Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program. Fiscal Year 2016 Report to Congress February 23, Federal Emergency Management Agency

Transcription

1 Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program Fiscal Year 2016 Report to Congress February 23, 2017 Federal Emergency Management Agency

2 Foreword I am pleased to present the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Report to Congress prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This report is being submitted to Congress in response to requirements set forth in 50 United States Code (U.S.C.) 1521 (e)(2)(c), which directs that the Administrator shall transmit a report to Congress no later than December 15 of each year on activities regarding a program to assist State and local governments in developing capabilities to respond to emergencies resulting from, among other things, the storage or destruction of the military s lethal chemical agents and munitions. The report covers activities for FY 2016 and includes a site-by-site description of actions taken to assist State and local governments (either directly or through FEMA) in carrying out functions relating to emergency preparedness and response. Pursuant to congressional requirements, this report is being provided to the following Members of Congress: The Honorable John McCain Chairman, Senate Committee on Armed Services The Honorable Jack Reed Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Armed Services The Honorable Mac Thornberry Chairman, House Committee on Armed Services The Honorable Adam Smith Ranking Member, House Committee on Armed Services The Honorable Thad Cochran Chairman, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense The Honorable Richard J. Durbin Ranking Member, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense i

3 The Honorable Rodney Frelinghuysen Chairman, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense The Honorable Pete Visclosky Ranking Member, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Inquiries relating to this report may be directed to me at (202) or to the Department s Acting Chief Financial Officer, Stacy Marcott, at (202) Sincerely, Robert J. Fenton Acting Administrator Federal Emergency Management Agency ii

4 Executive Summary CSEPP is a whole community partnership that unites FEMA, the U.S. Army, multiple Federal departments and agencies, two States, many local governments, volunteer organizations, and the private sector. Its mission is to enhance existing local, installation, tribal, State, and Federal capabilities to protect the health and safety of the public, workforce, and environment from the effects of a chemical accident or incident involving the U.S. Army chemical stockpile. 1 In FY 2016, CSEPP continued to fulfill that mission. The Army began destroying chemical weapons at the Pueblo Chemical Depot (PCD) in Colorado and continues to test systems that will destroy the stockpile at the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD) in Kentucky. However, the risks to the communities from the storage of chemical agents remain. FEMA is committed to maintaining its preparedness mission until the chemical stockpiles are destroyed. CSEPP has completed this mission in the communities surrounding six of the original eight chemical stockpile locations. Thanks in part to Congressional support of this program, these communities are better prepared to respond to any hazard or emergency. This year, the remaining two CSEPP communities met their preparedness goals through collaborative program management, including integrated process teams that brought stakeholders together to identify program needs, develop alternatives, and implement solutions. Specific CSEPP accomplishments in Colorado and Kentucky during FY 2016 include: Designing, renovating, or constructing seven emergency operations centers (EOCs), which serve as the central locations for emergency management where various response organizations come together to plan and implement emergency response; Maintaining and enhancing interoperable emergency communications systems; Conducting two full-scale emergency exercises (jointly managed by the Army and FEMA) and finalizing after-action reports with corrective action plans; Educating at-risk residents on emergency protective actions and training emergency management and response personnel; Conducting a series of medical capability reviews at eleven hospitals and nine prehospital care organizations in the Kentucky CSEPP community; Conducting Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) testing with CSEPP stakeholders in partnership with the FEMA IPAWS Program Management Office and the U.S. Department of Defense s Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC); and 1 Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program Strategic Plan, November 2013, p. 5 iii

5 Conducting a Critical Systems Infrastructure tabletop exercise in the Colorado CSEPP Community to assess and enhance backup systems and emergency procedures for critical systems. These activities exemplify FEMA s mission to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a Nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. Further, these program efforts were designed to enhance these communities all-hazards core capabilities as established under the National Preparedness System. This report includes an overview of the status of the program, a summary of significant program accomplishments at the Federal level, and a description of the status and accomplishments of the two CSEPP communities. iv

6 Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program Fiscal Year 2016 Report to Congress Table of Contents I. Legislative Requirements...1 II. Background...3 III. Program History...5 Collaboration...5 Funding Administration...6 The CSEPP Environment...8 IV. Results...12 CSEPP Management System Risk Reduction CSEPP Benchmarks V. Summary of Significant Activities...22 Administration Alert and Notification Automation Communications Coordinated Plans Emergency Operations Centers Exercises Medical Program Personnel v

7 Protective Actions Public Outreach and Education Training VI. Looking Forward to FY VII. Conclusion...33 Appendix A: Colorado...35 Fiscal Year 2016 Accomplishments Appendix B: Kentucky...43 Fiscal Year 2016 Accomplishments Appendix C: CSEPP Stakeholders...51 State of Colorado Commonwealth of Kentucky Appendix D: Abbreviations...52 vi

8 I. Legislative Requirements The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) submits the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Annual Report to the U.S. Congress in accordance with the requirements set forth in 50 United States Code (U.S.C.) 1521(e)(2)(C). Section 1521(e)(2) directs the following: (A) In coordination with the Secretary of the Army and in accordance with agreements between the Secretary of the Army and the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Administrator shall carry out a program to provide assistance to State and local governments in developing capabilities to respond to emergencies involving risks to the public health or safety within their jurisdictions that are identified by the Secretary as being risks resulting from (i) the storage of lethal chemical agents and munitions referred to in subsection (a) at military installations in the continental United States; or (ii) the destruction of such agents and munitions at facilities referred to in subsection (d)(1)(b). (B) Assistance may be provided under this paragraph for capabilities to respond to emergencies involving an installation or facility as described in subparagraph (A) until the earlier of the following: (i) The date of the completion of all grants and cooperative agreements with respect to the installation or facility for purposes of this paragraph between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State and local governments concerned. (ii) The date that is 180 days after the date of the completion of the destruction of lethal chemical agents and munitions at the installation or facility. (C) Not later than December 15 of each year, the Administrator shall transmit a report to Congress on the activities carried out under this paragraph during the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year in which the report is submitted. In addition, under 50 U.S.C. 1521(i)(2)(B), the Secretary of Defense is required to submit a report to Congress regarding their activities carried out under Section 1521(e)(2). Such a report must include: [a] site-by-site description of actions taken to assist State and local governments (either directly or through the Federal Emergency Management Agency) in carrying out functions relating to emergency preparedness and response in accordance with subsection (e) of this section. 1

9 Pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1521(e), the Department of the Army and FEMA entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) beginning in 1988 under which the Army provides funds to FEMA to support the mission of the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP): to assist State, tribal, and local governments in carrying out functions related to emergency preparedness and response in communities that surround military installations storing and disposing of chemical warfare agents and munitions (offsite). The Army retained responsibility for comparable activities to protect depot personnel (onsite). This report reflects the status of FEMA s activities implemented by CSEPP to provide maximum protection for residents in the two States and eleven counties that participated in CSEPP in FY The status of onsite risk reduction activities implemented by the Army may be found in the U.S. Department of Defense s (DoD) Chemical Demilitarization Program Semi-Annual Report to Congress. 2

10 II. Background CSEPP is a unique whole community partnership where its participants share a common goal: to prepare and enable communities to protect citizens in the unlikely event of a chemical emergency at the Nation s two remaining chemical weapons stockpile sites. CSEPP s vision is a fully prepared team of local, installation, tribal nation, State, and Federal professionals developing and executing an effective emergency preparedness and response program. To fulfill this vision, CSEPP s mission is to enhance existing local, installation, tribal, State, and Federal capabilities to protect the health and safety of the public, workforce, and environment from the effects of a chemical accident or incident involving the U.S. Army chemical stockpile. 2 Figure 1 illustrates chemical stockpile locations that remain operational, as well as locations where the Army has completed destruction of the stockpile. Figure 1: Current and Previous Chemical Stockpile Locations Originally, CSEPP comprised 10 states, 40 counties, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) located in Oregon. Maryland, Indiana, Illinois, Alabama, Arkansas, Utah, Washington, Oregon, and the CTUIR have completed their CSEPP mission and have been closed out of the program. In FY 2016, CSEPP focused on the remaining stockpiles at Pueblo Chemical Depot (PCD) in Colorado and Blue Grass Chemical Activity (BGCA) at Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD) in Kentucky. Appendix A details CSEPP activities in Colorado and Appendix B details activities in Kentucky. In FY 2016, the States of Colorado and Kentucky and 11 counties in those States surrounding the stockpile locations participated in CSEPP. Three of these counties are in immediate response zones (IRZs), generally within a six-mile radius of where chemical warfare agents are stored. Six 2 Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program Strategic Plan, November 2013, p. 5 3

11 counties are in protective action zones (PAZs), which are outside the IRZs but within six to 31 miles of stockpile locations. The remaining two counties serve as host counties; they are not at direct risk from a chemical stockpile accident, but instead provide decontamination and medical treatment, mass care, host facilities, and mutual aid support to at-risk jurisdictions. Appendix C lists specific active program partners. 4

12 III. Program History FEMA began providing preparedness assistance to communities near chemical stockpile sites in August 1988 through an MOU with the Army. Under this agreement, the Army provides for protection onsite and funding to FEMA to assist State, tribal, and local governments in carrying out emergency management functions offsite. This enhances the abilities of the civilian communities neighboring the CSEPP sites to respond to potential chemical warfare agent emergencies. The MOU also established a framework for collaborating with potentially affected State, tribal, and local governments to provide for public health and safety; identify roles and responsibilities; and establish joint program efforts in planning, training, exercising, and exchanging information. As the program matured, the MOU was reaffirmed and revised over the years; a 1997 revision (reaffirmed in 2004) gave FEMA responsibility and accountability for all aspects of emergency preparedness for the surrounding communities. The Army maintains responsibility for emergency preparedness measures onsite at the facilities. CSEPP also operates under a strategic plan that reflects a coordinated effort between the Army s Chemical Materials Activity (CMA) and FEMA s Technological Hazards Division to develop and implement a customer-centered planning process. The plan contains a mission statement, goals and objectives, performance goals within 12 benchmark capabilities (which provide the structure for this Report), the identification of key external factors that could affect achievement of the plan s goals and objectives, and an evaluation program. A copy of this plan may be downloaded here. Collaboration CSEPP Fiscal Year 2016 Stakeholders Pueblo Chemical Depot Blue Grass Army Depot The State of Colorado The Commonwealth of Kentucky One county in Colorado Ten counties in Kentucky Residents of and businesses in CSEPP communities Federal facilities in the hazard zone U.S. Congress U.S. taxpayers Nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations Public and private sector agencies Working in a collaborative environment with our stakeholders, FEMA is responsible for the following tasks: Assisting States and counties to identify program needs and develop long-term budget goals and objectives; 5

13 Overseeing CSEPP funds that are utilized offsite from Army facilities; Supporting CSEPP States to develop response plans; Developing, delivering, and evaluating training; Providing technical assistance; and Developing and sustaining programs for evaluating offsite readiness, including a robust exercise program jointly managed by FEMA and the U.S. Army. Funding Administration FEMA engages with State and local partners throughout the planning, programming, budgeting and execution cycle, including helping to assess program needs, developing and validating budgets, administering program funds, and closing out a site once the chemical destruction mission is completed. FEMA and the Army cooperate closely and coordinate their efforts. Together, they manage the Program and maintain performance through regular joint meetings; common budgeting, cost accounting, and performance management systems; and aggressive program integration efforts (see Figure 2). FEMA validates the preparedness requirements of the surrounding communities and develops a budget in coordination with State and local governments. These budget requests are then incorporated into the DoD budget submissions to Congress. The Army transfers appropriated funds to FEMA, which has full authority and responsibility for their distribution and expenditure. FEMA awards funding to the States under CSEPP cooperative agreements (CAs) that include annual work plans negotiated between each State and its FEMA Regional office. As the recipient, the States administer the CSEPP CA funds. Each State identifies its needs, develops proposed projects to meet those needs, requests funds from FEMA, and disburses these funds to the various State offices and local governments involved in the proposed projects. The States are responsible for financial accountability, adherence to Federal grant management rules, and providing quarterly financial reports and narrative performance reports addressing the capability improvement realized through the funds. Local governments are sub-recipients of these funds. This paradigm is reflective of FEMA s enterprise-level approach to emergency management, which focuses on supporting State, local, tribal, and territorial partners. 6

14 Figure 2: CSEPP Program Integration From CSEPP s inception in 1988 through the end of FY 2016, FEMA has allocated approximately $1.3 billion to States and the CTUIR under annual CAs or through FEMAmanaged contracts. Allocation of resources is tracked according to the CSEPP organization (including the Army and FEMA) that spends the funds rather than the jurisdiction that benefits from the service. Therefore, the amount of funds spent at the State level does not include Federal expenditures on contract support to the communities (such as for engineering and training services) and does not necessarily reflect the complete set of benefits that communities have received through CSEPP. The aggregate funding amounts in Table 1 (see next page) represent combined totals for direct award funds and some direct contract costs managed by FEMA on behalf of CSEPP States and the CTUIR. (These amounts do not include indirect costs such as FEMA operating expenses and indirect contract costs.) Direct award funds represent amounts sent directly to States and the CTUIR via FEMA CAs and one Army CA sent directly to the CTUIR in FY FEMAmanaged contracts include those contracts awarded to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for collective protection projects in the communities. These funds represent a combination of actual expenditures and funds remaining to expend. 7

15 The CSEPP Environment CSEPP depends upon multiple programmatic, technological, collaborative, regulatory, and societal factors that stakeholders must consider if the program is to meet its goals and operate effectively. Programmatic Factors Effective risk analysis and planning require strong and continuous Indiana Kentucky $0 $16,680,942 $56,215,924 $250,587,117 commitment from States and individual Maryland $0 $31,220,632 communities. To present and defend Oregon $0 $161,203,624 their annually updated lifecycle cost Utah $0 $123,761,112 estimates (LCCEs), those agencies developing CSEPP budgets must ensure funding requirements are valid and must maintain fully operational CSEPP efforts through the end of destruction Washington CTUIR Totals $0 $0 $22,610,600 $77,141,706 $6,606,173 $1,328,946,578 operations at each stockpile site. Delays and extensions of the stockpile destruction mission will necessitate continued CSEPP operations and will increase the cost of the program beyond projections. Technological Factors Table 1: CSEPP Offsite Funds (Includes Direct Awards and FEMA-Managed Contracts) State/Tribe FY 2016 FY Alabama $0 $399,331,706 Arkansas $0 $117,540,263 Colorado $5,929,658 $93,324,447 Illinois $0 $12,013,874 The program must evaluate, update, and maintain emergency preparedness and response capabilities to achieve full operational readiness through the end of destruction operations. Continued research and ongoing development of new technologies in interoperable public safety communications systems, public alert and notification systems (including the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), and emergency management automation systems continue to produce new and expanded requirements for technology. FEMA will continue to work with its CSEPP stakeholders to weigh the overall cost and benefits of replacing current technology to ensure prudent stewardship of taxpayer funds. CSEPP conducts cost-benefit analyses for upgrades, replacements, and maintenance to ensure operational readiness and compliance with changing Federal requirements. For example, in 2013 FEMA conducted a technical cost analysis of an initial proposal for a public safety operations center in Lexington/Fayette County in Kentucky. The recommendations resulting from this review reduced the total project cost by more than 50 percent. Fayette County successfully completed the project and moved into the facility in FY When approved, CSEPP implements these changes in a regionalized, interoperable manner. 8

16 Collaborative Factors A number of other Federal agencies (both within and outside of DHS), as well as nongovernmental organizations, support the partnership between FEMA and the Army. This ongoing effort provides two immediate benefits: technical assistance in response to specific programmatic challenges (e.g., evacuation planning for pets and service animals from the American Humane Association) and technical support for specific local response and recovery capabilities (e.g., shelter management by the local American Red Cross chapters). In addition, as relevant national doctrine is issued or revised, CSEPP works with its State, county, and local partners to implement such policies in alignment with their overall emergency management approach. Previously, this has included chemical agent exposure standards that direct public protection strategies; safety and interoperability standards for emergency facilities, systems, and equipment; and the structure for tactical, operational, and strategic emergency planning. In 2016, this effort has encompassed the National Preparedness System and the core capabilities, the National Incident Management System Refresh, and the Oil/Chemical Incident Annex for the Federal Interagency Operational Plan Response and Recovery. The results of these initiatives will be provided in Appendices A and B of subsequent reports. For more information on the National Preparedness System and related efforts, please visit Regulatory Factors The new uniform Federal grant rules published at the start of FY 2014 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) modified the regulatory structure under which CSEPP awards and manages CA funds. 3 The primary intent of these regulations was to eliminate duplicative Federal guidance and focus on performance over compliance for accountability, but their primary CSEPP impact produced a strengthening of State oversight authority as the passthrough entity for these Federal funds. The respective grants management roles of Federal and State CSEPP officials is a critical component of the partnership between FEMA, Kentucky Emergency Management, and the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Societal Factors It is important to engage the whole community in preparing for, responding to, recovering from, and mitigating disasters. The whole community concept is a means by which residents, emergency management practitioners, organizational and community leaders, tribal officials, and government officials can collectively understand and assess the needs of their communities and determine the best ways to organize and strengthen their assets, capacities, and interests. Doing so builds a more effective path to societal security and resilience. 3 2 CFR Chapter I, Chapter II, Part 200, et al., Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards; Final Rule 9

17 Throughout its history, CSEPP has endeavored to be inclusive of the whole community and support the diversity of organizations and populations in the communities the program serves. For example, as part of the program s efforts to address and involve individuals with limited English proficiency, the requirements under Executive Order 13166: Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) are specifically reflected in CSEPP s functional guidance on community planning and public affairs. The Colorado and Kentucky CSEPP communities include LEP populations, most notably Spanish-language speakers. U.S. Census data and information contained in emergency planning studies estimate the LEP community in the Pueblo CSEPP emergency planning zone (EPZ) to be 374 individuals (4.4 percent of the nighttime population) and the LEP community in the Blue Grass CSEPP EPZ to be 1,093 individuals (0.9 percent of the nighttime population). The program provides technical assistance, grant funds, and training. Specific examples of efforts to support the LEP community are given throughout this report. CSEPP also addresses efforts to accommodate individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of This includes working with facilities that host such populations (e.g., schools, preschools and daycare centers, nursing homes, and hospitals) and provision for individuals with access and functional needs who are living independently. The CSEPP Program Guidance 5 provides detailed guidance for ensuring the preparedness of these individuals. CSEPP uses integrated process teams (IPTs), required under Public Law (National Defense Authorization Act for FY 1997) and implemented under an Army/FEMA Joint Memorandum for Record Use of Integrated Process Teams (IPTs) (May 1998). These IPTs provide common solutions and consistency of approaches across CSEPP communities and produce products and tools of immediate value, not only to CSEPP but also to the broader emergency preparedness field. IPTs that include Colorado and Kentucky CSEPP stakeholders provide input to develop programmatic policy. These groups forward their recommendations to FEMA and Army CSEPP program management for consideration. IPTs have developed specific guidance documents that have been approved by program leaders. Since working groups of stakeholders developed the documents, concurrence was achieved long before the guidance was approved and officially implemented. The Pueblo and Blue Grass CSEPP communities each have their own IPT, as well as sub-ipts. In addition, there are national IPTs that correlate with specific CSEPP benchmarks. (See Table 2 for a complete list of working groups.) 4 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, PL. No , 29 U.S.C. 701 et seq. 5 Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program Guidance, December 2012, p

18 Table 2: Current CSEPP Working Groups Functional Working Groups Community Working Groups Automation Exercise Work Group Medical Work Group Public Affairs Pueblo Community Automation Work Group Exercise Steering Group Recovery Series Exercise Planning Group Medical Preparedness Work Group Public Affairs Work Group Training Work Group Closeout Planning Work Group Blue Grass Community Medical Quality Improvement Team Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Work Group Public Affairs Work Group Training Work Group Protective Actions Work Group Exercise Planning Team 11

19 IV. Results CSEPP Management System CSEPP focuses on providing the resources necessary to establish preparedness and response infrastructures that enable State and local emergency managers to warn the public quickly; manage the response; and communicate with emergency responders and other members of the whole community. CSEPP s whole community approach brings together onsite and offsite preparedness and thus encompasses a range of core capabilities necessary to prevent, protect against, mitigate against, respond to, and recover from an accident or incident occurring at a U.S. chemical weapons stockpile site. A key CSEPP management principle is the concept of functional equivalency, whereby specific resources are provided to each site to address gaps and enhance existing capabilities under the 12 programmatic benchmarks defined by CSEPP (discussed below). FEMA also maintains effective program management at the Headquarters and Regional levels to ensure consistent capabilities throughout all CSEPP jurisdictions. FEMA has a fiduciary responsibility to carefully evaluate and validate requests from States and communities for delivering necessary resources to local communities facing the most significant potential threats. This is conducted through an open and continuous system of planning, programming, budgeting, and execution described above that is rooted in DoD acquisition policy. As an example, FEMA strives to ensure cost-efficiency in procurement and interoperability among major systems that benefit multiple jurisdictions, which, in many cases, means State-level procurement of alert and notification, communications, and automation systems. Risk Reduction The most effective way to permanently reduce the risk to communities surrounding chemical stockpile sites is to destroy the agents posing the threat. As of the end of FY 2015, the Army had completely destroyed the stockpiles at six sites: the Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground (Maryland), Newport Chemical Depot (Indiana/Illinois), Pine Bluff Arsenal (Arkansas), Anniston Army Depot (Alabama), Umatilla Chemical Depot (Oregon/Washington/CTUIR), and Deseret Chemical Depot (Utah). At the two remaining stockpile locations, steps to further secure the stockpile have provided additional risk reduction during storage. This has been achieved by reconfiguring the stockpile, reducing potential consequences of lightning strikes and earthquakes, enhancing agent detection and monitoring systems, and installing igloo filtration systems. In addition to the initiation of plant operations at PCD in Colorado, the Army completed an initial campaign of destruction of pre-identified, problematic mustard agent munitions using the U.S. Army s Explosive Destruction System (EDS). EDS will remain available throughout the life of the main plant to destroy any problematic or reject munitions. At BGAD in Kentucky, construction of the primary chemical destruction plant is nearly completed and systemization is underway. 12

20 CSEPP Benchmarks The December 2012 CSEPP Program Guidance describes 12 performance benchmarks used by Federal, State, and local government organizations to identify the CSEPP capabilities being funded [and] in reporting the status of CSEPP to Congress in required annual reports. Under the CSEPP CA, States are required to report expenditures and performance on a quarterly basis using these benchmarks. These benchmarks apply across the program and are reflected in CSEPP s strategic plan, guidance, LCCEs, annual budgets, and employee work plans. The 12 benchmarks, performance measures for each benchmark, and a summary of how the benchmarks were achieved during the fiscal year is as follows: Benchmark: Administrative support for each CSEPP installation, State, and county necessary to support their CSEPP preparedness activities. Performance Measures: The ability of the onsite and offsite communities to meet and sustain full compliance to this benchmark s standards, as measured by the Community Profile process. Timely programming and budgeting actions and release of annual funding to the grantees addressing all validated requirements. FY 2016 Performance Outcomes: The Colorado and Kentucky CSEPP communities achieved the administrative benchmark through a self-assessment of year-long achievements documented in the Community Profile. FEMA validated budget requirements and awarded the cooperative agreements. Recipients prepared and submitted life cycle cost estimates (LCCEs) and quarterly reports on time or with minor delays. Benchmark: Functioning alert and notification system extending across the installation and appropriate offsite jurisdictions to communicate protective actions and other critical response information to the public. Performance Measures: Results of regular system testing and the frequency and duration of service interruptions. Each State s and installation s ability to meet and sustain full compliance to this benchmark s standards, as measured by the Community Profile process. Performance at the annual CSEPP and quarterly Chemical Accident or Incident Response and Assistance (CAIRA) exercises and real-world emergency situations. FY 2016 Performance Outcomes: Throughout the fiscal year, the FEMA CSEPP engineering team validated alert and notification system requirements and provided onsite observation of system renovation/construction/upgrades to ensure design specifications were met by contractors and vendors. Both Colorado and Kentucky Community IPTs affirmed benchmark compliance in the Community Profile. Both communities tracked specific outcomes during the year, including ongoing IPAWS testing with the JITC and the successful 13

21 transmission of IPAWS messages for actual emergencies in Madison County, KY. Pueblo, CO included alert and notification systems in a Critical System Infrastructure tabletop exercise that identified possible system vulnerabilities and recommended enhancements to maintain operability. Both communities maintained operability and maintenance records and regularly tested their systems, to include results from exercise evaluations. Benchmark: Functioning automation system for rapid exchange of chemical hazard modeling and protective action analysis between the CSEPP installation, State, and counties. Performance Measures: Results of regular system testing and the frequency and duration of service interruptions. Each State s and installation s ability to meet and sustain full compliance to this benchmark s standards, as measured by the Community Profile process. Performance at the annual CSEPP exercise and, as applicable, quarterly CAIRA exercises and real-world emergency situations. FY 2016 Performance Outcomes: Both communities affirmed Automation systems benchmark compliance in their Community Profile. Community partners regularly tested warning systems during drills and exercises and used those systems daily as part of routine (non-emergency) operations. System interruptions were noted and problems immediately corrected. System owners maintained operability and maintenance records. The Army successfully transmitted daily work plans to the community partners using CSEPP Automation Systems. Benchmark: Functioning communications links between the CSEPP installation, State, and county EOCs, and the joint information center (JIC) to support the coordinated implementation of response plans. Performance Measures: Results of regular system testing and the frequency and duration of service interruptions. Each State s and installation s ability to meet and sustain full compliance to this benchmark s standards, as measured by the Community Profile process. Performance at the annual CSEPP exercise and, as applicable, quarterly CAIRA exercises and real-world emergency situations. FY 2016 Performance Outcomes: FEMA provided engineering support (both government engineers and specialty contractors) to validate communication system requirements. Both communities use their CSEPP communications systems for routine (non-emergency) operations and all identified problems were promptly corrected. Communications systems between the Army and the community partners were routinely tested during observed and evaluated drills and exercises and were included in the Critical Systems Infrastructure tabletop exercise in Colorado that was held during the fiscal year. Operability and maintenance records during routine 24/7/365 public safety radio and dispatch operations were maintained. During FY 2016, the Pueblo County JIC was activated twice for wildfires 14

22 that occurred in the community, and communications systems were successfully employed during the actual emergencies. Benchmark: Coordinated plans for response to hazards from the stockpile for each CSEPP installation, State, and county. Performance Measures: Each State s and installation s ability to meet and sustain full compliance to this benchmark s standards, as measured by the Community Profile process. Performance at the annual CSEPP exercise and, as applicable, quarterly CAIRA exercises and real-world emergency situations. FY 2016 Performance Outcomes: FEMA provided technical assistance (both government employees and contractors) to assist CSEPP partners in updating emergency plans. FEMA maintained an online planning template tool to assist with the development of emergency plans. FEMA evaluators reviewed coordinated plans annually during exercises, and jurisdictions tested plans during annual drills and exercises. Community Profiles affirmed coordinated plans. Kentucky analyzed and updated emergency plans using a synchronization matrix to ensure proper coordination. Benchmark: Functioning EOCs at each CSEPP installation, State, and county to support the coordinated implementation of response plans. Performance Measures: Each State s and installation s ability to meet and sustain full compliance to this benchmark s standards, as measured by the Community Profile process. Performance at the annual CSEPP exercise and, as applicable, quarterly CAIRA exercises and real-world emergency situations. FY 2016 Performance Outcomes: FEMA provided engineering support (both government engineers and specialty contractors), validating EOC requirements and providing oversight of new construction and renovations to ensure contractors and vendors met specifications. FEMA ensured that punch lists were completed, and acceptance of new/renovated facilities was coordinated with FEMA and CSEPP partners to ensure work was completed satisfactorily. EOCs were activated for non-csepp emergencies including wildfires and severe weather events, and procedures reviewed and adjusted after these events. Jurisdictions tested EOC procedures during annual exercises and drills, and affirmed EOC functionality in the Community Profile. Jurisdictions also maintained operability and maintenance records during routine 24/7/365 operations. 15

23 Benchmark: An exercise program that effectively tests integrated response capabilities and preparedness. Performance Measures: Each State s and installation s ability to meet and sustain full compliance to this benchmark s standards, as measured by the Community Profile process. Annual CSEPP exercise, after-action report, and corrective action plan executed in accordance with Program Guidance and Exercise Policy and Guidance. FY 2016 Performance Outcomes: CSEPP states and counties successfully completed two full-scale annual exercises and numerous CAIRA exercises in FY FEMA and the Army reviewed exercise performance immediately following the annual exercise with participating partners. FEMA prepared and published after-action reports on schedule and communicated those to program partners. Jurisdictions completed corrective action plans that they used during the next exercise planning cycle. Communities also conducted detailed improvement planning. For example, public affairs IPT members reviewed exercise performance during their meetings, resulting in shared best practices and revisions to operating procedures. Benchmark: A medical program to support onsite and offsite medical preparedness among first responder and receiver organizations for a chemical weapons accident or incident. Performance Measures: Each State s and installation s ability to meet and sustain full compliance to this benchmark s standards, as measured by the Community Profile process. Performance at the annual CSEPP exercise and, as applicable, quarterly CAIRA exercises and real-world emergency situations. FY 2016 Performance Outcomes: Both pre-hospital and hospital personnel participated in annual drills and exercise where medical treatment of simulated casualties was demonstrated to FEMA evaluators. Hospitals and prehospital EMS providers maintained Medical response and treatment materials during the year, and Kentucky conducted a medical needs assessment with medical providers. Benchmark: Specialized personnel, such as a CSEPP manager, public information officer (PIO), planner, and information technology specialist, to support CSEPP activities at CSEPP installations, States, and counties. Performance Measures: Each State s and installation s ability to meet and sustain full compliance to this benchmark s standards, as measured by the Community Profile process. Quarterly performance reports for jurisdiction personnel (derived from annual work plans) were completed and submitted within the CSEPPWebCA software. 16

24 FY 2016 Performance Outcomes: FEMA reviewed personnel staffing requirements during budget discussions. Jurisdictions affirmed staffing requirements in Community Profiles. Evaluators observed the adequacy of staffing for emergency operations during drills, exercises, and real-world emergency responses. Timely completion of program requirements including budgets, LCCEs, and quarterly reports demonstrated that administrative staffing was sufficient to support program requirements. Benchmark: Protective action strategy for each jurisdiction that is based on the threat from the stockpile, consistent with response plans, and conforms to established CSEPP guidance. Performance Measures: Each State s and installation s ability to meet and sustain full compliance to this benchmark s standards, as measured by the Community Profile process. Performance at the annual CSEPP exercise and, as applicable, quarterly CAIRA exercises and real-world emergency situations. FY 2016 Performance Outcomes: CSEPP partners reviewed and updated chemical stockpile risk, and appropriate changes to protective action strategies occurred during the year. Personal protective equipment that had exceeded useful service life was replaced as needed. Partners evaluated and revised the adequacy of protective action strategies using modeling and simulation tools. The Army Corps of Engineers ensured proper maintenance of collective protection systems through maintenance logs and on-scene inspections. Benchmark: A program for coordinated emergency public information and education, including a public outreach/education program to enhance CSEPP awareness and familiarity with the protective action strategy. Performance Measures: Each State s and installation s ability to meet and sustain full compliance to this benchmark s standards, as measured by the Community Profile process. Performance at the annual CSEPP exercise and, as applicable, quarterly CAIRA exercises and real-world emergency situations. Ongoing assessments of community awareness of CSEPP, the nature and risks associated with the chemical stockpile, how to obtain emergency information, and potential actions to take in a chemical emergency. FY 2016 Performance Outcomes: CSEPP-funded PIOs remained staffed during the fiscal year. IPTs and work groups both at the community and programmatic level continued planned work during the fiscal year. Jurisdictions demonstrated emergency public information capabilities in both annual exercises. During the fiscal year, Pueblo County activated its JIC for wildfires, and communicated resultant lessons learned to program partners. Each community implemented public education programs. 17

25 Benchmark: Training programs, consistent with CSEPP guidance, State and local training plans (for offsite jurisdiction personnel), and Army certification requirements (for installation personnel) that maintain proficiency of emergency services providers/responders and CSEPP staff. Performance Measures: Each State s and installation s ability to meet and sustain full compliance to this benchmark s standards, as measured by the Community Profile process. Availability and quality of training materials for installation, State, and county responders. FY 2016 Performance Outcomes: Jurisdictions identified training requirements and program partners addressed them during the fiscal year through training delivery or assistance locating existing training opportunities. Federal, State, and local training providers recorded attendance, and students evaluated the volume and quality of training offered as feedback to providers. FEMA observed and evaluated personnel skills during annual drills and exercises. Training providers awarded continuing education credits where applicable. These benchmarks, and the specific program activities that support them, have been aligned to the 32 core capabilities identified under the 2016 revisions to the National Preparedness System to ensure consistency of effort between CSEPP and other DHS/FEMA preparedness programs. As part of its efforts in Colorado and Kentucky, CSEPP has enhanced planning, organization, equipment, training, and exercises in many of these core capabilities. Table 3 on the following page generally illustrates how the core capabilities relate to the five National Preparedness mission areas, highlighting those capabilities that are a particular focus for the offsite community in CSEPP in blue. CSEPP efforts have most markedly improved State and local capabilities under the Response mission area: planning, operational coordination, operational communications, situational assessment, and public information and warning. Separate US Army actions have further developed capabilities within the Prevention and Protection mission areas, in particular through physical protective measures and risk management. CSEPP is also working to support its partners at the State and local levels as they integrate the use of core capabilities into their preparedness systems generally. Based on discussions with Colorado and Kentucky in 2016, efforts are currently underway related to exercise and grants management that are intended to smooth their transition from CSEPP funding of preparedness activities at the end of the program. To complement the CSEPP benchmarks, the program has developed a performance measurement system that includes several elements: FEMA leads each community IPT in a biannual update of a community profile describing the status of each community benchmark quantitatively (e.g., number of sirens and message reader boards installed) and qualitatively (e.g., sufficiency of resources to 18

26 support a capability). The profile enables Federal, State, and local partners to assess the CSEPP community s deficiencies in preparedness, rate each benchmark for effectiveness, and address challenges through remedial action. FEMA and the Army jointly direct an annual community exercise (including a review of plans and training) in accordance with the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). Within 90 days of the exercise, the exercise co-directors finalize an after-action report that includes observations, findings, and a corrective action plan. FEMA reviews the results of community public information surveys to evaluate awareness of the local chemical stockpile hazard and the appropriate protective actions for the public. FEMA reviews the State Preparedness Report required under the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 to track specific improvements in core capabilities and identify potential areas for collaboration and improvement as part of ongoing discussions with its State and local partners. FEMA considers the results of jurisdictional equipment maintenance and testing programs as well as lessons learned from all-hazards community disaster response. 19

27 Table 3: Core Capabilities by Mission Area Prevention Protection Mitigation Response Recovery Planning Public Information and Warning Operational Coordination Intelligence and Information Sharing Interdiction and Disruption Screening, Search, and Detection Forensics and Attribution Access Control and Identity Verification Cybersecurity Physical Protective Measures Risk Management for Protection Programs and Activities Supply Chain Integrity and Security Community Resilience Long-term Vulnerability Reduction Risk and Disaster Resilience Assessment Threats and Hazards Identification Critical Transportation Environmental Response/Health and Safety Fatality Management Services Fire Management and Suppression Logistics and Supply Chain Management Mass Care Services Mass Search and Rescue Operations On-scene Security, Protection, and Law Enforcement Operational Communications Public Health, Healthcare, and Emergency Medical Services Situational Assessment Infrastructure Systems Economic Recovery Health and Social Services Housing Natural and Cultural Resources Figure 3 below shows performance measure ratings for the Colorado and Kentucky CSEPP communities for each benchmark. As the program has continued and basic capabilities have been met, community expectations have increased. Within a given benchmark, a community may decide through a self-assessment to focus on a specific challenge as a way to gauge performance on that benchmark. This does not mean that capabilities for that benchmark are incomplete, but it does illustrate where the community s priorities lie. For example, a community may determine that its Coordinated Plans 20

28 capability is less than complete because its recovery plan needs to be updated to reflect demographic changes. This specific issue would need to be resolved to return to full compliance. A summary of significant activities in the next section discusses each benchmark from a programmatic level. The progress and status of each CSEPP community during FY 2016 are described in Appendix A (Colorado) and Appendix B (Kentucky). Figure 3: Benchmark Compliance for Colorado and Kentucky 21

29 V. Summary of Significant Activities Programmatic activities in FY 2016 that support the 12 CSEPP benchmarks are as follows. Administration CSEPP s breadth and complexity require a measured, cooperative, and inclusive administration of budgetary, contractual, logistical, and management challenges across Federal, State, tribal, and local levels to ensure success. These administrative activities include: Monitoring and assessing program accomplishments using CSEPP s benchmarks; Participating in bi-monthly community IPT meetings to assist all stakeholders in identifying program needs and preparing budget requests; Maintaining the programmatic LCCE for FEMA, Colorado, and Kentucky; Cooperatively negotiating FY 2017 work plans with Colorado and Kentucky that maintain and enhance emergency preparedness based upon chemical stockpile risks; Providing staff and contractor support to programmatic and community IPTs and work groups to address technical challenges that arise; and Providing programmatic oversight in accordance with the Army-FEMA MOU. Federal Grant Regulations Over the past three years, CSEPP has been working closely with Colorado and Kentucky to ensure that the officials responsible for managing the CSEPP CA in those states understand the requirements of the new Federal grant regulations issued by OMB. Training courses have been held at both sites with attendance by Federal (FEMA Headquarters and Regional), State, and local CSEPP financial and program officers. The relevant administrative changes were also highlighted and discussed at the meetings of the Program Management Team and community IPTs in FY CSEPP WebCA CSEPP WebCA is a web-based, enterprise-wide system for managing CSEPP CAs throughout the entire grant lifecycle, from application through closeout. A user group comprising Federal, State, and local personnel developed system requirements that continue to be refined in response to field experience. CSEPP s benchmarks are integrated into the grant application and reporting processes implemented in CSEPP WebCA. CSEPP WebCA automates the preparation and submission of CA applications and allows staff at FEMA Regional offices and Headquarters to review and comment on each application. After Headquarters electronically submits funding approvals to the FEMA Region, Regional grant staff prepare and process awarding and obligating documentation. CSEPP WebCA automates 22

30 quarterly performance and financial reporting, as well as the request, review, and approval of post-award modifications to grants, including reallocations, performance extensions, requests for additional funds, and changes of scope. Finally, at the end of the performance period for each grant, the system is used to prepare closeout reports and make any final adjustments to bring the un-liquidated balance to zero. As noted above, grantees at six sites have closed out their CSEPP awards. As part of the closeout process, grant managers use CSEPP WebCA s electronic filing cabinet to archive grant-related documents. While each FEMA Region office maintains an official grant file for each grantee, the electronic filing cabinet provides a quick and convenient means of accessing grant information. CSEPP WebCA will be maintained until all CSEPP sites are closed. In September 2015, CSEPP received a two-year Authority to Operate for CSEPP WebCA from the DHS Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). The system and associated business procedures were updated in 2015 to support updated Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (see 2 CFR Part 200). Additionally, security protocols were revised to support the use of smart ID cards for system access by FEMA personnel, thereby enhancing system security. Team Meetings In July 2016, CSEPP convened a Team Meeting in Pueblo, CO at the Pueblo County Sheriff s Office, Emergency Services Bureau. The purpose of the meeting was to coordinate and facilitate interaction between different functional areas on cross-cutting topics. On the first day and the morning of the second day, the Program Management Team, composed of senior FEMA, U.S. Army, State, and county CSEPP managers, met to review progress and plan activities for the coming year. The four program work groups and IPTs met in individual and joint breakout sessions on the afternoon of the second day and the entire third day. Participants were enthusiastic about the meeting s effectiveness in sharing information and identifying areas to improve outcomes through direct coordination of group activities. Throughout the rest of the year, CSEPP held a range of other operational meetings for each of the communities and the IPTs and work groups, as well as budget discussions, training, and sessions with subject-matter experts. An earlier Program Management Team meeting of Army, FEMA, and Colorado and Kentucky CSEPP stakeholders in February ensured the interests of all CSEPP jurisdictions were programmatically addressed as the year began. Alert and Notification Providing timely warning to residents of a chemical accident is a critical emergency management function. CSEPP has long supported and maintained robust emergency alert and notification systems in each CSEPP community as its primary means of meeting the congressional mandate of maximum protection for communities, chemical workers, and the environment. Alert and notification occur in two distinct steps: 23

31 attracting the attention of the public (alert) and providing information concerning appropriate protective actions (notification). CSEPP alert and notification consists of a network of outdoor and indoor alerting devices in residential dwellings and special facilities that serve populated areas of the IRZs. Examples of outdoor alerting devices include public address-capable sirens and electronic digital roadway signs. An example of an indoor alerting device is a tone alert radio. CSEPP also provides digital telephone, , and short message service (SMS) text messaging as part of its emergency notification system (ENS). These systems use a combination of landline subscriber telephone information and public registration to transmit messages. Several CSEPP communities have begun to integrate IPAWS into their regular alert and notification capabilities. CSEPP-provided alert and notification systems may also warn residents of other hazards, such as tornadoes. FEMA provides direct engineering support in the form of government personnel and contractor support to ensure the proper design and maintenance of CSEPP alert and notification systems. Outreach to and notification and protection of individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs, including LEP, have been CSEPP priorities for many years. Tone alert radios and weather alert radios, used to warn residents of any emergencies (including chemical accidents), can support an audible tone and flashing lights that illuminate when activated. These features alert persons with visual and hearing impairments to an emergency. In addition, systems are available for residents to receive voice and text messaging in the event of an emergency. CSEPP worked with the FEMA Office of Disability Integration and Coordination in FY 2012 to produce a video for local and State planners on inclusive emergency preparedness. In addition, each CSEPP State has Spanish-language translators and interpreters in its JIC to assist in communicating emergency instructions to persons with LEP. Sign language interpretation is also available at the JIC in Kentucky. These capabilities are tested during annual exercises. Automation WebPuff WebPuff, a web-based system built around the DoD-accredited D2-Puff atmospheric dispersion model, enables automated sharing of essential hazard information between Army and offsite EOCs. WebPuff is accredited by the DoD Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process and holds a full Authority to Operate, as required under the DoD information assurance initiative. In an emergency, WebPuff serves as a key response coordination tool, as demonstrated during regular community exercises. It exports all unique CSEPP information in a format compliant with the latest private sector standards for information exchange, the common alerting protocol (CAP). This allows States and counties to use existing or planned CAP-compliant commercial all-hazards automation systems to manage the response to a CSEPP event, avoiding the need to train personnel on separate systems and the cost of maintaining a separate CSEPP automation system. A WebPuff Configuration Control Board, with representatives from the Army and local counties, is 24

32 responsible for overseeing changes to the functional components of WebPuff to ensure the software continues to meet the needs of end-users effectively. CSEPP Portal The CSEPP Portal is a web-based, information-sharing and collaboration platform using Microsoft SharePoint software. Since 2003, the Portal has provided access to a vast library of information, including Federal program guidance, presentations from stakeholder meetings, site event calendars, and links to partner websites. The Portal also provides a platform for the CSEPP communities, IPTs, and working groups to collaborate remotely on preparedness projects. The public-facing pages of the Portal make the program s technical video training library available to a broader audience. Stakeholder feedback drives updates to Portal functions to ensure the tool meets the needs of the more than 1,000 registered users from CSEPP partner organizations. In September 2015, CSEPP received a two-year Authority to Operate for the CSEPP Portal from the DHS OCIO. Additionally, security protocols were revised to support the use of smart ID cards for system access by FEMA personnel, thereby enhancing system security. Communications CSEPP funds interoperable communication systems that provide emergency managers and first responders with robust, state-of-the-art equipment to significantly enhance communications during emergencies. These systems link the critical State and local response organizations, including emergency medical services (EMS), fire, police, hospital, and public works. FEMA provides engineering support to assist the communities in maintaining interoperable communications. During the fiscal year, FEMA provided technical assistance to the Pueblo and Blue Grass CSEPP communities in planning for communication systems upgrades, maintenance programs, and design of new capabilities. Highlights include the completion of a microwave project to interconnect the two IRZ counties in Kentucky, electrical grounding improvements in Kentucky, and support for the Colorado Tactical Interoperability Communications Plan (TICP). Details on the specific site communications projects are located in Appendices A and B. Coordinated Plans CSEPP emergency plans are developed to capture the most effective protective action strategies and procedures for each CSEPP community. CSEPP plans are regularly updated based upon the latest guidance about the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS), and coordinated across the depots and offsite communities. FEMA provides ongoing technical support for planning projects in Colorado and Kentucky, including regular revisions to State and county plans and maintenance of planning template software that supports coordination and compliance with national planning standards. In addition, during FY 2016, CSEPP provided technical support for planning initiatives in the communities surrounding Pueblo and Blue Grass. 25

33 The most significant included updates to recovery plans in Colorado, synchronization of Kentucky State and local plans, and a reassessment of public protection strategies for Madison County, Kentucky. Details on these projects are provided in Appendices A and B. Emergency Operations Planning Template (EOPT) CSEPP developed the EOPT to support State, local, and tribal jurisdictions in aligning their specialized chemical emergency response plans with NIMS and integrating them into their allhazards operations plans. The tool is currently in use in nine states (including Kentucky), with a user base that includes 6 tribal nations, 87 counties, 18 cities, and more than 22 other organizations. In addition, school districts in two states have begun using the tool for their emergency plans. The EOPT is being tested by CSEPP s sister program, the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program (REPP), to help jurisdictions participating in that program simplify and update their radiological emergency response plans and mesh these plans with allhazards plans. The States of Illinois and Iowa, in cooperation with the REP Program Office, are using the EOPT to develop and deploy radiological emergency response plans for local jurisdictions. In September 2015, CSEPP received a two-year Authority to Operate for the EOPT from the DHS OCIO. Emergency Operations Centers An EOC serves as the central location for emergency management. In these facilities, various response organizations come together to plan and implement emergency response. CSEPP, with local and State contributions, helps fund EOCs, ensuring that communities have necessary facilities to manage an emergency response. During FY 2016, newly constructed and renovated EOCs opened in Kentucky. In both communities, FEMA provided extensive financial and technical support for EOC technology and communications systems. In particular, FEMA provided engineering personnel to assist with facility design reviews and contractor support from technology firms to help participating states and counties develop system specifications. FEMA Regions IV and VIII personnel conducted environmental and historical preservation reviews to ensure compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and related Federal laws and executive orders. Details on EOC projects are located in Appendices A and B. Exercises A robust exercise program is critical in building, evaluating, and sustaining the planning, training, and operation of an emergency management program. Annual CSEPP exercises are planned and executed by the Army and FEMA and jointly managed by Army and FEMA Regional co-directors. These exercises ensure onsite and offsite responses are properly coordinated across all response partners. During FY 2016, teams of Federal, State, and local personnel evaluated the full-scale CSEPP exercises in Pueblo on May 4, 2016, and Blue Grass on September 21, FEMA and the 26

34 Army distributed final after-action reports recommending corrective actions across the program within 90 days of the exercise. Over the last 22 years at the eight sites, reports have been prepared on more than 100 full-scale community exercises (and more than a dozen joint tabletop exercises), examining community-wide and jurisdiction-specific practices. This process has resulted in enhancements to depot-to-community emergency notification agreements, mass decontamination practices by fire departments and hospitals, and protocols for community joint information systems (JIS). With social media becoming increasingly important in emergency management, robust social media play has become a regular feature of CSEPP exercises. At both sites, a restricted digital environment that keeps exercise communications secure displays controller-injected content, enabling emergency management officials to demonstrate a broader range of capabilities than would be possible with just telephone calls. These simulated interactions with the public and media allow participants to test their social media plans and procedures to identify what works well and what improvements may be necessary in an ever-changing medium. In addition to these annual full-scale exercises, CSEPP jurisdictions participated in the Army s quarterly chemical accident/incident response exercises. Throughout the year, county emergency managers also held all-hazards or other hazard-specific tabletop and functional exercises. Finally, the Army and the offsite community in Colorado conducted a critical system infrastructure workshop and subsequent tabletop exercise to assess the backup systems and emergency procedures for their underlying utility services. Details on this effort are located in Appendix A. CSEPP exercise guidance emphasizes the benefits of a jointly managed Army-FEMA exercise program and provides a specific roadmap for the planning, execution, evaluation, and assessment of CSEPP exercises. The CSEPP Exercise Policy and Guidance maintains consistency with HSEEP. Since many HSEEP precepts are already a part of CSEPP, the two communities have experienced little difficulty in adopting HSEEP methodologies. CSEPP policy emphasizes using peer evaluators during exercises. This initiative encourages emergency managers and first responders from other jurisdictions to assist in exercise evaluations; more than two dozen individuals took advantage of this opportunity during the two exercises in FY This approach broadens the knowledge base of evaluators and serves as a method of sharing best practices among the participants. Another notable practice is having emergency management students at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) work together with evaluators and controllers during the annual Blue Grass Exercise. 27

35 Medical Program In FY 2016, CSEPP communities maintained and enhanced their capabilities to treat potential victims of a chemical agent release from an Army chemical weapons facility. The active participation of public and private hospitals, State and local health departments, and emergency services organizations in the program enables this level of medical readiness. The Army Public Health Center (PHC) and FEMA provide Federal technical support to these communities. CSEPP offers several critical resources: Training on personal protective equipment (PPE), chemical agent hazards, and decontamination and treatment of patients; nearly 300 students from EMS and hospitals in Colorado and Kentucky attended a range of medical training sessions during FY 2016; Agent-specific pharmaceuticals and PPE for participating organizations; and Enhancements to the safety and capabilities of hospital facilities. In addition, involvement in the annual CSEPP exercise supports hospitals in maintaining their accreditation. In FY 2016, 11 hospitals, as well as the onsite health clinics, demonstrated their capabilities during the annual exercises. A team of health and medical professionals, both program staff and contractors, were available to evaluate their performance. More details on these activities are provided in Appendices A and B. For management purposes, the CSEPP Medical Work Group holds open regular teleconferences to support medical planning, training, and exercising. Personnel from EMS, fire, hospitals, and the public health sectors constitute the core members of the work group. Other participants include personnel from the FEMA Regional offices, U.S. Army CMA, U.S. Army PHC, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This collaboration enables FEMA and the Army to continually track and support the medical stakeholders in each community. Personnel Federal, State, county, and local response capabilities must be maintained with a team of qualified professionals. Experienced people are essential for overseeing preparedness planning, implementing procedures, and coordinating response actions. CSEPP-funded personnel execute the program on a day-to-day basis, including working to ensure emergency responders are adequately trained and equipped to complete their missions. During the fiscal year, FEMA evaluated and adjusted Federal employee staffing levels in coordination with Army management to ensure program needs were met. In addition, FEMA provided training to ensure personnel have the knowledge necessary to carry out their mission. Building the capacity of program personnel continues to be a CSEPP priority. 28

36 Protective Actions In general, CSEPP supports a balanced protective actions strategy including evacuation and sheltering-in-place as part of onsite and offsite hazard-specific plans. This approach is zone-based because the most effective and appropriate protective action for a specific incident can vary depending upon the distance from the hazard and the time required for a hazard to arrive. Sheltering-in-Place To maximize the effectiveness of available protective actions, CSEPP has conducted studies to determine the best way to protect residents during a chemical emergency. Madison County, KY initiated a review and revision of actions to be taken following the end of sheltering-in-place, including the development of protective action decision trees for a range of credible chemical emergency scenarios. These revisions are designed to ensure that all affected individuals are protected from the event while minimizing the potential for unnecessary relocation and reducing the impact of reception, decontamination, and mass care operations in host jurisdictions. Quantifying the effectiveness of these protective actions has placed emergency decision making on a sound, scientific footing. Residents of the affected communities receive shelter-in-place kits to enhance shelter rooms and decrease possible infiltration of a chemical agent vapor into their homes. Over the course of the program, CSEPP has distributed more than 100,000 shelter-in-place kits in CSEPP communities. In addition, CSEPP continues to distribute copies of its shelter-in-place training videos to residences and businesses. Over-Pressurization of Special Facilities Over-pressurization of special facilities or safe areas, combined with air filtration, is a highly effective method of protecting the public and is implemented where it demonstrably reduces risk. Under a memorandum of agreement between FEMA and the Army, the USACE continues to perform specialized maintenance on over-pressurized and enhanced shelter-in-place facilities for specific vulnerable populations near BGAD. This maintenance includes operating the systems, inspecting the systems to ensure that all components are functioning properly, and performing repairs, preventive maintenance, and annual filter tests. In addition, during FY 2016, the USACE issued contracts to complete modifications to the collective protection system at Baptist Health Richmond in Kentucky and to enhance the safety of potentially vulnerable populations at nine additional facilities in this community. More details on these projects are provided in Appendix B. Emergency Responders According to CSEPP policy, offsite emergency responders should never enter the chemical threat area identified by the hazard model. As an added precaution, CSEPP continues to provide PPE 29

37 ensembles (e.g., chemical protective suits, powered air-purifying respirators, gloves, and boots) and the associated mandatory training to response personnel, including those who, for example, manage traffic and access control points. Should there be a shift in the hazard area due to weather conditions, this equipment can be used as an escape ensemble by these workers. To date, more than 5,000 protective equipment ensembles have been provided to protect CSEPP s emergency workers. Public Outreach and Education CSEPP public outreach and education is a critical function of a robust emergency management system. CSEPP funds PIOs at the State level in Colorado and Kentucky and in the counties closest to the stockpiles. PIOs have two primary responsibilities: to conduct public outreach and education programs to ensure residents know what to do in the event of a chemical accident and to maintain an emergency public information capability to provide instructions to residents during an emergency. CSEPP provided training throughout the fiscal year consisting of program-specific instruction delivered in CSEPP communities. PIOs also teach FEMA local-level public information courses in their communities. The CSEPP Public Affairs Integrated Process Team (PA IPT) examines cross-cutting public affairs issues at the two CSEPP sites. The PA IPT is a source of ideas for each community to draw upon for best practices and lessons learned. During PA IPT meetings, PIOs provide case studies of actual emergencies and review the results of CSEPP exercises. During the fiscal year, the PA IPT focused on individual and family preparedness with specific professional development sessions on ensuring web sites and materials are accessible to the whole community, and integrating the public affairs functions with program automation personnel who maintain alert and notification systems. CSEPP public affairs personnel participated in the testing of IPAWS messages and received instruction on developing imminent threat messages. Prepare Pueblo in Colorado and Prepare KY in Kentucky are public education programs with locally maintained websites that provide CSEPP emergency information to residents. CSEPP PIOs strengthen relationships with local stakeholders by engaging the whole community through presentations to schools and civic organizations and by participating in community events. During FY 2016, Colorado and Kentucky PIOs continued to work with persons with LEP and their local organizations to identify and provide preparedness information to the LEP community. Both sites make CSEPP outreach materials available in Spanish and English, and Spanish interpreters are available for outreach events and program meetings. Specific details on outreach initiatives in the two communities are located in Appendices A and B. 30

38 Training During FY 2016, CSEPP conducted classroom training at the State and local levels for participants from the CSEPP communities, as well as personnel from other Federal, State, and local agencies involved in homeland security. CSEPP stakeholder and programmatic IPTs and work groups assess training needs and provide feedback to program managers on future course content. CSEPP training is shared with many other communities across the United States in hardcopy formats and through various partner websites. Available CSEPP classroom training courses encompass the following topics: CSEPP orientation and chemical awareness; Use of antidote auto-injectors by civilian emergency medical personnel; Decontamination and use of PPE; Physician/emergency medical training; CSEPP JIC/JIS; CSEPP information and communication technology; CSEPP advanced information and communication technology; CSEPP spokesperson training; CSEPP photography/video in social media formats; and DHS Basic Planners Course. In conjunction with FEMA s Emergency Management Institute, CSEPP is piloting training on the facilitation of inter-jurisdictional teams. Initially, this course has been offered only in the two CSEPP communities. Additional pilot offerings are scheduled for FY 2016, as work continues to transition the class to the FEMA training curriculum with an assigned course number. CSEPP continues to sponsor first responder and first receiver training where continuing education units or continuing medical education units were awarded to those who successfully completed the training. Other training efforts that provide long-term and post-csepp benefits to the communities include FEMA s Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP), and public affairs and medical training. CSEPP has now sponsored three iterations of MEPP. This nationally-recognized program has prepared local community emergency officials in designing, testing, and evaluating their ability to respond to all-hazards events. There are 149 MEPP graduates within the CSEPP communities who continue to provide a strong local foundation for planning, conducting, and evaluating not only CSEPP but also all-hazards exercises. 31

39 VI. Looking Forward to FY 2017 FY 2017 will once again be a pivotal year as chemical agent destruction operations continue at the PCD and systemization efforts lay the groundwork for similar activities at BGAD in the following years. FEMA remains committed to ensuring the two remaining CSEPP communities are fully prepared to respond to an accident involving the chemical weapons stockpile. This commitment will be upheld until the stockpile is eliminated. As operations continue at PCD, Pueblo County is scoping necessary improvements to its aging siren system to ensure system stability and the replacement of its microwave system to provide interoperability with the State of Colorado for the remainder of the program and beyond. In addition, Pueblo County plans to replace the tone alert radios currently deployed in residences and other facilities with off-the-shelf weather radios. Appendix A provides a detailed description of ongoing closeout planning activities in the Colorado CSEPP Community. In Kentucky, the counties will complete their current construction projects and begin operations at new facilities, employ new communication systems, and perform emergency planning and outreach enhancements. In recognition of State law, under which the ability of the community to protect public health must be assured prior to State issuance of a permit allowing DoD to destroy chemical agent, FEMA will continue its support for the enhancement and sustainment of first responder communications capabilities in Madison County. The Kentucky CSEPP Community intends to begin closeout planning in FY

40 VII. Conclusion Over the last fiscal year, FEMA continued its mission to assist communities near the two remaining chemical stockpile sites. Working closely with its U.S. Army and State and local partners, FEMA continued to meet its program goals, with notable improvements in EOCs, interoperable communications systems, and public alert and notification systems. Although these three areas were priorities for the program, existing capabilities under all 12 benchmarks were maintained, and in some cases enhanced, during the fiscal year. CSEPP is positioned to continue its preparedness mission as the Blue Grass and Pueblo sites enter the chemical weapons destruction phase. A cornerstone of CSEPP is the sharing of best practices, resources, and expertise among all CSEPP communities. This includes the ongoing use of IPTs, in the communities and programmatically, which remain critical to the successful advancement of CSEPP goals and the resolution of new challenges. For example, the participation of community representatives on the functional IPTs and in the working groups has promoted the spread of initiatives ranging from planning for the future to conducting multimedia public outreach programs to building and exercising additional core capabilities to the local use of IPAWS to alert the public. 33

41 Pueblo Critical Systems Infrastructure Workshop and Tabletop Exercise In 2016, the Pueblo CSEPP Community, in conjunction with the CSEPP Automation IPT, took on a new challenge: to assess and improve continuity of service for the critical systems that support all phases of preparedness. This challenge consisted of a review of how critical systems were supported and backed up and whether emergency procedures were effectively documented and communicated. To begin the process, a planning team of Army, FEMA, State, and local officials designed and conducted a Critical Systems Infrastructure Workshop on December 8, Representatives from the Pueblo Information Technology Services Department and onsite and offsite utility providers, critical systems and infrastructure vendors, and system maintenance contractors gave a series of interactive presentations describing the physical infrastructure and their approach to an emergency situation. Based on the discussions at the workshop, participants developed updated and better coordinated plans. To test these plans, the team conducted a tabletop exercise on June 29, 2016 that led the same participants through a series of incidents (a downed utility pole, network room fire, fiber optic cable break, and an earthquake) to look at how their revised response approach would maintain continuity of service. The Critical Systems Infrastructure Tabletop Exercise provided a valuable opportunity for participants to discuss plans and procedures, understand the complex issues of infrastructure protection, and meet community partners. The most valuable thing that came from the exercise was a comprehensive list of action items for short- and long-term improvement planning that was created by the whole CSEPP WAN community, said Larisa Oringdulph, South Region All- Hazards Region Homeland Security Coordinator, Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Although the planning team is still finalizing the after-action report, several general best practices have already been identified: Maintain up-to-date continuity of operations plans and technical diagrams; Follow a collective safety approach that includes managers, vendors, and providers; and Understand critical system infrastructure interoperability and interdependencies. Going forward, the Pueblo Critical Systems Infrastructure Work Group will continue to meet monthly to discuss and maintain plans and procedures. The after-action report and exercise design materials will be shared with the Kentucky CSEPP Community to promote a similar effort. 34

42 Appendix A: Colorado The Pueblo Chemical Depot (PCD) is located approximately 14 miles east of Pueblo, CO where chemical weapons have been safely stored since the 1950s. The depot occupies 23,000 acres and stores 8.5 percent of the original U.S. chemical weapons stockpile in the form of mustard blister agent housed in mortars and projectiles. Destruction of the stockpile is the responsibility of the U.S. Department of Defense s (DoD) Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA), which oversees the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP). The PCAPP team completed construction in 2012 as well as the systemization of all the planning, technical work, training, and testing activities required to ensure that destruction operations will run safely and smoothly in Plant operations at PCAPP began in September The U.S. Army s Explosive Destruction System (EDS) initial campaign began on March 18, 2015 and successfully destroyed 560 munitions over packed in sealed containers. The campaign ended on February 11, The PCAPP EDS may be re-activated to destroy munitions that are determined to be unsuitable for automated processing in the main plant. The PCD shares daily work plans highlighting weather conditions, planned activities, and associated hazards with FEMA, the State of Colorado, and Pueblo County staff, enhancing the situational awareness of depot operations by offsite emergency personnel. In addition to Federal partners, CSEPP in the Pueblo community comprises the State of Colorado, Pueblo County, and the Pueblo City-County Health Department (PCCHD). Listed below are the most significant accomplishments of the year as reported by the Pueblo CSEPP community. 35

43 Fiscal Year 2016 Accomplishments Administration The Pueblo CSEPP community maintained compliance with all 12 benchmarks in FY Figure 4 illustrates total CSEPP expenditures (grant dollars and Federal technical support) to support preparedness in Colorado during the last three fiscal years. Alert and Notification Colorado CSEPP is a major component of efforts to implement the Integrated Public Alert and Warning Figure 4: Colorado CSEPP Programmatic Spending System (IPAWS) at the State and local levels. Existing Pueblo County Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages were converted to IPAWS formats, and continued testing was conducted in FY 2016 at the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) to validate equipment configurations, message templates, and procedures. Colorado CSEPP continues to actively participate in the CSEPP working groups that are evaluating the test results, inventorying local equipment to determine how different equipment processes IPAWS messages, and identifying areas for future testing. Pueblo County procured a new Emergency Notification System that includes IPAWS and has been updating standard operating procedures, message templates, and job aids. Automation The Pueblo CSEPP Automated Manual, which replaces a paper-based guidebook, is an automated tool for quickly capturing notification information from PCD. The tool automatically generates appropriate EAS messages and guides dispatch staff as they complete time-sensitive tasks in the initial stages of a CSEPP response. The main purpose of the Automated Manual is to reduce the amount of time between notification of the event and alerting the public while also reducing the chance of error. A significant reduction in public notification time from prior years was achieved with the tool s first use during the FY 2015 PCD Exercise. Additional testing of the tool occurred during the FY 2016 PCD Exercise, reinforcing the effectiveness of the tool. CSEPP partners worked together in FY 2016 to integrate the Pueblo County Outdoor Warning System with the U.S. Army Giant Voice project. This project provided increased integration of community sirens with onsite systems that alert depot employees and contractors. 36

44 Pueblo County updated and implemented new network and server monitoring systems. The benefit of this project is that it proactively identifies issues prior to them causing failures with the Pueblo networks and systems. Throughout the year, Pueblo County refreshed its technology, including VMware, storage, personal computers, and printers. The County also assessed automation systems during exercises and implemented adjustments to equipment and procedures. Communications In FY 2015, Pueblo County upgraded their 911 system to allow for future enhanced features such as receiving 911 messages via text messaging. During FY 2016, these new systems completed their first full year of operation and proved successful in fulfilling the project objectives. Pueblo County has allowed local amateur radio volunteers to remote to county radio towers. These volunteers assist in disasters by providing supplemental radio communications capabilities as tested annually during CSEPP exercises. Pueblo County and the State of Colorado work with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Emergency Communications Interoperable Communications Technical Assistance Program (ICTAP) to develop a state Tactical Interoperability Communications Plan (TICP). FEMA CSEPP supports the data collection and plan review process for this effort. The plan is currently in the final development stages and work has begun on a Tactical Interoperable Communications Field Operations Guide. Coordinated Plans During the fiscal year, regional planning activities included CSEPP stakeholders. In conjunction with the Colorado South All-Hazards Region and Pueblo County Emergency Management, CSEPP team members worked to better coordinate and synchronize training and exercise plans, improvement plans, and stakeholder events. Through cooperation, the separate programs will better leverage existing opportunities and resources to further the CSEPP mission of increasing existing capabilities across the community. Exercises Pueblo County activated their EOC seven times for exercises, including Chemical Accident or Incident Response and Assistance (CAIRA) exercises with PCD. Pueblo CSEPP Community Exercise 2016 The Pueblo CSEPP Community conducted its 2016 exercise (PCD Ex 16) on May 4, 2016 to demonstrate their emergency response capabilities. Army and FEMA Co-Directors and representatives from PCD, Pueblo County, and the State of Colorado designed and planned the exercise. Offsite participants included State and local emergency management and public safety organizations, amateur radio, two local schools, the Pueblo Coroner, the Center for Disabilities 37

45 in Pueblo, three local hospitals, the American Red Cross, Pueblo Animal Services, and the Pueblo Behavioral Health Response Team. The scenario consisted of two incidents: A forklift accident onsite during the transport of 4.2-inch mortar rounds containing mustard agent; and An unrelated transportation accident offsite involving a hydrochloric acid tank trailer. During the exercise, the offsite community demonstrated a full range of response capabilities, including the use of incident command; response coordination between local, State, Federal, and private sector officials; selection and implementation of protective actions for the public, including schools and other special populations as well as animals; and operation of an evacuation center and shelter with the activation of local and State survivor support services. Local hospitals and field response organizations demonstrated the ability to triage and decontaminate nearly 100 potentially contaminated victims. Finally, a joint information center (JIC)/joint information system (JIS) (consisting of local, State, and Federal agency representatives) coordinated and disseminated news releases among multiple jurisdictions, monitored and used social media, conducted a news conference, and responded to public and media inquiries. The Army and FEMA published a community-wide after-action report, including a corrective action plan, on July 11, The report noted strengths in the use of video teleconferencing between the incident command post and EOC, effective information sharing from the incident scene, a web-based accountability system for high school students, communications support from amateur radio, and shelter protocols for the safety of animals. Opportunities to enhance security procedures to control media access at the incident scene and to improve decontamination protocols were also noted. As part of its implementation of HSEEP, the Colorado CSEPP Community conducted an improvement planning meeting to transition lessons learned from the management of PCD Ex 16 into their training and exercise planning workshop. There were also several functional exercises performed in the Pueblo County JIC to train and improve the JIC team of news writers, media and rapid response individuals, call takers, and JIC leadership roles (JIC Coordinator, Gathering and Production Lead, Dissemination Lead). This year, the community formed strong partnerships with the Center for Disabilities and the County Coroner, both of whom participated in the annual CSEPP exercise. Additionally, the public health and medical lead from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment increased exercise coordination with their State and local EOC counterparts. Medical In conjunction with local emergency responders and medical services, three Pueblo area hospitals (Parkview Medical Center Main, Parkview-Pueblo West Medical Center, and St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center) participate in CSEPP preparedness activities. CSEPP provides 38

46 equipment, training, and technical assistance to enhance medical preparedness for pre-hospital care and in-hospital treatment of patients exposed to chemical agents. The program also works with area public safety and health initiatives to enhance integration of the program locally. During the fiscal year, the community conducted the following medical provider training: Hospital hazardous operations classes; ICS refresher (100-, 200-, 700-, 800-level) classes; Hospital ICS training for hospital command staff; PPE training for fire and law enforcement responders; Patient decontamination training for Parkview Medical Center staff; Hospital hazardous materials operations; and A trauma symposium for first responders. As a result of productive relationships, Hospital Extent of Play Agreements (XPAs) for the 2016 Annual CSEPP Exercise were designed and implemented for the first time in Colorado CSEPP. The XPAs were beneficial in targeting objectives, specific areas of evaluation, and demonstration. Additionally, the XPAs provide a clearer picture of the expectations for exercise planning purposes and execution during the exercise. PCCHD tested the updated Behavioral Health Response Plan during the 2016 CSEPP Exercise. PCCHD CSEPP participates in the South Region Healthcare Coalition, Local Emergency Planning Committee, Southern Colorado Regional Trauma Advisory Council, Pueblo Behavioral Health Response Team, Emergency Medical Services Committee, Sheltering and Animal Services, CSEPP Exercise Planning Group, Pueblo County Emergency Support Function, Mitigation, Disability Inclusion in Emergency Planning, and Community Stakeholders meetings. This community involvement has led to better integration and inclusion of CSEPP at the local level and allows first responders and emergency planners to increase opportunities for CSEPP training and awareness. Protective Actions CSEPP provided annual respirator fit testing to 425 members of the fire and law enforcement agencies in Pueblo County during FY This was a joint effort with the Pueblo County Emergency Services Bureau, the CSEPP Personal Protective Equipment Specialist, PCCHD, and PCCHD Community Health Services that supported responder safety compliance and enabled qualified responders to perform hazardous materials decontamination activities. 39

47 Public Outreach and Education As the beginning of plant operations for weapons destruction approaches, the outreach focus for the local community continues to be educating residents on the necessity of preparing for any type of emergency. The Pueblo County CSEPP PIO continues to work with the Public Affairs team at PCD to coordinate, share, and disseminate information to the public. The Prepare Pueblo campaign was the main component of the education campaign in Pueblo County, using websites, social media, paid advertising, and outreach events to inform the local community. In FY 2016, paid advertising in the newspaper, on billboards, in movie theaters, and on banners focused on preparedness, such as knowing how to shelter-in-place, what it means to evacuate, whether residents live in an emergency zone and what it means to be in such a zone, and the appropriate actions to take based on the different siren tones. Another campaign focused on pet preparedness and offered education on how to evacuate or shelter-in-place with pets. The Pueblo County CSEPP PIO continued to build on the community-based Risk Communications Network (RCN), which meets quarterly. The RCN is composed of approximately 40 people who represent emergency and public safety agencies, non-profit organizations, hospitals, educational institutions, the business community, and local, State, and Federal government agencies. The group focused on specific trainings, allowing members to work together in a unified manner during an emergency. The RCN group participated in smallscale exercises and training sessions, as well as the annual community exercise. In an effort to provide highly trained RCN members, the groups offered training locally and at the State and national levels. The training consisted of G290 Basic Public Information Officer and G291 Joint Information System/Center Planning for Public Information. Approximately 42 people participated in these courses. CSEPP-sponsored PIO training courses were conducted for local community members. The training included Joint Information System/Joint Information Center Operations and Strategy; Risk and Crisis Communication Methodology and Strategy; Spokesperson for Leadership and Subject-Matter Experts; and Basic Public Information Technology and Communication. Members were also encouraged to enroll in FEMA s Emergency Management Institute s Advance (EO388) and Master (MPIOP) courses offered at the Institute in Maryland. The CSEPP team participated in a number of community outreach activities focusing on the preparedness themes. Among the activities were the annual Safety Jam for kids; the Army Birthday and the ribbon-cutting for the PCAPP at the PCD; and the annual McHarg Community Center celebration in the town of Avondale. 40

48 Training FY 2016 was again a busy year for training in Pueblo. Through 59 CSEPP-sponsored courses, over 570 stakeholders across the community received training on topics such as continuity of operations planning, event security, planning, air monitoring, hazardous materials, health care evacuation, moulage, incident command, and public affairs. Future Planning The start of agent destruction operations marked the beginning of the end of CSEPP in Colorado. As a result, the Community IPT established a program closeout working group to develop a closeout strategy that encompasses budgetary and programmatic issues for each of the jurisdictions in the Colorado CSEPP community. Specific items discussed this year include State and local personnel transition planning, disposition of equipment, closeout milestones, and planning for the final exercise. In addition to its traditional coordination role, FEMA provided technical assistance, including best practices from the six previous site closeouts, to assist with Pueblo closeout planning. A draft closeout plan is currently under review by the work group. At the same time, FEMA also provided technical support to Pueblo County to examine options for sustaining certain capabilities after CSEPP has ended. This analysis, scoped by resources and the remaining hazards in the community, focused on target levels for operational coordination, operational communications, and public information and warning. 41

49 Kentucky CSEPP Responds to Emergencies February 25, 2016 was a normal day in the Estill County, KY Emergency Management office until Public Information Officer (PIO) Melissa Jessie answered a telephone call. A reporter from Lexington asked for the agency s response to alleged illegal dumping of radiological waste in a county landfill. This call was the first time that Jessie and Ronnie Riddle, the County Emergency Management Director, had heard of the landfill issue. What followed was a series of events that required the emergency management personnel to gather information, confirm facts, notify elected officials, coordinate messaging, and communicate to their residents and the news media skills that are required in any emergency and which had been further honed during years of participation in CSEPP. The county Emergency Management Agency (EMA) scheduled an initial news conference to address the issue. Riddle and elected officials addressed the media, and Jessie used social media channels to communicate with residents. When you are the only one talking, you become the only target of public outrage, said Riddle. We tried to be as transparent as possible, releasing information as quickly and accurately as possible. EMA personnel coordinated public meetings for residents to ask questions and express their concerns. The county also personally reached out to citizen groups that formed to protest the dumping. Riddle attributes the proactive efforts of gathering information from a variety of State and Federal agencies, communicating directly to residents through social media, and attending meetings as the reasons for the reversal of negative attitudes toward the EMA. The landfill issue broke just weeks after a Salmonella outbreak in Estill County. Similar to the response to the landfill issue, at the request of the county health department, the EMA was again pressed into action to gather, confirm, and communicate health and safety information to their residents until the source of the outbreak was discovered. CSEPP funds provide training for PIOs in communities closest to the chemical stockpiles. In Estill County, Jessie is the only PIO in county government. As a result, during the landfill and Salmonella incidents, she was pressed into action to provide emergency and public health information to residents. Estill County was not the only Kentucky CSEPP stakeholder to respond to emergencies during the past year. For example, the Kentucky EMA CSEPP PIO serves as the manager of the Commonwealth Joint Information Center that activated for flooding and icing events in FY 2016, and Madison County CSEPP personnel responded to several hazardous chemical incidents along heavily traveled Interstate

50 Appendix B: Kentucky Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD) is located south of Lexington, KY near the city of Richmond. The depot sits on 15,000 acres. The stockpile is maintained on 255 acres of land near the northern border of the depot. The storage of blister agents began in 1944, and nerve agent storage commenced in the mid-1960s. The safe storage of the chemical stockpile remains an important mission of the Blue Grass Chemical Activity (BGCA). Destruction of the stockpile is the responsibility of the Department of Defense s (DoD) Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives (PEO ACWA). The Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP) will safely and efficiently destroy a stockpile of chemical weapons currently in storage at BGAD. Utilizing neutralization followed by supercritical water oxidation (SCWO), the plant will destroy munitions containing nerve agent. Additionally, the Static Detonation Chamber, an explosive destruction technology (EDT), will augment BGCAPP s neutralization/scwo technology to destroy the mustard agent-filled projectiles in the Blue Grass stockpile, many of which have been found unsuited for processing through the main plant. In addition to Federal partners, the Blue Grass CSEPP community comprises the Commonwealth of Kentucky; Madison, Estill, Clark, Garrard, Rockcastle, Powell, Laurel, Jackson, and Jessamine counties; and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG). The Kentucky CSEPP community includes 10 counties that have distinct planning zones. CSEPP zones are geographical areas around the chemical depot defining the areas that are included in the preparedness activities. Zones most at risk from a chemical release are referred to as immediate response zones (IRZs); these are located in Madison and Estill counties, which are thus referred to as IRZ counties. Zones farther out from the hazard are designated as protective action zones (PAZs); Clark, Garrard, Rockcastle, Powell, and Jackson counties and the LFUCG contain some PAZ areas and are thus referred to as PAZ counties. Laurel and Jessamine counties are designated as host jurisdictions. A host jurisdiction is not considered to be at direct risk from a chemical stockpile accident, but provides decontamination and medical treatment, mass care, host facilities, and mutual aid support to at-risk jurisdictions. Listed below are the most significant accomplishments of the year as reported by the Blue Grass CSEPP community. 43

51 Fiscal Year 2016 Accomplishments Administration The Blue Grass CSEPP community maintained compliance with all 12 benchmarks in FY Figure 5 illustrates total CSEPP funding (grant dollars and Federal technical support) to support preparedness in Kentucky during the last three fiscal years. Numerous factors drove a funding increase in Kentucky from FY 2015 to FY Madison County relocated its Blue Grass Alert and Notification System from their temporary location Figure 5: Kentucky CSEPP Programmatic Spending in Berea to the newly renovated EOC in Richmond; Madison County completed a major replacement of outdoor warning siren backup batteries; Fayette, Madison, and Estill Counties purchased additional alert and notification equipment to permit use of IPAWS; and medical facilities and emergency medical services replaced outdated nerve agent antidote. Additional expenditures addressed the change in the risk profile to the community as a result of the Army s planned start of chemical weapons disposal operations. These included additional duty officers for the IRZ counties (Madison and Estill) to address the Army s move to 24-hour operations; purchase of fire apparatus by the City of Richmond, City of Berea, and Madison County under a cost-sharing agreement to expand emergency decontamination capabilities and address fire suppression mutual aid requirements with the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD); and a paid media campaign to increase public awareness of protective actions that was initiated by the Commonwealth of Kentucky and all ten CSEPP Counties. There was significant activity within the Kentucky CSEPP community during the fiscal year. The CSEPP community completed the construction and renovation of emergency operations centers (EOCs), enhanced emergency communication systems, and implemented public outreach activities to inform the public of what to do in the event of a chemical incident. Ensuring CSEPP stakeholders were trained on the new Federal grant regulations at 2 CFR Part continued to be a priority for KY CSEPP during the fiscal year. In addition to specific grants management training, FEMA Regional personnel continued site visits to ensure grantees 6 2 CFR Chapter I, Chapter II, Part 200, et al., Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards; Final Rule 44

52 were aware of changes and had an understanding of the grant objectives and guidelines. The Commonwealth continued to maintain a robust sub-recipient financial monitoring program. CSEPP has streamlined WebCA quarterly reporting. The process allows counties to update their project progression and link those projects to the CSEPP benchmarks, as well as FEMA s Core Capabilities benchmarks. The Blue Grass CSEPP Integrated Process Team (IPT) continued to function as the central program management forum in FY During the year, the work groups met and recommended products or procedures to the full IPT for consideration. The IPT conducted an inprocess review where a work group analyzed member surveys regarding team effectiveness and recommended procedural changes to the full group. The IPT adopted specific recommendations including extension of the meetings to one and a half days instead of one day. Alert and Notification IPAWS testing advanced in FY Representatives from Madison and Fayette counties traveled to Arlington, VA on May 24 and 25, 2016 to participate in an IPAWS meeting that included a site visit to the JITC. During the meetings, representatives from the two counties tested IPAWS messages on their respective county systems. The testing led to specific changes to IPAWS messaging, which were incorporated into the message templates. During the year, Madison County EMA issued three live IPAWS messages to citizens for various local hazards. Madison County hired and trained several new EOC techs to support 24-hour operations in preparation for initiation of weapon destruction operations at BGCAPP. Automation Kentucky CSEPP counties and the Commonwealth use the same computer software to share emergency preparedness information. The community maintains several working groups to coordinate automation projects within the counties and Commonwealth, including the information sharing software. A working group meets bi-monthly with all product users to plan, coordinate, and resolve problems within their respective communities. During the fiscal year, stability testing on these systems occurred, and the community is completing a CSEPP Mutual Aid Process that will allow CSEPP counties to request assistance from one another directly during an event. Communication Clark, Powell, Estill, Jackson, and Rockcastle counties completed the Association of Public- Safety Communications Officials Project 25 (P25) repeater replacement projects in FY 2016 to meet Federal Communications Commission requirements. 45

53 Coordinated Plans A Blue Grass CSEPP community planning work group continued the development and promulgation of new County CSEPP incident-specific plans (ISPs). These hazard-specific plans address detailed response actions to a chemical stockpile emergency and augment State and county all-hazards emergency operations plans. Drafts of the new plans were tested during the FY 2014 exercise and are being finalized based on lessons learned from that exercise. The Blue Grass CSEPP community also initiated the development of a revised Commonwealth incidentspecific CSEPP plan and an update to the Blue Grass CSEPP Reentry and Recovery Plan. The Kentucky Reentry and Recovery Working Group held its initial meeting during the fiscal year. The participants are beginning to develop procedures and recommendations for the Governor and county executives to make decisions relating to when people could return to their homes following a chemical incident at BGAD. Kentucky representatives also participated in the Colorado recovery workshops described in Appendix A. Lessons learned from Colorado are being transferred to Kentucky for inclusion in their recovery planning initiatives. KY CSEPP developed an internal mutual aid structure that will allow CSEPP counties to request assistance from one another directly during a chemical emergency. The primary objective is to facilitate rapid, short-term deployment of emergency support prior to, during, and/or after an incident. All of the CSEPP counties drafted ISPs for chemical emergencies. Planners have reviewed Jurisdiction CSEPP ISPs to ensure response plans are coordinated in the event of a chemical incident at BGAD. Emergency Operations Centers Madison County Madison County completed renovations to their 25-year-old EOC in Richmond and occupied the new facilities during the fiscal year. This project combined the County 911 dispatch center, emergency operations, and EMA offices in one location. The County held a community open house and ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the renovations. Madison County is adopting the Center Management System described under the NIMS Refresh as the organizational structure for EOC operations. Madison County officials participated in a video production that shows how information is coordinated between the BGCA EOC and Madison County EOC. The two agencies are currently in discussion about the feasibility of the Army using the Madison County EOC as an alternate facility in the event they are unable to use the onsite EOC. Clark County Construction of Clark County s new EOC, which began in September 2013, was completed in FY Emergency Management occupied the building, and completed installation of radio equipment on a new tower in FY The annual exercise included an evaluation of the functionality of the new EOC. The building may eventually incorporate the county s 24-hour warning point. 46

54 Garrard County Garrard County completed and occupied their new EOC in FY The design included space to co-locate the 24-hour warning point and 911 Center. Garrard and neighboring Lincoln County now share the new facility for regional 911 Center operations. Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government LFUCG is nearing completion of its EOC, which involves expansion of an existing government building. This renovation will provide a modernized facility to centralize all county emergency communications functions (law enforcement, EMS, 911, fire suppression, hazmat, and public works) with the EOC. Emergency management personnel were temporarily relocated to another facility in August The EMA expects to occupy the facility in early FY Jackson County Jackson County completed and occupied their new EOC in July Exercises The Blue Grass CSEPP Community Exercise 2016 (BGAD Ex 16) was conducted on September 21, 2016 to demonstrate the emergency response capabilities of the Blue Grass CSEPP community. Exercise design and planning was accomplished by the Army and FEMA Co- Directors and representatives from BGAD, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and the 10 Kentucky CSEPP counties. Offsite participants included State and local emergency management and public safety organizations, amateur radio, nine schools in Madison and Estill counties, 13 local hospitals, and the American Red Cross. The primary scenario consisted of an accident and fire onsite during the movement of 155mm projectiles containing mustard agent. In addition, there was also a simulated train derailment in the community involving hazardous materials. Out-of-sequence field decontamination activities were initiated in response to a simulated accident at BGAD involving the nerve agent sarin. The focus of the exercise was assessing community preparedness in preparation for the start of agent operations in Kentucky. During the exercise, the offsite community demonstrated a full range of response capabilities, including the use of incident command; response coordination between local, State, Federal, and private sector officials; the selection and implementation of protective actions for the public, including schools and other special populations as well as animals; and the operation of reception centers and shelters. The hospitals and field locations (staffed by local first responder organizations) demonstrated the ability to triage and decontaminate (as necessary) a total of nearly 300 potentially contaminated victims. Finally, a joint information center (JIC)/joint information system (JIS) (consisting of local, State, and Federal agency representatives) coordinated and disseminated news releases among multiple jurisdictions, monitored and used social media, conducted a news conference, and responded to public and media inquiries. A community-wide after-action report, including a corrective action plan, will be published in FY

55 Following the exercise, the Public Affairs Working Group distributed a JIC evaluation survey that was developed by the CSEPP Public Affairs IPT Training/Professional Development Work Group. The survey is completed immediately after an exercise to help determine future training needs and any needed exercise improvements. The Kentucky CSEPP Community participated in BGCA s quarterly CAIRA exercises to demonstrate the functionality of offsite EOCs and response procedures. Medical During FY 2016, Kentucky CSEPP, with assistance from Army PHC and FEMA, conducted a series of medical capability reviews at 11 hospitals and 9 pre-hospital care organizations (local ambulance, fire, and EMS) in the community. The objective of these reviews was to validate self-assessments voluntarily performed by these organizations using the CSEPP medical evaluation guides developed by the Medical Work Group. In addition, these reviews served to document the community s collective capabilities to respond to potential public exposures to a chemical warfare agent in advance of the initiation of plant operations at BGCA. The results from this effort, completed in August 2016, are currently being compiled to help the community identify any gaps or trends that may need to be addressed. Protective Actions With support from USACE, Baptist Health South Hospital is completing the incorporation of existing collective protection systems into ongoing hospital renovations. This facility is the largest hospital in Madison County and the primary facility for receiving patients from the depot. Such modifications will ensure hospital staff can protect and safely treat any patients exposed to chemical warfare agents. In addition, based on population growth in Madison County, CSEPP examined the risk to newly established facilities (since the previous analysis) in the vicinity of BGAD with potentially vulnerable populations. To ensure protection for individuals at these facilities as part of the overall protective action strategy, FEMA met with new elected and appointed officials in the county to consider approaches including collective protection systems and shelter enhancements. Based on these discussions, FEMA directed the USACE to improve safety through site-specific efforts at nine additional locations, including health care facilities, schools, child care centers, and facilities serving people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs. CSEPP conducted an analysis of evacuee traffic flow into a primary reception center in Lexington. The community is working to identify options and alternatives to reduce potential traffic congestion and delays. During the fiscal year, the community continued to expand the capability of shelter equipment to include additional cots and blankets for relocation activities. Protective equipment for first responders was also updated or replaced during the year. 48

56 Public Outreach and Education The Kentucky CSEPP community has full-time PIOs on staff at BGAD, Madison County, Estill County, and the State CSEPP office. Several other counties have part-time PIOs. The team of public information and public affairs officers engages in a variety of activities to educate residents on what to do in the event of a chemical accident and maintains a capability to deliver emergency public information during disasters. The PIOs work together to disseminate CSEPP information at fairs, public meetings, and other gatherings. During FY 2016, CSEPP PIOs distributed calendars in English and Spanish throughout the 10- county footprint. These calendars are an annual outreach product that contains detailed emergency information. The Blue Grass Public Affairs Working Group developed a draft scope of work for the community media campaign and then reviewed the proposals and made a recommendation to the full IPT. The community awarded a contract for a community-wide public outreach and education media campaign in June The campaign will supplement county-specific outreach initiatives. The Blue Grass Public Affairs Working Group and members of the PEO ACWA, the Depot, and disposal plant contractor public affairs staffs held regular coordination meetings throughout the fiscal year. The purpose of the meetings was to provide situational awareness briefings of the respective agencies and coordinate public outreach events that included both onsite and offsite personnel. Madison County participated in a local Latino Higher Education Conference in April The purpose of the meeting was to reach Spanish speaking residents and provide emergency preparedness information. During the event, a pilot intercept survey was used to allow residents to answer preparedness-related questions and provide feedback on CSEPP. The questions were translated into Spanish and presented on a tablet computer; a similar pilot in English was tested at a Garrard County community event. The results will be incorporated into the community campaign as one method for measuring campaign success. Madison County EMA staff also provided CSEPP information at a meeting of Leadership Central Kentucky (a non-profit organization created to promote citizen education) in February. County PIOs shared information on CSEPP at a school health and safety fair with about 100 student participants later that month. Fayette County began producing a one-hour biweekly public affairs show in January 2016 that features CSEPP-related content and airs on two low power stations: one in English and one in Spanish. They are converting the shows into podcasts. Garrard County Emergency Management Agency personnel provided CSEPP information at a Community Easter Egg Hunt in March 2016 that was attended by an estimated 300 residents. 49

57 Estill County Emergency Management personnel participated in the Mountain Mushroom Festival. The event draws hundreds of residents to downtown Irvin, KY for a variety of events. CSEPP emergency preparedness information was provided in a booth sponsored by the county. Other outreach events include a career fair and speaking engagements to community groups. Training The KYEM training officer collaborated with the community on fulfilling continuing training needs. A yearly calendar documents available training courses and is distributed to all CSEPP stakeholders. For FY 2016, the Kentucky CSEPP Community hosted 35 training courses and trained over 400 emergency management personnel in planning, financial management, EOC/ICS, hazardous materials, and public affairs. 50

58 Appendix C: CSEPP Stakeholders State of Colorado Pueblo Chemical Depot Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Pueblo County (IRZ) Pueblo City-County Health Department Commonwealth of Kentucky Blue Grass Army Depot Kentucky Division of Emergency Management Clark County (PAZ) Estill County (IRZ) Fayette County (PAZ) Garrard County (PAZ) Jackson County (PAZ) Jessamine County (Host) Laurel County (Host) Madison County (IRZ) Powell County (PAZ) Rockcastle County (PAZ) 51

59 Appendix D: Abbreviations ACWA APHA BG BGAD BGCA BGCAPP CA CAIRA CAP CDC CFR CMA CSEPP CTUIR DHS DoD EAS EDS EDT EKU EMA EMS ENS EOC EOPT EPZ FEMA FY hazmat HSEEP ICS ICTAP IPAWS IPT IRZ ISP JIC JIS JITC KY Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives American Public Health Association Blue Grass Blue Grass Army Depot Blue Grass Chemical Activity Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Cooperative Agreement Chemical Accident or Incident Response and Assistance Common Alerting Protocol Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Code of Federal Regulations U.S. Army Chemical Materials Activity Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation U.S. Department of Homeland Security U.S. Department of Defense Emergency Alert System U.S. Army Explosive Destruction System Explosive Destruction Technology Eastern Kentucky University Emergency Management Agency Emergency Medical Services Emergency Notification System Emergency Operations Center Emergency Operations Planning Template Emergency Planning Zone Federal Emergency Management Agency Fiscal Year Hazardous Materials Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program Incident Command System Interoperable Communications Technical Assistance Program Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Integrated Process Team Immediate Response Zone Incident-Specific Plan Joint Information Center Joint Information System Joint Interoperability Test Command Kentucky 52

60 KYEM Kentucky Emergency Management LCCE Lifecycle Cost Estimate LEP Limited English Proficiency LFUCG Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government MCR Medical Capability Review MEG CSEPP Medical Evaluation Guide MEPP Master Exercise Practitioner Program MOU Memorandum of Understanding MQIT Medical Quality Improvement Team NIMS National Incident Management System OCIO Office of the Chief Information Officer P25 Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials Project 25 PA IPT CSEPP Public Affairs Integrated Process Team PA Public Affairs PAZ Protective Action Zone PCAPP Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant PCD Ex 16 Pueblo CSEPP Community Exercise 2016 PCD OHC Pueblo Chemical Depot, Occupational Health Clinic PCD Pueblo Chemical Depot PEO ACWA Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives PEO Program Executive Office PHC U.S. Army Public Health Center PIO Public Information Officer PPE Personal Protective Equipment RASP Recovery Analysis Sampling Plan RCN Risk Communications Network REPP Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program SCWO Supercritical Water Oxidation SMS Short Message Service TICP Tactical Interoperability Communications Plan TTX Tabletop Exercise U.S.C. United States Code USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers XPA Extent of Play Agreement 53

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