy Clerk
	2. Deputy Clerk
County Planner	1. Associate Planner
	2. Executive Secretary
Health Services – Public Health	1. Deputy Director of Public Health
	2. Public Health Nurse
Health Services – Mental Health	1. Deputy Director of Mental Health
	2. Staff Psychologist
Health Services – Drug & Alcohol	1. Deputy Director of Drug & Alcohol

Table I-2. City of Alturas Lines of Succession

City Clerk	1. Deputy Clerk

City Treasurer	1. Deputy Treasurer
	2. Deputy Treasurer
Chief of Police	1. Lieutenant
	2. Senior Sergeant
Director of Public Works	1. Assistant Director
	2. Foreman
City Planner	1. Associate Planner
	2. Executive Secretary

Reconstitution Of The Governing Body

Section 8635 et seq., Article 15, Chapter 7, Division 1, Title 2 of the California Government Code establishes a method for reconstituting the governing body. Section 8644 authorizes that, should all members, including all standbys, be unavailable, temporary officers shall be appointed by the chairman of the board of the county in which the political subdivision is located or by the chairman of the board of any other county within 150 miles.

Section 8642 of Article 15 requires local governing bodies to convene as soon as possible whenever a state of emergency or local emergency exists and at a place not necessarily within the political subdivision. Under Article 15, the duties of a governing body during emergencies include determining the damage to the jurisdiction and its personnel and property, reconstituting itself and any subdivisions, and performing functions in preserving law and order and furnishing local services.

Section 23600 of the California Government Code provides that the Board of Supervisors shall designate alternative county seats that may be located outside county boundaries. (Real property cannot be purchased for this purpose.) A resolution designating the alternate county seats must be filed with the Secretary of State and additional seats may be designated subsequent to the original site designations if circumstances warrant.

The temporary seat of County government for the County of Modoc is as follows:

· 1st Alternate: Health Services Building, 441 N. Main St., Alturas

· 2nd Alternate: Social Services, 120 N. Main St., Alturas

· 3rd Alternate: Modoc County Fairgrounds, Cedarville

Protection Of Vital Records

In the County of Modoc, each county office is responsible for the preservation and protection of its own vital records. Each department within the County must identify, maintain, and protect its vital records. Departments should seriously evaluate their policies and practices to assure that as many records as possible, within budgetary constraints, are duplicated with backup copies stored off-premises in a secure location.

Vital records are defined as those records that are essential to the rights and interests of individuals, governments, corporations and other entities, including vital statistics, land and tax records, license registers, articles of incorporation, and historical information. Vital records also include those records essential for emergency response and recovery operations, including utility system maps, emergency supply and equipment locations, emergency operations plans and procedures, and personnel rosters. These vital records will be essential to the re-establishment of normal Modoc County government functions, serving to protect the rights and interests of government. These rights and interests may include the constitutions, charters, statutes, ordinances, court records, official proceedings and financial records of Modoc County.

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN MANAGEMENT

PLAN MODIFICATIONS

The Modoc Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan is a living document. It is essential that it be reviewed and updated continually. Revisions are done under the authority of the Director of Emergency Services. The Deputy Director of Emergency Services will maintain the document. The EOP may be modified as a result of post-incident analyses and post-exercise critiques. It may be modified if responsibilities, procedures, laws, rules, or regulations pertaining to emergency management and operations change. The Disaster Council will review it no later than February 1 each year.

Those agencies having assigned responsibilities under this plan are obligated to inform the Deputy Director when changes affecting this EOP occur or are imminent. Proposed changes to the document will be submitted, in writing, to Modoc County OES. The Disaster Council may be called upon to meet concerning proposed changes.

The Modoc County Board of Supervisors must approve any additional annexes added to the EOP. At the discretion of the Chair of the Disaster Council (who is the Chair of the Board of Supervisors), other changes may be brought before the Board for action.

Approved changes will be published and sent out to the distribution list as needed. Old pages should be removed and replaced with new pages. The individual in the department/agency responsible for maintaining the document will log changes to each copy on this register.

EOP MODIFICATION REGISTER

#	CHANGE DATE	PAGE NUMBERS REPLACED	SIGNATURE
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

DISTRIBUTION LIST

The complete Emergency Operations Plan will be distributed as follows:

DEPARTMENT/AGENCY	# OF COPIES
Board of Supervisors	1
County Administrative Office	1
County Office of Emergency Services	3
County Sheriff’s Office/Communications Center	1
County Public Works/Road Department	4
County Health Services	5
Public Health Officer	1
Environmental Health	1
County Agriculture Commissioner	1
County Assessor’s Office	1
County Auditor/Recorder’s Office	1
County Planning Department	1
County Counsel	1
Superintendent of Schools	1
Department of Social Services	1
Modoc Medical Center	1
Surprise Valley Health Care District	1
Fire Protection Districts (12)	12
California Pines Community Service District Fire Dept.	1
City Council	1
City Clerk’s Office	1
City Police Department	1
City Fire Department	1
City Public Works Department	1
City Planner	1

EMERGENCY ORGANIZATION

INTRODUCTION

Modoc County’s emergency organization involves many government departments, special districts, and independent organizations. The County depends heavily on volunteers for fire fighters, emergency medical technicians, and other assistance. Government workers often have multiple responsibilities. It is essential to define roles before a crisis so that people understand where they need to be and what they need to be doing without having to discuss how to cover other work or get approval from a supervisor at the time.

In an emergency, use available personnel in this order:

1. County employees.

2. Skilled individuals from other public agencies.

3. Registered emergent volunteers and public service organizations.

4. Citizens pressed into service by the Director (declared emergencies only - see Labor Code sec. 4351).

All of the above are considered "disaster service workers" under Government Code of California (Title I, Division 4, Chapter 8). See Appendix D for the Disaster Service Worker registration form to use.

Call out lists are maintained in the Communications Center of the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office. These must be reviewed and updated not less than twice a year.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The County of Modoc’s emergency management operation functions under the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS). Modoc County is part of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services Administrative Inland Region and Mutual Aid Region III.

The Sheriff, as the Director of Emergency Services, heads the emergency management organization. The Director of Emergency Services is responsible for implementing the emergency operations plan through the efforts of the Modoc County's Office of Emergency Services. Within the emergency organization, departments and agencies have specified roles and responsibilities for certain functions. Two functional matrices, one for the response phase and one for the recovery phase, display the defined responsibilities (see Figures II-1 & 2). The Modoc County departments and the Operational Area member jurisdictions who have responsibilities in this plan will prepare Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) detailing personnel assignments, policies, notification rosters, and resource lists. Emergency response personnel should be acquainted with these SOPs, and receive periodic training on the policies and procedures contained within the SOPs

The Modoc County emergency organization is depicted in Figure II-3, placing the County into the SEMS structure. Figure II-4 lays out the Emergency Operations Center staffing at the highest level of activation. During normal County operations, this organization exists only on paper, but during an emergency it is designed to be activated and expanded as the need arises. The actual number of people activated and the functions needed under each level will depend on the incident. The organizations at lower levels of activation are shown in Figure II-5.

For most hazards that might occur in Modoc County, Level 2 activation of a core group of individuals cross-trained in the different SEMS functions could manage an incident. Few events have the potential to require activation of a large component of people for an EOC. Events impacting the City of Alturas have greater potential than do those in outlying areas.

Large wildland fires are the jurisdiction of agencies well equipped and trained to deal with them. The County’s role would be as part of a Unified Command or providing an agency representative to the Incident Command Team.

In the case of a major event affecting many people or areas at one time, the County’s emergency managers should consider requesting a trained Incident Management Team through the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to assist. An experienced team can convert chaos to controlled chaos, providing expertise to the local team to assist them in running the operation. Modoc County has neither the resources nor the need to maintain a fully trained team itself.

FIGURE II-1 RESPONSE FUNCTIONAL MATRIX

SEMS FUNCTIONS

MGMT

PLANS

OPS

LOGS

FIN

DEPARTMENT/AGENCY

P – Primary Responsibility

S – Secondary Responsibility

EOC Mgmt

Public Info.

Liaison

Situation Analysis

Documentation

Technical Services

Demobilization

Alerting/Warning

Fire

Law Enforcement

Search & Rescue

Access & Movement

Animal Issues

Hazardous Materials

Infrastructure

Utilities

Care & Shelter

Medical & EMS

Public Health/ Mental Health

Personnell

Transportation

Communications

Facilities

Resource Status

Supply/ Procmt

Time Keeping

Purchasing/ Contracts

Compensation/ Claims

Cost Recovery

COUNTY

Administrator's Office

Risk Management

County Counsel

Emergency Services

Sheriff

Coroner

Fire Coordinator

Animal Control

Public Works/Roads

Agriculture Department

Public Health

Mental Health/Drug & Alcohol

Social Services Department

Planning Department

Environmental Health

Auditor's Office

Recorder

Assessor

Office of Education

Technology Group

CITY

Administration

City Attorney

Fire Department

Police Department

Public Works

Planning Department

Animal Control

THIS PAGE LEFT DELIBERATELY BLANK

FIGURE II-2 RECOVERY MATRIX

SEMS FUNCTIONS

MGMT

PLANS

OPS

LOGS

FIN

DEPARTMENT/AGENCY

P – Primary Responsibility

S – Secondary Responsibility

EOC Mgmt

Public Info.

Liaison

Situation Analysis

Documentation

Technical Services

Demobilization

Initial Damage Assessment

Permits & Zoning

Building Codes & Inspections

Coordinate Redevelopment

Property Value Reassessment

Restore Public Services & Govt.

Access/Movement

Debris Removal

Medical & EMS

Public Health/ Mental Health

Security

Temporary Housing

Donations Mgmt.

Personnel & Volunteers

Transportation

Communications

Facilities

Resource Status

Public/Private Partnerships

Supply/ Procmt

Time Keeping

Disaster Assistance

Purchasing/ Contracts

Compensation/ Claims

Cost Recovery

COUNTY

Administrator's Office

Risk Management

County Counsel

Emergency Services

Sheriff

Coroner

Fire Coordinator

Public Works/Roads

Agriculture Department

Public Health

Mental Health/Drug & Alcohol

Social Services Department

Planning Department

Planning Commission

Environmental Health

Auditor's Office

Recorder

Assessor

Office of Education

Technology Group

CITY

Administration

City Attorney

Fire Department

Police Department

Planning Department

Public Works

THIS PAGE LEFT DELIBERATELY BLANK

FIGURE II-3 LEVELS OF OPERATIONS

FIGURE II-4. EOC STAFFING FOR LEVELS 1 & 2

Oval: EOC Director

Director of Emergency Services or
Assistant Director of Emergency Services

Wave: Staff to necessary level remembering these two rules:

1. Span of control not to exceed 5-7 people.
2. An individual may not report to more than one supervisor.

FACILITIES DOCs

PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS

Planner

LIAISON OFFICER – Asst.Dir ES

AGENCY EPRESENTATIVES

As assigned by agencies

Text Box: OPERATIONS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL

PUBLIC HEALTH DOC

UTILITIES

TBA

Initial Damage Assess.

TBA

SECURITY - TBA

EOC DIRECTOR

Director of Emergency Services

(Sheriff)

IINFORMATION OFFICER – CAO

POLICY GROUP - Board of Supervisors and/or City Council

ASST. DIRECTOR – Asst. Dir. Emerg. Serv.

FIGURE iI-5 EOC STAFFING FOR LEVEL 3

ASSOCIATED AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS

MODOC OPERATIONAL AREA

The Modoc Operational Area, as defined in the California Emergency Services Act, consists of the government of the County and all political subdivisions thereof. It coordinates emergency activities and serves as a link in communications between the state’s emergency operating centers and local operating centers. The following political subdivisions have signed the Operational Area Agreement.

· Adin Fire Protection District

· Alturas Rural Fire Protection District

· California Pines Community Service District

· Canby Fire Protection District

· Cedarville Fire Protection District

· Davis Creek Fire Protection District

· Eagleville Fire Protection District

· Lake City Fire Protection District

· Lookout Fire Protection District

· Surprise Valley Health Care District

· Tulelake Fire Protection District

· Willow Ranch Fire Protection District

This agreement should be reviewed and remaining political subdivisions approached again about participating.

MODOC COUNTY DISASTER COUNCIL

Modoc County established a Disaster Council as provided in County Code 2.40.030 (Modoc County Ord. # 136-A). The City of Alturas is a joint participant (Modoc County Ord. # 136-B and City of Alturas Res. # 78-2). The Chair of the Council is the Chair of the Board of Supervisors. The Vice-Chair is the Director of Emergency Services. The Code also provides for “such chiefs of emergency services as are provided for in a current emergency plan of the county” and for “such representatives of civic, business, labor, veterans, professional or other organizations having on official emergency responsibility, as may be appointed by the board of supervisors” (Ord. # 136 A § 3, 1973). The Council is charged with developing emergency plans, mutual aid agreements, and ordinances, resolutions, rules, and regulations to implement the plans and agreements.

The Disaster Council should include:

· Agriculture Commissioner

· Auditor

· County Administrative Officer

· County Counsel

· Sheriff/Director of Emergency Services

· Undersheriff/Assistant Director of Emergency Services

· Deputy Director of Emergency Services

· Fire Coordinator

· Fire Mutual Aid Coordinator

· Fire Chiefs’ Association representative

· Emergency Medical Care Committee representative

· Public Health Department representative

· Mental Health Department representative

· Public Health Officer

· Medical Health Mutual Aid Coordinator

· Public Works Director/Road Commissioner

· Superintendent of Schools

· Director of Social Services

· County Planner

· Mayor of Alturas

· Chief of Police

· City Fire Chief

· City Fire Marshal

· City Public Works Director

· City Planner

· City Treasurer

· City Attorney

Representatives of other organizations should include:

· American Red Cross

· Salvation Army

· Sheriff’s Posse

· Modoc Auxiliary Communications Service

· Humane Society or other animal rescue group

· Electrical power industry representative

· Telecommunications industry representative

The Council may request participation of others as needed.

FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES

Modoc County has 15 fire departments serving its residents. These departments function under the auspices of the City of Alturas, California Pines Community Service District, Ft. Bidwell Indian Community, and 12 fire protection districts, three of which operate jointly in Modoc and a neighboring county. Nearly all fire fighters are volunteers.

Generally, departments are responsible for all structural fire fighting within their district boundaries. Additionally they are responsible for wildland fires within the Local Responsibility Areas of their districts. Wildland responsibility within State Responsibility Area falls to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF). Federal protection areas are the responsibility of U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). These agencies assign initial attack responsibility through an agreement defining direct protection areas that cross jurisdictional boundaries to improve efficiency. They will stand between structures and wildland fires but they do not conduct structural fire fighting.

Portions of the County are not within fire protection districts. Some outlying Forest Service stations and lookouts, one CDF station, the Devil’s Garden Conservation Camp, the community of Tionesta, ranches in Stone Coal Valley, and the California Quarantine Station on Highway 139 have no department responsible for structural fire fighting. Wildland fire agencies do their best to cover some of those. Adjacent fire departments will respond to others.

Mutual aid agreements between departments and agencies help assure adequate protection. Even so, response times are slow due to the distances involved. Many departments are inadequately funded and, consequently, less well equipped and trained than departments in more populous areas. Every possible avenue of support needs to be explored to assist departments.

Under SEMS, the local jurisdiction retains command of response, calls for mutual aid resources as needed, and calls upon the Modoc County Office of Emergency Services if an event reaches beyond the abilities of the normal mutual aid system to handle. The local jurisdiction continues to command the incident. Outside requests for assistance and incoming resources funnel through the County Emergency Operations Center.

EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

Six ambulance services cover portions of Modoc County: Surprise Valley Health Care; Modoc Medical in Alturas and Adin; Mayers Memorial Hospital out of Fall River Mills, Basin Ambulance out of Merrill, Oregon; and Lakeview Ambulance out of Lakeview, Oregon. In addition, several fire departments operate medical aid units. Information on currently active units and on response areas are maintained by the Modoc County 9-1-1 Coordinator. The Communications Center has up-to-date information.

Modoc Medical Center and Surprise Valley Health Care have limited facilities and ability to deal with major injuries. Trauma cases, as well as serious illness cases, must be sent to hospitals in Fall River Mills, Redding, Klamath Falls, or Reno/Sparks. Transport in emergencies is usually by air ambulance.

SPECIAL TEAMS

SHERIFF’S POSSE

The Modoc County Sheriff’s Posse is a volunteer group that operates at the discretion of the Sheriff. They are available for search and rescue and possibly other situations requiring a large number of people such as a large-scale evacuation. They have little specialized training. Many Posse members are also active with local fire departments and, consequently, may not be available to the Posse during some incidents.

RESCUE TEAMS

Modoc County’s resources for search and rescue (SAR) are limited although normally adequate to meet the need. Neighboring counties, with more frequent need for SAR, maintain extensive, well-trained units that are available through the OES Region Fire and Rescue Coordinator and the mutual aid system.

Specialized rescue capabilities within the County are limited. Several fire departments have vehicle extraction equipment and training. Alturas Rural Fire has established a low angle rescue squad with members from several departments. Specialized resources are available through the mutual aid system including various types of dog teams, cave rescue, swift water rescue, and confined-space rescue. The training required for specialized rescue makes it prohibitive to maintain and equip teams locally when incidents are rare within the County.

AUXILIARY COMMUNICATIONS

The Modoc County Auxiliary Communications Service is a volunteer group of disaster service workers registered with MCOES and coordinated by the Deputy Director of Emergency Services. They are closely associated with similar groups across the state. Most are licensed amateur radio operators but others can participate as runners, scribes, or in other ways. The group may provide backup communications in many forms. They participate in radio nets with other groups in northern California, Oregon, and Nevada. Through the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, they may be dispatched to wildfires and other disasters throughout the state and beyond. The group has ties to both ARES in the private sector and RACES in the government realm. ARES is the Amateur Radio Emergency Services, a public service organization operated by the American Radio Relay League. RACES, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, is a volunteer communications group administered by a government civil defense agency during times of extraordinary need. RACES operates under strict regulations of the Federal Communications Commission.

DECONTAMINATION TEAM

The Modoc County Decontamination Team is a county-wide resource. Members may come from fire departments and other agencies. Those not associated with a fire department are registered as Disaster Service Workers in the Medical and Environmental Health classification. Each hospital also has decontamination capabilities.

AMERICAN RED CROSS

Modoc County is affiliated with the Klamath Falls Chapter of the American Red Cross (ARC). ARC provides a wide range of services. First Aid/CPR training is one of their more visible activities. They maintain vans that can be dispatched on short notice to set up shelters for disasters. They also train damage assessment teams. During EOC activation in Modoc County for an event requiring their services, they would have an agency representative in the EOC to coordinate efforts.

ANIMAL RESCUE AND SHELTER

Modoc County does not currently have a group dedicated to coordinating animal rescue and shelter efforts in the event of an emergency. Humane groups or groups specializing in this field exist in some counties. Rescue and shelter of companion animals and livestock represents a significant undertaking in most widespread events, especially if evacuation is involved. This represents a potentially serious gap in the County’s emergency preparedness. Animal issues can create worse or better press coverage than almost anything else and alienate a lot of people if handled badly. More critically, they can draw resources and cause unnecessary chaos. Education of animal owners can begin to meet some of the need for preparation.

COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS

In Modoc County, personal preparedness and community preparedness are essential elements. Resources are too scarce to provide all the response needed in a significant emergency. Many organizations exist in the County that can assist in various capacities during an emergency, including churches, TEACH (a local private, non-profit human services organization), youth groups, and other, largely non-profit, groups. Pre-event coordination with these groups can enhance their ability to be of service and the County’s ability to meet needs during a crisis. Creation of a Citizen Corps Council will provide a forum for that to occur. Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) can be formed to provide a trained core in different communities.

REGISTRATION OF DISASTER SERVICE WORKERS

Disaster service workers must be properly registered to be covered by workers’ compensation and to allow tracking and documentation during and before an event. Background checks may be desired for some types of work. Registration is not complete until an authorized official has properly administered the loyalty oath. In Modoc County, only the County Clerk has that authorization.

TRAINING

Training in SEMS greatly enhances an individual’s ability to assimilate into the emergency organization and be an effective participant. Untrained, unprepared, walk-in volunteers require extra time and attention before they can be placed into the organization. The tasks they can be assigned are limited. Consequently, it is essential to have a good training program and exercise program prior to an event occurring.

HAZARD ANALYSIS

DESCRIPTION OF MODOC COUNTY

Modoc County occupies about 2.5 million acres of high desert and mountains in the northeast corner of California. The population is under 10,000 people. California Department of Finance information dated 1997 indicates that 27% of the county is in farms. Alfalfa, potatoes and cattle are the top three commodities. The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service control 61% of the land base of the County (Modoc County General Plan, 1988).

The single most important characteristic of disasters in Modoc County is that individuals and communities become isolated and must depend upon themselves in the early stages of an emergency. All preparedness must rest upon readiness of individuals and communities to wait out the initial isolation. Five distinct areas of the County can be defined in anticipation of becoming isolated from one another. They rarely suffer incidents all at the same time and each is subject to different hazards.

1. Day lies in the southwest corner of the County, separated by the Big Valley Mountains. It relies on the McArthur Fire Department and Mayer’s Memorial Ambulance from Shasta County for emergency services. A single road provides access to more than 10 miles of the Day Bench area including portions of four counties with residences in Lassen, Shasta, and Modoc. Wildfire presents a significant hazard to this area.

2. Big Valley lies along the Pit River between the Big Valley Mountains and the Adin Mountains. Two volunteer fire departments and one ambulance service are located in the area. Flooding is the most common hazard. Wildfire is also a significant threat.

3. The Tulelake Basin lies in the northwest corner of Modoc County, adjacent Siskiyou County, and north into Oregon. The Tulelake Fire Department covers areas of both Modoc and Siskiyou County. Basin Ambulance, out of Merrill, Oregon, serves the area. Heavily dependent on irrigated farming, droughts and unseasonal freezes have significant affects on agriculture in the Basin. A volcanic eruption of the Medicine Lake Highlands, while not likely, would impact this area more than other areas of the County.

4. Surprise Valley lies east of the Warner Mountains on the Nevada border. It has four volunteer fire departments and one hospital with ambulance service. Most settlement lies along the west side of the valley close to the Surprise Valley Fault Line. Events, including flooding and severe storms, tend to close access to the Valley from the west.

5. Alturas, the county seat, and the neighboring communities from Willow Ranch south to Likely and west to Canby, make up the central area of the County with over two-thirds of the population. Seven volunteer fire departments and one hospital with ambulance service cover the area. Flooding is the most frequent event impacting the area. Much of the hazardous materials shipped by truck through the County pass through Alturas.

The City of Alturas is the only incorporated area in the County. About 31% of the total population lives within the city. About 19% of the population lives in the communities along the north and south forks of the Pit River, Goose Lake, and in the Warm Springs Valley west of Alturas. Surprise Valley communities are home to about 15%; Day Road to about 1%; Big Valley to 8%, and Newell to 9%. The remaining 16% live outside of towns.

Central Modoc

Big Valley

Surprise Valley

Lookout

Day

Tulelake Basin

Siskiyou

County

NNEVADA

FIG. III-1 – MODOC COUNTY MAP

Canby

Likely

Alturas

Lake City

Ft. Bidwell

Davis Creek

Lassen County

Shasta

County

OREGON

Eagleville

Adin

Cedarville

POTENTIAL THREATS

Because of the dispersed population, few threats jeopardize a large proportion at one time. Exceptions are either very widespread events, such as severe winter storms, or are those focused within the City of Alturas. Usually, small groups of people tend to be affected and are often isolated from the rest of the county by events. Threats include storms, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, dam failure, hazardous materials incidents, civil unrest, and terrorism.

The threats posed by particular kinds of events were assessed based on the severity of effects and the probability of occurrence. The results are shown in Table III–1. Effects in seven areas were considered: Fatalities, Injuries, Economics, Mental Health, Critical Facilities Damaged, Infrastructure Damaged, and Environment. Critical Facilities includes hospitals, fire stations, government offices, schools, and similar facilities. Infrastructure includes roads, utilities, water systems, and so on.

The seven areas were assigned rankings of the severity of effects anticipated. They were weighted by varying the upper level of the severity rankings to reflect the impact of each effect on the community. Consequently, Fatalities and Injuries were ranked 0 to 10 while Environment only ranked 0 to 4. The event believed to have the greatest impact from a particular event was assigned the highest possible ranking and the other events were ranked by comparison.

For each event, effects rankings were added up and multiplied by the probability to determine the overall rank. The table lists events in order from highest threat to lowest. Discussion of events follows the same order.

FIGURE III - 1. THREAT ASSESSMENT MATRIX

EVENT				EFFECTS				SUM	X	PROBABILITY	TOTAL
	Fatalities 0-10	Injured 0-10	Economics 0-10	Mental Health 0-8	Critical Facilities 0-7	Infra-structure 0-7	Environ. 0-4			2 =unlikely; 4=slight; 6=probable; 8=high; 10=very high
Transportation	10	10	5	6	3	3	2	39	X	10	390
HazMat	5	6	6	3	3	3	3	29	X	10	290
Serious Storm	4	5	5	1	3	7	1	26	X	10	260
Flooding	2	3	7	1	1	4	2	20	X	10	200
Drought	1	1	8	3	2	2	3	20	X	10	200
Wildfire	4	5	5	1	1	6	2	24	X	8	192
Earthquake	6	7	10	5	7	7	3	45	X	4	180
Animal Health	2	2	8	5	1	1	3	22	X	8	176
Terrorism	6	7	4	8	4	4	3	36	X	4	144
Slides	2	2	3	1	1	3	2	14	X	8	112
Civil Unrest	2	3	3	2	3	3	2	18	X	6	108
Public Health	5	4	3	5	3	1	2	23	X	4	92
Dam Break	1	2	3	2	2	3	2	15	X	4	60
Volcano	3	3	6	4	4	4	4	28	X	2	56
Seiche	1	1	1	1	0	1	1	6	X	2	12
Avalanche	1	1	1	1	0	1	1	6	X	2	12

TRANSPORTATION ACCIDENTS

Transportation accidents, based on a worst case, ranked as the highest threat based on the potential number of injuries and fatalities. The traffic volume in Modoc County is light by comparison to many other jurisdictions but that does not mean that we are immune from transportation accidents with or without hazardous materials. Tour buses and trucks regularly use highways within the County. Local capabilities are limited. Four or five victims with serious injuries can strain resources. Trauma victims must be transported out of County for care. Preparedness through planning, training and exercises is the best mitigation.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS INCIDENTS

Potential for injuries and for economic damages raised the ranking for hazardous materials incidents. The impact of a hazardous materials incident depends upon the nature of the material and the location of the incident. The worst case would be an accident in downtown Alturas. Because materials pass through the County daily by highway, pipeline, and rail, the possibility of an incident is very realistic. With a sparse population centered in a few places across the County, many incidents could have minor impacts, however, an incident in or near Alturas could cause the evacuation of 3000 or more people, including the hospital, long-term care facility, and schools.

Preliminary commodity flow studies indicate that gasoline, diesel, and propane are the predominant materials moving through the county by highway. Two natural gas pipelines run through. Lake County Railroad runs between Alturas and Lakeview with connections to the northwest. Burlington Northern receives regular use, transporting materials through the Tulelake Basin and western edge of the County.

Mitigations include continued study of both transportation and storage of materials and improved preparedness of responders.

SERIOUS STORMS

Weather has the most widespread and frequent impact on the population of the County. The potential effects on infrastructure, especially power and communications, raised its ranking. In recent years, extensive utility outages and road closures have been short-lived, giving a certain sense of confidence to residents. Realistically, a severe winter storm could easily isolate numerous residents and take out power and telephones for several days. The California Pines Hill Units are particularly susceptible but no area of the County is immune. Summer thunderstorms tend to be more local in their effects but can and do cause road closures, interrupt power and telephone service, and flood areas. They also present the risk of wildfire. Tornados occur rarely. They are associated with high intensity summer storms and are usually small. They could cause localized damage.

FLOODING

Economic impacts raised the ranking for flooding. While many areas of the County are subject to flooding fairly often, few residences and businesses suffer long-term damage as a consequence. The frequency has, no doubt, discouraged development in flood-prone areas. Most flooding in Modoc County occurs along streams and rivers when the channels cannot contain the amount of water. This is most common during spring run-off or thunderstorm activity. Urban flooding occurs when rainfall exceeds capacity of storm drains. Urban flooding is a frequent problem in Likely, certain street corners in Alturas, and other developed areas.

Quail Valley Ranch, Lookout, January 1997

Even localized impacts can have dramatic effects under some circumstances. Isolated flooding can cut areas off from emergency response. For example, small stream flooding in January 1997 damaged County Road One in Surprise Valley in numerous locations, restricting access along several miles of the road for weeks while repairs took place. Debris and mudflows from the steep, highly erosive canyons off the Warner Mountains increased the damage. A secondary effect of flooding can be contamination of drinking water supplies, requiring testing and decontamination. Land use planning and zoning can mitigate for flooding by keeping development outside of flood prone areas.

DROUGHT

Drought is a cyclic occurrence for Modoc County. Economic impacts are the greatest potential effect. 1992 was the last of several years of drought cycle. 2001 was an extreme drought, compounded by water use decisions in the Tulelake Basin, resulting in economic hardship for agriculture and agriculture-dependent business with employment down, domestic water supplies affected, livestock forage scarce, and hay in short supply and high demand. Most assistance comes through U.S. Department of Agriculture programs. Pre-planning can reduce some impacts.

WILDFIRE

The probability of occurrence was the strongest influence on the ranking for wildfire. Wildfires will occur in Modoc County. The Scarface Fire in 1977 was almost 80,000 acres. More recently, the Blue Fire burned approximately 34,000 acres in 2001. Still, the County has been lucky over the years in that wildfires have rarely approached developed areas.

Subdivisions have grown up in several areas of the County where wildfires are a very real risk. Big Valley Ranchettes, California Pines Hill Units, and Modoc Recreational Estates are only three. All have felt the risk at some point but have been spared so far. As has been so clearly demonstrated in other areas of California, the risk must be taken seriously.

The best mitigation is personal preparedness by creating defensible space around dwellings. Communities can form Fire Safe Councils and work cooperatively with the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to create firebreaks and promote prevention activities.

EARTHQUAKES

Earthquakes ranked high for economic impacts as well as effects on infrastructure and critical facilities. The low probability of occurrence lowered the ranking. Faults within Modoc County have not been historically active but settlement has been very recent in geologic terms. Klamath Falls suffered significant damage from a quake in 1993, reminding inhabitants that northern California and southern Oregon are not geologically stable. The area has experienced extensive seismic activity over millions of years. Evidence is most apparent in the obvious uplifting along the east face of the Warner Mountains.

Much construction within the County does not meet modern standards to withstand an earthquake. Both the Surprise Valley Fault and the Likely Fault are judged capable of producing a quake measuring 7.5 on the Richtor Scale (Dr. Jim Slosson, personal communication). Unreinforced masonry and frame buildings would be moderately to severely damaged. Pipelines, including water and sewage lines, could break. Dams could rupture. Utilities and communications would be compromised. Key people could be unable to report for work.

Earthquakes can be mitigated for through land use planning and building codes. Retrofitting of infrastructure can significantly reduce damage.

ANIMAL HEALTH

Animal health problems, as demonstrated in recent years by Foot And Mouth Disease in Great Britain, Mad Cow Disease in Europe, and Exotic Newcastle Disease in southern California, can have huge economic impacts both locally and regionally. The large number of livestock present and the movement of livestock in and out of the County also influenced the ranking.

TERRORISM/WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

While Modoc seems an unlikely location for terrorism activities, it is not unreasonable to anticipate the possibility. Mental health was the highest ranked effect. Federal agencies such as the US Forest Service have attracted domestic terrorist activities in small communities in the past. Because of its isolation, Modoc could also serve as a base of operations for groups planning actions elsewhere but presenting a risk of hazardous materials incidents or unintentional detonations locally. Incidents would most likely be small in scale compared to those that might strike larger jurisdictions. Mitigations would include awareness training for emergency responders and security measures by possible target agencies. Increased preparedness for hazardous materials incidents would also lesson impacts of any occurrence. See the Terrorism Response Plan for more detail.

LANDSLIDE OR MASS-WASTING

Slides have a high probability of occurrence with relatively low effects. Relative to the rest of the State of California, landslide occurrence in Modoc is low (Division of Mines and Geology Bulletin 198 as cited in the 1987 Multihazard Functional Plan for Modoc County). The term "landslide" is defined in different ways. In geologic terms, mass wasting is a broader term that applies to gravitational transfer of materials.

Hwy 299 on Cedar Pass, Spring 1996

Looking at the broader picture, at least two occurrences in the 1990's have impacted residents of the County. Highway 299 on Cedar Pass was nearly closed by earth movement in 1996. Surprise Valley residents faced one-lane traffic with 24-hour controls for several weeks. Controls were in place again in 1999 when California Department of Transportation did additional work to stabilize the site. In January 1997, flows of mud and debris saturated by rain on snow closed County Road 1 in Surprise Valley in several places and destroyed two homes. All four Surprise Valley communities and many rural residences face some risk from similar flows because of their locations at the mouths of canyons. The January 1997 events demonstrated that, unless one of the communities took a direct hit from such a flow, damage would be isolated.

CIVIL UNREST

Modoc County has little history of incidents of violent civil unrest and the sparse population makes small, isolated incidents the most likely if events did occur.

PUBLIC HEALTH

Most disasters, natural or man-made, have some degree of health consequences that require intervention. These consequences depend upon the type and severity of the event. Flu epidemics and other communicable disease outbreaks are recognized for their disaster potential. The population distribution within Modoc County makes it less likely that the entire county population will be affected by any one event. If needed, separation and isolation can be done on a local community level to protect the other populated areas. There would be a higher risk to a larger number of county residents if the event occurred in Alturas. Alturas, the county seat, is the most populated community and the center of business activity for outlying communities. At certain times of the year, Alturas has an influx of visitors, especially during hunting seasons, and communicable disease transmission to residents and non-residents could occur and be transported to outlying communities, other counties, or states. A similar risk occurs when county residents travel to other areas for meetings and conferences with close person-to-person contact and where “higher target potential” for Bioterrorism exists.

Wildfire and flooding are the most common disasters experienced in Modoc County, although severe winter storms have also occurred and have the potential to isolate outlying communities. Past disasters have contaminated water sources, displaced communities, adversely affected persons with pre-existing health problems (smoke and asthmatics, lost medications or medical devices), stranded travelers, knocked out electrical power, caused structural damage, and resulted in mental anguish and stress to those directly affected and to responders (many of whom were among the affected population). The potential of multi-casualty vehicular accidents, hazardous materials release/spill, and the threat of terrorist activities, including Bioterrorism, must be included in any public health risk assessment.

DAM BREAK

Dorris Reservoir, West Valley Reservoir, Big Sage Reservoir, Bayley Reservoir, and Lower Roberts Reservoir could threaten residences if their dams gave way. Inundation maps are on file for West Valley, Big Sage, and Bayley. Dorris has an emergency response plan maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Clear Lake Reservoir, the largest reservoir in the County, poses no threat to inhabited areas here.

Maps for West Valley, Big Sage, and Bayley show very few, if any, residences at risk, all a matter of three or more miles from the dams. Information on Lower Roberts is insufficient to judge its effects. Dorris presents a definite risk to two ranches and the Alturas Rancheria and Casino. A breech could affect areas within the City of Alturas under the unlikely circumstance of an abrupt complete failure of the dam. Even then, the railroad tracks east of town would act as a dike, limiting the rate and amount of water reaching town. Existing copies of inundation maps are difficult to read and give only a general idea of areas subject to effects. Exact impacts to any specific location are not predictable.

VOLCANIC ERUPTION

Eruptions of Mount Shasta, the Medicine Lake Highlands, or Mount Lassen could affect Modoc County. Impacts could range from minor or none at all in the event of a lava flow to widespread and major with an ash cloud such as Mt. St. Helens produced in Washington State in 1980. Mount Lassen produced a similar cloud in 1915 that deposited ash as far to the east as Elko, Nevada. Mount Shasta last erupted in 1786 and has a history of eruptions every 600-800 years.

While ash deposits from any of the three would not likely be immediately life threatening to most residents, they would impact communications, transportation, and all aspects of daily life. Medically fragile individuals, especially those with respiratory ailments, could be severely impacted. Emergency response vehicles would be impacted. Aviation, including emergency medical flights, could be grounded by poor visibility and potential damage to engines.

SEICHE WAVES

Seiche waves are standing waves formed in an enclosed or nearly enclosed body of water. They can result in lakeshore phenomenon similar to tsunami effects on ocean beaches. Researchers have modeled the possibility of earthquakes in the Lake Tahoe area creating damaging seiche waves around the lake. Two of the three scenarios predicted waves exceeding 3 meters if a fault under the lake were to rupture. This suggests the potential for seiche waves on Upper, Middle, and Lower Alkali Lakes in Surprise Valley, Goose Lake, and Clear Lake. Affects of water depth (all are much shallower than Tahoe) and lake size are uncertain. Further work would be needed to learn if faults underlay any of those bodies of water.

Luckily, few residences lie close to the shoreline where seiche waves could directly impact them. The probability of an event that would threaten human life is low and anticipated to affect very few people at a time if it did occur. A seiche wave on Middle Lake could damage or destroy the causeway on Highway 299 east of Cedarville, requiring residents east of the lake to use longer routes over gravel roads to get to town.

AVALANCHE

Avalanches are not a common occurrence but they are possible throughout the mountainous portions of the County, particular the precipitious east side of the Warner Mountains. Even so, few structures are located in risk zones. The most at-risk would be winter recreationists.

CONCLUSIONS

The purpose of doing a hazard analysis is to assist with planning and preparedness. Using the matrix in Table III-1 as a basis, the following effects should be given high priority for planning:

1. Injuries overwhelming the medical system

2. Fatalities beyond the capacity of the local mortuary

3. Environmental consequences of a hazardous materials incident

4. Infrastructure damage to systems like roads, utilities, and communications from serious storms, flooding, or wildfire

5. Economic effects of flooding and drought

The first two are addressed in some detail in the Multi-Casualty and Medical Emergencies Annex. The third is addressed in the Modoc County Hazardous Materials Response Plan (Area Plan) that is also an annex to this plan. Communications are covered by an annex as well.

Use of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology could expand the planning and response capabilities by giving immediate access to spatial information. GIS would allow prediction of impacts of a hazardous materials incident, flood, dam break, wildfire, and other events. Further analysis should be undertaken whenever the technology becomes available.

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PREPAREDNESS

INTRODUCTION

Most of the time and effort in Emergency Services work involves preparing for events that may never happen. The County Office of Emergency Services takes a lead in these efforts with many entities participating. A good motto is:

“Hope for the best but plan for the worst!”

People need to recognize a need to prepare (education), have adequate guidance on what to expect and how to respond (planning), learn what is necessary to fulfill their role (training), and have the necessary equipment to do the job (capability). They need to maintain readiness in the absence of events by practicing what would be done (exercises). They need to look for and take actions that will prevent an incident or minimize its impacts (mitigation). Additionally, connections with neighboring jurisdictions, with regional and state agencies, and with various working groups must be established and maintained (coordination). Success relies on participation of many people throughout government, emergency response agencies, and volunteer groups.

SEVEN ELEMENTS OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

EDUCATION

No amount of preparedness by emergency responders and emergency managers will get Modoc County through a disaster if individuals and communities are not prepared to wait out a period of initial isolation. This personal preparedness has long been a staple of education by the American Red Cross and others. Information on emergency preparedness is available from many sources and covers a wide variety of topics.

The key is to convince people that they should invest their time and effort. The infamous “Y2K” non-event demonstrated that it is easier to get people to take seriously something that might occur at a specific point in time than something that might happen someday maybe. Earthquake preparedness is easy to sell when people’s dishes rattle regularly. Wildfire prevention and defensible space become more important to people when they have had a fire nearby recently.

Consequently, education needs to take a variety of approaches. One is periodic distribution of information such as emphasizing defensible space for wildfire one month and winter weather preparedness another month. This gives the opportunity to highlight certain kinds of hazards at appropriate times through the year. Winter storms, local flooding, power emergencies, wildfire, house fires, household hazardous materials, and other hazards are all appropriate for highlighting.

This approach needs to be balanced with efforts to provide appropriate information on the heels of an event or with the imminent threat of an event when people are most interested. Finally, some things can be on-going efforts such as encouraging first aid and CPR training.

The Office of Emergency Services has many partners in education. The American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, local fire departments, law enforcement agencies, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, U.S. Forest Service, USDI Bureau of Land Management, the California Fire Safe Council, and many others have programs that address preparedness.

PLANNING

OES leads efforts to maintain a functional Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) for the County and supports development of Standard Operating Procedures for departments and agencies within the Operational Area. A plan on a shelf is nothing more than a bookend. Planning is an on-going effort to adapt, update, review, and advertise the document so that it serves a useful function. Everyone who might have a role needs to be familiar with the EOP and to be thoroughly versed in portions directly affecting them. Since consequences of disasters are unpredictable, planning should focus on establishing procedures, information systems, and delegations of authority rather than specific actions.

TRAINING

Emergency responders are responsible for keeping current on the training needed for their disciplines. OES can assist by coordinating training courses for several entities and bringing in courses that cross boundaries between disciplines. For example, training on hazardous materials is required for fire fighters, law enforcement, and EMS personnel.

OES should take the lead in encouraging and arranging training in SEMS. Anyone who might be called upon to take part in response, from the field level through the EOC, needs to know what SEMS is and how it functions. Many of those people should be cross-trained in specific functions so they can fill roles as needed.

CAPABILITY

OES needs to assess the capability of the Operational Area to respond to different events and to identify shortfalls. OES can assist field level responders to improve their capability but should avoid being in the position of deciding which entity gets acquired equipment and supplies. Certain grants do come through the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. OES may be able to assist efforts to get grants with letters of support or by actively participating in the grant application process. OES contacts out of the area can lead to sources of surplus equipment. OES can also sometimes consolidate orders for different entities.

EXERCISES

The only way to test the EOP and other emergency plans, short of an actual event, is to conduct exercises. Exercises are not tests of responders. They are tests of the plan. They are practice sessions and rehearsals that allow trial and error and improvement in procedures without lives at risk. A comprehensive exercise program includes orientation seminars, drills of single emergency response procedures, and three types of exercises: tabletop, functional, and full-scale.

Tabletop exercises are gatherings in an informal setting to discuss simulated emergency situations. They stimulate discussion of various issues and the plans, policies, and procedures of response and recovery. They are designed for a non-threatening, low stress environment to familiarize people with established or emerging concepts or procedures.

Functional exercises are designed to test or evaluate capabilities within a function or interdependent groups of functions. They are conducted under a time constraint with a critique at the end. Usually they will take place in the operations center with either real or simulated outside resources.

Full-scale exercises evaluate the operation capabilities of emergency management systems interactively over a period of time. They take place in a realistic field and EOC environment. Personnel and resources are mobilized to demonstrate coordination, response, and recovery capability. This is the dress rehearsal for the real thing.

MITIGATION

Before an event actually occurs, things can be done that either reduce its likelihood of occurrence or reduce the impacts it would have. Earthquake retrofits of buildings and roadways, zoning restrictions on building in flood zones, and maintaining defensible space for wildfire protection around homes are all mitigation measures. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is only one of the agencies pushing strongly to get mitigation done before events strike. FEMA is unlikely to provide assistance to rebuild a structure that is repeatedly damaged by flooding or other recurrent events. A good mitigation program not only reduces losses, it can affect insurance rates and increase peace of mind.

Land use planning and building codes are key elements in a mitigation program. A delicate balance must be achieved between reasonable, necessary requirements and burdensome regulations. Many people believe they are willing to accept the risk until they actually suffer a loss. Then a surprising number expect someone to make good the damage.

Some measures require major actions such as not allowing construction in flood zones or requiring structural design elements for buildings. Others are simpler and can be implemented without great expense. These include many of the defensible space practices for wildfire protection, learning first aid & CPR, keeping three days of food, water, and medications on hand, or just keeping vehicles’ gas tanks at least half full.

Mitigation, as with many preparedness activities, is much harder to sell to people before something happens but that is when it is most effective. Grass roots efforts can be more convincing than regulatory actions for some things. Regulatory approaches are unavoidable for mitigations requiring building codes or zoning restrictions. An effective mitigation program requires the interest and cooperation of local planning departments, city councils, and county supervisors.

COORDINATION

One of the functions of the Modoc County Office of Emergency Services is to coordinate between the County and outside groups. These contacts become essential when the County needs resources beyond the scope of normal mutual aid.

MUTUAL AID REGIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The Modoc Operational Area has a seat on the Mutual Aid Regional Advisory Committee (MARAC) for Mutual Aid Region III, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. MARACs ensure that local governments, operational areas, other agencies, special districts and other organizations, including the private sector, are kept informed and are provided the opportunity for ongoing comment and suggestions for improvements to the SEMS system. Members include the OES Regional Administrator or Deputy, OES Regional Mutual Aid Coordinators for Fire, Law Enforcement, and Disaster Medical, two municipal representatives, representatives from each Operational Area in the Region, and one representative each for public utilities, private utilities, and special districts. Meetings are held quarterly with information on developing situations and issues. Topics have included Y2K, the power shortage, the spread of West Nile Virus, terrorism, and other timely subjects. They provide opportunities for operational areas to network with others and strengthen ties that become crucial during an emergency.

REGIONAL/OPERATIONAL AREA DISASTER MEDICAL HEALTH GROUP (RDMHC)

In Counties with a full-time Public Health Officer, that individual usually attends these meetings. Since Modoc County relies on a practicing physician with little free time for that role, Public Health or the Office of Emergency Services sends an alternate. The group discusses a wide range of medical topics relating to disasters. Participation keeps the County informed on issues like development of a mutual aid agreement for medical services, disaster exercises for the medical community, and many other aspects of disaster medical services. As with MARAC, the meetings provide opportunities to develop working relationships with other operational areas. NorCal EMS is the contact for these meetings.

LOCAL EMERGENCY PLANNING COMMITTEE

The LEPC deals with issues relating to hazardous materials and community right-to-know. The operational areas do not have individual seats on the Committee. Among other things, the LEPC coordinates the Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness grants. Someone from the Operational Area should monitor agendas and attend when something of interest is scheduled.

SHASTA CASCADE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RESPONSE TEAM (SCHMRT)

Modoc County has signed the agreement for SCHMRT. Administrators meet quarterly and Modoc should send a representative as often as feasible. The Operational Area relies on this team for any hazardous materials incident beyond limited local capabilities. The County has a commitment to provide decontamination support to SCHMRT. Qualified individuals from the County can join the team and attend monthly practices. Coordination at the administrative level, even if not with active team members, increases preparedness for a hazardous materials incident.

REGION III OPERATIONAL AREA FIRE AND RESCUE COORDINATORS

The Fire Mutual Aid Coordinator or a designee should attend these meetings. They are an important networking opportunity with the fire response community. Contacts made can help locate resources such as surplus equipment. Meetings give an overview of fire activities in the Region.

REGION III OES/FBI COUNTER TERRORISM PREPAREDNESS GROUP

Although terrorism is not considered a high risk in Modoc County, acts elsewhere can significantly impact us. Participation in this group gives some insight into the potential for events and into preparedness activities elsewhere in the Region. It can also be important in terms of information on grants for terrorism preparedness and response that may translate into hazardous materials preparedness or other needs for Modoc.

EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM (EAS)

An Emergency Services representative should participate on the Local Emergency Communications Committee along with broadcasters participating in the system. The EAS is an important tool in notifying the public of impending emergencies posing a threat to life and property.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE (NWS)

Close ties with the National Weather Service are valuable in many instances. Local support for the Weather Spotter program helps provide on-the-ground information about significant weather events. NWS can provide meteorologists for specific incidents including wildfires or hazardous materials releases. NWS is a key player in the Emergency Alert System.

AMERICAN RED CROSS (ARC)

The ARC serves many functions during an emergency, the most obvious being the operation of shelters when evacuations are necessary. They are able to help assess damage, to assist with disaster exercises, and many other activities. They can also train individuals to be personally prepared for emergencies. Coordination between the County and ARC helps take advantage of all the opportunities available.

MODOC FIRE SAFE COUNCIL

The Fire Safe Council promotes preparedness and mitigation to limit the effects of wildfires. They work with individuals, communities, and organizations, carrying out educational programs, seeking grants, and helping to accomplish fuel reduction work and other projects. A citizens group, they offer an alternative to the regulatory agencies in addressing wildfire issues. County OES sits on the Council in a supportive capacity.

MODOC COUNTY FIRE CHIEFS’ ASSOCIATION

The Chiefs’ Association addresses many issues of importance to the fire departments. County OES works closely with the Association on issues of common interest.

MODOC EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE COMMITTEE (EMCC)

The State provides for the establishment EMCC’s within a County to review operations of ambulance services, emergency medical care, and training in CPR and first aid. The same group can function similarly to the Chiefs’ Association as a forum for EMS agencies to address issues of concern. The County Board of Supervisors prescribes membership and appoints the members of the EMCC.

response

INTRODUCTION

Even with the best of planning and mitigation, events still occur that require action. Sometimes these events become emergencies. Response can include increasing readiness to prepare for an anticipated threat such as a predicted weather event, initial response, and extended response. In Modoc County, every response should utilize the Incident Command System. Anytime the EOC is activated at any level, ICS must be implemented.

Preparedness, response, and recovery are not separate, distinct phases in time. They overlap and intertwine with each other. For the sake of clarity, planning must treat them as distinct entities. This chapter looks at what happens from the time the first report comes in through the release of the last responders.

EMERGENCY SERVICES PROCEDURES

EOC ACTIVATION

The determination to activate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be made by the Director of Emergency Services. The departments necessary to staff the Modoc County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at the selected level will be contacted. The Director should assign someone not working in the Communications Center to make these notifications. If the Director is not available, the Assistant Director of Emergency Services or another person designated by the Director to act in his/her behalf will take on the Director’s roles and responsibilities.

The Emergency Operating Center (EOC) may be activated:

1. by the Director of Emergency Services, Assistant Director of Emergency Services, or their designees. Other agencies that may request the activation, based on the developing situation and need for resource support, include: Fire Incident Commander, California Highway Patrol, U.S. Forest Service, Modoc County Health Department or California Department of Fish and Game.

The Director of OES or designee is the person who will be in charge of the EOC.

- or -

2. when a Local Emergency has been proclaimed in the City of Alturas and it requests Operational Area assistance.

- or -

3. when a State of Emergency exists, either as declared by the Governor as defined in the California Emergency Services Act, or a State of War Emergency is declared by the President.

The EOC will be activated at one of the following levels:

1. Minimal Activation of the EOC (Level 1): Director of OES and in-house staff, until further assistance is needed

2. Partial Activation of the EOC (Level 2): Notify the County Departments requested by the Director on the checklist provided. [When the emergency notification is complete, be sure that all Primary agencies have been notified for information only.]

3. Full Activation of the EOC (Level 3): The Director of Emergency Services will use Figure II-5 to determine who needs to be notified for activation for the situation in question.

Table IV-1. EXAMPLES TO GUIDE ACTIVATION OF THE EOC

Event	Minimum Activation (Level 1)	Partial Activation (Level 2)	Full Activation (Level 3)
General activating events	Activation requested by City of Alturas; resource request received from outside the operational area (not part of normal mutual aid system).	Requesting Governor’s proclamation of a state of emergency	Major county wide or regional emergency; multiple departments with heavy resource involvement needing support.
Multi-Casualty combined with any event below	Declaration of a Multi-casualty incident by the IC (usually 6 or more patients with one or more needing transport outside OA)	Declaration of local medical emergency; resources required from outside the OA and normal mutual aid channels	Usually 25 or more fatalities or injuries and/or the causative event requires full activation
Transportation (non-hazmat)		When school bus is involved	If any fatalities or serious injuries involving school bus
Hazardous Material	Monitoring of minor incident	HazMat response team requested; evacuations possible; extended operations	Evacuation of populated area
Severe Winter Storm	Widespread power outages lasting more than 12 hours; infrastructure damages	Life-threatening conditions; severe damage; people stranded	Emergency continues beyond 24 hours
Flooding	Flood warning with populated areas potentially impacted; minor flooding with damages in a few localized areas	Damages, especially in many areas throughout the county; impending evacuation.	Required evacuation; severe damage; injuries/deaths.
Drought	Severe with widespread unemployment and economic hardship	Unlikely	Improbable
Wildland Fire	Fed or CDF Type I or II team activated	Fed or SRA fire threatening structures; evacuation
Earthquake	Shaking felt; damage in surrounding jurisdictions	Minor property damage (store shelves spilled, windows cracked, dishes broken, etc.)	Multiple casualties, major damages to buildings;
Animal Health	Determine in coordination with Agriculture Commissioner
Terrorism	Local threat level red or orange; National threat level red with local implications	Incident in county with property damage and/or multi-casualty 6-10 injuries or fatalities	11 or more injuries or fatalities; critical facilities damaged
Slides	Partial or total closure of highway or primary county road	Damage to occupied residences; damage to county road(s) requiring extensive repairs
Civil Unrest		Widespread looting and rioting
Public Health	Determined in coordination with Public Health Officer
Dam Break	Warning of failure with populated areas in inundation area	Failure causing minor flooding of populated areas with damage to structures	Failure causing significant flooding with damage to critical infrastructure and/or evacuation of populated areas
Volcanic Eruption	Eruption of Shasta, Lassen, Medicine Lake Highlands	Imminent threat to occupied residences and roadways; Ash fall	Catastrophic eruption with widespread, significant accumulation of ash

DECLARING AN EMERGENCY

A LOCAL EMERGENCY

A local emergency means the “duly proclaimed existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the territorial limits . . .which are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of that political subdivision” (California Emergency Services Act). In Modoc County, the Director of Emergency Services is empowered by County Code (Section 2.40.060) to request the Board Of Supervisors to proclaim the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency if the Board is in session. If the Board is not in session, the Director shall issue the proclamation and have the Board ratify it within seven days or the proclamation will have no further effect. The Board will review the need for continuing the local emergency at its regularly scheduled meetings at least every 21 days (14 days if the Board meets weekly) and will proclaim the termination at the earliest possible date.

A local emergency should be proclaimed as soon as it becomes apparent that conditions will warrant it. A local declaration is the first step towards requesting the Governor to proclaim a state of emergency. It gives the Board of Supervisors authority to promulgate orders and regulations necessary to provide for the protection of life and property including curfew. It also provides a stronger basis for evacuating areas than other legal means.

MEDICAL/HEALTH EMERGENCY

A local emergency may be declared for medical or public health reasons. Such a declaration allows emergency medical personnel to operate under modified rules to assist in dealing with multiple injuries. The declaration is made under the same authorities as any other local emergency. Only those designated by ordinance of the local governing board can make such a declaration.

PROCLAMATION BY THE GOVERNOR

The Governor is empowered, under the Emergency Services Act, to proclaim a state of emergency when (1) he finds the existence of “conditions of disaster or of extreme peril . . .which, by reason of their magnitude, are or are likely to be beyond the control of . . . any single county, city and county, or city and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat .”; (2) he is requested to do so by the mayor or chief executive of a city or the chairman of the board of supervisors or the county administrative officer; or (3) he finds that local authority is inadequate to cope with the emergency.

When a local declaration has been made, the Director of Emergency Services, in consultation with the Board and CAO, should determine if a request should be made for a Governor’s proclamation. A request should be made when the emergency exceeds the capabilities of the Operational Area. For example, the Board may issue a local proclamation because of a situation in one community in the county but, with the assistance of other communities and the City of Alturas, assistance outside of the Operational Area would not be required so the Governor would not be asked for a proclamation. If a request to the Governor is deemed necessary, the Board or CAO would submit a letter explaining the situation and requesting the Governor’s proclamation. A copy of the local declaration should be attached. A copy of the request for a Governor’s proclamation should always be sent to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to expedite processing.

OES will coordinate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to determine whether to request a Presidential proclamation. If the situation warrants it and the Presidential designation would open access to programs that could help, then OES would recommend that the Governor make the request.

AGRICULTURAL DECLARATION

The United States Secretary of Agriculture has the authority to issue a declaration of emergency for agriculture. These are usually based on drought, unseasonable freezes, or other weather-related causes. The County Agricultural Commissioner would have the Board of Supervisors declare a local emergency and ask the Governor to request a declaration from the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. Conversely, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture may include Modoc County as a contiguous county based on someone else’s request. These declarations open up low interest loans through the Small Business Administration and a variety of programs through USDA agencies like the Farm Service Agency and Natural Resource Conservation Service.

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER

EOC LOCATION

At a level 1 activation, the EOC would be located within the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office. Space is limited but backup power and easy access to communications provide a distinct advantage. No other location offers immediate access to the OES OASIS satellite communications alternative. The bulk of first responder traffic comes through the Communications Center. Few, if any, alternate locations are set up for immediate switch over to generator power.

The primary EOC location for a Level 2 or 3 activation will be the Sheriff’s Office Annex. It will have the same advantages of backup power and readily accessible communications. It also will be fully equipped with computers and telephone connections. The conference room will house Operations, Logistics, and Finance/Administration. Planning/Intelligence will be located in adjacent offices with the ability to post information to the TV screens in the conference room. Management will also be located in offices within the building.

Until the annex is complete and, later, in the event that the primary EOC is unavailable, City Hall will be used as the EOC. Other possible alternatives include the Adin Community Center and the District Fairgrounds in Cedarville. Every effort is being made to provide generators, communications equipment, and other necessities to allow the EOC to be located virtually anywhere if needed.

EOC EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE

The Director of Emergency Services or designee will determine when to activate the EOC and at what level. That individual will indicate on a checklist which members of the EOC staff to contact and will assign that task of notification to someone. The checklist is provided as Table IV-2.

The Alert List, Table IV-3, shows the general layout of the actual Alert List. The complete Alert List, including all contact information, will be maintained in the Modoc County Communications Center and in the EOC.

In case of a Partial Activation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), the Director of Emergency Services (or the person acting on his behalf) shall check (✔) the EOC positions on the Alert List and note the individuals assigned that shall be notified. He/she will delegate notifications to an available individual. The person delegated the notifications will return the checklist to the Director of Emergency Services for event documentation when notification is completed

TABLE IV-2 NOTIFICATION CHECKLIST

Begin by telephoning the first name indicated on the ALERT LIST. If that person cannot be reached, continue on to the first alternate and then the second. If unsuccessful in contacting a department, continue onto the next department and try again later. (Leaving a message with someone else or on an answering machine is not considered a successful contact.)

When contact is made with a person on the ALERT LIST, do the following:

q State your name, title/rank, and who authorized you to call;

q Briefly identify the nature of the emergency (earthquake, flood, hazardous material incident, transportation accident, etc.);

q Instruct them to report to the EOC and what position they are assigned (if known). They will be further briefed upon arrival;

q Tell them where the EOC will be located;

q Have them confirm that the message is understood, then clear the line promptly;

q Check off the person's name on the ALERT LIST and write the time of contact directly into the Procedure checklist.

q Return the Procedure checklist to the Director of Emergency Services for event documentation when notification is completed.

TABLE IV-3 MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL STAFF ALERT LIST

EVENT : ____________________________________________ [Director or designee will check those to be contacted and fill in names as needed. Section Coordinators will be responsible for determining what staff they need and arranging notification.]

✔	EOC POSITION	PERSON CONTACTED	TELEPHONE	HOME ADDRESS	DATE	TIME	ETA
	EOC Manager or Alternate	Sheriff/E.S. Director or Undersheriff/Asst. E.S. Director	Have Comm Center contact
	Asst. EOC Manager	Undersheriff/Asst. E.S. Director	Have Comm Center contact
	Public Information Officer	County Administrative Officer
	Liaison Officer	Undersheriff/Asst. E.S. Director	Have Comm Center contact
	EOC Safety Officer
	Operations Section Coordinator
	Planning Section Coordinator	Deputy Director of Emergency Services
	Logistics Section Coordinator	Assistant CAO
	Admin/Finance Section Coordinator
	Chair of the Board of Supervisors
	Mayor of Alturas
	Potential Incident Commander(s)

INCREASED READINESS

In some cases, the County may have advance warning of an impending event. This is common with flooding or severe storms where weather forecasts can give hours, if not days, of advance notice of the probability. Terrorist activities, volcanic eruption, dam breaks, and other hazards may be preceded by warning signs. Drought develops slowly and should never catch the County unaware. When warning signs are evident, certain actions should be taken to prepare for a rapid response and to limit impacts. The national security threat levels are one example of increased readiness in practice.

NOTIFICATION

Indications of an impending situation need to be brought to the attention of the Director of Emergency Services and Emergency Services staff so that they can track developments. The Director or designee will make the decision of when and whom to alert. The Emergency Notification Checklist should be used. Departments will then follow their own operating procedures for preparations. Some action checklists are included here for guidance.

INCREASED READINESS PROCEDURE

Alert the Director, Assistant Director, and Deputy Director of Emergency Services to the situation.

The Director or designee will indicate on a copy of the notification checklist who else should be given the warning and will assign someone to make those notifications. Notifications should include anticipated EOC staff, probable incident commanders, and any affected departments and agencies.

The assigned individual will make the notifications as directed and document all attempted contacts.

The Director or designee will activate the EOC at an appropriate level, including Operations and Plans Chiefs. They will decide on an operational period and prepare an Action Plan, including:

q Identification of a trigger point, that is one or more occurrences that will move response from the increased readiness stage into direct action.

q Establish preliminary actions to be taken when the trigger point is reached.

q Provisions for monitoring of the situation .

q Development of a communications plan to notify appropriate agencies and departments when the trigger point is reached.

q Determination of the level of staffing and hours for EOC operations during the increased readiness phase.

q Arrangements for any additional notifications to be made for increased readiness.

q Implement the Action Plan.

q Director or designee will prepare a Declaration of a Local Emergency ready for signature when conditions warrant.

INITIAL RESPONSE

Initial response begins when the first call comes in about an event or an identified trigger point is reached and continues into the activation of the EOC and early mobilization of additional resources, through at least the first operational period of the EOC. The Incident Command System will be used to manage and control the response operations. The event may be controlled solely by County emergency responders or with other agencies through the mutual aid system. If the resources available at the field response level, including mutual aid, are not sufficient to alleviate the situation, an emergency exists. The Incident Commander should request that the Modoc County Emergency Operations Center be activated to support the field operations.

Immediately following the first reports of the event, initial efforts should focus on the following:

q Assessing the situation

q Responding to save lives and property

q Alerting or warning the public on steps that can be taken to limit additional damage from the threat

q Providing for the care and shelter of the public

q Committing the County's resources to the response and recovery from the disaster, as well as maintaining continuity of government (as the situation allows)

q Activating the EOC, if appropriate, as instructed by the Director of Emergency Services or designee

q Proclaiming a Local Emergency, if warranted; notifying State OES of the impact; and requesting additional resources, if necessary.

In an emergency, use available personnel in this order:

1. County/City/special district personnel.

2. Skilled individuals from other public agencies.

3. Registered disaster service workers.

4. Citizens pressed into service by the Director (declared emergencies only - see Labor Code sec. 4351).

All of the above are considered "disaster service workers" under Government Code of California (Title I, Division 4, Chapter 8). See Appendix D. for the Disaster Service Worker registration form to use.

APPLICATION OF SEMS AND ICS

The Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) will be used at all levels for emergency operations within the Modoc Operational Area. Appendix A explains SEMS in some depth. The dominating element of SEMS is the Incident Command System (ICS), originally developed by fire agencies. ICS is modular and suited for application to any incident of any size.

SINGLE LARGE INCIDENT

When the initial response takes place, each incident will designate an incident commander (IC) and establish a command post (ICP). When the IC becomes aware that a single incident may be or may become beyond the capabilities of the local jurisdiction and normal mutual aid to handle, the IC will request, through Communications Center, that the EOC be activated. The Communications Center will contact the Director of Emergency Services or designee.

MULTIPLE INCIDENTS

When multiple incidents are occurring, the Communications Center will automatically notify the Director of Emergency Services or designee of the situation. The Director, in coordination with the Incident Commanders, will determine if the EOC should be activated.

FIELD LEVEL RESPONSIBILITIES

Once the EOC is activated, some responsibilities of the IC shift to the EOC. The IC focuses primarily the operations and plans function for that particular incident. Most aspects of Logistics, Finance, and Administration are handled by the EOC. Communications between the IC and the EOC must be on-going. Elements of the Command function, particularly Public Information, must be closely coordinated with the EOC.

EOC RESPONSIBILITIES

Information and requests for resources flow from the ICP to the EOC. The EOC places the information into the bigger picture of everything happening in the Operational Area, evaluates resource requests, and prioritizes assignment of incoming resources. The EOC, in turn, keeps the ICP informed of the overall situation. Good flow of information both directions is critical to effective operations.

Public Information, in particular, must be led from the EOC. It is not acceptable to have PIOs at various incidents, giving uncoordinated information to the media. The entire operation must speak with one voice and assure that only verified information is released.

EOC CHECKLISTS

Checklists provide EOC staff with quick reminders of roles and responsibilities to help them get on track when they report. They must also provide sufficient detail that someone unfamiliar with a particular position can be assigned and have at least minimal guidance. They are not a complete handbook for someone with no familiarity with SEMS and ICS.

The checklist for Common Responsibilities applies to all positions and is the place to start. The checklist for Branch, Division/Group, and Unit Leaders covers general responsibilities for those positions. Checklists for additional positions can be found in Appendix A.

COMMON RESPONSIBILITIES

The following is a checklist applicable to all EOC personnel:

BEFORE AN EVENT OCCURS:

o Prepare and practice a family emergency plan.

o Prepare and practice a department/agency emergency plan.

· RECEIVE NOTIFICATION TO REPORT TO THE EOC:

o Reporting location.

o Reporting time.

o Any special instructions.

· Upon arrival at the EOC, check in at designated Check-in location.

· Receive briefing from immediate supervisor.

· Acquire work materials. Locate and set-up work area.

· Organize and brief subordinates. Supervisors shall maintain accountability of their assigned personnel as to exact location(s), personal safety, and welfare at all times, especially when working in or around incident operations.

· Review EOC Communications Plan.

· Obtain communications equipment from Communications Unit of Logistics and check that it is operating properly.

· Use clear text and ICS terminology (no codes) in all radio communications.

· Complete forms and reports required of the assigned position and send through proper channels to Plans/Intel Section Documentation Unit.

· Respond to demobilization orders and brief subordinates regarding demobilization.

BRANCH, DIVISION/GROUP, AND UNIT LEADER RESPONSIBILITIES

In ICS, a number of the Division/Group and Unit Leaders’ responsibilities are common to all units in all parts of the organization. Common responsibilities are listed below.

· Participate in EOC planning meetings, as required.

· Determine current status of unit activities.

· Confirm dispatch and estimated time of arrival of staff and supplies.

· Assign specific duties to staff; supervise staff.

· Develop and implement accountability, safety and security measures for personnel and resources.

· Supervise demobilization of unit, including storage of supplies.

· Provide Supply Unit Leader with a list of supplies to be replenished.

· Maintain unit records, including Unit/Activity Log (ICS Form 214).

EOC DIRECTOR

The EOC Director’s responsibility is the overall management of the operational area activities.

· Review Common Responsibilities.

· Assess the situation and/or obtain a briefing from available sources, especially individual Incident Commanders and DOC Managers.

· Issue a declaration of local emergency, if justified.

o Assure ratification of the local declaration by the Board of Supervisors, if necessary.

o Have the Chair of the Board of Supervisors or the CAO request a proclamation by the Governor, if necessary.

o Have the Board terminate the emergency declaration when appropriate

· Determine initial activation level of EOC and change activation level as needed.

· Establish an appropriate level of staffing for that activation level and adjust as needed.

· Determine Operational Area objectives and strategy in consultation with Policy Group when possible.

· Establish the immediate priorities.

· Ensure planning meetings are scheduled as required.

· Approve and authorize the implementation of an EOC Action Plan.

· Ensure that adequate safety measures are in place.

· Provide leadership and coordinate activity for all Management and General Staff.

· Coordinate with key people and officials.

· Approve requests for additional resources or for the release of resources.

· Keep CAO, County Board of Supervisors, and/or City Council informed of status.

· Approve the use of volunteers and auxiliary personnel.

· Authorize release of information to the news media.

· Ensure Status Summary (ICS Form 209) is completed.

· Order the demobilization of the emergency when appropriate.

PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER

The Public Information Officer (PIO) is responsible for developing and releasing information about the emergency to the news media, to emergency personnel, and to other appropriate agencies and organizations.

Consistency of information is critical. Only one PIO will be assigned during an emergency, overseeing all incidents and activities relating to the emergency. The PIO may have assistants, as necessary, and the assistants may also represent assisting agencies or jurisdictions. Information officers at the local or field must coordinate activities with the EOC PIO once the EOC is activated. No information should be released from the local or field level before that coordination takes place.

Agencies have different policies and procedures relative to the handling of public information. The following are the major responsibilities of the PIO that would generally apply on any emergency:

· Review Common Responsibilities.

· Determine from the EOC Director if there are any limits on information release.

· Develop material for use in media briefings.

· Obtain EOC Director's approval of media releases.

· Inform media and conduct media briefings.

· Assure distribution of information to the public through bulletin boards, public meetings, and other contacts.

· Assist the Law Division/Group of Operations with Altering and Warning activities.

· Arrange for tours and other interviews or briefings that may be required.

· Obtain media information that may be useful to incident planning.

· Maintain current information summaries and/or displays on the incident and provide information on status of emergency to assigned personnel.

· Maintain Unit/Activity Log (ICS Form 214).

LIAISON OFFICER

Incidents that are multi-jurisdictional, or have several agencies involved, may require the establishment of the Liaison Officer position on the Management Staff. The Liaison Officer may have assistants as necessary, and the assistants may also represent assisting agencies or jurisdictions.

The Liaison Officer is the contact for the personnel assigned to the emergency by assisting or cooperating agencies. These are personnel other than those on direct tactical assignments or those involved in a Unified Command.

· Review Common Responsibilities.

· Be a contact point for Agency Representatives.

· Maintain a list of assisting and cooperating agencies and Agency Representatives.

· Assist in establishing and coordinating interagency contacts.

· Keep agencies supporting the emergency aware of emergency status.

· Monitor incident operations to identify current or potential inter-organizational problems.

· Participate in planning meetings, providing current resource status, including limitations and capability of assisting agency resources.

· Maintain Unit/Activity Log (ICS Form 214).

AGENCY REPRESENTATIVES

In many multi-jurisdiction emergencies, an agency or jurisdiction will send a representative to assist in coordination efforts. An Agency Representative is an individual assigned to an emergency from an assisting or cooperating agency who has been delegated authority to make decisions on matters affecting that agency's participation at the emergency. Agency Representatives report to the Liaison Officer, or to the EOC Director in the absence of a Liaison Officer.

· Review Common Responsibilities.

· Obtain briefing from the Liaison Officer or EOC Director.

· Ensure that all agency resources are properly checked-in at the EOC.

· Inform assisting or cooperating agency personnel on the emergency that the Agency Representative position for that agency has been filled.

· Attend briefings and planning meetings as required.

· Provide input on the use of agency resources unless resource technical specialists are assigned from the agency.

· Cooperate fully with the EOC Director and the General Staff on agency involvement in the emergency.

· Ensure the well-being of agency personnel assigned to the emergency.

· Advise the Liaison Officer of any special agency needs or requirements.

· Report to home agency dispatch or headquarters on a prearranged schedule.

· Ensure that all agency personnel and equipment are properly accounted for and released prior to departure.

· Ensure that all required agency forms, reports and documents are complete prior to departure.

· Have a debriefing session with the Liaison Officer or EOC Manager prior to departure.

SAFETY OFFICER

The Safety Officer's function is to develop and recommend measures for assuring personnel safety, and to assess and/or anticipate hazardous and unsafe situations.

· Review Common Responsibilities.

· Participate in planning meetings.

· Identify hazardous situations associated with the EOC.

· Review the EOC Action Plan for safety implications.

· Coordinate with IC & DOC Safety Officers to provide guidance and consistency throughout the emergency, as needed.

· Exercise emergency authority to stop and prevent unsafe acts.

· Investigate accidents that have occurred within the EOC.

· Assign assistants as needed.

· Review and approve the medical plan.

· Maintain Unit/Activity Log (ICS Form 214).

OPERATIONS SECTION COORDINATOR

The Operations Section Coordinator, a member of the General Staff, is responsible for coordinating resource requests through mutual aid channels and for determining allocation of available resources to the local and field levels in keeping with priorities established in the EOC Action Plan. The Operations Coordinator consolidates non-mutual aid resource requests from the local and field levels and works with the Logistics Coordinator to get them filled.

· Review Common Responsibilities.

· Develop operations portion of EOC Action Plan, including priorities for resource allocation.

· Have a draft Operational Planning Worksheet (ICS Form 215) completed prior to planning meetings.

· Brief and assign Operations Section personnel in accordance with EOC Action Plan.

· Supervise Operations Section.

· Coordinate needs of incidents, DOCs, and field units and request additional resources through mutual aid channels or the Logistics Section.

· Oversee allocation of available resources to the field in accordance with the EOC Action Plan.

· Review suggested list of resources to be released and initiate recommendation for release of resources.

· Assemble and disassemble strike teams assigned to the field through the Operations Section.

· Report information about special activities, events, and occurrences to EOC Director.

· Receive Demobilization Plan from Planning Section.

· Recommend release of unit resources in conformity with Demobilization Plan.

· Ensure general welfare and safety of Operations Section personnel.

· Maintain Unit/Activity Log (ICS Form 214).

OPERATIONS BRANCH COORDINATORS

The Coordinators, when activated, are under the direction of the Operations Section Coordinator and are responsible for the implementation of the portion of the EOC Action Plan appropriate to the Branches.

· Review Common Responsibilities.

· Attend planning meetings at the request of the Operations Section Coordinator.

· Supervise Branch operations.

o Assign specific work tasks within Branch.

o Review assignments within Branch. Modify lists based on effectiveness of current operations.

o Resolve logistic problems reported by subordinates.

· Report to Operations Section Coordinator when:

o additional resources are needed;

o surplus resources are available.

· Approve accident and medical reports (home agency forms) originating within the Branch.

· Maintain Unit/Activity Log (ICS Form 214).

OPERATIONS DIVISION/GROUP COORDINATORS

· Review Common Responsibilities.

· Develop, with subordinates, alternatives for Division/Group control operations.

· Attend planning meetings at the request of the Operations Section Coordinator.

· Review assignments within Division/Group. Modify lists based on effectiveness of current operations.

· Assign specific work tasks within Division/Group.

· Supervise Division/Group operations, including processing of mutual aid requests from the Field.

· Make recommendations to Operations Section Coordinator concerning allocation of resources distributed through Division/Group.

· Resolve logistic problems reported by subordinates.

· Report to Operations Section Coordinator when:

o EOC Action Plan is to be modified;

o additional resources are needed;

o surplus resources are available;

o hazardous situations or significant events occur.

· Approve accident and medical reports (home agency forms) originating within the Division/Group.

· Maintain Unit/Activity Log (ICS Form 214).

MUTUAL AID COORDINATORS

Mutual Aid Coordinators are under the Operations Section Coordinator or, when activated, their Division/Group Coordinator. Mutual Aid Coordinators exist for three functions: Fire, Law Enforcement, and Medical/Health. They are responsible for receiving mutual aid requests for their function from the local and field levels, filling those requests within the Operational Area if possible, and making requests for additional resources to their Regional Mutual Aid Coordinator.

· Review Common Responsibilities.

· Report to the Operations Section Coordinator or Division/Group Coordinator, if activated.

· Establish communications with the local and field levels.

· Participate in planning sessions to establish priorities for resource allocation and release.

· Receive requests for mutual aid resources from the field and local levels.

· Assign available mutual aid resources according to the allocation priorities established in the Action Plan.

· Place requests for resources through mutual aid channels, starting with unaffected jurisdictions within the Operational Area, then going to the Regional Mutual Aid Coordinator.

· Reassign mutual aid resources on hand as they become available, according to the allocation priorities established in the Action Plan.

· Coordinate the release of resources with the Demobilization Unit in Plans.
PLANNING SECTION COORDINATOR

The Planning Section Coordinator, a member of the EOC Director's General Staff, is responsible for the collection, evaluation, dissemination and use of information about the development of the emergency and status of resources. Information is needed to understand the current situation, predict probable course of emergency events, and prepare alternative strategies and control operations for the emergency.

· Review Common Responsibilities.

· Collect and process situation information about the emergency.

· Supervise preparation of the EOC Action Plan.

· Work closely with the EOC Director and General Staff in preparing the EOC Action Plan.

· Reassign out-of-service personnel already on-site to ICS organizational positions as appropriate.

· Establish information requirements and reporting schedules for Planning Section units (e.g., Resources, Situation Units).

· Determine need for any specialized resources in support of the emergency.

· Assemble technical specialists, as needed, to support the emergency.

· If requested, assemble and disassemble strike teams and task forces not assigned through Operations.

· Establish special information collection activities as necessary, e.g., weather, environmental, toxics, etc.

· Assemble information on alternative strategies.

· Provide periodic predictions on emergency potential.

· Report any significant changes in emergency status.

· Compile and display emergency status information.

· Oversee preparation and implementation of Demobilization Plan.

· Support and coordinate with the Planning function at the field level.

· Incorporate incident and other plans, (e.g., Traffic, Medical, Communications, Site Safety) into the EOC Action Plan.

· Recommend release of unit resources in conformity with Demobilization Plan.

· Ensure general welfare and safety of Finance/Administration Section personnel.

· Maintain Unit/Activity Log (ICS Form 214).

ICS PLANNING PROCESS

The checklist below provides basic steps appropriate for use in almost any emergency situation. All emergencies (but not all incidents) require written plans.

[The Planning Checklist is intended to be used with the Operational Planning Worksheet (ICS Form 215). The Operations Section Coordinator should have a draft Operational Planning Worksheet (ICS Form 215) completed prior to the planning meeting.]

Objectives and strategy should be established before the planning meeting. For this purpose it may be necessary to hold a strategy meeting prior to the planning meeting. EOC level Planning must take into consideration incident action plans where they exist.

CHECKLIST PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY

· Briefing on situation and resource status............................. PSC

· Set objectives.......................................................………….. ED

· Identify incidents and significant activities............................ OPS

· Specify Field incident & activities locations.......................... OPS, PSC, LSC

· Specify resources requested by Field .................………….. OPS, PSC

· Establish priorities for resource allocation …………… ED, OPS, PSC

· Place resource and personnel order.................................... OPS-MA, LSC

· Determine Section support needed by Field ……………. All Sections

· Consider Communications, Medical, Site Safety,

· and Traffic Plan requirements..…….............…. SO, PSC, LSC

· Finalize, approve and implement EOC Action Plan.............. PSC, IC, OPS

ED = EOC Director

PSC = Planning Section Coordinator

OPS = Operations Section Coordinator

OPS-MA = Operations Mutual Aid Coordinators

LSC = Logistics Section Coordinator

SO = Safety Officer

LOGISTICS SECTION COORDINATOR

The Logistics Section Coordinator, a member of the General Staff, is responsible for providing facilities, services, and material in support of the incident. The Section Coordinator participates in development and implementation of the EOC Action Plan and activates and supervises the Branches and Units within the Logistics Section.

· Review Common Responsibilities.

· Plan organization of Logistics Section.

· Assign work locations and preliminary work tasks to Section personnel.

· Assure all personnel assigned to the Section have checked in.

· Assemble and brief Branch and Unit Leaders.

· Participate in preparation of EOC Action Plan.

· Identify service and support requirements for planned and expected operations.

· Provide input to and review Communications Plan, Medical Plan and Traffic Plan.

· Coordinate and process requests for additional resources not handled through established mutual aid channels.

· Review EOC Action Plan and estimate Section needs for next operational period.

· Advise on current service and support capabilities.

· Prepare service and support elements of the EOC Action Plan.

· Estimate future service and support requirements.

· Receive Demobilization Plan from Planning Section.

· Recommend release of unit resources in conformity with Demobilization Plan.

· Ensure general welfare and safety of Logistics Section personnel.

· Maintain Unit/Activity Log (ICS Form 214).

LOGISTICS BRANCH COORDINATORS

The Coordinators, when activated, are under the direction of the Logistics Section Coordinator and are responsible for the implementation of the portion of the EOC Action Plan appropriate to the Branches.

· Review Common Responsibilities.

· Attend planning meetings at the request of the Logistics Section Coordinator.

· Supervise Branch operations.

o Assign specific work tasks within Branch.

o Review assignments within Branch. Modify lists based on effectiveness of current operations.

o Resolve logistic problems reported by subordinates.

· Report to Logistics Section Coordinator when:

o additional resources are needed;

o surplus resources are available.

· Approve accident and medical reports (home agency forms) originating within the Branch.

· Maintain Unit/Activity Log (ICS Form 214).

FINANCE/ADMINISTRATION SECTION COORDINATOR

The Finance/Administration Section Coordinator is responsible for all financial, administrative, and cost analysis aspects of the emergency and for supervising members of the Finance/Administration Section.

· Review Common Responsibilities.

· Manage all financial aspects of an emergency.

· Provide financial and cost analysis information as requested.

· Gather pertinent information from briefings with responsible agencies.

· Develop an operating plan for the Finance/Administration Section; fill supply and support purchasing/procurement needs.

· Determine need to set up and operate an emergency commissary.

· Meet with Assisting and Cooperating Agency Representatives as needed.

· Provide support to the field level in keeping with the EOC Action Plan.

· Ensure that all personnel time records are accurately completed and transmitted to home agencies, according to policy.

· Provide financial input to demobilization planning.

· Ensure that all obligation documents initiated during the emergency are properly prepared and completed.

· Brief agency administrative personnel on all emergency-related financial issues needing attention or follow-up prior to leaving emergency.

· Receive Demobilization Plan from Planning Section.

· Recommend release of unit resources in conformity with Demobilization Plan.

· Ensure general welfare and safety of Finance/Administration Section personnel.

· Maintain Unit/Activity Log (ICS Form 214).

RECOVERY & RECONSTRUCTION

INTRODUCTION

DEFINITIONS

Recovery: the overall short-term and long-term restoration of social, economic, and institutional activity to levels comparable to those that existed prior to the disaster.

Public Reconstruction: renovation, replacement, or rebuilding of damaged infrastructure and public buildings, including upgrading for improved safety or to provide better service.

Private Reconstruction: a private sector function carried out within a framework of plans, regulations, and incentives set by local government.

GOALS

1. Account for response and recovery costs in order to apply for the maximum possible reimbursement from disaster recovery programs from the State and from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

2. Assure that people can receive at least a minimal level of essential services as soon as possible following an event, including sheltering, temporary housing, and access to public facilities and services.

3. Seek to return the community to a semblance of normal functioning as rapidly as possible.

4. Maintain continuity of government functions and protect vital records.

5. Reconstruct public facilities.

6. Establish a framework of plans, regulations, and incentives within which reconstruction of private property can be carried out as efficiently and effectively as possible.

7. Take actions that will make the jurisdiction less vulnerable to damage from disasters.

8. Identify hazard mitigation needs, plan necessary actions, and seek funding to resolve them before an event whenever possible.

After an event, identify additional mitigation needs, plan actions to address them, and apply for post-event mitigation funds to accomplish actions.

PHASES AND SETTINGS OF RECOVERY

PHASES

Recovery may proceed through four phases, depending on the nature of the disaster.

Phase I: Pre-event planning and mitigation take place before an event actually occurs. Activities include the hazard assessment, assignment of roles and responsibilities, training and exercising, and pre-event mitigation activities.

Phase II: Response and short-term recovery take place during and immediately following the response activities. Immediate actions such as debris removal, building safety inspection, and sheltering are underway. Coordination is occurring in the Operational Area EOC with field and local level units active. As the phase progresses, staffing of the EOC will adjust from a response emphasis to recovery. The goal of Phase II is to “get back to normal” as far as local government and business operations are concerned. This phase may last up to two months when a lot of physical damage must be addressed.

Phase III: Mid-term recovery is an interim phase of rehabilitation and planning for the long-term reconstruction that is needed. Policy and community planning and development functions become key players in this phase. Success depends on the ability to work with other levels of government and to understand that different levels and organizations must become involved in defining alternative futures for critical services and functions. This phase may be simple or almost non-existent for some types of disasters and very complex and lengthy for others.

Phase IV: Long-term recovery involves the completion of physical reconstruction as well as the restoration of social, economic, and institutional activities to levels comparable to what they were prior to the disaster. This may take a decade or more in the case of a devastating earthquake for example. Local government operations during this phase will be oriented toward monitoring the process established during the mid-term phase and maintaining local policies intact in the face of possibly shifting support and the growing need for final restoration.

SETTINGS

Recovery takes place in a number of settings. Most apparent is the physical recovery but economic and social recoveries are also critical and sometimes harder to accomplish. They are certainly less visual with less tangible evidence that recovery has occurred.

Physical setting: Property, infrastructure, and critical facilities are impacted by the event. Damage assessment looks at numbers of structures affected, the extent of the damage, and costs to rebuild or replace. People can often, but not always, see the damage and see the results of the work. Most of the disaster assistance money applies to the physical setting.

Economic setting: Disasters affect both the cost of doing business and the income being received. In the economic setting, events can be emergencies for a business or community that do not meet the usual perception of an emergency. One example is a severe drought in an agriculture-dependent community. The economic setting is very complex, is not always seen as the function of government to address, and may require a very long time to recover. Without economic recovery in a community, no amount of physical reconstruction will return things to a semblance of normal.

Social setting: Mental health and psychological concerns are important elements in recovery. Psychological recovery is closely tied to physical recovery. Mental health issues affect disaster servi