State EOC Operations in Agro Event John H Campbell Operations Chief MO State Emergency Mgt Agency

Agenda Definitions Roles of EOCs in response operations Specific actions in Ag events

Definitions Disaster—An event resulting in great loss or misfortune Response—Actions taken immediately to stabilize an emergency condition Recovery—Actions taken to restore areas and facilities to their pre-disaster condition Stafford Act—legislation which authorizes the federal government to provide assistance to state and local governments affected by disasters

Definitions EOC—Emergency Operations Center—a facility that provides an environment for multiple agencies to coordinate effective and efficient use of assigned resources in response and recovery to a disaster. ESF—Emergency Support Function—A mechanism that consolidates multiple agencies performing similar jobs into a single cohesive unit

Definitions Protective actions—Actions designed to safeguard public health and safety (evacuations, boil-orders) Precautionary measures—Actions taken in advance of protective actions to reduce potential disaster impacts (facility restrictions, boil-advisories) SEMA—State Emergency Mgt Agency FEMA—Federal Emergency Mgt Agency

Philosophies of Emergency Mgt All disasters start and end at local level Local officials are in charge of response and recovery activities State, Federal, and non-governmental resources are brought in to support local response when needs from a disaster exceed capability of community to respond/recover

Philosophies of Emergency Mgt for Agro Events Event will likely be detected by local vet, animal owner, meat inspector, etc Protective action decisions (i.e. quarantine, depopulation, etc) may be made at state or federal level Local, state, and federal officials operate as a team during recovery phase

What is an EOC? Multi-agency coordination center Central focal point for an organization to execute a coordinated, effective response Encourages collaboration within/between response disciplines Multiple, redundant communication systems

EOC Missions Maintain situational awareness for policy-makers Allocate existing resources based on guidance contained in emergency plans and guidance issued by policy-makers Determine unmet needs; seek assistance on filling unmet needs based on guidance from policy-makers Provide information to public Support responders in the field

Typical EOC Organization

Chief Official Ultimately responsible for response activities Leads policy group discussions Executes duties with authority as provided in emergency response plan

Policy Group Group consisting of elected officials, department heads, etc Provide guidance to responders on priorities and policy Typical policy decisions might include Curfews, embargos, etc Restrictions on usage of facilities (electric, water) Other issues

EOC Coordinator De facto “incident commander” for EOC staff Communicates and implements decisions made by policy group Supervises systems to ensure that close contact is maintained with incident sites to develop common operating picture and anticipate potential resource requests Local Emergency Mgt Director may fill this role in many jurisdictions

Operations/Coordination Group This group consists mostly of representatives from various agencies who help carry out the EOC’s core functions through ESFs Develop/maintain situational awareness Develop/maintain status and capabilities of resources in area of expertise Work with other agencies in developing solutions to resource shortages Work with Logistics Section to request outside assistance as necessary

Operations/Coordination Section

Planning Through Situation Unit, implement systems for acquiring and reporting information specific to the disaster Information comes from variety of sources to include Ops/Coordination Group, the public, the media, elected officials, etc Suggest issuing Situation Reports (SITREPs) on periodic basis to communicate critical information Develop Incident Action Plan

Logistics Generally responsible for ordering outside resources to assist in response With assistance from Ops/Coordination Group, maintain status of resource deployed Also responsible for internal supplies for EOC and staff (i.e. food, communications, office supplies, etc)

Admin/Finance Responsible for implementing systems to track time and costs associated with response activities Can potentially activate a Procurement Unit to assist with acquisition of outside resources

Joint Information Center Provide information on actions the public needs to take to protect themselves from impacts Provide information on precautionary actions being taken by officials to reduce impacts of disaster Provide information on the scope of the disaster Provide information on assistance available from authorities as a result of the disaster Respond to media queries Set up phone bank operations to assist with outreach efforts

Activation Levels Most jurisdictions have three levels of activation Minimal—Emergency Management staff only SEMA, Level-1; FEMA, Level-3 Partial—Staff from selected agencies SEMA & FEMA both call this Level-2 Full—Staff from all response agencies outlined in the Emergency Operations Plan SEMA, Level-3; FEMA, Level-1

Specific Actions for Ag Event Dept of Agriculture assumes leadership role EOC activated to minimal level when Foreign Animal Disease case is suspected; activation escalates if disease is confirmed Most protective action decisions (i.e. quarantines, depopulation, etc) will originate from state/federal level

Summary EOC Missions—Situation awareness, resources management, public information Staff for ESFs maintain visibility of issues in their area of expertise, provide info to Planning and Logistics Sections Ag event may result in different people leading the response, and may result in protective action decisions being made at state/federal level

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