THURSTON COUNTY, WASHINGTON

COMPREHENSIVE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN


January 1998

The Thurston County Division of Emergency Management operates to save lives, prevent injury, and protect property and the environment by taking reasonable and affordable measures to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Definitions

B. Purpose

C. Scope

II. POLICIES

A. Authority

B. Policy Statements

1. Citizen Preparedness

2. General Organizational Responsibilities

3. Employees to Confirm Safety of Immediate Family

4. Limitations

5. Management Priorities

6. Nondiscrimination

7. Public Information

8. Suspension of day-to-day activities

9. Warning Systems

III. SITUATION

A. Risk of Disaster

B. Planning Assumptions

IV. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS

A. General

B. Direction and Control

1. General

2. Emergency Operations Facilities

3. Supervision

4. EOC Activation and Activation Levels

C. Disaster Management

1. Mitigation

2. Preparedness

3. Response

4. Recovery

V. ORGANIZATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A. General

B. Organization

1. The Board of County Commissioners

2. Disaster Policy Advisory Group

3. EOC Staff

4. Disaster Recovery Team

5. Disaster Assistance Council

6. Disaster Management Planning Team

C. Responsibilities

VI. ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS

A. General

B. Mutual aid

C. Consumer protection

VII. PLAN MAINTENANCE

A. Review

B. Revision

C. Reports

D. Training and Exercises

Appendix A: Abbreviations and Definitions

Appendix B: Disaster Assistance to Private Property

Appendix C: ORDINANCE NO. 11608 (1/12/98) Adopting the Thurston County Emergency Emergency Management Organization and Plan as Thurston County Code, Title 3, "Emergency Management" (Appendix approved for inclusion as a plan revision on 1/26/98)

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Definitions

The following definitions establish and define essential terms used throughout this document. They are included here for the convenience of the reader. A more complete list of definitions is provided in Appendix A.

1. County Organization: A generic term to denote any and all Thurston County government or government affiliated offices, departments, divisions, agencies and districts. For the purpose of this plan only, the Thurston-Mason County Chapter of the American Red Cross is considered a County Organization.

2. Emergency or Disaster: As used herein, emergency or disaster shall mean an event or set of circumstances which demands immediate action to preserve public health, protect life, protect public property, or to provide relief to a stricken community overtaken by such occurrences, or reaches such a dimension or degree of destructiveness as to warrant the Board of County Commissioners declaring a local emergency pursuant to RCW 36.40.180 and 38.52.070. Emergency or disaster does not mean an emergency as used in RCW 38.52.430 which is an incident that requires a normal police, coroner, fire, rescue, emergency medical, utility or public works response.

3. Emergency Management or Comprehensive Emergency Management: The preparation for and the carrying out of all emergency functions, other than functions for which the military forces are primarily responsible, to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disasters, and to aid victims suffering from injury or damage, resulting from disasters caused by all hazards, whether natural, technological, or human caused, and to provide support for search and rescue operations for persons and property in distress.

B. Purpose of Plan

The purpose of this Plan is to guide County Organizational behavior before, during and after a disaster. It develops and describes a comprehensive program that defines who does what, when, where, and how in order to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the effects of natural, technological and human-caused hazards.

C. Scope of Plan

1. This is an all-hazard plan based on an analysis of hazards and vulnerabilities summarized in Table1. It presumes that planning for the hazard of greatest risk, an earthquake, will prepare the County for hazards of lesser risk. Disaster management activities unique to a given hazard are to be addressed in separate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) which shall be consistent with this plan.

2. This plan applies to all County Organizations. It provides a foundation for:

a. Establishing mutual understanding among government agencies, the business community, volunteers, and the public;

b. Utilizing government and private sector resources efficiently and effectively;

c. Coordinating with the emergency management plans and programs of the federal government, the State of Washington, emergency management jurisdictions within the County, and surrounding jurisdictions;

d. Developing and maintaining disaster response capabilities;

e. Identifying and applying hazard mitigation strategies;

f. Training and educating the public, the business community, volunteers, and government; and

g. Encouraging citizen self sufficiency.

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II. POLICIES

A. Authority

The ordinances, agreements, laws and regulations cited below, and in the Emergency Support Functions (ESFs; see, e.g., Table 2), are available for review in the county Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

1. Local

a. Thurston County Code, Title 3, Emergency Management.

b. Inter-local Cooperative Agreement for Emergency Management between the County, Lacey, Olympia, Rainier, Tenino, Tumwater, and Yelm (1993), and Bucoda (1997).

2. State

a. Revised Code of Washington (RCW): Chapter 38.52, Emergency Management.

b. Washington Administrative Code (WAC): Title 118, Division of Emergency Management.

3. Federal

a. United States Code (USC): Title 42, Chapter 68, Disaster Relief.

b. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR): Title 44, Emergency Management and Assistance.

B. Policy statements

1. Citizen preparedness: The County will not substitute government services for individual responsibility during a threatened or actual disaster. Accordingly, citizens are expected to be aware of a developing or occurring hazardous event and to respond in a safe, responsible manner. Citizens are also encouraged to be prepared and to be self-sufficient for at least seventy-two hours during a disaster.

2. General Organizational Responsibilities: The head of each County Organization is responsible for the following:

a. Appointing a liaison and alternates to work with the Division of Emergency Management (DEM) in the development and maintenance of this plan.

b. If designated as a lead agency for an Emergency Support Function (ESF), ensuring that necessary Standard Operating Procedures are adopted for the implementation of that ESF.

c. Making staff available at the request of DEM for disaster training and assignment. All costs for these activities will be borne by the respective parent organization.

d. Establishing policy and procedures for assessing damage to their facilities and injury to personnel and reporting that information to the EOC.

e. Establishing policy and procedures for the identification and preservation of essential records to facilitate the re-establishment of normal operations during and following a disaster.

f. Establishing policy and procedures for documentation of disaster costs and establishing administrative methods to keep accurate disaster expenditure records.

g. Maintaining a current inventory of key organizational personnel, facilities and equipment resources.

h. Designating primary and alternate locations from which to establish direction and control of organizational activities during a disaster.

i. Establishing policy and procedures for organizational chain of command and succession of authority during a disaster.

j. Developing organizational disaster response and recovery plans.

3. Employees to confirm safety of immediate family: It is anticipated that County employees will not be at peak efficiency or effectiveness during a disaster if the status of their household is unknown or in doubt. Accordingly, County employees assigned disaster response functions are encouraged to make arrangements with other employees, friends, neighbors, and relatives to check on their immediate families in the event of a disaster and to communicate that information to the employee or to the EOC. As feasible, and consistent with other disaster management activities, EOC staff will assist employees in determining the status of their immediate families.

4. Limitations: No guarantee of a perfect system is implied by this plan. As assets and personnel may be overwhelmed, the County can only endeavor to make a reasonable effort to respond to each emergency based on the situation, and on information and resources available at the time.

5. Management priorities: Disaster management priorities will be based on the prevailing situation and on-scene circumstances. For planning purposes, the following priorities are established.

a. Protect human life and public health.

b. Protect public property and infrastructure.

c. Protect the environment.

d. Provide reasonable assistance to individuals to protect private property consistent with constitutional requirements, county functions and funding, and in accordance with Appendix B.

6. Nondiscrimination: Local activities pursuant to the Federal/State Agreement for major disaster recovery will be carried out in accordance with 44 CFR 205.16 (Nondiscrimination in disaster assistance). It is the policy of the County that no services will be denied on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability.

7. Public Information: It is essential that accurate, timely and consistent information be disseminated to the public when the EOC is activated. County Departments and Offices will coordinate the development and dissemination of all disaster related public information through the EOC Public Information Coordinator.

8. Suspension of day-to-day activities: Day-to-day functions that do not contribute directly to the disaster operation may be completely or partially suspended for the duration of the public emergency. The efforts that would normally be required for those functions will be redirected to accomplish disaster management tasks.

9. Warning Systems: The County relies on the hazard warning capabilities of federal and state government, industry, and the media. Citizens are expected to be aware of a hazardous situation for which there is significant media attention, such as severe weather or flooding.

When there is a demonstrated need, particularly if timeliness is crucial to protect life and property, the county may supplement existing warning systems. Supplemental measures will depend on the nature of the hazard, the quality and quantity of information available, resources available, media attention, and other situational factors. Supplemental measures will focus on enhancing or amplifying the information being provided through existing sources and, to the extent practicable, upon participatory systems activated at the neighborhood or community level.

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III. SITUATION

A. Risk of Disaster

Thurston County is exposed to several hazards with the potential to cause casualties, damage and disruption of the community. A list of the most likely hazards to affect the County are listed in Table 1. A more detailed description is contained in the Thurston County Hazard Identification and Vulnerability Analysis available from DEM.

Hazards can occur simultaneously or consecutively, such as a winter storm with flooding or an earthquake during winter followed by an influenza epidemic. The County can also suffer from hazards occurring elsewhere due to their effect on the supply of goods and services, inducing critical shortages of such essentials as electricity, petroleum products, natural gas and food.

B. Planning Assumptions

1. The County will continue to be exposed to the hazards noted above as well as to others, including those that may develop in the future.

2. Implementation of this plan will reduce disaster-related losses.

3. Comprehensive emergency management includes activities to mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from the effects of a disaster.

4. Local government officials recognize their responsibilities with regard to public safety and accept them in the implementation of this plan.

5. In responding to a disaster, the county is prepared to implement the provisions of RCW 38.52.110 regarding utilization of public and private resources.

6. There may be a delay in activating the EOC.

7. Initial response by County Organizations will be to take actions that have the greatest life saving potential under the circumstances.

8. Assets and systems may be overwhelmed, especially during the first few days of a disaster. Accordingly, citizens will most likely be on their own and self-sufficient for 72-hours or more.

9. In situations not specifically addressed in this plan, County Organizations will improvise and carry out their responsibilities to the best of their abilities under the circumstances.

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IV. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS

A. General

1. The Director of Emergency Management is responsible for the organization, administration and operation of the Emergency Management Program. Under the supervision of the Director, the Emergency Program Manager is responsible for managing and coordinating the County's emergency management activities.

2. The disaster functions of County Organizations, with responsibilities presented elsewhere in this plan, will generally parallel their normal, day-to-day activities. To the extent possible, the same personnel and material resources will be employed in both cases.

3. The initial response to a disaster, or the threat of one, will generally be in accordance with the measures outlined in the Emergency Support Functions (ESF) written in support of, and consistent with, this plan. A listing of completed and proposed ESFs is provided in Table 2.

4. Overall direction, control and coordination to support community response to a disaster will be established through the EOC which will be equipped and staffed at the appropriate level to:Collect, record, analyze, display and distribute information.

5. When a dangerous situation exists that exceeds or threatens to exceed the County's ability to respond, the EOC will request assistance from jurisdictions in and around Thurston County through activation of inter-local and mutual aid agreements. If disaster response requirements exceed or threaten to exceed these combined capabilities, or if the requested assistance is unavailable, the EOC will request assistance from State Emergency Management. State Emergency Management will coordinate assistance from the State Military Department and the federal government. Assistance may be requested with or without a formal declaration of local emergency.

6. The County's disaster recovery efforts will be coordinated through the Recovery Team in accordance with ESF-21 (Recovery and Restoration).

7. In accordance with RCW 38.52.070, a political subdivision of the state may either establish its own emergency management program or join with one or more other subdivisions in a regional or sub-regional emergency management organization. In accordance with RCW 39.34, any political subdivision is authorized to contract with any other for emergency management services. The cities and towns of Thurston County have chosen to maintain separate emergency management programs. Accordingly, Thurston County maintains a program for the unincorporated county only. Coordination between the county plan and those of the cities and towns will be accomplished through the coordinating function of the Emergency Management Council of Thurston County.

B. Direction and control

1. General

a. Final responsibility for emergency management direction and control rests with the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC).

b. The emergency powers of the BoCC and the Director of Emergency Management are contained in RCW 38.52.070 and Title 3 of the Thurston County Code.

2. Emergency Operations Facilities

a. Primary and Alternate EOC

The County EOC is located adjacent to the County E 9-1-1 Center at 2000 Lakeridge Drive, Building 3, Olympia, Washington. An alternate EOC is located in the County Road Maintenance Division training room, 9605 Tilley Rd., Olympia, Washington. The Director of Emergency Management is responsible for equipping and maintaining the primary and alternate EOC sites.

In the spring of 1999, the primary EOC is expected to move into the County Emergency Services Center, 2703 Pacific Avenue, Olympia, Washington.

b. Remote EOC's

The EOC Supervisor may establish remote or mobile EOC's as needed to respond to an emergency situation.

3. Supervision

a. When the EOC is activated, the EOC Supervisor will provide overall leadership. Six functional areas of responsibility will report to the EOC Supervisor as follows:

b. The position of EOC Supervisor will be filled at a level appropriate to the situation (Activation levels are described below at Section B.4). Generally, the Emergency Program Manager or designee will serve as the EOC Supervisor during Level I and II activations and the Director of Emergency Management or designee will serve as the EOC Supervisor during Level III activations. However, when disaster strikes without warning, such as a large earthquake, the first staff person arriving at the EOC will assume the duties of EOC Supervisor until relieved by one of the individuals mentioned above.

c. Designees to the Director of Emergency Management are the Chief Administrative Officer, Undersheriff, and appropriate department director or equivalent.

d. Designees to the Emergency Program Manager are the Emergency Management Coordinator, TCSO Chief Civil Deputy, and appropriate division manager or equivalent.

4. EOC Activation and Activation Levels

The DEM will monitor threatening situations, determine if and when to activate the EOC and notify appropriate staff. The DEM will also designate activation staff for when disaster strikes with little or no warning. In such an event, those designated staff members available and able will, when aware of the hazardous event, proceed directly to the EOC without being otherwise notified and, upon arrival, activate the facility in accordance with EOC standard operating procedures.

To optimize coordination and communications, EOC activation and staffing will be at the lowest level necessary to adequately respond to a hazardous event. The following EOC activation levels are defined.

a. Level 1: Routine Operations and Low Impact Emergencies

(1). Situation

Day-to-day emergencies requiring minimal coordination and assistance such as routine Search and Rescue (SAR) missions, minor flooding, a small forest or range fire, a minor plane crash, or a minor hazardous material spill. The situation may be such that it can be more efficiently and effectively supported without primary EOC activation. There is no foreseen need to proclaim a local emergency.

(2). Supervision

When necessary, the EOC will be activated with the Emergency Program Manager or designee as the EOC Supervisor. Staffing will be provided by the Division of Emergency Management with additional personnel called as necessary.

b. Level II: Medium impact disaster

(1). Situation

Any emergency situation requiring more than routine coordination and assistance, and generally involving multiple jurisdictions, such as large range or forest fires, a moderate earthquake, minor or moderate flooding in multiple locations, a major aircraft or railroad accident, a major hazardous material spill, or a major weather event. In particularly complex situations with several organizations involved, or where there is a high degree of media or public interest, the EOC Supervisor may elevate activation to a Level III. It may be necessary to proclaim a local emergency.

(2). Supervision

The EOC will be activated with the Emergency Program Manager or designee as the EOC Supervisor. Staffing will be provided by the Division of Emergency Management with additional personnel called as necessary. Staff should be prepared for 24-hour operations.

c. Level III: High impact disaster

(1). Situation

Any emergency, requiring a high degree of coordination and generally involving state and federal assistance, such as a large earthquake, severe flooding, or a severe winter storm. In most cases, a local emergency will be declared.

(2). Supervision

The EOC will be activated with the Director of Emergency Management or designee as the EOC Supervisor. The Emergency Program Manager or designee will be the Emergency Coordinator. The EOC will be fully staffed at the outset. Unnecessary staff will be dismissed on a case basis following assessment. Remaining staff will be prepared for 24 hour operation.

C. Disaster Management

1. Mitigation

Disaster mitigation activities are those that eliminate or reduce the probability of a disaster or its effects.

a. The DEM will: include mitigation in its disaster training program for individuals, families, neighborhoods, civic organizations, businesses, and government organizations; assist other County Organizations in identifying ways to consider disaster mitigation in their public programs; and be an information resource for the public.

b. County Organizations will, as appropriate and as opportunity allows, address disaster mitigation in projects such as growth management and regional transportation planning, flood control, zoning ordinance revision, and building code revision.

2. Preparedness

The County supports mitigation but recognizes it can be expensive, hence all projects are not affordable. Neither will mitigation eliminate all risk. Accordingly, the County will endeavor to be prepared for disasters. Disaster preparedness develops response capabilities should a disaster occur and readies the community to implement recovery and restoration activities.

a. The DEM will: identify and determine the County's vulnerability to selected hazards; develop and maintain a disaster management plan; develop and maintain an effective exercise program; negotiate mutual aid and inter-local agreements to support disaster operations, subject to BoCC approval; identify and catalogue resources; develop a disaster communications capability; maintain an active volunteer program; establish, maintain, and identify staff for an adequate primary and alternate disaster management facility (EOC); develop and maintain an effective public information and media liaison program; and develop, maintain and administer a disaster preparedness training program to include training and education for individuals, families, neighborhoods, civic and volunteer organizations, businesses, and government entities.

b. County Organizations will prepare by: being familiar with, and supporting, the County Disaster Management Plan; internally planning for disasters and developing procedures for disaster response and recovery.

3. Response

Disaster response is the actual provision of services during a disaster. These activities help reduce casualties and damage and speed recovery.

a. Upon notification of a hazardous event, or the threat of one, the DEM will evaluate the situation and, if warranted, recommend to the Director of Emergency Management, activation of the EOC at the appropriate level. The EOC may also be activated following a request from another jurisdiction.

When activated, the EOC Supervisor and staff will implement the disaster management plan and coordinate the County's response. Disaster response activities might include: assessing the situation; issuing appropriate warnings; preparing an emergency proclamation; recommending evacuation; opening shelters; informing the public; keeping records; managing volunteers and resources; and generating and distributing reports.

The Division of Emergency Management will coordinate the collection of damage assessment information, for both public losses and uninsured private losses, from all local jurisdictions, public entities and tribes. This information will be forwarded to state emergency management for a determination of whether the County will be recommended for federal individual assistance, public assistance, or both.

b. County Organizations will discharge their responsibilities as delineated herein and in accordance with internal operating procedures.

4. Recovery

Disaster recovery is both a short-term and long-term process. Short-term operations restore vital services to the community and provide for the basic needs of the public. Long-term recovery focuses on restoring the community to its normal, or improved, state of affairs. The recovery period is also an opportune time to institute mitigation measures related to the recent disaster.

a. In managing recovery efforts, the BoCC may form ad hoc partnerships with other jurisdictions, federal and state agencies, and groups within the private sector to advise upon and assist in the development of recovery plans for the County after a major disaster.

b. The Disaster Recovery Team (defined in Section V.B.4) will coordinate recovery activities.

c. The Division of Emergency Management will be the County's liaison with State emergency management and FEMA and will coordinate disaster plan review and revision.

d. The Financial Services Division of the Auditors Office will coordinate the preparation of cost recovery documentation and be the county's agent for reimbursement of those costs.

e. Other County Organizations will continue with recovery activities started while the EOC was active and will coordinate recovery efforts with the long term development and mitigation plans of the county.

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V. ORGANIZATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A. General

All County Organizations have disaster management responsibilities in addition to their routine duties. Known or anticipated responsibilities are outlined below as well as in appropriate ESFs. Responsibilities for organizations not part of county government are voluntary. Figure 1 summarizes the organizational relationships described herein.

There may be times when events do not proceed as anticipated or special needs are identified. Accordingly, when necessary, additional responsibilities may be assigned to any county organization, whether listed herein or not.

B. Organizations

1. The Board of County Commissioners (BoCC): The BoCC is responsible for all policy making relating to disaster management.

2. Disaster Policy Advisory Group: A disaster policy advisory group is established and responsible for advising the BoCC during a disaster. Selected members will meet at the request of the Commission to address specific needs, including County response on private property in accordance with Appendix B. The members of the disaster policy advisory group are:

a. County elected officials, or their representatives

b. Chief elected official, or representative, from each city and town within Thurston County (invited)

c. County Chief Administrative Officer

d. Department Directors

e. County Public Information Program Manager

f. Chair, Fire Commissioners Association

g. Chair, Fire Chiefs Association

h. Executive Director, Thurston-Mason County Chapter, American Red Cross

i. Executive Director, Crisis Clinic of Thurston & Mason Counties

j. Others as appropriate

3. Emergency Operations Center Staff (EOC Staff): A functional staff is identified to ensure that emergency policies, activities, and resources are coordinated among the spectrum of disaster management participants. Additional personnel will be assigned to support the functional staff.

During Level I and II activations, functional staff will keep the EOC Supervisor informed of their whereabouts and be prepared to establish a presence in the EOC, as needed, to respond to the situation at hand. During a Level III activation, functional staff will report to the EOC and be prepared for 24-hour operations. DEM and/or EOC staff will disseminate activation information by all available means.

Members of the EOC functional staff are:

a. Director of Emergency Management or designee

b. Emergency Program Manager or designee

c. Fire Chief's Association representative

d. American Red Cross representative

e. Sheriff's Office representative

f. Director, Assistant Director or Manager from:

(1) Central Services

(2) Communications

(3) Community and Environmental Programs (Public Information)

(4) Development Services

(5) Employee and Administrative Services

(6) GeoData Center

(7) Medic One

(8) Public Health & Social Services

(9) Roads & Transportation Services/County Engineer

(10) Water and Waste Management

g. Auditor/Financial Services representative

h. Treasurer representative

i. Coroner representative

j. Disaster Assistance Council representative (when established)

k. Intercity Transit Authority representative*

l. Schools representative*

m. Private Utility representative*

n. Business (Chamber of Commerce) representative*

o. Port of Olympia representative*

* Voluntary participation is encouraged.

4. Disaster Recovery Team: The Disaster Recovery Team will coordinate the county's recovery and restoration activities and identify and recommend appropriate mitigation strategies. The Recovery Team will be chaired by the County Chief Administrative Officer, or designee, who will assemble selected members of the Disaster Policy Advisory Group and others, including community representatives, appropriate to the nature of the recovery effort.

The initial meeting of the Recovery Team will be as recommended by the Director of Emergency Management. Timing of the initial meeting will be based upon the nature of the disaster and will generally occur as the urgent response phase is ending. A schedule for subsequent meetings will be developed at the initial meeting.

5. Disaster Assistance Council: The Disaster Assistance Council, being formed at the request and with the support of the Emergency Management Council of Thurston County, will coordinate the provision of disaster related humanitarian assistance and services to all citizens of the County.

Members of the Disaster Assistance Council may include:

a. Crisis Clinic

b. Volunteer Center

c. Humanitarian organizations such as the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Saint Vincent DePaul, and the Food Bank.

d. Clergy and related organizations

e. Civic organizations

f. Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service

g. Animal Services

h. Housing Authority

i. Business Community

j. Legal and financial service organizations

k. Others as appropriate

6. Disaster Management Planning Team: A Disaster Management Planning Team was established to coordinate the development of this plan. The Planning Team is continued and will be chaired by the Director of Emergency Management, or designee, who will assemble selected members of the Disaster Policy Advisory Group and others, such that there will be, as a minimum, representation by each organization with ESF lead agency responsibilities. The team may include other representatives as appropriate .

The planning team will meet annually and following each EOC activation to review the plan in accordance with the plan maintenance provisions of Chapter VII and advise the BoCC on recommended changes.

C. Responsibilities (in addition to those defined in sections A and B) Summarized in Table 3 .

American Red Cross

Animal Services

Auditor

Board of County Commissioners

Central Services

Chambers-of-Commerce and the Business Community

Communications

Community and Environmental Programs

Coroner's Office

Crisis Clinic

Disaster Assistance Council (when established)

Development Services

Emergency Management (Division)

Emergency Management Council of Thurston County

Fair

Fire Agencies

GeoData Center

Housing Authority

Intercity Transit

Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)

Medic One

Parks and Recreation

Port of Olympia

Prosecutor

Public Health and Social Services

Puget Sound Energy

Roads and Transportation Services

Schools/Education Service District 113

Sheriff's Office

Treasurer

Water and Waste Management

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VI. ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS

A. General

1. County Organizations shall identify personnel to be responsible for documenting disaster related costs and to establish or utilize existing administrative methods to keep accurate records, separating disaster operational expenditures from day to day expenditures.

2. In instances where emergency work is performed to protect life and property, requirements for environmental review and permits may be waived or orally approved as provided for in state law.

3. The County will meet disaster expenditures with currently appropriated funds in accordance with RCW 38.52.070 (2), RCW 36.40.180 and 190, and the County Code. The BoCC will be responsible for identifying other sources of funds to meet disaster related expenses if organizational budgets are exceeded.

B. Mutual aid

Should local government resources prove to be inadequate during a disaster operation, requests will be made for assistance from other local jurisdictions and higher levels of government according to existing or emergency negotiated mutual aid agreements and understandings. Such assistance may take the form of equipment, supplies, personnel, or other capabilities. All agreements and understandings will be entered into by duly authorized officials and will be formalized in writing whenever possible.

C. Consumer protection

Consumer complaints pertaining to alleged unfair or illegal business practices will be referred to the State Attorney General Consumer Protection Division.

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VII. PLAN MAINTENANCE

A. Review

1. Cyclic

This plan shall be reviewed on a four year cycle commencing one year from its effective date. The cycle may be adjusted to comply with future guidance from the Washington State Emergency Management Division. The Director of Emergency Management will promulgate a schedule that ensures review of the basic plan and all ESFs during the cycle. DEM will coordinate the initial review of the basic plan. Lead agency or agencies identified in Table 2 will coordinate review of applicable ESFs. DEM and lead agency representatives will brief the Disaster Management Planning Team on their reviews and on any proposed changes. The Planning Team will forward appropriate recommendation to the BoCC for adoption.

2. Post activation

The Basic Plan and applicable ESFs will be reviewed, as delineated above for cyclic review, within six months of the most recent EOC activation. Lessons learned will be recommended for incorporation via the Disaster Management Planning Team. Review following activation will satisfy cyclic review if cyclic review is scheduled to occur within the twenty-four month period following the activation.

B. Revision

Generally, revisions to this plan will be submitted to the BoCC for approval. However, revisions which clarify existing portions of the plan, that reflect changes in state or federal requirements, or that adjust responsibilities to better reflect organizational capabilities or structure may be made if both of the following conditions are met:

1. The revisions are agreed to by the Disaster Management Planning Team; and

2. The revisions cannot be construed as establishing or changing County policy.


The BoCC will be advised of any changes prior to their implementation.

Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) delineate how the responsibilities listed in the plan are to be carried out. ESFs can be subject to frequent and significant change in response to new procedures, policies or technologies, to lessons learned, and to accommodate new organizations or organizational structures. Accordingly, they may be revised by the functional lead agency or agencies, with the concurrence of applicable support agencies, if they are consistent with the basic plan and neither change nor establish policy.

C. Reports

The Director of Emergency Management will report to the BoCC within six months following the end of each review cycle. The report will include a review of how the plan has performed, a summary of revisions, and any recommendations for change requiring Board approval.

D. Training and Exercises

1. Training

Within one year from the effective date of this plan, the Emergency Program Manager will develop and implement a training program for county staff that creates and maintains both a heightened awareness of the contents of this plan and enhances their preparedness to conduct disaster management activities.

2. Exercises

This plan will be exercised annually to provide controlled practical experience to those individuals who have disaster response and recovery responsibilities, and to assess any weaknesses in the plan. As a minimum, the exercise schedule and type will comply with state and federal requirements. When appropriate, exercise credit will be requested for the county's activities during an actual disaster. When granted, this exercise credit will satisfy the annual requirement.

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