Emergency Operation Plan: Emergency Response
When it is considered necessary to activate the Emergency Operation Plan (EOP), the university will follow the operational aspect of the National Incident Management System (NIMS). NIMS is a modular emergency management system designed for all hazards and levels of emergency response (Appendix 1). This system creates a combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communication operating within a standardized organizational structure. The system is used by the Department of Homeland Security and throughout the United States as the basis for emergency response management. Use of NIMS as a basis for its organization and response to emergency management at the university facilitates the university's ability to communicate and coordinate response actions with other jurisdictions and external emergency response providers.
National Incident Management System
NIMS is organized around five major management activities.
Command
- Has overall responsibility at the incident or event. Determines objectives and establishes priorities based on the nature of the incident, available resources and agency policy. In all incidents there is an identified Incident Commander or a unified command team. These have responsibility for overall management of the incident and must be fully qualified to manage the incident.
Operations
- Develops the tactical organization and directs all resources to carry out the incident objectives.
Planning
- Develops the Incident Action Plan to accomplish the objectives. Collects and evaluates information, and maintains status of assigned resources.
Logistics
- Provides resources and all other services needed to support the organization.
Finance/Administration
- Monitors costs related to the incident, provides accounting, procurement, time recording, cost analysis and overall fiscal guidance.
On small incidents, the five major activities may be managed by a single individual. Large incidents usually require each of these activities to be established as a separate section within the organization. Not all sections need to be established within NIMS organization. The Incident Commander will make this decision based on the demands of the incident. Each of the primary Incident Command System sections may be further subdivided as reflected in the organization chart shown in Appendix 1 (NIMS).
Elements of Incident Response
The University's Emergency Operation Plan consists of six major elements of incident response:
- Reporting Emergencies
- Declaration of Emergency or Disaster
- Command and Control
- Emergency Facilities
- Support Functions
- Recovery and Damage Assessment
Assumptions of Events
This Emergency Operation Plan is assembled on a realistic approach to the problems likely to be encountered during a major emergency or disaster. Hence, the following assumptions are made and should be used as general guidelines in such an event:
- An emergency or a disaster may occur at any time of the day or night, weekend, or holiday, with little or no warning.
- The succession of events in an emergency or disaster is not predictable; therefore, published operational plans, such as this plan, should serve only as a guide and a checklist and may require modifications in order to meet the requirements of the emergency.
- An emergency or a disaster may be declared if information indicates that such conditions are developing or probable.
- Disasters may be community-wide. Therefore, it is necessary for the university to prepare for and carry out disaster response and short-term recovery operations in conjunction with local resources.
- Community-wide disasters may affect the entire city of Commerce. City and county emergency services may not be available to assist, particularly for the first day or two. The more severe the disaster, the more ETAMU will be left on its own. Therefore, the university must be prepared to be totally self-sufficient in the event of an emergency or disaster.
Phases of Management
This plan is predicated on an all-hazard approach and acknowledges that most responsibilities and functions performed during an emergency are not hazard specific. Likewise, these guidelines account for activities before and after, as well as during emergency operations. Consequently, all phases of emergency management are addressed below.
- Mitigation – Mitigation activities are those which eliminate or reduce the probability of a disaster occurring. Also included are those long-term activities, which lessen the undesirable effects of unavoidable hazards.
- Preparedness – Preparedness activities serve to develop the response capabilities needed in the event an emergency should arise. Planning and training are among the activities conducted under this phase.
- Response – Response is the actual provision of emergency services during a crisis. These activities help to reduce casualties and damage, and speed recovery. Response activities include warning, fire, evacuation, rescue, and other similar operations.
- Recovery – Recovery is both a short-term and long-term process. Short-term operations seek to restore vital services to the university and provide for the basic needs of employees, students, and visitors. Long-term recovery focuses on restoring the university to its normal pre-disaster, or an improved, state of affairs. The recovery period is also an opportune time to institute future mitigation measures, particularly those related to the recent emergency. Examples of recovery actions would be provision of temporary housing and food, identification, assessment, and reconstruction of damaged areas, restoration of non-vital university services, application for disaster assistance, and similar required actions.
Readiness Levels
Determination of the university readiness level begins at the discretion of the President, Emergency Management Director, Chief of Police, or the appropriate designee of each.
Level 4 – Normal Conditions
No significant emergency is present. Department of Environmental Health & Safety continues to conduct normal business and monitors the university campus for any natural and technological threats. Local responders resolve emergency incidents that might occur in their areas of responsibility.
Typical Events: Daily emergency responses, high profile visitor(s), weather and threat monitoring.
Actions: Normal Operations
Level 3 – Increased Readiness Conditions
A significant emergency has not yet occurred, but a higher-than-normal level of readiness is warranted because of increased vulnerability to a specific hazard. Advisory notifications are sent to the Emergency Operations Team and appropriate team members and department representatives are briefed on anticipated risk situations and potential impacts. Coordination activities may increase.
Typical Events: Winter weather system, severe weather development, escalating or immediate risk to impact area.
Actions: Pre-planning, Information gathering, and area coordination with local agencies and university departments
Level 2 – Escalated Response Conditions
The scope of the emergency has expanded beyond that which can be handled by university personnel alone. Normal university and local government operations may be impaired. Department of Environmental Health & Safety makes recommendations on a higher level of activation of the Emergency Operations Team. Depending upon the incident or event; emergency facilities increase staffing, expand hours of operation and intensify coordination. Requests for mutual aid resources for emergency assistance may be received and/or requested. Appropriate officials and agency representatives are briefed on the current situation and anticipated impacts.
Typical Events: Major tornado impact, widespread flash flooding, major fire conditions, major medical emergencies.
Actions: EOC activation, initiate command structure
Level 1 – Emergency Conditions
The scope of the incident has expanded beyond the response capability of university and local agencies. The EOC is staffed with representatives from the Emergency Operations Team, agencies and organizations remain operational for the duration of the incident. The EOC fulfills and/or requests for assistance from local governments and may seek intrastate mutual aid and/or federal aid as needed.
Typical Events: Large scale evacuation and sheltering for specific parts of the impact area due to a major incident response, community wide threats such as a large hazardous materials spill and wide scale flooding.
Actions: EOC activation, initiate command structure, initiate continuity plan