EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTION (ESF) 5 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ESF COORDINATOR Pierce County Department of Emergency Management/EOC JOINT PRIMARY AGENCIES Pierce County Department of Emergency Management Pierce County Information Technology Department Tacoma Pierce County Health Department SUPPORT AGENCIES American Red Cross, Mount Rainier Chapter Pierce County Cities and Towns Pierce County Council Pierce County Department of Public Works and Utilities Pierce County Fire Districts and Municipal Fire Departments Pierce County Human Resources Department Pierce County Information Technology Department Pierce County Planning and Land Services Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Pierce County Risk Management Department Pierce County Sheriff s Department I. INTRODUCTION A. Purpose B. Scope To collect, analyze, evaluate, compile and share information about a potential or actual emergency or disaster to enhance response and the provision of recovery activities. 1. This ESF applies to the information needs of the PC EOC for assessing a disastrous or potentially disastrous situation and supporting related response and planning efforts. 2. This ESF does not imply that all emergency planning contingencies are addressed but does outline basic principles consistent to most emergencies or disasters. II. POLICIES A. The PC DEM/PC EOC will maintain current hazard and risk analysis information. B. The PC EOC will receive and disseminate current and accurate information to other county agencies, cities and towns, the WEMD EOC, volunteer organizations, and response personnel during times of activation. The analysis of this information and planning for anticipated ESF 5: Emergency Management/October 2010 1 of 5
resources is critical in the support of emergency or disaster response and recovery activities. C. PC DEM/PC EOC aligns with NIMS/ICS principles. III. SITUATION A. Emergency/Disaster Conditions and Hazards Refer to the Pierce County Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (published separately). B. Planning Assumptions 1. Timely coordination is required during an emergency or disaster, or the threat of one, and planning for extended response and recovery operations requires the immediate and continued collection, processing and dissemination of situational information. 2. First responders, as well as field responders, volunteers, residents, the media and others will provide information to the PC EOC. 3. Information, particularly initial information, may be ambiguous, conflict with information from other sources or with previous information from the same source, or be limited in detail. 4. Information collection may be hampered due to many factors including, but not limited to, damage to telecommunications systems, telecommunications overload, damage to the telecommunications infrastructure, and effects of weather, smoke, human error, and other environmental factors. IV. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS A. County department and other agency representatives in the PC EOC will work to meet the informational requirements of field emergency operations, other jurisdictional EOCs, other county agency EOCs and the WEMD EOC. B. The planning section chief is responsible for the management of the information received and processed in the PC EOC. The planning section is responsible to collect, analyze, evaluate, report and display the current information. From this information the section chief will assure that incident action plans are developed as needed for additional operational periods. ESF 5: Emergency Management/October 2010 2 of 5
V. RESPONSIBILITIES A. General 1. Primary and support agencies, and Pierce County government departments will develop and maintain Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans. COOP plans will be implemented when indicated. 2. County departments will provide staff for PC EOC training and operations when requested by the Director of PC DEM and the PC EOC manager. 3. County departments are responsible for the accountability of employees, level of operations, assessment of damages, and identification of resources needs, and report the information to the PC EOC in a timely manner. B. Primary Agencies 1. Pierce County Department of Emergency Management a. Lead agency for day-to-day emergency management services for Pierce County and cities and towns in contractual relationships with PC DEM. The services include but are not limited to prevention, response, recovery, and mitigation. b. Sponsor of the Urban Search and Rescue Washington Task Force 1. Deploy Task Force within four hours of FEMA orders. c. Lead agency for management, administration and operations of the PC EOC. d. Coordinating agency for local, state, regional, and tribal public safety agencies. e. Activate and assemble emergency assets and capabilities to assist in the prevention and response of emergencies or disasters. f. Coordinate planning activities including immediate, short-term and long-range planning. The response planning and operations implementation priorities of county government are developed, tracked, and implemented through this ESF. g. Coordinate overall staffing of PC EOC emergency management activities, including activated ESFs. h. Responsible for inter-departmental emergency financial planning, management of revenues and expenditures, preparation of financial reports and other related fiscal operations. i. Facilitate obtaining legal counsel when needed during times of PC EOC activation. j. Solicit continuity of operations status (employees/resources). 2. Pierce County IT (Geographic Information Systems) ESF 5: Emergency Management/October 2010 3 of 5
a. Lead agency in the development, maintenance and delivery of training for the web-based applications used in the PC EOC for the collection and analysis of information. b. Provide GIS support in the PC EOC during activations. 3. Tacoma Pierce County Health Department C. Support Agencies a. Lead agency for implementing public health area command to include the surveillance, investigation, and medical system coordination necessary to safeguard public health and wellbeing. b. Provide liaison to the PC EOC when requested and / or indicated. c. Provide policy liaison when indicated. d. Provide technical expertise and planning to the PC EOC. e. Conduct windshield surveys as needed and provide information to the PC EOC. 1. Pierce County Sheriff s Department/Department of Corrections a. Participate in the PC EOC staffing to coordinate law enforcement operations when requested. b. Provide security for the PC EOC, when requested. 2. Pierce County Department of Public Works and Utilities a. Participate in the PC EOC staffing to coordinate public works and engineering operations when requested. b. Provide engineering and planning support to county residents and public safety agencies during emergencies or disasters. c. Conduct Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs) and other support activities. 3. Pierce County Planning and Land Services a. Lead department for the damage assessments of buildings in unincorporated areas. Conduct building inspections and provide information to the PC EOC. b. Secondary support for the damage assessments of buildings owned by Pierce County. Primary responsibility is normally the County Facilities Management Department. If building is in a city, that city would have primary responsibility unless there is an agreement otherwise. c. Provide technical expertise and planning to the PC EOC. 4. Pierce County Information Technology Department a. Provide information to the PC EOC on the damages to the county s telecommunications infrastructure. ESF 5: Emergency Management/October 2010 4 of 5
b. Provide technical support to the PC EOC during activations. 5. Pierce County Risk Management Department Provide information to the PC EOC on building evacuations and personnel safety. 6. Pierce County Council Provide legislative/policy advice to the PC EOC related to response and recovery to an emergency or disaster. 7. Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Provide legal counsel when needed by the PC EOC during an emergency or disaster. 8. Pierce County Fire Districts and Municipal Fire Departments a. Provide a fire coordinator to the PC EOC when requested. b. Conduct windshield surveys and provide information to the PC EOC. 9. Pierce County Contracted Cities and Towns Collect, analyze, evaluate and compile damage assessment information and provide to the PC EOC. 10. American Red Cross, Mount Rainier Chapter Provide information to the PC EOC on the provision and coordination of emergency services such as feeding, sheltering, distribution of bulk supplies, disaster welfare inquiries, and emergency assistance to families and individuals. VI. REFERENCES Pierce County Emergency Operations Center Plan VII. TERMS AND DEFINITIONS See Appendices 1 and 2 VIII. ATTACHMENTS Pierce County Emergency Operations Center Plan ESF 5: Emergency Management/October 2010 5 of 5