City of Pasadena Office of Emergency Management 2014 Annual Report

City of Pasadena Office of Emergency Management 2014 Annual Report

Emergency Management Director Mayor Johnny Isbell By state law and city ordinance, the chief executive officer of the city, the Mayor, is the director of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). The Mayor is responsible for the City of Pasadena s Emergency Management Program (EMP). The Mayor delegates the authority for execution of these duties to the Emergency Management Coordinator (EMC), but ultimate responsibility for such execution remains with the director.

Emergency Management Coordinator s Message I encourage each member of our community to learn more about the hazards facing our area and how everyone might better prepare for what may lie ahead. Our office stands ready to respond to disasters and provide assistance and support to our community and partners. I urge each resident to take action, be prepared and set the example in your community. Walter Lee Gant III Emergency Management Coordinator

Mission Statement To improve coordination among city, state and federal organizations to help save lives and protect our community by increasing the speed, effectiveness and efficiency of our collective emergency management response.

OEM Overview The City of Pasadena Emergency Management Program is a citywide system that provides management and coordination for prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery activities for all hazards that may impact the City. Working in close partnership with Pasadena s public safety and public health agencies, OEM plans and prepares for emergencies, educates the public about emergency preparedness, conducts training exercises and drills, and performs other services to support the City s overall preparedness. OEM follows an all-hazards approach, preparing for various types of emergencies natural or man-made. These disasters can include manmade events such as chemical spills and transportation accidents, or natural events such as severe storms, floods, and hurricanes. The Department accomplishes this objective through: Planning the City's response to major disasters and coordinating these plans with industry, business, and citizens. Training City employees, elected officials, the industrial-business sector, and citizens in emergency planning and operations. Testing emergency plans and procedures through simulated disasters. Responding to actual events as part of the City's emergency services. Notifying the public of immediate threats using the City's emergency alert systems such as the outdoor sirens. Educating all citizens about disasters and ways to protect themselves.

2014 OEM by the Numbers Training and Public Outreach Public Outreach Programs (Hurricane, Sheltering in Place, Chemical Release Awareness, etc.) OEM & EOC Training provided to city employees and the industrial-business sector in emergency planning and operations # Participants 1897 Emergency Preparedness and Planning # Participants Tier II Facility Reports Processed 166 Emergency Plans Updated 10 Hazardous Materials Incident Reported Emergency Response Required 145 10 Exercise and Preparedness Drills Conducted Type of Exercise Name Seminar Based 2014 Hurricane Workshop & Safety Fair Operations Based Operation Alexander Graham Bell-less Operations Based Operation Noah s Ark

Advanced Level Planning Preparedness The City of Pasadena s Office of Emergency Management maintains an Advanced Level of Planning Preparedness rating from the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). An Advanced Level of Planning Preparedness is the highest level of planning preparedness and demonstrates the greatest capability to respond to and manage emergencies and disasters.

OEM Grants During Fiscal Year 2014, The City of Pasadena s Office of Emergency Management received three grants with a combined total value of $ 767,478. The 2014 Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) for $ 68,342.21. These grant funds reimburse the city for a portion of eligible Emergency Management expenses such as personnel, salaries and benefits, training and administrative costs. 2014 Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Program $ 234,956.79 for public safety radios and other equipment. This is a 100% Federal grant requiring no matching funds. 2014 UASI Law- Enforcement Terrorist Prevention Program $ 464,179. This is a 100% Federal grant requiring no matching funds. o $110,515 Funding Continuation for the Regional Fusion Analyst. o $196,555 for SWAT capability sustainment equipment. o $157,109 Bay Area Regional Bomb Squad response equipment.

Hurricane Season Briefing From Dr. Richard Nabb May 20, 2014 The Pasadena Office of Emergency Management sponsored a briefing by Dr. Richard Nabb, the director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Dr. Nabb spoke to the mayors and county judges from the Houston/ Galveston region on the outlook for the upcoming hurricane season and the new products from the NHC which may be useful in providing guidance in evacuation decisions. After the briefing at the Pasadena Convention Center, participants were given a tour of a National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) WP-3D Orion Hurricane Hunter" aircraft at Ellington Field.

WP-3D Hurricane Hunter Aircraft Visit

Project Shattered Dreams Project Shattered Dreams is a two-day, school-based program that promotes responsible decision-making among high school students regarding underage drinking and impaired driving (driving after drinking or riding with a drinking driver) by showing them how irresponsible choices can end all dreams. The program is rotated yearly among the high schools located in Pasadena and is a proactive effort to end DWI fatalities. This project is a collaboration between the Pasadena Police Department, Pasadena Fire Department, East Texas Medical Center EMS, Pasadena ISD and the Pasadena Office of Emergency Management.

Operation Alexander Graham Bell-Less In May, the Office of Emergency Management conducted Operation Alexander Graham Bell-Less, which was an emergency management exercise based on the premise that the City of Pasadena had lost its ability to receive and make nonemergency telephone calls to Police, Fire, EMS and other city services. The exercise brought together representatives from various City of Pasadena departments in order to develop uniform procedures for the restoration of telephone services through new and existing POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) and satellite technologies.

Hurricane and Safety Fair The Office of Emergency Management and SERLEPC conducted its annual seminar on Hurricane Preparedness. This year s seminar occurred on Saturday, May 24th at the Pasadena Convention Center and was attended by approximately 1200 participants. During the seminar, citizens received information from numerous speakers and exhibitors on planning, public information and warning, Community Preparedness, Mitigation, and re entry. This year s keynote speaker was KTRK ABC 13 Chief Meteorologist Tim Heller who discussed the upcoming hurricane season and preparedness steps that citizens should take.

Operation Noah s Ark In August, the Office of Emergency Management conducted Operation Noah s Ark, which was a functional exercise simulating the safe and timely evacuation efforts of citizens and pets as they would occur 72 hours prior to the anticipated arrival of tropical storm force winds in the area, The exercise was conducted at the Pasadena Convention Center as a multijurisdictional partnership between the Southeast Harris County municipalities of Pasadena, La Porte, Deer Park, Seabrook, Taylor Lake Village, El Lago, Nassau Bay, Webster and Friendswood. During the exercise, representatives from the Southeast Harris County Evacuation HUB tested on-site tracking equipment, tags and communication tools through the tracking of approximately 75 simulated evacuees and 20 coach buses.

Hurricane Season Overview The 2014 Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and ended on November 30 and will be remembered as a relatively quiet season. Fortunately, the Texas coastline and the City of Pasadena were spared this year. Nevertheless, we know that will not always be the case. As we enter the Hurricane off season, it is time for the City of Pasadena and its residents to refine their response plans to ensure that we are prepared for any future storm.

Pasadena Emergency Communications Group (PECG) The Pasadena Emergency Communications Group (PECG) assists Emergency Management with radio communications during emergencies, maintenance of the City-owned HAM station and repeaters, and special events communications or exhibits. PECG also works with area HAM clubs, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), and the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL). Net: Tuesday Nights (weekly) @ 145.290 MHz (103.5 PL Tone) at 7:00 PM

Services & Programs The Office of Emergency Management offers a variety of services and programs to City government, businesses, industry, and the public: Education - literature, brochures, videos, and other training materials. Topics include weather, chemicals, shelter-in-place with our Stay Inside and Stay Alive campaign and more. Speakers - available for any civic meeting, business, school, or other organization; topics can be customized to your group's interests and age. Technical Consulting - emergency planning and technical research. Staff members can assist your group with developing emergency plans, finding data and other resources, and providing technical expertise. Technical Response - the department, along with Fire and Police, comprises the City's emergency services. Public notification assistance can be provided to business or industry impacted by a disaster. Plan Repository - the Department, in conjunction with the Southeast Regional Local Emergency Planning Committee, is the official repository for local industry emergency plans. Plans are available for review or copy through written request to both the Dept. and the SERLEPC. Only non-confidential information may be obtained. Volunteer Coordination - the Department works with a variety of volunteer groups on disaster management issues.

Contact Information City of Pasadena Office of Emergency Management P.O. Box 672 Pasadena, TX 77501 Phone: 713-475-5588 Fax: 713-477-9364 E-mail: oem@ci.pasadena.tx.us Walter Gant, Emergency Management Coordinator Office: 713-475-4996 E-mail: wgant@ci.pasadena.tx.us Frank Bengochea, Senior Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator Office: 713-475-5599 E-mail: fbengochea@ci.pasadena.tx.us Josephine Espinosa, Administrative Assistant Office: 713-475-5588 E-mail: jespinosa@ci.pasadena.tx.us www.pasadenaprepares.net