1. LIAISON TRAINING April 20, 2011 Presented by Elin Storey, Policy Analyst and Drill Coordinator Ecology Spill Prevention, Preparedness and Response Program

2. Incident Command System

4. Liaison Function, IMH pg. 6-4 The purpose of the Liaison Officer is to be the interpreter for the non- response community – to convey information about how the response is being conducted.  Only one LNO will be assigned for each incident.

5. What does the Area Plan say?  Ensure accurate and credible information is made available.  Ensure public confidence and trust.  If available the Liaison Officer (LO) shall be filled by a qualified representative of a federal, state, tribal, or local agency.  Responsible Party (RP) may be LO if no agency representative is available.  RP should have an assistant LO to participate in all the meetings attended by and briefings made by the Liaison Officer.

6. Unified Command  The pre-designated Federal On Scene Coordinator (FOSC).  The State On Scene Coordinator (SOSC).  The representative of the Responsible Party (RP).  The local and/or tribal On Scene Coordinators, as appropriate.

7. To be considered for inclusion as a UC member, the following criteria must be considered:  The organization must have jurisdictional authority or functional responsibility under a law or ordinance for the incident.  The organization must be specifically charged by law or ordinance with commanding, coordinating or managing a major aspect of the incident response.  The incident or response operations must have impact on the organization’s Area of responsibility.  The organization should have the resources to support participation in the response organization.

8. What if your agency is not represented in UC but is involved in the response effort?  How to ensure your organization’s concerns or issues are addressed:  Serve as an agency or company representative who has direct contact with the Liaison Officer. The LNO may have assistants as necessary, and the assistants may also represent assisting agencies or jurisdictions.  Provide stakeholder input for environmental, economic, social, or political issues.  Serve as a Technical Specialist in the Planning Section.

9. Liaison Responsibilities, IMH pg. 6-5  Be a contact point for Agency Representatives.  Maintain a list of assisting and cooperating agencies and Agency Representatives, including name and contact information. Monitor check-in sheets daily to ensure that all Agency Representatives are identified.  Assist in establishing and coordinating interagency contacts.  Keep agencies supporting the incident aware of incident status.

10. Liaison Responsibilities cont…  Monitor incident operations to identify current or potential inter-organizational problems.  Participate in planning meetings, providing limitations and capability of assisting agency resources.  Coordinate response resource needs for Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) and for incident investigation activities with the OSC.  Coordinate activities of visiting dignitaries.

11. Liaison Responsibilities cont…  Ensure that all required agency forms, reports and documents are completed prior to demobilization.  Brief Command on agency issues and concerns.  Have debriefing session with the IC prior to demobilization.  Maintain Unit Log (ICS 214-CG).

12. Working with the Joint Information Center (JIC)  Clarify the lines which may be blurred.  JIC is media relations.  Liaison is agency, stakeholder, elected officials and community group relations.  Co-locate with the JIC if possible.  If not located with JIC – assign a runner to ensure coordination and information is shared in a timely manner.

13. Liaison and the ICS Meetings  Initial Incident Briefing- ICS 201 Briefing  Information about the initial spill area.  Command and General Staff meeting  Objectives are identified.  Report to Planning Section Chief any meetings you may set up.  Planning meeting  Report out information on liaison plan for the next operational period.

14. Outreach plan  Daily Phone Briefs  Communicate with large number of people.  One for elected officials and one for agencies.  Set for same time each day.  Community Meeting  Provide information on spill details.  Public Health issues and evacuation plans.  Claims and compensation process.  Volunteer opportunities.

15. Outreach plan cont…  Elected Officials Briefing  May be given at the EOC.  Provides first hand information on spill.  ICS process update.  Constituent issues aired.  VIP Tour  Command post.  Spill Site.  Aerial tour.

16. How can one Liaison get this all done?  Develop an organization with assistants and delegate within that organization.  Meet with staff assigned and determine best fit for role based on individual skills.  Order needed staff- runners and others early through Logistics.  Delegate, Delegate, Delegate.

17. Organizing a Large Staff  Liaison Officer  Assistant Liaison Officer  Agency Coordinator  Elected Officials Coordinator  Community Relations Coordinator  Internal Communications Coordinator Liaison Communications Assistant Liaison Documentation Assistant Liaison Information & Situation Assistant

18. Liaison Organization

19. Assistant Liaison Officer  Assist the LO and provides overall direction and oversight of the Liaison group while the LO is in meetings etc.  Coordinates communications from Liaison group to the LO.  Handles routine team management, assigns tasks and keeps staff and work moving.

20. Agency Coordinator  Contacts and communicates with Assisting and Cooperating Agencies at the CP or other off-site locations (EOC, others).  Establishes communications links and determines Agency concerns and addresses them appropriately.  Maintain a lists and contact information of assisting and cooperating agencies.  Identify and track developing and potential issues of concern. Report these issues to the LO.

21. Agency Coordinator cont…  Coordinates with Logistics for accessing local resources, including volunteer opportunities.  Develop an action plan to ensure communication and coordination with appropriate stakeholders and submit draft of plan to LO for review and approval.  Keeps the LO up-to-date and informed of who is listed and what their roles and interests are.

22. Elected Officials Coordinator  Notifies elected officials  Develops an action plan to ensure communication and coordination with appropriate elected officials and submit draft of plan to LO for review and approval.  Leads the development of Community and VIP meetings.  Handles VIPs at the Command Post.

23. Elected Officials Coordinator cont…  Identify and track developing and potential issues of concern. Report these issues to the LO who will pass them on to the UC/JIC.  Assists the Liaison Officer with arranging logistics for tours for elected officials.  Identifies and maintain lists and contact information of elected officials.  Keep LO informed of any elected officials adverse feelings/relationships that may develop.

24. Community Relations Coordinator  Establishes Community and public meetings.  Determines need for the following community outreach methods:  Community bulletin boards.  Community web sites.  Community web calendar(s).  Walk-in or walk-up information center.  Recorded message information.  Door-to-door canvassing.

25. Community Relations Coordinator  Provides information to the IO and JIC Manager about affected communities including local economic and cultural concerns, past impacts from spills or other disasters/emergencies, organizations that can provide community and individual support, and opinion leaders.  Identifies and maintains lists and contact information of communities update.  Includes, schools, churches, community centers, non-profit service organizations.  Keeps the LO up-to-date and informed of who is listed and what their roles and interests are.

26. Internal Communications Coordinator  Supervises the following staff if needed:  Liaison Documentation Assistant.  Liaison Information & Situation Assistant.  Liaison Communications Assistant.  Ensures staff complete tasks.  Update Liaison Officer on progress on a regular schedule.

27. Liaison Documentation Assistant  Responsible for maintaining Liaison paper and electronic communications records and security  Assists with the tracking documentation  Works closely with the Documentation Unit  Assists with documentation needs of the Liaison information and Situation Assistant.

28. Liaison Information & Situation Assistant  Develops and maintains the Liaison situation board.  Work with the situation unit to get started.  Updates, phone numbers, meeting schedule.  Web sites, district maps.  Order maps and other tools from the Logistics Section.  Communicates directly with the JIC and others at the CP as directed by the internal communication coordinator.  Helps to develop documents that may be needed for local officials briefing, VIP tours or community meetings.  Ensures coordination on meetings.  Identifies and establish communication links with NRDA and Incident Investigators.

29. Liaison Communications Assistant  Receives calls and messages coming into the CP. Deals with them directly or routes them appropriately.  Works closely with Agency Coordinator, and the Elected Officials Coordinator.  Keeps the Internal Communications Coordinator up to date on important communications.

30. Who Else Communicates With You?  Environmental Unit  Technical Specialist (THSP)  Volunteer Coordinator  Marine Transportation System Recovery Unit (MTSRU)

31. References  Northwest Area Contingency Plan.  www.rrt10.nwac.com www.rrt10.nwac.com  Ecology Web site  www.ecy.wa.gov www.ecy.wa.gov  Dale Jensen, Spills Program Manager.  djen461@ecy.wa.gov djen461@ecy.wa.gov  Linda Pilkey-Jarvis, Preparedness Section Manager.  jpil461@ecy.wa.gov. jpil461@ecy.wa.gov  Elin Storey, Drill Coordinator.  eabr461@ecy.wa.gov eabr461@ecy.wa.gov