LOS ANGELES COUNTY OPERATIONAL AREA EXERCISE PROGRAM EMERGENCY NETWORK LOS ANGELES

Transcription

1 LOS ANGELES COUNTY OPERATIONAL AREA EXERCISE PROGRAM EMERGENCY NETWORK LOS ANGELES DATE OF CONDUCT: FEBRUARY 19, 2013

2

3 HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS 1. The title of this document is Emergency Network Los Angeles Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise After Action Report and Improvement Plan. 2. All exercise materials, to include this report, have been developed to support the Los Angeles County Operational Area Exercise Program and should not be shared or duplicated, in whole or in part, without prior approval from Emergency Network Los Angeles. This report is FOUO and should be handled as sensitive information not to be disclosed. This document should be safeguarded, handled, transmitted, and stored in accordance with appropriate security directives. 3. At a minimum, the attached materials will be disseminated only on a need-to-know basis and when unattended, will be stored in a locked container or area offering sufficient protection against theft, compromise, inadvertent access, and unauthorized disclosure. 4. For more information, please consult the following points of contact: Alix Stayton Program Manager Emergency Network Los Angeles 501 Shatto Place, Suite 100 Los Angeles, CA Tel: (213) info@enla.org Cullen Armet Program Assistant Emergency Network Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Tel: (213) cullen.armet@enla.org Jim Bailey President and CEO Willdan Homeland Solutions 2401 East Katella Avenue, Suite 220 Anaheim, CA Tel: (760) jbailey@willdan.com Michelle Constant Principal Constant and Associates, Inc Torrance Blvd., Suite 300 Torrance, CA Tel: (310) michelle@constantassociates.com AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 1

4 The following individuals served as Exercise Planning Team members for this important project. Exercise Planning Team members provided strategic guidance regarding plan development, training, exercise and implementation. TABLE 1: EXERCISE PLANNING TEAM MEMBERS Cullen Armet NAME AGENCY Emergency Network Los Angeles John Chung Los Angeles County Department of Public Health John Cvjetkovic Steve Meissner Paul Myers Jeff Reeb Ryan Rockabrand Alix Stayton Brandy Welch Alisa Williams Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services American Red Cross Save the Children Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management Emergency Network Los Angeles American Red Cross Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management Office of Emergency Management AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2

5 CONTENTS HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS... 1 CONTENTS... 3 ACRONYMS... 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... 7 STRENGTHS... 9 AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT SECTION 1: EXERCISE OVERVIEW EXERCISE DETAILS SECTION 2: EXERCISE DESIGN SUMMARY EXERCISE STRUCTURE HSEEP DOCTRINE EVALUATION STRATEGY DESIGN OBJECTIVES AND CORE CAPABILITIES PRESENTATION SUMMARIES SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE EXERCISE SCENARIO ASSUMPTIONS AND ARTIFICIALITIES SECTION 3: ANALYSIS OF HSEEP CAPABILITIES CAPABILITY 1: PLANNING CAPABILITY 2: EOC MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY 3: VOLUNTEER AND DONATIONS MANAGEMENT AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 3

6 APPENDIX A: IMPROVEMENT PLAN APPENDIX B: PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK SELECT PARTICIPANT COMMENTS APPENDIX C: ATTENDEES APPENDIX D: PRESENTATIONS APPENDIX E: SELECT EXERCISE MATERIALS TABLE 1: EXERCISE PLANNING TEAM MEMBERS... 2 TABLE 2: IMPROVEMENT PLAN MATRIX TABLE 3: EXERCISE FEEDBACK TABLE AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 4

7 ACRONYMS AAR AFN BOC CEO CEOC CWIRS DPSS EEG ENLA EOC FOUO HSEEP ICS IP OARRS OEM PIO POD PSYSTART REDDINET SEMS SITMAN USGS VOAD After Action Report Access and Functional Needs Business Operations Center Chief Executive Officer County Emergency Operations Center County-wide Integrated Radio System Los Angles County Department of Public Social Services Exercise Evaluation Guide Emergency Network Los Angeles Emergency Operations Center For Official Use Only Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program Incident Command System Improvement Plan Operational Area Response and Recovery System Los Angles County Office of Emergency Management Public Information Officer Point of Distribution Psychological Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment Rapid Emergency Digital Data Information Network Standardized Emergency Management System Situation Manual United States Geological Survey Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 5

8 This page is intentionally left blank. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 6

9 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Following the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, the Mayor of Los Angeles convened a meeting of community based organizations that were active in the recovery from the disaster. The combined efforts of members of this group significantly aided the earthquake recovery efforts. In December of that year, that group, which had become known as ENLA, merged with the Los Angeles County VOAD and the Los Angeles Access Network to bring all community based organizations disaster work in Los Angeles County under one umbrella. In 1997, both Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles designated ENLA as their primary point of contact with community based organizations for disaster preparedness and recovery efforts. Today, ENLA is a coalition of nonprofit organizations along with government and private-sector partners with some disaster function. ENLA serves as the forum where organizations share knowledge and resources throughout the disaster cycle preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation to help disaster survivors and their communities. Continuing its long-standing commitment to disaster preparedness, ENLA has endeavored to examine and expand emergency management capabilities through a series of ambitious projects that provide aid to the organization itself as well as its members and Operational Area partners. One such project, the Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise, was conducted to provide a medium for ENLA members and their emergency management partners throughout the Operational Area to discuss ways that disaster management capabilities can be enhanced. The exercise was conducted on Tuesday, February 19, The Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise focused on ENLA s role within the County EOC and Los Angeles City EOC, as well as ENLA members roles with one another, in response to an earthquake affecting South Los Angeles. The exercise simulated days 1-6 post disaster with an emphasis on ENLA activation. Discussion focused on the plans, processes, and relationships between ENLA and its partners to coordinate capabilities and available resources of local organizations following an earthquake. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 7

10 Homeland Security preparedness involves a cycle of outreach, planning, capability development, training, exercising, evaluation, and improvement. Successful exercises lead to an ongoing program of process improvements. This report is intended to assist the Operational Area by analyzing exercise feedback and identifying: Strengths to be maintained and built upon Areas for further improvement Recommend exercise follow-up actions Feedback was collected via multiple points; to include Participant Feedback Forms, Evaluator submissions, a Controller/Evaluator Debrief, and various others. Select Strengths and Areas for Improvement are provided on the following pages. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 8

11 STRENGTHS The list of strengths included herein is abbreviated. Several additional strengths, to include a detailed analysis of critical activities, can be found in Section Three of this report. The exercise was a tremendous success, bringing together ENLA stakeholders and their partner agencies/organizations to discuss disaster response. A total of forty-nine (49) participants, observers, and evaluators attended the exercise, representing twenty-nine (29) different organizations. The exercise provided a forum for ENLA to communicate and clarify its roles to participants, to include the specific activities that ENLA and ENLA members should be engaging in during each phase of disaster response and recovery, and to present resources and programs available to ENLA members to help them plan for The Epicenter of disaster. Preparedness Exercise A key success of the Epicenter of proved to be tremendously Preparedness Exercise was the clarification of the process for ENLA s activation to the successful, providing a City and County EOCs and nonprofit forum for ENLA members organizations function in relation to the and their emergency City and County EOCs and ENLA. Due to management partners to presentations and participation from Los discuss key disaster Angeles County Office of Emergency support and coordination Management and Los Angeles City strategies. Emergency Management Department, ENLA members now have an enhanced understanding of the process to activate ENLA to the City/County EOC, which is a critical component of ENLA disaster response operations in regards to nonprofit coordination. ENLA members, especially the larger nonprofit organizations, have processes in place regarding the coordination of resources with one another, and have tested these processes. The Epicenter for Preparedness Exercise provided an opportunity to further discuss and clarify these, particularly with smaller nonprofits that may not have previously participated in disaster response activities. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 9

12 AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT A principal behind exercise conduct is the identification of areas to be improved. While the event was tremendously successful, additional measures can be taken to further enhance disaster readiness. A summary of select areas for improvement is provided here. ENLA should identify ways to grow and sustain itself as an organization. As a 501c3, ENLA is eligible for a number of grants. ENLA staff and/or its members should actively pursue grants to provide funding for staff and other resources. To launch this effort, ENLA should conduct a comprehensive assessment of its goals and projected operating and growth costs and pursue grants accordingly. ENLA should also explore opportunities to apply for grants in partnership with other nonprofits, businesses and government agencies. ENLA should actively research the business practices of other nonprofit organizations to determine how they obtain funding for operating costs and growth, and should apply these best practices to ENLA s business model. To further clarify and improve communication processes during incident response and recovery, member participation in ENLA s annual Great ShakeOut drill should be improved. This drill provides an opportunity for members to regularly test communication procedures. City/County EOC/BOC activation processes were well defined throughout the Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise as per the informational presentations and discussion sessions. To build on this, ENLA should document these processes within its own internal documentation, and should work with Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management and Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department to ensure that these processes are documented within their Emergency Operations Plans. They should clarify to whom ENLA reports within the EOC/BOC, and consider developing an ENLA position checklist to maintain within the EOC/BOC. Training and awareness are key to the successful implementation of disaster response plans and processes. ENLA and its member organizations should actively seek opportunities to participate in City and County disaster programs, to include exercise programs such as EOC trainings and scenario-based exercises to test response and recovery capabilities. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 10

13 SECTION 1: EXERCISE OVERVIEW EXERCISE DETAILS Exercise Name Emergency Network Los Angeles Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise Type of Event Tabletop Exercise Exercise Date Tuesday, February 19, 2013 Duration 4 hours Scenario Earthquake Location The California Endowment 1000 N. Alameda St. Los Angeles, CA Sponsors Emergency Network Los Angeles Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department Program Los Angeles County Medical and Health Exercise program Exercise Planning Team American Red Cross Emergency Network Los Angeles Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management Save the Children AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 11

14 Exercise Participants American Red Cross Area D Office of Disaster Management Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation Business and Industry Council for Emergency Planning and Preparedness California Volunteers Children's Institute, Inc. Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County Community MBC / The Revelation Network Cope Preparedness Do Your Part Emergency Network Los Angeles J. Paul Getty Trust Jewish Family Service Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Los Angeles County Fire Department Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation Los Angeles Operational Area Alliance Pepperdine University Save the Children SoCalfirst Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles The Salvation Army Volunteer Los Angeles Wells Fargo Number of Participants 35 Participants 5 Controllers 4 Evaluators 10 Observers Evaluators American Red Cross IT Crisis Services, Inc. COPE Preparedness AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 12

15 SECTION 2: EXERCISE DESIGN SUMMARY EXERCISE STRUCTURE Purpose, Scope & Structure This exercise employed a scenario-based format with informational presentations and facilitated discussions regarding resources, capabilities, areas for growth, and best practices as they pertain to ENLA, the Los Angeles County EOC, and the Los Angeles City EOC. Presentation and Networking Component Participants were first presented with a series of informational presentations. These presentations were designed to prepare participants for the discussion portion of the exercise by familiarizing them with applicable plans and agency/organizational capabilities. Presentations were followed by a networking break whereby participants were encouraged to interact with follow tablemates. Scenario and Discussion Component The scenario and discussion component helped to reinforce key concepts presented during the presentation session of the exercise. Following the informational presentations, participants were presented with the exercise scenario a 6.1 magnitude earthquake in South Los Angeles and then discussed the scenario in three (3) chronological modules. A spokesperson from each group was designated to present a synopsis of the group s discussion at the conclusion of each module. The modules were presented as follows: Module 1 Hours 0-36 post-incident Module 2 Hours post-incident Module 3 Hours post-incident One Exercise Planning Team member was seated at each table to facilitate the discussions and answer questions. A series of questions and follow-up probes were developed for the exercise facilitator to pose to participants. Questions were designed to promote discussion of various exercise elements represented in each exercise episode. Participants were encouraged to periodically migrate between groups to foster communication. A spokesperson from each group was designated to present a synopsis of the group s discussion at the conclusion of each module. Exercise facilitators then moderated a discussion amongst participant groups to highlight key elements of each scenario module. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 13

16 HSEEP DOCTRINE HSEEP serves as exercise and evaluation doctrine that is flexible, scalable, and adaptable to the needs of stakeholders across the whole community. Revised in 2012, the use of HSEEP in line with Presidential Policy Directive 8 the National Preparedness Goal, and the National Preparedness System supports efforts to improve national capacity across the whole community to collectively build, sustain, and deliver core capabilities. HSEEP encourages planners to identify exercise program objectives that are informed by strategy documents, threat, hazard, and capability assessments, and results from previous exercises. These program-wide objectives guide the design and development for individual exercises, as planners develop exercise-specific objectives and associated core capabilities for validation and assessment during exercise conduct. Exercise evaluation assesses exercise performance against exercise objectives documenting strengths, areas for improvement, core capability levels and gaps, and corrective actions in an After Action Report and Improvement Plan. Through improvement planning, exercise stakeholders prioritize, track, and analyze corrective actions, ensuring that the corrective actions inform future exercise program objectives. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 14

17 EVALUATION STRATEGY Evaluation is an essential element of a successful exercise and provides an objective assessment of the participants discussions. The goal of evaluation is to validate strengths and identify opportunities for improvement among participating organizations. Evaluation criteria was developed using methodologies consistent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security HSEEP. Material for exercise evaluation and post-exercise evaluation and improvement came from the following primary sources: Facilitator notes Evaluator notes Participant discussion and issues recorded during the exercise Participant Feedback Sessions Participant Feedback Forms Plans, policies, procedures, resources and agreements Following the exercise, this material was compiled and analyzed. Recurring themes and major issues were identified and addressed in this report. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 15

18 DESIGN OBJECTIVES AND CORE CAPABILITIES Effective evaluation assesses performance against the exercise objectives and documents core capabilities. The exercise objectives identify in broad and general terms what is to be accomplished or evaluated during this exercise. The following objectives were developed and finalized by the Exercise Planning Team: Identify parameters for participation in disaster response and recovery efforts based on the capability of member and partner organizations. Further define the role of ENLA at the County and City EOCs. Identify ways to further define and improve communications between ENLA and City/County EOCs. Determine ways to further define and improve ENLA s internal resource coordination and internal communication during disaster response and recovery. Enhance information sharing and collaboration among nonprofits and with local governments. The selected capabilities are: Planning Volunteer and Donations Management EOC Management The EEGs associated with the above referenced capabilities were tailored for the Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise and ENLA as an organization. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 16

19 SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE 8:00 AM Registration 8:30 AM Welcome and Introduction 8:45 AM Emergency Network Los Angeles Your Local VOAD Alix Stayton Program Manager Emergency Network Los Angeles 9:10 AM Building Partnerships Between Government and Nonprofits Jeff Reeb Project Manager Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management 9:35 AM The Role and Function of ENLA at the Business Operations Center Anna Burton Assistant General Manager Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department 10:00 AM Break Brent Woodworth President/CEO Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation 10:10 AM Module 1 Scenario Briefing Facilitated Discussion Feedback Session 10:55 AM Module 2 Scenario Briefing Facilitated Discussion Feedback Session 11:30 AM Module 3 Scenario Briefing Facilitated Discussion Feedback Session 12:00 PM Adjourn AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 17

20 PRESENTATION SUMMARIES Emergency Network Los Angeles Your Los Angeles County VOAD Alix Stayton Program Manager Emergency Network Los Angeles Alix Stayton, Emergency Network Los Angeles, provided an overview of ENLA. She advised that ENLA is a network of nonprofit, community-based organizations in Los Angeles County that provide assistance to individuals, families, and organizations following emergencies and disasters. ENLA is the Los Angeles County VOAD, and is recognized by the Los Angeles County Operational Area and the City of Los Angeles as the primary point of contact with community based organizations for disaster preparedness and recovery efforts. Ms. Stayton advised that committees (e.g., mass care, volunteer management) comprise the primary framework that ENLA members are organized. In this regard, ENLA can serve as a model to demonstrate how community based organizations can network to better cooperate during and following disasters. Ms. Stayton also discussed ENLA s role in a disaster as it relates to its member organizations and government partners. Before a disaster, ENLA is tasked with disseminating emergency preparedness information and preparing its members for disaster. During a disaster, ENLA coordinates and compiles situational status information from its members, delivers information via its internal network, identifies service gaps, and facilitates resource availability among its members and government partners. After a disaster, ENLA prepares an After Action Report, takes corrective actions, and supports long-term recovery. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 18

21 Building Partnerships Between Government and Nonprofits Jeff Reeb Program Manager Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management Jeff Reeb, Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, presented on the relationship between the Office of Emergency Management and nonprofit organizations. He began by explaining how the Office of Emergency Management coordinates and directs emergency management efforts within the entire Operational Area, to include planning and coordination, operations, training, technical operations, and public education. Mr. Reeb provided graphics to display the organizational relationship among various levels of government during their activations, from the state to field level, and to display the sources of information for various agencies and organizations during an incident. Mr. Reeb concluded with an explanation of ENLA s role at the County EOC within the Care and Shelter Branch during various incident phases. He further explained how nonprofits should interface with ENLA and the County EOC. He discussed the importance of planning for recovery as soon as response begins, particularly for nonprofits that manage care and shelter services. Last, he emphasized the need to be inclusive of planning for AFN populations. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 19

22 The Role and Function of ENLA at the Business Operations Center Anna Burton Assistant General Manager Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department Anna Burton, Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department, and Brent Woodworth, Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation, jointly presented on the role of ENLA at the City EOC and BOC. Ms. Burton first provided an illustrative overview of how the City comes together during an incident through coordinated response, how the EOC facilitates that coordination, and how ENLA fits into the larger response and recovery picture. Nonprofit organizations response is a component of a larger effort to conduct life-saving operations and to provide people with the services they need. Nonprofits often lead the mass care portion of response and recovery and are critical for ensuring that information flows directly to the people, not just among incident responders. ENLA is tasked with coordinating all nonprofits during incident response and recovery, and thus provides a crucial function within the City. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 20

23 Brent Woodworth President/CEO Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation Brent Woodworth followed Ms. Burton by discussing the details of BOC operations and more specifically, the role of ENLA in the BOC. The BOC will collect, coordinate, analyze, and share information among businesses, nonprofit organizations, and the government, and mutually support incident operations. He discussed how information is exchanged between the BOC and nonprofit organizations, and ENLA s operational function within the BOC. He also introduced a relatively new network that will facilitate collaboration among the nonprofit, government, and private sectors the Community Stakeholder Network. The Community Stakeholder Network is designed to encourage information sharing to support the business and community stakeholder sectors for the purpose of enhanced and sustained community resilience. These presentations provided comprehensive background information to exercise participants to prepare them for discussion activities. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 21

24 EXERCISE SCENARIO On February 19, 2013 at 5:05 PM, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake strikes along the Newport-Inglewood fault, centered near Lennox, a community between Inglewood and Hawthorne and east of LAX. It lasts about 30 seconds and can be felt in the high desert, Indio, Carpinteria, and San Diego County. "It felt like all the windows were about to pop," said Joseph Poindexter, 36, of Los Angeles, who was inside the Hollywood Park Casino. "It sounded like a big sonic boom. Everybody started running or dropping under the tables." A brief 3.1 magnitude aftershock occurs 10 minutes later. Many phone systems, including cellular and 9-1-1, are unusable. Text messaging and social media remain available. Shattered glass and debris are scattered throughout the area, traffic is gridlocked, and power is out sporadically throughout Los Angeles and its surrounding communities. Downed power lines have caused deadly fires. People dependent on ventilators, powered wheelchairs, and other power-based equipment, and people whose service providers are unable to come to their home to assist with eating, bathing, etc., are in need of support. Based on initial surveys, the Red Cross prepares for 20,000 people to be in need of shelter and 60,000 to be in need of feeding. The local and state EOCs are soon activated and launch an aggressive public information campaign. Multiple Family Assistance Centers are activated, shelters are opened, mutual aid requests are processed, and local churches begin to draw upon their regional partners to acquire food. By February 21, 2013, 74 fatalities have been reported, 2,096 have been hospitalized, 18,588 have been displaced, and 190,043 people are without utilities. On February 22, 2013, a 4.1 magnitude aftershock strikes in the same location, causing 5 additional deaths and another surge within hospitals, and leaving more than 200,000 total people without power and causing nearly 20,000 total people to be displaced. Mutual aid resources are received, and the City and County EOCs remain activated to guide response and recovery efforts. A memorial service has begun to be planned for, additional shelters and assistance centers have been established, and government agencies are bringing food and water into the region via PODs. By February 24, 2013, the California Army National Guard has been mobilized, allowing local law enforcement personnel to return to their normal duties. Firefighters have extinguished most fires, and neighborhoods have begun to rebuild. EOCs remain activated to support recovery efforts. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 22

25 ASSUMPTIONS AND ARTIFICIALITIES In any exercise, a number of assumptions and artificialities may be necessary to complete play in the time allotted. During the exercise, the following applied: The exercise will be conducted in a no-fault learning environment, wherein plans, procedures, systems, and processes not individuals are evaluated. All participants receive information at the same time. Exercise participants will react to the information and situations as they are presented, in the same manner as if this had been a real emergency incident. A Facilitator will narrate key events. There is no hidden agenda, nor any trick questions. Time periods are accelerated in order to meet exercise objectives. Each Module covers a minimum of 36 hours. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 23

26 This page is intentionally left blank. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 24

27 SECTION 3: ANALYSIS OF HSEEP CAPABILITIES The Los Angeles Operational Area is one of the nation s largest Counties by population and area. Diverse and expansive, the Operational Area is also subject to a number of natural and man-made hazards, including threats from earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, terrorism and numerous others. Continuing its long-standing commitment to emergency planning and preparedness, the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, in partnership with the Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department, has initiated an ambitious exercise program to enhance the Operational Area s readiness for both large and small-scale incidents. The ENLA Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise is an important component of this program. The ENLA Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise provided a forum for ENLA representatives and their key Operational Area partners to discuss opportunities to enhance coordination of disaster management, response, and recovery activities. The exercise was conducted on Tuesday, February 19, This report addresses the significant findings from the exercise and provides recommendations for ENLA organizational development and strategic planning. The report incorporates 2012 U.S. Department of Homeland Security HSEEP revisions. Participants gave the exercise exceedingly high ratings, indicating that reviewed areas were thorough and provided a strong foundation for actual implementation. Analysis of the feedback provided by attendees have led to overall observations and recommendations for ENLA s next steps to help ensure that ENLA and its members are prepared to respond and recover from disasters through coordinated efforts. It should be noted that this event was a tabletop exercise; therefore, capabilities were discussed rather than tested. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 25

28 CAPABILITY 1: PLANNING Capability Summary: HSEEP does not provide a capability summary for planning, however planners typically use this capability heading to capture lessons learned and areas for improvement with regard to the overall planning process. Observation 1.1: Strength. The exercise was a tremendous success, bringing together ENLA stakeholders and their partner agencies/organizations to discuss disaster response. References: 1. Exercise Evaluation Guides Analysis: As the Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise was planned for and discussed with ENLA stakeholders, significant interest was generated in the event and in ENLA. Furthermore, planning meetings and offline conversations held with exercise planners and participants afforded a mechanism to foster and strengthen relationships, particularly among ENLA members who do not have other occasions to interact frequently. These deepened relationships were evident during the exercise as participants openly communicated, shared their goals and ideas, and demonstrated a clear understanding of their organization s operational missions and how they could support ENLA in this context. The Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise offered a comprehensive training for nonprofits to heighten their understanding of the disaster response and recovery processes and to expose them to the wide range of materials and resources available. Forty-nine (49) people took part in the Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise, to include participants, observers, and evaluators representing twenty-nine (29) different organizations, which met attendance expectations and contributed to a highly successful exercise that greatly widened the scope of knowledge among organizations in Los Angeles County. Observers in attendance included Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Disaster Management Area Coordinators, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and students from Pepperdine University. A significant factor for the Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise s tremendous success is marked by the fact that it brought together a considerable number of ENLA stakeholders and their partner agencies/organizations to discuss disaster response as it pertains to ENLA. The exercise presented a medium for stakeholders to be briefed on ENLA s mission, strategic goals, and key concepts associated with the City and County EOCs, which led to a stimulating discussion among stakeholders of the challenges associated with disaster response and ENLA s coordinating role in response and recovery. Much was learned and accomplished during this exercise, as participants stated during and after the event. They left with an enhanced understanding of ENLA s functions and capabilities, and how the organization they represented could support and enhance those capabilities. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 26

29 Recommendation: 1. ENLA and its member organizations should actively seek opportunities to participate in City and County disaster programs, to include exercise programs such as OARRS trainings, EOC trainings, and scenario-based exercises to test response and recovery capabilities. Due to discussions for this need at the first ENLA Board meeting since the Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise, three Board members are now committed to completing the EOC trainings, but should encourage additional ENLA members to participate as well. 2. Since OARRS trainings are only open to those who may participate in the EOC, ENLA should develop a list of qualifications that members need to meet in order to participate (e.g., their organization does not have a disaster response function that might conflict with their commitment to staff the EOC). Observation 1.2: Strength. ENLA offers a number of programs and resources meant to prepare and strengthen Los Angeles County s extensive nonprofit network in times of disaster. References: 1. Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise Toolkit 2. Exercise Evaluation Guides Analysis: Since its inception in 1994, ENLA has developed a significant number of disaster readiness programs and resources. While available to all members, these resources are particularly tailored for nonprofits, meant to prepare and strengthen Los Angeles County s extensive nonprofit network in times of disaster. ENLA periodically hosts a half-day, free of charge Disaster Plan Development Workshop for ENLA members and partners to work through an Emergency Operations Plan/Continuity of Operations Template, which has successfully helped organizations develop their own disaster plans. ENLA s Disaster Mission Statement Worksheet is meant to guide nonprofit organizations in the development of their own disaster mission statement, which will define organizations roles within disaster preparedness and response in their community. ENLA s Member Preparedness Goals outlines the steps that its members should take in order to become fully prepared for disasters and ready to contribute to the response effort. ENLA s Post-Disaster Agency Status Report provides a standard template to be distributed to its members in the aftermath of disaster so that ENLA can quickly acquire information about the needs of its member organizations. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 27

30 ENLA s comprehensive, 43-page report on the Emergency Needs of Vulnerable Populations in Los Angeles County provides a valuable resource for identifying and incorporating access and functional needs populations in disaster preparedness and response. ENLA s Disaster Timeline also provides a useful tool for understanding the role of ENLA and its members during various phases of a disaster. Furthermore, ENLA provides a number of resources to help nonprofit organizations become more involved in ENLA, to include a 2013 ENLA Membership Packet and Applications for Voting and Non-voting Members. ENLA also has a plan to enhance and expand its strategic goals and resources in the coming years, particularly plans and resources that define ENLA s mission, goals, internal structure, and operational functions. Many of ENLA s member organizations have been members since ENLA s establishment in 1994, but since directors and staff continuously change within organizations, and as ENLA has not been activated to an EOC since 2003, member organizations would benefit from clearer, more structured ENLA plans and policies. Over the next few years, ENLA plans to completely revamp its internal Emergency Operations Plan to not only strengthen ENLA s capabilities, but also to provide a strong example for its member organizations. ENLA also plans to enhance its Strategic Plan, strategic goals and other internal documents in order to well define ENLA s structure and functions, particularly as they relate to ENLA members. These revisions and enhancements will improve ENLA members understanding of ENLA s structure and functions, which will significantly improve nonprofit coordination in the region as ENLA facilitates information sharing and resource needs. Recommendation: 1. Exercise participants noted that ENLA should identify ways to grow and sustain itself as an organization. As a 501c3, ENLA is eligible for a number of training, plan writing, and resource management grants. ENLA staff and/or its members should actively pursue grants to provide long-term funding for staff and other resources. To launch this effort, ENLA should conduct a comprehensive assessment of its goals and projected operating and growth costs and pursue grants accordingly. ENLA should also explore opportunities to apply for grants in partnership with other nonprofits, businesses and government agencies. ENLA should actively research the business practices of other nonprofit organizations to determine how they obtain funding for operating costs and growth, and should apply these best practices to ENLA s business model. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 28

31 Observation 1.3: Strength. ENLA has developed a unique resource to aid ENLA members in the preparation of their own disaster preparedness goals and plans the ENLA Member Preparedness Goals which is particularly useful for new ENLA members. References: 1. Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise Toolkit 2. Exercise Discussion Sessions Analysis: To encourage disaster preparation and to guide the planning process, ENLA has developed a useful resource for nonprofits called ENLA Member Preparedness Goals, that outlines the steps that every nonprofit should be taking to prepare for disaster. This resource is especially useful for newly emerged nonprofits or new ENLA members that have not previously considered disaster planning. It provides a basic step-by-step strategy for achieving disaster preparedness and integrating into ENLA s disaster response network: Develop a Disaster Mission Statement Make a Plan Get Agency/Organization Leadership Prepared Get Members/Clients/Staff Prepared Exercise the Plan This resource can be accessed on the resource CD provided to all participants during the exercise, or ENLA members can request it from ENLA staff directly. Recommendation: 1. None. Observation 1.4: Strength. ENLA provides a mechanism to coordinate support for AFN populations during a disaster. References: 1. Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise Toolkit 2. Exercise Discussion Sessions Analysis: ENLA and its member organizations provide a number of resources to prepare and plan for AFN populations for disaster, as well as to support AFN populations during disaster. ENLA s Emergency Needs of Vulnerable Populations in Los Angeles County 2009 report found that over 75% of nonprofit organizations in Los Angeles County provide services for AFN populations. This report discusses in detail the types of people who will be in need of services during disasters and the specific types of services they will need, such as food preparation and feeding, in-home care, medical attention, mental health services, spiritual counseling, interpretation, and more. This report helps nonprofit organizations in the County to assess their capabilities against the needs of vulnerable populations in the area, and to specifically determine how they can support AFN populations. During a disaster, ENLA will support coordination with these organizations, enabling services to reach the populations most in need. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 29

32 Other organizations provide resources designated to help AFN populations find services in their area and to prepare them for disaster to potentially lessen the negative impacts on these populations. ENLA Member, Los Angeles, is an interactive information source to provide disaster information that is TTY capable. Los Angeles County has an Emergency Plan for People with Disabilities as well as a Specific Needs Disaster Registry, and an AFN Committee, which ENLA is a member of, to consider the needs of AFN populations during incident response. Los Angeles City has an AFN sub-committee with a similar purpose, which ENLA is also a member of. Additionally, Los Angeles City s Neighborhood Disaster Planning Toolkit incorporates a myriad of information for AFN populations, to include how AFN populations should respond to disaster within their neighborhood and how neighborhood members should specifically consider AFN populations in disaster planning and response. The Red Cross has a Preparing for Disaster for People with Disabilities and other Special Needs guide. All of these resources can be found on ENLA s Epicenter of Preparedness Resource CD as well as online. ENLA is familiar with all of these plans and resources and works to ensure that the needs of AFN populations are clearly communicated and filled by organizations with the capabilities to do so in times of disaster. County AFN subject matter expert, Jeff Reeb, attended the Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise to host an informational table, through which he provided useful AFN materials and valuable knowledge and information regarding disaster planning for AFN populations. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 30

33 Recommendation: 1. ENLA should collaborate with City and County EOC Coordinators to ensure that AFN resources are shared in a manner that supports the AFN Coordinator and the Resources Branch at the EOC, and should include this information in ENLA s Strategic Plan. Observation 1.5: Strength. The exercise provided a forum for ENLA to communicate and clarify its role to participants. References: 1. Exercise Evaluation Guides 2. Exercise Discussion Sessions Analysis: During the Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise, ENLA staff addressed each major phase of a disaster and discussed ENLA s specific activities and ENLA member activities during each phase, which are outlined below. This enabled ENLA to effectively clarify its role to participants. Immediate Aftermath of Disaster ENLA members conduct initial assessments of their ability to provide services and stay in their current location ENLA members complete a situation status report and fax, , or text it to ENLA AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 31

34 ENLA staff contact DPSS via CWIRS radio or phone to begin coordinating ENLA staff compile the situational status reports and share results with Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management Office of Emergency Management activates ENLA to the County EOC Next Phases of Response ENLA staff and members rotate through the County EOC, providing assistance 24 hours a day ENLA members complete new situational status reports and submit to ENLA on a regular basis ENLA members continue to provide day-to-day and disaster relief services ENLA continues to report member response activity information to government partners Recovery Communities and emergency responders shift into recovery mode ENLA facilitates discussions between community members and government partners around the creation of a Long Term Recovery Group If a Long Term Recovery Group is formed, ENLA may provide training for them ENLA member organizations are invited to participate in the Long Term Recovery Group Recommendation: 1. None. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 32

35 CAPABILITY 2: EOC MANAGEMENT EOC management is the capability to provide multi-agency coordination for incident management by activating and operating an EOC for a pre-planned or no-notice event. EOC management includes: EOC activation, notification, staffing, and deactivation; management, direction, control, and coordination of response and recovery activities; coordination of efforts among neighboring governments at each level and among local, regional, State, and Federal EOCs; coordination of public information and warning; and maintenance of the information and communication necessary for coordinating response and recovery activities. As ENLA has a seat at the City and County EOCs, evaluation will focus on the inclusion of ENLA and the resources and capabilities of its member organizations in EOC coordination efforts. Observation 2.1: Strength. The exercise planning process and exercise conduct provided a medium to better define the parameters that ENLA would be activated to the City and County EOCs. References: 1. Exercise Evaluation Guides 2. Exercise Discussion Sessions Analysis: The Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise provided an opportunity for ENLA stakeholders to better understand the process for ENLA EOC activation. During the exercise, multiple representatives were present from the Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department and the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management who were familiar with City and County EOC processes. The representatives clarified procedures to activate ENLA to the EOCs and shared this information with participants, equipping government and nonprofit participants with this critical AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 33

36 knowledge. Essentially, ENLA is highly likely to be activated to the City/County EOC during level 3 activations, and is less likely to be activated during a level 2 or level 1 activation. Incident type will drive the timeframe of ENLA s requested deployment to the EOCs. ENLA may be activated within the first 24 hours, however it is more probable that ENLA will be activated after 24 hours into the incident. Further, it is possible that ENLA may not be activated until the third day after EOC activation. At the County EOC, ENLA would not act as an independent agency but would instead work under DPSS. At the City of Los Angeles EOC, ENLA would work independently within the BOC. The BOC is tasked with recommending business and nonprofit partners to fill certain seats. The BOC would be responsible for activating ENLA to the BOC at the appropriate time. ENLA s activation to the County EOC or City BOC serves a critical role in communicating with and coordinating all nonprofits involved in incident response and recovery. ENLA staff report situational information regarding nonprofits to the EOC/BOC on a regular basis, adhering to an ICS hierarchical structure that enables information to flow smoothly and quickly through a chain of command. Since nonprofits are closest in relation to community members, they can provide critical information to ENLA and the EOC regarding the special needs of people affected. This well-established ICS structure enables effective incident management, which saves lives and enables people to return to their normal lives as quickly as possible. Recommendations: 1. Within its own policies and procedures, ENLA should document its City and County EOC activation processes. 2. ENLA Board members should determine whether ENLA has the capacity to staff both the City BOC and County EOC. Plans and procedures for doing so should be documented. 3. ENLA staff should work with the Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department to ensure that ENLA EOC activation procedures are documented with the BOC s policies and procedures, to include who ENLA reports to when activated, and should include this information within ENLA s Standard Operating Guide. Observation 2.2: Strength. ENLA EOC representatives have a clear understanding of their role within the City/County EOC. References: 1. Exercise Evaluation Guides 2. Exercise Discussion Sessions Analysis: A basic understanding of ENLA s roles and responsibilities within the EOC is best known among ENLA EOC representatives and ENLA government partners. Through the exercise discussion, ENLA EOC representatives and government stakeholders understanding of ENLA s role within the EOC was further enhanced. Additionally, AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 34

37 nonprofit ENLA members, who were least familiar with ENLA s role within the City BOC and County EOC, became much more aware of ENLA s role as well as their organization s own roles in corresponding with ENLA during activation. Once activated to the BOC or County EOC, ENLA is responsible for contacting member organizations and sending them a situation report, which is a standardized form to be completed by each organization and returned to ENLA. ENLA uses these situation reports to compile information on the status of local nonprofits, to include the damage they endured, staff capabilities, their needs, and their available resources. ENLA shares this information with all of its nonprofit members so that they can begin communicating with one another and sharing resources to fulfill one another s needs. Throughout EOC activation, ENLA works to communicate with all of its members, to share situational updates and information obtained from the EOC, and to make connections among nonprofits who may be able to help one another. Since nonprofits serve specific areas and populations, nonprofits are expected to share situational information with their constituents if they are able. This will help ensure that vulnerable populations receive critical information and can be directly served. Nonprofit participants greatly benefitted from receiving information during the Epicenter of Preparedness exercise about how they can utilize ENLA s services during future incidents. Recommendations: 1. Additional ENLA members should be identified and trained to serve as the ENLA EOC or BOC representative. ENLA should strive to identify a minimum of five personnel for each (City or County) seat. 2. An ENLA position checklist should be developed and kept within the City BOC s and County EOC s files so that this checklist can be quickly referenced any time ENLA is activated. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 35

38 Observation 2.3: Area of Improvement. The role of nonprofits within the City and County EOCs should be specified through documentation. Reference: 1. Exercise Discussion Sessions Analysis: The exercise presentations and exercise discussions thoroughly addressed ENLA s roles and responsibilities within the City BOC and County EOC, but multiple nonprofit participants questioned whether they would be activated and would have a role within the EOC. Many of the smaller nonprofits expressed an understanding that they would not be activated to the EOC but would rather communicate with ENLA staff to obtain situational awareness and information from the EOC. However, some of the larger nonprofits and/or nonprofits with a disaster-related role inquired as to whether they would be activated to the City or County EOC, and what role they would fulfill. A representative from the City BOC clarified that sixteen (16) seats are within the BOC to be filled by business and nonprofit representatives. One seat would be dedicated to ENLA, particularly during level 3 activations, but additional detail was not provided as to which organizations would fill the remaining seats. This information should not only be documented within the City and County Emergency Operations Plans, but it should also be communicated to the nonprofit organizations that are expected to fill the seats. Furthermore, ENLA nonprofit members who are not expected to fill a seat should also be notified so that they have clear direction as to whether they would be activated. Recommendations: 1. The City s Emergency Operations Plan should include information as to which nonprofits may be called upon to fill seats when the BOC is activated, and this information should be communicated to all eligible nonprofits as well as ENLA nonprofit members who are not expected to be activated. ENLA staff should discuss this issue with relevant stakeholders and document the information. 2. Checklists should be developed for nonprofit representatives who may be activated to the City or County EOC. 3. Available EOC trainings for nonprofit representatives should be regularly communicated to ENLA members. Observation 2.4: Strength. ENLA members demonstrated a thorough understanding of their role outside of the EOC in assisting coordinated response and recovery efforts, particularly in regards to communicating their internal situational analysis to ENLA and the City EOC and County EOC. References: 1. Exercise Evaluation Guides 2. Exercise Discussion Sessions Analysis: Most, if not all, ENLA exercise attendees have established procedures to be enacted in times of disaster response. Some of these procedures discuss ENLA AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 36

39 participation directly, and some even include activities that ENLA requires of its members, such as the development of a situation report. For example, the Community Clinics Association of Los Angeles County requires clinics to perform a situational analysis and to submit a situation report, which can then be submitted to ENLA. Participants at the Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise conveyed comprehension of what ENLA would expect from them and how they could contribute to response and recovery efforts. They not only understood their own organizational response procedures but also how they would support coordinated response and recovery efforts by assisting ENLA and the EOC. Essentially, ENLA members are expected to provide information concerning their own organization s status to ENLA and the EOC and to monitor the needs of other local nonprofits, which they may be able to assist or coordinate with to improve efficiency of response. Exercise participants also recognized the reason and the value of coordinated response and fully support the government s and ENLA s efforts to promote coordination as much as possible. Effective coordination can lead to more lives saved, a quicker recovery, and reduced economic burden on the region. The Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise provided an opportunity for organizations to verbalize their support for this process of coordination and to deepen their knowledge about the specific role they would each have within coordinated response and recovery. Recommendation: 1. All ENLA members should discuss ENLA participation within their emergency plans and procedures, specifying how they will submit situation reports to ENLA and how they will support ENLA during disaster response and recovery. This will be a requirement for all new ENLA members, and will be added to the ENLA Membership Packet. Observation 2.5: Strength. Communication procedures proved to be an important topic of discussion during the exercise, and such procedures were clarified and shared with all participants. References: 1. Exercise Evaluation Guides 2. Exercise Discussion Sessions 3. Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise Toolkit Analysis: Exercise participants underscored the significance of the provision of communication procedures between ENLA and its member organizations, particularly since effective communication is critical to the success of ENLA s operations at the EOC and its responsibility to share information with its members. ENLA s primary function during disaster response and recovery is to communicate information to and from its member organizations and to coordinate response efforts among nonprofits as needed. Thus, communication procedures must be clearly defined and realized by member organizations and ENLA staff. ENLA has such AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 37

40 information documented, and this exercise provided an excellent occasion for ENLA members to receive, discuss, and understand these communication procedures. and fax will serve as ENLA staffs primary forms of communication, especially given that telephone lines may be non-functional or otherwise not available. ENLA is also working to develop a text network so that situation reports can be texted to ENLA. This would make the process of sending in reports faster and more efficient. Additionally, the County has equipped ENLA with a CWIRS radio, which ENLA will use to communicate with DPSS in order to acquire situational information, which ENLA will then communicate to its members via or fax. ENLA staff currently do not have an amateur radio nor the training to operate an amateur radio, but once they obtain this training, this would be an additional form of communication that ENLA could utilize to communicate with its members, particularly since the EOC may be able to provide ENLA with an amateur radio during activation. Last, ENLA and/or ENLA members may post information to their websites and social media websites in order to exchange information, to include Facebook and Twitter. Recommendations: 1. ENLA s Communications Committee should develop relationships with outside sponsors or entities that could potentially provide amateur radios for use by ENLA during EOC activation. 2. ENLA should continue communicating with its nonprofit member organizations to determine at least one person from each organization who can serve as ENLA s point of contact during EOC activations. Contact information for selected individuals should be compiled into a contact list to be maintained at the EOC and within an EOC Packet, to be developed by ENLA staff. 3. Member participation in ENLA s annual Great ShakeOut drill needs to be improved in order to regularly test communication procedures. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 38

41 CAPABILITY 3: VOLUNTEER AND DONATIONS MANAGEMENT Volunteer and Donations Management is the capability to effectively coordinate the management of volunteers and donations in support of domestic incident management. Observation 3.1: Strength. Many ENLA members, especially the larger nonprofit organizations, have firm processes in place regarding how to coordinate resources with one another, and have practiced these processes. References: 1. Exercise Evaluation Guides 2. Exercise Discussion Sessions Analysis: Based on the size and scope of a disaster incident, participants representing nonprofit organizations and businesses advised that they have varying resources to commit to the incident and various time frames through which they do so. Most organizations that would respond to disaster incidents, particularly those large in size, have firm processes in place regarding how to manage resources, and have practiced these processes through coordinated efforts with other nonprofits. The following list describes processes in place among a sample of Los Angeles nonprofit organizations and businesses: Within thirty-six (36) hours after the incident occurs, the Red Cross would assess the situation, activate a continuity plan, and provide this as public information, particularly regarding the resources that the Red Cross has and needs. Tzu Chi Foundation would prepare to support incident needs within four (4) hours of incident occurrence, to include coordination with Los Angeles County government responders. Tzu Chi Foundation has large pool of volunteers and supply resources, and is supported by the Red Cross and Save the Children. Save the Children would activate disaster support strategies likely two (2) days post incident. This would include the conduct of a situation assessment and analysis of the number of donations received and expected. The Save the Children representative advised that the organization can activate staff and volunteers within twenty-four (24) hours of notice. The disaster function of Save the Children is primarily to support the Red Cross and children related services. This may include counseling, and and/or other services based on the funds received. Volunteer Los Angeles would initiate the contact of volunteers within one (1) day of the incident. Volunteer Los Angeles would develop a situation report, would submit it to ENLA, and would coordinate with other organizations as possible. The Community Clinics Association of Los Angeles County would disseminate situation reports to clinics to acquire information about the types of injuries clinics are receiving, the damage to their facilities and geographic area, etc. The Association would compile this data, compare it to hospitals data, and share the information out to the County. Community clinics are part of a thirteen (13) hospital network and would begin to coordinate services in the area, and would receive mutual aid thirty-six (36) to seventy-two (72) hours into the incident. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 39

42 California Volunteers would activate its Department Operations Center (DOC), would call people in to staff it, would text agencies to determine their status and needs, and would text its own employees and volunteers to make sure they are safe. It would seek any possible information about available volunteers. Operation Hope/HOPE Coalition America would reach out to partners and publicly release information regarding resources, but would not have the capability provide additional services without supplemental financial backing. Operation Hope Coalition America would reach out to government partners as possible. Wells Fargo would activate its continuity of operations plans, which includes the provision of information for customers and partner organizations, the conduct of a situational assessment, and various other community and business support services. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles would reach out to sister chapters to be in a supporting role to government, particularly to the Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals would also contact animal shelters to offer support. Through exercises ranging from tabletop to full scale, as well as through real world incidents, organizations and businesses have successfully put these plans and procedures into practice, coordinating with one another to achieve more effective response. Recommendation: 1. ENLA should facilitate an annual functional exercise to enable new and smaller ENLA members to practice their disaster plans and processes. Observation 3.2: Strength. Los Angeles nonprofit organizations have demonstrated the capacity to effectively manage spontaneous volunteers. References: 1. Exercise Evaluation Guides 2. Exercise Discussion Sessions Analysis: Government partners have advised that the clear operational priority is to support infrastructure and life-saving operations, during a disaster. As such, ENLA members are afforded an opportunity to provide support with other important disaster support elements, to include the coordination of spontaneous volunteers and provision of mass care services. Furthermore, due to liability and credentialing complications, staffing constraints, and other issues, City and County partners may not be able to take on the AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 40

43 added responsibility of managing spontaneous volunteers. The credentialing process itself taking steps to ensure that the volunteer has the qualifications to perform designated activities is very time-consuming and intensive. Nonprofits, many of which are dependent upon volunteers to help perform disaster response activities, have specialized in managing and credentialing spontaneous volunteers during disasters. Volunteer Los Angeles is particularly skilled at doing so, and has been a vital resource for area nonprofits for this purpose. The Red Cross, Salvation Army, and Tzu Chi Foundation recruit, train, credential, and manage volunteers prior to disaster incidents in order to build extensive volunteer bases that can be utilized when needed. Not only are local nonprofits capable of managing volunteers, whether spontaneous or not, but they are also capable of coordinating with one another to do so, and have successfully practiced this process multiple times. Recommendation: 1. ENLA should develop procedures to coordinate regular conference calls during disaster incidents to help its members determine who needs volunteers and how they can coordinate volunteers and other resources, and should document these procedures in ENLA s internal Emergency Operations Plan. Observation 3.3: Area of Improvement. ENLA members should coordinate with one another and with ENLA to prepare for and to execute donations management in times of disaster. Reference: 1. Exercise Discussion Sessions Analysis: A key issue identified during the exercise involved leadership of donations management during a disaster. Donations management, if successfully performed, can provide a significant impact to those affected by disaster providing food, clothing, living supplies, and other key resources. Donation registries exist such as Give2LA that can quickly receive and process monetary donations, goods, services, facilities, and tools donated to Los Angeles. Government agencies and nonprofit organizations should communicate and coordinate with one another to determine how these donations should be disbursed. Donations are distributed based on which agencies or organizations are able to fulfill identified needs. Some nonprofit organizations such as the Red Cross already have sophisticated donation systems in place that they can access, but others will need to tap into existing donation registries and government resources. ENLA hosts a donations management committee, however they are actively seeking additional participants to join and lead this important function. Recommendation: 1. Continuous trainings should be conducted to teach nonprofits about the donations management process. 2. Seminars and exercises should be organized for nonprofits to practice the donations management process. ENLA should strive to identify members to participate in and lead this important function. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 41

44 3. Identify ENLA members to discuss and handle donations management during incident response and recovery, and incorporate outcomes into ENLA s Emergency Operations Plan. Observation 3.4: Strength. The reimbursement process is clearly defined for nonprofits, and ENLA serves as an available resource to provide reimbursement information. References: 1. Exercise Discussion Sessions Analysis: FEMA has clearly defined guidelines for nonprofits so that they can obtain reimbursement after a disaster incident. An organized process is available online, as well as necessary forms, and can be accessed at: During the Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise, multiple organizations expressed concern about how to obtain reimbursement. ENLA staff are familiar with the FEMA process and can guide ENLA members through the reimbursement process if needed. Nonprofits should familiarize themselves with the FEMA process before disaster occurs because very specific steps must be followed, to include tracking and documenting all expenses during disaster response and recovery efforts. FEMA forms also require specific information such as the contact person, locations of response, descriptions of activities, the number of people served, etc. Nonprofit organizations must be aware of these specificities so that problems do not occur once the incident is over and organizations begin to apply for reimbursement. ENLA is a great resource for providing information on this topic. Recommendation: 1. ENLA should support share information regarding training and resources available through FEMA and/or CalEMA regarding reimbursement. This should be posted on ENLA s website. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 42

45 APPENDIX A: IMPROVEMENT PLAN This Improvement Plan has been developed specifically for the Los Angeles County Operational Area as a result of the Los Angeles County Operational Area Emergency Network Los Angeles Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise: TABLE 2: IMPROVEMENT PLAN MATRIX Capability Observation Title Recommendation Primary Responsible POC Completion Date Planning Observation 1.1: Strength. The exercise was a tremendous success, bringing together ENLA stakeholders and their partner agencies/organizations to discuss disaster response. ENLA and its member organizations should actively seek opportunities to participate in City and County disaster programs, to include exercise programs such as OARRS trainings, EOC trainings, and scenario-based exercises to test response and recovery capabilities. Due to discussions for this need at the first ENLA Board meeting since the Epicenter of Preparedness Exercise, three Board members are now committed to completing the EOC trainings, but should encourage additional ENLA members to participate as well. Jason Yancey October 31, 2013 Planning Observation 1.1: Strength. The exercise was a tremendous success, bringing together ENLA stakeholders and their partner agencies/organizations to discuss disaster response. Since OARRS trainings are only open to those who may participate in the EOC, ENLA should develop a list of qualifications that members need to meet in order to participate (e.g., their organization does not have a disaster response function that might conflict with their commitment to staff the EOC). Jason Yancey October 31, 2013 Planning Observation 1.2: Strength. ENLA offers a number of programs and resources meant to prepare and strengthen Exercise participants noted that ENLA should identify ways to grow and sustain itself as an organization. As a 501c3, ENLA is Jason Yancey and Cullen Armet March 31, 2014 AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 43

46 Capability Observation Title Recommendation Primary Responsible POC Completion Date Los Angeles County s extensive nonprofit network in times of disaster. eligible for a number of training, plan writing, and resource management grants. ENLA staff and/or its members should actively pursue grants to provide long-term funding for staff and other resources. To launch this effort, ENLA should conduct a comprehensive assessment of its goals and projected operating and growth costs and pursue grants accordingly. ENLA should also explore opportunities to apply for grants in partnership with other nonprofits, businesses and government agencies. ENLA should actively research the business practices of other nonprofit organizations to determine how they obtain funding for operating costs and growth, and should apply these best practices to ENLA s business model. Planning Observation 1.4: Strength. ENLA provides a mechanism to coordinate support for AFN populations during a disaster. ENLA should collaborate with City and County EOC Coordinators to ensure that AFN resources are shared in a manner that supports the AFN Coordinator and the Resources Branch at the EOC, and should include this information in ENLA s Strategic Plan. Alix Stayton October 31, 2013 EOC Management Observation 2.1: Strength. The exercise planning process and exercise conduct provided a medium to better define the parameters that ENLA would be activated to the City and County EOCs. Within its own policies and procedures, ENLA should document its City and County EOC activation processes. Alix Stayton July 15, 2013 AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 44

47 Capability Observation Title Recommendation Primary Responsible POC Completion Date EOC Management EOC Management Observation 2.1: Strength. The exercise planning process and exercise conduct provided a medium to better define the parameters that ENLA would be activated to the City and County EOCs. Observation 2.1: Strength. The exercise planning process and exercise conduct provided a medium to better define the parameters that ENLA would be activated to the City and County EOCs. ENLA Board members should determine whether ENLA has the capacity to staff both the City BOC and County EOC. Plans and procedures for doing so should be documented. ENLA staff should work with the Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department to ensure that ENLA EOC activation procedures are documented with the BOC s policies and procedures, to include who ENLA reports to when activated, and should include this information within ENLA s Standard Operating Guide. Alix Stayton July 15, 2013 Alix Stayton July 15, 2013 EOC Management Observation 2.2: Strength. ENLA EOC representatives have a clear understanding of their role within the City/County EOC. Additional ENLA members should be identified and trained to serve as the ENLA EOC or BOC representative. ENLA should strive to identify a minimum of five personnel for each (City or County) seat. Jason Yancey July 15, 2013 EOC Management Observation 2.2: Strength. ENLA EOC representatives have a clear understanding of their role within the City/County EOC. An ENLA position checklist should be developed and kept within the City BOC s and County EOC s files so that this checklist can be quickly referenced any time ENLA is activated. Jason Yancey July 15, 2013 EOC Management Observation 2.3: Area of Improvement. The role of nonprofits within the City and County EOCs should be specified through documentation. The City s Emergency Operations Plan should include information on which nonprofits may be called upon to fill seats when the BOC is activated, and this information should be communicated to all eligible nonprofits as well as ENLA Alix Stayton and Brent Woodworth July 15, 2013 AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 45

48 Capability Observation Title Recommendation Primary Responsible POC Completion Date nonprofit members who are not expected to be activated. ENLA staff should discuss this issue with relevant stakeholders and document the information. EOC Management EOC Management Observation 2.3: Area of Improvement. The role of nonprofits within the City and County EOCs should be specified through documentation. Observation 2.3: Area of Improvement. The role of nonprofits within the City and County EOCs should be specified through documentation. Checklists should be developed for nonprofit representatives who may be activated to the City or County EOC. Available EOC trainings for nonprofit representatives should be regularly communicated to ENLA members. Cullen Armet Cullen Armet Ongoing Ongoing EOC Management Observation 2.4: Strength. ENLA members demonstrate a thorough understanding of their role outside of the EOC in assisting coordinated response and recovery efforts, particularly in regards to communicating their internal situational analysis to ENLA and the City EOC and County EOC. All ENLA members should discuss ENLA participation within their emergency plans and procedures, specifying how they will submit situation reports to ENLA and how they will support ENLA during disaster response and recovery. This will be a requirement for all new ENLA members, and will be added to the ENLA Membership Packet. Alix Stayton, Cullen Armet, and Jason Yancey July 15, 2013 EOC Management Observation 2.5: Strength. Communication procedures proved to be an important topic of discussion during the exercise, and such procedures were clarified and shared with all participants. ENLA s Communications Committee should develop relationships with outside sponsors or entities that could potentially provide amateur radios for use by ENLA during EOC activation. ENLA Communic ations Committee March 31, 2014 AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 46

49 Capability Observation Title Recommendation Primary Responsible POC Completion Date EOC Management Observation 2.5: Strength. Communication procedures proved to be an important topic of discussion during the exercise, and such procedures were clarified and shared with all participants. ENLA should continue communicating with its nonprofit member organizations to determine at least one person from each organization who can serve as ENLA s point of contact during EOC activations. Contact information for selected individuals should be compiled into a contact list to be maintained at the EOC and within an EOC Packet, to be developed by ENLA staff. Alix Stayton July 15, 2013 EOC Management Observation 2.5: Strength. Communication procedures proved to be an important topic of discussion during the exercise, and such procedures were clarified and shared with all participants. Member participation in ENLA s annual Great ShakeOut drill needs to be improved in order to regularly test communication procedures. ENLA Communica tions Committee Great ShakeOut 2013 Volunteer and Donations Management Volunteer and Donations Management Observation 3.1: Strength. Many ENLA members, especially the larger nonprofit organizations, have firm processes in place regarding how to coordinate resources with one another, and have practiced these processes. Observation 3.2: Strength. Los Angeles nonprofit organizations have demonstrated the capacity to effectively manage spontaneous volunteers. ENLA should facilitate an annual functional exercise to enable new and smaller ENLA members to practice their disaster plans and processes. ENLA should develop procedures to coordinate regular conference calls during disaster incidents to help its members determine who needs volunteers and how they can coordinate volunteers and other resources, and should document these procedures in ENLA s internal Emergency Operations Plan. Alix Stayton March 31, 2015 Alix Stayton July 15, 2013 AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 47

50 Capability Observation Title Recommendation Primary Responsible POC Completion Date Volunteer and Donations Management Observation 3.3: Area of Improvement. ENLA members should coordinate with one another and with ENLA to prepare for and to execute donations management in times of disaster. Continuous trainings should be conducted to teach nonprofits about the donations management process. Alix Stayton March 31, 2014 Volunteer and Donations Management Observation 3.3: Area of Improvement. ENLA members should coordinate with one another and with ENLA to prepare for and to execute donations management in times of disaster. Seminars and exercises should be organized for nonprofits to practice the donations management process. ENLA should strive to identify members to participate in and lead this important function. Alix Stayton March 31, 2014 Volunteer and Donations Management Observation 3.3: Area of Improvement. ENLA members should coordinate with one another and with ENLA to prepare for and to execute donations management in times of disaster. Identify ENLA members to discuss and handle donations management during incident response and recovery, and incorporate outcomes into ENLA s Emergency Operations Plan. Alix Stayton March 31, 2014 Volunteer and Donations Management Observation 3.4: Strength. The reimbursement process is clearly defined for nonprofits, and ENLA serves as an available resource to provide reimbursement information. ENLA should support share information regarding training and resources available through FEMA and/or CalEMA regarding reimbursement. This should be posted on ENLA s John Cvjetkovic July 15, 2013 AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 48

51 APPENDIX B: PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK The following information was extracted from participant feed back during the exercise. A total of 35 Participants and staff attended the exercise and provided their feedback for inclusion in the AAR. Feedback provided by participants on the exercise was very positive many commenting that the presentations and discussions brought to light new information for them, and enhanced understanding of key concepts. Individuals were supportive of ENLA and are looking forward to the opportunity to continue their learning during future training and exercise events. TABLE 3: EXERCISE FEEDBACK TABLE Rating Satisfaction of Exercise Assessment Factor The exercise was well structured and organized The presenters were knowledgeable provided relevant information Strongly Agree 61% 22% 17% 65% 29% 6% Strongly Disagree The Situation Manual and other materials provided were valuable tools throughout the exercise and as a take-home resource 65% 23% 6% 6% The multi-media presentation was easy to follow My participation in the exercise helped me to clarify the expectations, roles/responsibilities and capabilities needed to support ENLA s response and recovery efforts after a disaster 53% 41% 6% 6% 50% 38% 6% 6% Based on a total of 20 returned feedback forms. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 49

52 SELECT PARTICIPANT COMMENTS Very well done. Great job!! I thought the exercise was well structured. It would have been good to know who was in the room. Knowing what would be discussed ahead of time would have helped with better responses. Too many PowerPoint presentations. Not enough time for scenarios. It was a great exercise. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 50

53 # Last Name APPENDIX C: ATTENDEES First Name 1 Armet Cullen Agency/Organization Emergency Network Los Angeles Position Program Assistant 2 Bailey James Willdan Homeland Solutions President & CEO 3 Boudreaux Debra Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation EVP 4 Boundy Schlene Do Your Part Founder 5 Burke Carmela American Red Cross Public Affairs 6 Burton Anna Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department Assistant General Manager 7 Calhoun Lonna Cope Preparedness President 8 Chung John Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Coordinator 9 Constant Michelle Constant & Associates, Inc. CEO/Lead Consultant 10 Cvjetkovic John Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services 11 Davenport Julie SoCalfirst and Wells Fargo 12 Eazell Leilani 13 Engleman Barbara 14 Frazier Quentin Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department Department Emergency Coordinator AVP Regional Emergency Mgr. SO CA. Sr. Disaster Services Analyst EOB - Program Head Emergency Operations Coordinator 15 Gillies Charles The Salvation Army EDS Director 16 Gonzales Gilbert Volunteer Los Angeles 17 Hamilton Alicia 18 Hoppisley- Coxe Nick Community MBC / The Revelation Network American Red Cross Manager, Special Projects 1st Lady / CEO Volunteer Partner to the Director of Disaster AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 51

54 # Last Name First Name Agency/Organization Services Position 19 Hunemiller Brenda Area D Office of Disaster Management 20 Hunter Eric Pepperdine University 21 Ipsen Chris Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department 22 Jamplis Lindsey Pepperdine University 23 Kondo Kenneth 24 Lacayo Ron Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works 25 Louchios Lexi Pepperdine University Area Coordinator Public Information Officer Program Specialist/PIO Disaster Services Coordinator 26 Lubuulwa Francis Pepperdine University 27 Masnovi Janae Pepperdine University 28 Meissner Steven American Red Cross/Los Angeles Operational Alliance Planning Manager 29 Myers Paul Save the Children Program Specialist 30 Nguyen Kim Constant & Associates, Inc. Consultant 31 O'Donnell Jeanne Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management 32 Onstad Phyllis CaliforniaVolunteers Program Manager Community Partnerships Specialist 33 Ortiz Patricia Children's Institute, Inc. Chief Risk Officer 34 Perea Cesar 35 Petrakis Chris 36 Pijuan Alen Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles J. Paul Getty Trust / Business & Industry Council for Emergency Planning & Preparedness (BICEPP) Los Angeles City Emergency Management Director of Animal Protection Services Emergency Planning Specialist Emergency Management AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 52

55 # Last Name First Name Agency/Organization Department Position Coordinator I 37 Pond Terri IT Crisis Services, Inc. Consultant 38 Popoff Belinda Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Disaster Services Analyst 39 Ramos Donna Jewish Family Service Facilities Manager 40 Reeb Jeff 41 Riebling Michelle 42 Rhodes Trevor 43 Sandhu Simran Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County Program Manager Emergency Operations Coordinator Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Intern 44 Sims Jim Constant & Associates, Inc. Consultant 45 Stayton Alix 46 Troncale Joann Emergency Network Los Angeles Los Angeles City Emergency Management Department Program Manager 47 Turner Aislynn Constant & Associates, Inc. Consultant 48 Valadez Pablo Los Angeles County Fire Department 49 Welch Brandy American Red Cross 50 Williams Alisa 51 Woodworth Brent 52 Yancey Jason 53 Yang Norman 54 Yong Tony Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation Emergency Network Los Angeles Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation Emergency Operations Coordinator Sr. Disaster Services Analyst Disaster Partnerships Manager Program Manager CEO Chair Outreach Coordinator Emergency Services Team Leader AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 53

56 This page is intentionally left blank. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 54

57 APPENDIX D: PRESENTATIONS Emergency Network Los Angeles your Los Angeles County VOAD Alix Stayton Program Manager Emergency Network Los Angeles ENLA Overview! Coalition of nonprofits with a disaster function in Los Angeles County A continuum of organizations:! small nonprofits who need to learn about disaster! different size nonprofits who plan to provide some type of preparedness, response, or recovery service! large nonprofits who focus on disaster activities for their main programs ENLA s Capabilities! Coordinate nonprofit disaster preparedness, response and recovery activities and information in Los Angeles County! Educate nonprofits about disaster, train nonprofits to participate in disaster activities! Facilitate cooperation between nonprofits, business and government partners AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 55

58 ENLA Membership VOTING MEMBERSHIP is open to 501 (C)3 non-profit charitable organizations willing to provide emergency preparedness, response, disaster relief, and /or disaster recovery services when needed.! Non-Government American Red Cross Salvation Army Regional Food Bank LA County Tzu Chi Foundation Many More! Government Los Angeles County Public Social Services Dept of Public Health Ofc of Emergency Mgmt City of Los Angeles Emergency Mgmt Dept ENLA s Strategic Goals! Expand the focus of ENLA s activities to include all of LA County! Develop consistent funding for ENLA activities and staff! Increase ENLA s responsiveness to the needs of its members Organizational Goals! To ensure better preparation, response to and recovery from disasters and emergencies throughout Los Angeles County.! To expand efforts in underserved portions and populations of Los Angeles County.! To grow the membership to enhance capacity to respond in a disaster.! To ensure smooth operations and cooperation with government and other agencies before, during and after a disaster or emergency. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 56

59 ENLA Committee Structure! Functional Committees Communications Mass Care Volunteer Management! Administrative Committees Executive Nominations Development ENLA s Role in a Disaster! Coordinate and compile member agency information to provide situational awareness to government partners! Facilitate resource availability information between members and government partners! Support and participate in recovery activities ENLA s Role in a Disaster (cont d)! ENLA does not commit its members to any activities or partnerships! ENLA does not respond as the VOAD; individual members respond! ENLA does not raise or manage funds or solicit or manage donated goods for disasters (individual members do these activities) AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 57

60 Before the Disaster! Disseminate Emergency Preparedness Info! Prepare your organization! Joint planning efforts! Develop Information Sharing Networks! Participate in training & exercises During the Disaster! Deliver consistent and appropriate information via internal network! Find difficult to reach populations! Identify service gaps! Provide core services to those unwilling or unable to access government programs! Report unmet needs and status of service delivery to the Operational Area (seat at the County EOC via DPSS)! Understand roles & responsibilities of government agencies, support agencies, and communitybased organizations to avoid duplication of services After the Disaster! Prepare After Action Report! Take corrective actions! Support Long-term Recovery Provide convening opportunities with government, nationwide, and international partners (FEMA, UMCOR, World Vision) Facilitate training for creating Long Term Recovery Groups Member organizations participate in Long Term Recovery activities and committees AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 58

61 Questions? Alix Stayton Program Manager Emergency Network Los Angeles AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 59

62 Building Partnerships Between Government and Nonprofits Jeanne O Donnell Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management Los Angeles County OEM! OEM is responsible for organizing and directing preparedness efforts of the Emergency Management Organization of Los Angeles County! OEM is the day-to-day Los Angeles County Operational Area coordinator for the entire geographic area of the county Planning and Coordination Operations Training Technical Operations Public Education What is an Operational Area?! Cities 88! Unincorporated Areas 137+! School Districts 100+! Special Districts 200+! Non-Governmental Organizations Non-profits Businesses AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 60

63 Disaster Management Areas Once called Civil Defense Areas the concept has existed since the 1940 s Each of the eight Areas (A-H) has a full or part-time professional emergency manager who coordinates emergency planning, preparedness and recovery efforts on behalf of their cities. When something happens! OEM monitors escalating incidents! OEM ensures that responding agencies get incident information! OEM distributes incident information! OEM keeps CalEMA informed about OA response and capabilities! OEM coordinates with LASD in activating CEOC! OEM staffs key CEOC positions and provides liaisons to other EOCs, as necessary! OEM collects IDE information to support requests for State or Federal assistance. Sources of Information Cities Unincorporated Areas School Districts Non-Governmental Organizations Non-profits Businesses Disaster Management Area Coordinators County Departments Office of Education ENLA BICEPP & HSAC, etc. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 61

64 Coordination Model in CA State Level (SOC) Region Level (REOC) Operational Area Level (CEOC) Local Govt. Level (EOC) Field Level (Incident Command) ENLA in the Response Phase! Deliver Consistent and appropriate information via internal network! Provide information to Call 2-1-1! Find difficult to reach populations! Identify service gaps! Provide core services to those unwilling or unable to access government programs! Report unmet needs and status of service delivery to the Operational Area! Understand roles & responsibilities of government agencies, support agencies, and community-based organizations to avoid duplication of services County EOC Operations! CEOC Operations Branch Responsibilities of the Operations Branch include the following General warning Special population warning Evacuation Evacuation and care for pets and livestock Initial damage assessments Safety assessments Shelter and feeding operations Emergency food and water distribution More AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 62

65 Shelter and Feeding Operations! This Branch is responsible for coordinating care and shelter, social services and school issues. The County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) may fill the position of Care and Shelter Branch Coordinator.! The Care & Shelter Branch is where ENLA sits but information collected by the liaison will enhance situational awareness and improve response for multiple operations. Operational Responsibilities of Care & Shelter Branch! Establish communications with other agencies to provide clothing and other basic life sustaining needs! Ensure that each activated shelter meets the requirements as described under the Americans with Disabilities Act! Assist in staffing and managing the shelters to the extent possible! In coordination with the American Red Cross, activate an inquiry registry service to reunite families and respond to inquiries from relatives or friends! Assist with the transition from operating shelters for displaced persons to separate family/individual housing! Based on the situation or forecast, determine likely future Care and Shelter needs Operational Responsibilities of Care & Shelter Branch! Assess the shelter operations to determine if additional staffing (i.e., DPSS shelter staff, security, nurses, mental health) and/or resources (i.e., food, water, portable showers, generators) are needed! Complete Branch reports and/or Action Plans as requested! Make a list of the key issues currently facing Care and Shelter Branch. Clearly establish action items to be accomplished within the next operational period! Adopt a proactive attitude. Think ahead and anticipate situations and problems before they occur AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 63

66 ENLA in the Recovery Phase! Solicit damage assessments! Participate in assessment of short- and longterm needs! Promulgate State and Federal Financial Assistance program information! Participate in Local Assistance Centers! Provide Service Coordination! Implement Recovery Plans and Programs Questions? Jeanne O Donnell Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 64

67 PARTNERING EARLY TO WORK TOGETHER IN DISASTER Anna Burton Readyla.org! LA City EOC Overview POWERPOINT LA City EOC Overview After 5 minutes of an explanation of the City PowerPoint! AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 65

68 LA City EOC Overview LA City EOC Overview Get it. Overview LA City EOC Overview AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 66

69 LA City EOC Overview! What is our focus? Role of City! What is our focus? Role of BOC AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 67

70 ! What is our focus? Role of City! What is our focus? Role of City Role of City AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 68

71 ! What is our focus? Role of City Role of BOC ~INFORMATION ~! Collect! Coordinate! Analyze! Share! Mutually Support Operations Role of ENLA in BOC! Who needs information from us?! Who do we need information from? - Non Profit Community - Banking - Grocery Distribution - Big Box Stores - Oil and Gas - Construction & Materials - Health Care - Technology - Everyone that is not in government already. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 69

72 !! Anna Burton Readyla.org AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 70

73 The Los Angeles Business Operations Center Fostering Cooperation with Local, State, Regional and Federal Public / Private Sector Initiatives Information is as important as food, water, or shelter during a disaster. Brent Woodworth Brent.Woodworth@LAEPF.org Los Angeles EOC and BOC Facility City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Department 2 About: LA Emergency Preparedness Foundation! LAEPF: LA Based 501c3 Charitable Nonprofit Organization! Supporting Community Resilience " Coordinate BOC operations with community stakeholder representatives " Fund and Support local Community Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Programs (education, awareness, response). " Promote Information Sharing and Collaboration. " Meet with sector groups and government agencies. " Adapt to changing community needs, provide leadership.! 3 AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 71

74 ! EMERGENCY NETWORK LOS ANGELES About: LA Business Operations Center " Seats in the BOC are held by representatives from 12 defined sectors: " Business (9 sectors) " Faith Based " Academic Institutions " Non-profits / Volunteer Organizations / Associations (includes ENLA) " Each sector identifies a minimum of 5 individuals to provide primary and back-up coverage for their designated BOC seat " All BOC members must complete education requirements " Local 101,201, SEMS/NIMS training and BOC/EOC operations " Disaster Service Worker certification (security) " On-line classes (FEMA approved approx 20 hrs) 4 1. Academic Institutions 2. Entertainment, Arts, Media, Sport, Recreation 3. Banking, Finance, Insurance, Legal 4. Manufacturing, Heavy Industry, Chemicals, Process, Oil and Gas 5. Construction, Development, Facility Management, Real Estate 6. Faith Based Community 7. Hospitality, Food and Beverage, Lodging, Tourism 8. Communications, Information Technology 9. Non-Government Organizations (NGO), Community-Based Organizations (CBO), Private Non-Profit Organizations (PNP), Volunteer Based Organizations (includes ENLA) 10. Transportation, Automotive, Postal / Shipping, Supply chain Warehousing 11. Associations, Professional Services, Consulting 12. Retail, Wholesale, Grocery, Consumer Goods and Services 5 About: LA Business Operations Center! The BOC operates as an integrated section within the EOC " BOC Section Coordinator, Deputy Coordinator, BOC Sector Representatives, BOC Donations Manager, BOC Communications Coordinator and Administrator! Key activities: " Outreach to ALL sectors " All on-line registered Companies, Organizations, and Associations receive BOC issued Situational Awareness Reports during emergency declarations. " Communication is two-way: The BOC provides sector sourced situational assessment data to the EOC (observations, needs, capabilities, issues) " BOC structure facilitates information exchange within, and across all sectors. " Manage Donation Requests and Offers " Coordinate Sector Needs 6 AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 72

75 !!!!!! EMERGENCY NETWORK LOS ANGELES LA Community Stakeholders Business Sectors Faith Based Organizations Academic Institutions NGO s / Volunteer Organizations BOC! BOC! Executive!Advisory!Council! LAEPF/BOC!Executive!Coordinator!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Sectors! Sector!Leaders! BOC!Sector!Representatives! BOC!Section! Coordinator! Business#Opera4ons# Center#(BOC)# BOC!Donations! Manager! BOC!Deputy! Coordinator! BOC!Communications! Coordinator!!&! Administrative! Support! Collabora'on)) on)boc)policy,) Prac'ces,) Programs,)and) Procedures)) Open Communications BOC!Sector!! Representatives! LA#Emergency# Preparedness##Founda4on# Facilitate BOC Operations Donations Management Support Preparedness, Response & Recovery Programs Open Communications Los#Angeles#Emergency# Management#Department# Defined Procedures And Responsibilities EOC Management Logistics PIO (Sections) Support Systems Give!2LA!!E!Sahana!!Web!EOC! * Facilitate two-way information exchange between BOC and Community Stakeholders (by sector / group) * Support Donations Management and interface with EOC! Act!as!communication!hub!for!ENLA!and!other!members!of!the!NonEGovernment! Organizations!(NGO),!CommunityEBased!Organizations!!!!(CBO),!Private!NonEProfit! Organizations!(PNP),!Volunteer!Based!Organization!sector.!! Establish!and!coordinate!sector!communications!(conference!calls,!electronic!meeting,! messaging,!etc.)!along!with!providing!situation!assessment!updates!!(what!is! happening,!what!do!you!need,!how!can!we!help,!how!can!you!help)!! Document!and!report!on!needs!and!capabilities!of!!the!sector!!to!the!BOC!Section! Coordinator!!! Provide!technical!assistance!and!support!to!sector!!agencies.!! Interface!with!other!!BOC!sector!representatives!as!needed.!! Interface!with!government!!/!agency!/!organization!representatives!operating!in!EOC!! as!needed.!! Interface!with!volunteer!and!donation!management!coordinator!as!needed.! 8 ENLA : Next Steps in the BOC! Encourage pro-active participation across the sector! Identify qualified individuals to represent the interests of the sector inside the BOC " 5 people minimum (committed to respond and help in a crisis) " Participate in LAEMD 101, 201, and 301 training + basic ICS + BOC exercises " Establish 2-way communication protocols across your sector " Conduct regular meetings with members of your sector (quarterly)! Top 5 " What do believe are the top 5 information and support needs your sector has during times of crisis? (how can the BOC help you) " What do you believe are the top 5 information and support elements your sector could provide the BOC during times of crisis? (how can you help the BOC) 9 AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 73

76 Thank You The Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation! Please Contact Us.! We are pleased to share and learn with you. Brent Woodworth AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 74

77 The Community Stakeholder Network (CSN) CSN is a collaborative system designed to support the Business and Community Stakeholder Sectors for the purpose of enhanced and sustained Community Resilience. CSN is committed to encouraging the sharing of information between and across sectors in order to provide timely and beneficial Situation Awareness, Business Intelligence, and Decision Support content. CSN will provide end-users with a consolidated, high-value, and trusted source when seeking information and making decisions needed to prepare for, respond to, and recover from man-made or natural disaster events Profile of the CSN Community Government Religious organizations NGOs CSN A holistic approach to the Community Resilience Academia FEMA (US) Community / Volunteers Red Cross * Private Sector * Private Sector Stakeholders Entertainment, Arts, Media, Sports, Recreation Banking, Finance, Insurance, Legal Manufacturing, Heavy Industry, Chemicals, Process, Oil and Gas Construction, Development, Facility Management, Real Estate, Hospitality, Food and Beverage, Lodging, Tourism Communications, Information Technology Transportation, Automotive, Postal / Shipping, Supply chain, Warehousing Associations, Professional Services, Consulting Retail, Wholesale, Grocery, Consumer Goods and Services AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 75

78 4 Strategic Dimensions of Change 5 Early Warning Transition Preparedness Dimensions Disaster Mitigation Response CSN is approaching all needs in an effort to streamline the right information, at the right time, to decision makers that can make a difference. Recovery Situation Awareness - framework AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 76

79 CSN Benefits Information is collected from reputable sources and presented in an easy to understand graphical and consolidated format. CSN components were developed with the direct input of Community Stakeholders. Situational Awareness, Mapping / GIS, Incident Management, Collaboration and Coordination, Messaging / Survey, Data Library, Calendar, Mobil Data Collection CSN systems will be designed for easy remote access from a variety of devices. CSN systems provide: Easy access to decision support information during times of crisis Timely communications and reduced duplication of information Improved user productivity and more effective cross-organizational collaboration to help minimize loss, improve response and accelerate recovery Designed for effective use in daily operation and high-stress situations Situation Awareness Situational Awareness Scope: Developing a COP (Common Operating Picture) system which incorporates advanced technology such as mapping tools and data management that can improve organizational efficiencies and effectiveness by dramatically enhancing information sharing, near realtime situational awareness, and cross functional data transfer during daily operations. Mapping / GIS Infrastructure Mapping / GIS Infrastructure Situational Awareness Scope: Provide geographical services for improved decision making as a major contributing visual decision support component. Detailed USGS / HAZUS event analysis and modeling capability (InLET) for seismic events along with overlay information for census track data, building inventory data. Mapping for available traffic, infrastructure and event specific overlays. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 77

80 Incident Management Incident Management Situational Awareness Scope: Ability to pull, input, and view information on an active incident including current, anticipated and potential actions. Overall incident and Sector specific data. Mobile data collection Field Data Collection Situational Awareness Scope: Provide social media geographical services for improved data collection as a sub-element to support overall Situational Awareness (i.e. Crowd Sourcing ). Messaging / Survey Messaging / Surveys (Within and across Sectors) Situational Awareness Scope: Send messages within and across sectors. Manage / Log requests within and across sectors. Conduct electronic surveys within and across sectors. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 78

81 Collaboration and Coordination Collaboration and Transparency Situational Awareness Scope: Through the use of Business Intelligence technologies CSN will provide historical, current and predictive views to support improved situational awareness and decision support. CSN will provide linkage to existing information sources and capabilities along with document library and calendar functions. CSN Next Steps Research, Interviews, Validation: January May, 2013 Preliminary System Design: January April, 2013 HSAC / CSN Annual Event : May 1, 2013 DHS / UASI Conference: June 4-7, 2013 Detailed Development Phase June October, 2013 Quality Assurance & Update Phase October November, 2013 Training January, 2014 Initial CSN Launch January, 2014 Ongoing Maintenance and Support January Ongoing AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 79

82 This page is intentionally left blank. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 80

83 APPENDIX E: SELECT EXERCISE MATERIALS ENLA Member Preparedness Goals I. Develop a Disaster Mission Statement a. What will we do, when, and for whom? II. Make a plan a. Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) b. Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) III. Get leadership prepared a. Lead by example, and make sure you re ready to come to work after a disaster because you know your family will be ok IV. Get members/clients/staff prepared a. Encourage people to get a kit, make a plan, and be ready V. Exercise the plan a. Practice makes perfect! This is where you find gaps in your plans, and helps improve your ability to plan ahead. September is National Preparedness Month every year, and the Great California ShakeOut ( is held every October. Check out these great opportunities to work with many organizations statewide and nationally to practice your preparedness. Terms defined: ENLA s members serve a large range of Los Angeles residents. Oftentimes, agencies serve people with special needs in some other capacity. For example, a church serves many seniors and people with disabilities, but doesn t provide services for the disability they serve the spiritual needs of those people. In times of disaster, that same church may need to provide services for people using wheelchairs or oxygen, or those who have communication challenges. When you are writing your plan, take a moment to think about the people your organization serves, and what they might need from you. For our purposes, people with disabilities and seniors includes people who are vulnerable or at risk and cannot always comfortably or safely use some of the standard resources offered in disaster preparedness, relief, recovery and mitigation. They may include people who have a variety of visual, hearing, mobility, cognitive, emotional, and mental limitations, as well as older people, people who use life-support systems, people who use service animals, and people who are medically or chemically dependent. -- Serving and Protecting All by Applying Lessons Learned Including People with Disabilities and Seniors in Disaster Services Kailes March 2006 Cooperation, Communication, Coordination, Collaboration Emergency Network of Los Angeles the Los Angeles County VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) 501 Shatto Place Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA * office * info@enla.org * AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 81

84 EMERGENCY NETWORK LOS ANGELES POST-DISASTER AGENCY STATUS REPORT Complete and submit the following information: Date: Time: (1) GENERAL INFORMATION Organization Type: Arts and culture Education Environment Animal-related Health care Mental health and crisis intervention Crime and legal related Employment Food and nutrition Housing and shelter Public safety, disaster preparedness, and relief Recreation and sports Youth development Human services Civil rights Community improvement and capacity building Philanthropy Religion related (faith based services) Information and referral services Agency Name: Contact Name: Address: Site Address: City: Zip: Phone: If your regular phone is not working, what is the best way to communicate with you? AGENCY STATUS: Full Operation (Agency in full operation, all utilities are functional) Non-Operational (Agency unable to provide any services due to the disaster/emergency) Partial Operations/Services (Due to disaster, the agency is able to provide some, but not all planned services) What are the Services your agency can provide? (2) Has your agency relocated? Yes No Cooperation, Communication, Coordination, Collaboration Emergency Network of Los Angeles the Los Angeles County VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) 501 Shatto Place Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA * office * info@enla.org * AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 82

85 If yes, Relocation Address: Relocation Phone: Relocation Fax: (3) Normal services offered: (4) Disaster services offered: (5) Agency problems not mentioned above: (6) Does your agency have needs you want to communicate to other ENLA agencies? (This information is used to conduct a general needs assessment; there is no guarantee that assistance can be offered. DO NOT request emergency or governmental assistance on this form.) (7) Problems or needs in your neighborhood? (for a general needs assessment): **********END OF FORM*********** Page 2 of 2 Emergency Network of Los Angeles the Los Angeles County VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) 501 Shatto Place Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA * office * info@enla.org * AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 83

86 211 LA COUNTY INFORMATION AND REFERRAL FEDERATION OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY Serving Los Angeles County since 1981 Under contract with Los Angeles County, 211 LA County is the public s interactive information source for the County in the event of a disaster or terrorist act. As a founding member of 211 California and the National 211 Disaster Support Collective, 211 Los Angeles is active in county and statewide disaster response through its collaborative efforts with these 211 partners. Terrorist or Disaster Event Responsibilities Conservative estimate of 100,000 to 200,000 disaster information calls daily after a large scale event. 211 serves as a distributor of disaster-related information and rumor control to the public and distributor of LA County Department of Health advisories. 211 provides real-time trend analysis and needs assessment (Unmet Needs) for Emergency Managers and the identification of long term recovery resources. 211 relieves pressure on 911 and other first responder phone systems by providing an established number for individuals to call for non-life threatening situational information, particularly fire status, evacuation routes and status, road closures, shelter locations, and status of area reoccupations. Public verification of Reverse / Alert LA County dialing systems announcing evacuations. 211 plays a significant role in disaster recovery by providing information and referrals to individuals for nonprofit and faith based agencies who offer long term assistance to disaster affected populations. Recent Disaster Assistance Activity 2012 Hurricane Sandy: Provided overflow call assistance for the state of Vermont Severe Wind Storm: LA County Office of Emergency Management designated 211 as the public s phone intake source to gather individual residence storm related damages and provide data collection reports to the county. 2011: Coordinated efforts with all coastal area 211s for the 2011 Japan Tsunami Advisory for the California coast. Provided damage reports and advisory updates for 211s throughout California Hurricane Irene: Provided overflow call assistance for the New York and Vermont 211s by taking disaster calls and serving as the hub for transferring additional calls to San Diego and Portland 211s. 2011: Coordinated dispersal of Department of Health information related to public s concern over the Japanese Nuclear incident and the possible radiation cloud over Los Angeles County. 211 provided residents with information on iodine usage and current monitoring activities for the region H1N1 response: LA County Public Health designated 211 as the public information resource for questions about H1N1. Answered over 24,000 English and 9,000 Spanish language calls. Handled evacuation and disaster assistance calls for the 2010 Crown, 2009 Station, and 2008 Sayre/Marek wildfires and staffed the Local Assistance Centers during the recovery phase of the fires. Assisted Louisiana 211 call centers in 2008 by routing over 12,000 Hurricane Gustav and Ike calls to 211s throughout California. 211 LA served as the telecommunications hub for routing all incoming calls. Disaster Response Capabilities and Planning Member of Los Angeles County alert notification systems for early warning status updates. Permanent large capacity generator (225 KW) to maintain all critical systems. Use of a virtual Collocation with redundant servers and software in the event the 211 facility is damaged Technology allowing agents to work at alternate facilities while accessing 211 s information database. I&R software (211 LinQ) with designated disaster information database and rumor control/data reporting tools. Database is web accessible allowing overflow call facilities to remotely access information, T-1, cell, hard line, and multiple trunk lines for multiple telecommunication disaster recovery options. Cloud based telecommunications allow call handling and transfer capabilities even if facility is damaged. Web based call allocator system provides immediate call routing capability from a remote location. 211 LA Advantages Only one phone number to remember and replaces multiple disaster information hotlines Expertise of 211 staff eliminates many misdirected calls. 24/7 operations provide greater accessibility. TTY and multilingual capability ensures access to all. Information maintained and distributed by 211 LA County. PHONE FAX AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 84

87 Why is SNAP important for me? You may be very self-sufficient, and have a strong support system, but in a natural or man-made disaster, that independence could be threatened. SNAP is an important tool to help you prepare yourself before a disaster happens. Register with SNAP to let emergency planners and responders know what kind of extra help you might need. What will SNAP do for me? When you register with SNAP, your registration information will be included in disaster plans and maps. Emergency planners and responders will know where you are and what your needs are when disaster strikes. Another reason to register is the valuable preparedness information you can get at the SNAP website. Plan. Prepare. Register. County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Gloria Molina, First District Mark Ridley-Thomas, Second District Zev Yaroslavsky, Third District Don Knabe, Fourth District Michael D. Antonovich, Fifth District Chief Executive Officer William T Fujioka For more information contact 211 Los Angeles County by dialing DRAFT SNAP does not guarantee priority service to those who register, but SNAP does give emergency planners and responders an additional tool to identify, locate and assist people with disabilities or health conditions during a natural or man-made disaster. It s a SNAP to register at This document was prepared under a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency s Grant Programs Directorate (FEMA/GPD) within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Points of view or opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of FEMA/GPD or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. You may be self-sufficient, and have a strong support system. But in a disaster, that independence could be threatened. Will YOU be prepared when disaster strikes? Add to your support system by registering with SNAP, Los Angeles County s voluntary disaster registry. Plan. Prepare. Register. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 24

88 What is SNAP? SNAP stands for Specific Needs Awareness Planning. SNAP is a voluntary disaster registry. SNAP can help emergency personnel find people who may need additional assistance in a disaster. Preparing for disasters in Los Angeles County can be a SNAP. Registering with SNAP is a simple and key step you can take to prepare yourself for natural and man-made disasters. SNAP can also provide you with helpful information to assist you and your family in preparing for disasters in Los Angeles County. DRAFT Plan how you will be able to evacuate during a disaster. Prepare yourself and your family with disaster kits for your home and car. Register with SNAP! Is SNAP for me? Ask yourself these questions: Do I have a permanent or temporary disability? Do I need help to get out of a building safely during a disaster? Do I need assistance to travel to an emergency evacuation center? Do I need extra help taking care of myself in my home or an evacuation center? Do I need extra help because of my disability to care for myself alone for several days? Do I need assistive equipment that uses electricity? If you answered yes to any of these questions you should register with SNAP. If you answered no to these questions, find great preparedness information at SNAP registrations can be made on an individual basis or as a group. If you don t have access to the Internet, or if you need assistance with registration, ask a family member, friend or caregiver to do the registration for you. Don t delay. Register today at How do I register? Go to and click on Register Now. Choose Individual or Group and get started. Step #1 Enter your home address. Step #2 Enter your name and contact information. Step #3 Enter Your Emergency Contacts. Step #4 Identify your immediate and longterm needs and concerns for evacuating, or for sheltering safely in place. Step #5 Create a username and password and click Register. Be sure to update your registration information annually or when your information changes. Your SNAP information is secure, and will be used only if there is a disaster in Los Angeles County. Only authorized emergency personnel will have access to SNAP. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 25

89 DRAFT AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 26

90 How to Register How to Search In just a few moments, you can post your sta- Visit redcross.org/safeandwell. Click List Myself as Safe and Well and Select at least one of the standard messages ( I am safe and well, Family and I are safe and Well., I am at a shelter, I am currently at home ). Enter a custom message, of up to 255 characters, to further tell your story. Click Submit. Your registration will now be available to those who search. They will only see your name, the date and time of your registration and the messages you chose to share. Your registration will automatically drop from the system after a year. If you are having trouble reaching your loved ones in a disaster area, try searching on Safe and Well. Visit redcross.org/safeandwell and click Search Registrants. Enter the person s full name and then choose Option 1 (search by phone number) or Option 2 (search by complete home address). Click Search Entries. Results will only show the person s name, the date and time of registration, and the messages they chose to share just enough information to provide peace of mind until normal communications can be restored. If your loved one is not listed, and if he or she had a serious, pre-existing health or mental health condition, contact your DRAFT local Red Cross to initiate an Emergency Welfare Inquiry. redcross.org/safeandwell If you need help registering or searching, call your local chapter at the number listed on the brochure, or RED CROSS. Make Safe and Well Part of Your Family s Disaster Communication Plan! Know how to contact one another and where to meet if it is not possible to go home. Choose an out-of-state relative or friend as an emergency contact. Familiarize your family with the Safe and Well Website and make sure they know how to use it. AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 27

91 Disaster(timeline( Individuals, family members and colleagues help each other in the moments after a disaster. In the following hours, here s what happens: VOAD members (Community-based and Faith-based Organizations [CBOs and FBOs]) manage damage and injuries in their locations. They do initial assessments of their ability to continue to provide services and stay in their current locations ENLA members complete a situation status report and fax, , or text the information to ENLA ENLA staff/volunteers make contact with the Department of Social Services [DPSS] via CWIRS radio or phone. They coordinate with each other and begin making their way to the ENLA office or other place they can get phone or internet ENLA staff/volunteers compile information from received SitStats and send to LA County Office of Emergency Management [OEM] OEM activates ENLA as a response partner, requesting a representative to staff a seat at the County Emergency Operations Center [CEOC]. ENLA is activated through DPSS, who calls or radios ENLA staff or volunteers to go to the CEOC As time goes on: DISASTER!) ENLA staff and volunteers rotate through the CEOC in shifts, providing assistance 24 hours a day ENLA members complete new SitStats on a regular basis, updating the information on their location, what needs they have, what services they are providing, and the situation on the ground in the area where they are located Individual ENLA member organizations may continue to provide their everyday services (this is continuity of operations) like assistance to persons with disabilities and access and functional needs; sheltering pre-disaster homeless; providing child care, elder care, and mental health services; food distribution. Other ENLA member organizations may shift to providing disaster services like disaster sheltering; feeding services; emotional and spiritual care; transitional housing. Eventually: Emergency response functions wind down and communities move into recovery mode Affected communities may form Long Term Recovery Groups [LTRG], sometimes called unmet needs committees ENLA members may come together as the local VOAD to provide convening opportunities for affected communities to learn about and discuss options for creating their LTRG. VOAD member Church World Service provides training on this topic ENLA may provide training opportunities for LTRG members to learn about disaster case management, the FEMA sequence of assistance if relevant, disaster emotional & spiritual care and other topics, through VOAD member organizations New) ENLA member organizations may participate in the LTRG through leadership and/or committees. Some ENLA member normal ) organizations provide disaster case management [CM], while others accept referrals from these CM orgs and provide direct services and/or financial assistance. LTRG member organizations work together to avoid service duplication, prevent individuals/families from falling through the cracks, and maintain survivors privacy and dignity DRAFT AFTER ACTION REPORT AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 28