Achieving Greater Success in Emergency Management by Preparing & Planning with Public Works

1. Achieving Greater Success in Emergency Management by Preparing & Planning with Public Works

2. A very bad day

3. Streets & highways Water production & supply Water reclamation Storm water collection Sanitary sewers/Collection system Forestry Public building maintenance Electrical power Gas supply Communication systems Solid waste collection Engineering services Building inspection & code enforcement Transportation system operations (airports, port authorities, etc.) Fleet maintenance Public Works – What are their responsibilities?

4. Typical local risks • Floods • Tornadoes • Winter Storms (snow/ice) • Earthquakes • Hurricanes • Wildfires • Infrastructure collapse • Explosions • Terrorist Events

5. Sewer break example

6. The role of Public Works in disaster response: • Secure clear access for emergency responders • Restoration of lifeline services – water, sewer, electric • Debris collection, removal, and disposal • Demolition of unsafe structures • Provide assistance to fire/rescue in search, rescue, and recovery • Protect environment – streams, lakes, and wetlands • Flood control • Coordination of utility work (natural gas, telephone, etc.)

7. Challenges that Public Works Departments face: Limited disaster operations training for staff Radio communication inoperability Lack of statewide mutual aid agreements Lack of disaster related exercises

8. Business Continuity: • Task of identifying, developing, documenting, and testing procedures and resources that will ensure continuity of a firm’s key operations in the event of disaster, emergency or threat.

9. Two types of events: • BigDeal • (Hurricane Katrina, Northridge earthquake) • LittleDeal • (community to community aid request)

10. Monitoring & Making NotificationsIn your community: • How & when is Public Works notified of approaching severe weather or other threats? Who specifically is contacted and how? • At what point would notifications be made to recall Public Works staff ? Who specifically is responsible for this task? • Has there been any effort to ensure that Public Works employees understand their importance and requirements for reporting? • Are there any written procedures to identify what notifications should be made? (internal communications or other agencies) • How does Public Works communicate with other agencies that would be active in an emergency (EOC, Fire, Police, etc.) • Does Public Works have access to radios or phones? Are they ready to be deployed? Is there back-up equipment?

11. Damage Assessment & Setting Priorities In your community: • After an incident occurs – what would be considered priorities? (water, sewer collections, waste water treatment, roads, utilities, debris collection, etc.) • Has Public Works been involved in your disaster planning and/or training? • In your community, how is damage from an incident assessed? Who would do it? Does Public Works have a role-are they part of the plan? Do they know what level of involvement is expected of them? What type of training do these individuals have?

12. Requesting Assistance & Receiving Aid In your community: • After an incident, when Public Works is overwhelmed, at what point is assistance requested? • Where do you seek assistance when your PW Department is overwhelmed? (private contractors, neighboring agencies, mutual aid contacts, etc.) • How would contact be made to request help? What is the procedure? How do you ensure that contact information is available to those that need to access it? • Once contacted, how would agencies know where to report? If multiple agencies are being called upon, how will the group that arrives to help be organized? • Once help arrives, what is the plan to deploy them to the scene and communicate with them?

13. Assigning Tasks & Getting Work Completed In your community: • Who determines where resources will report and stage? • How are assignments given out? • How do you ensure that the right equipment and qualified personnel are sent to complete a job? • How do responding crews get supplied/re-supplied? How would needed repairs be made? • What are the considerations for working with private contractors? How would purchases be handled in an emergency situation, is there established pricing and/or agreements before the disaster strikes?

14. Personnel Rehab and Recovery In your community: • What consideration do you give to responders personal needs? (food and beverage, rest periods, sleep/hotel, etc. ) • Who would coordinate personal needs for responders? • Who would pay for responder’s expenses? How would it be handled? • What else would be needed if long-term support was required? • What would be needed in the way of equipment support? (vehicle maintenance, spare tires, parts, labor, refueling, towing, etc.)

15. Public Works Resource Staging and Deployment Drills Public Works Emergency Response Exercises

16. Help is on the way… Now what??

17. Deployment kit • Radios • Map books • Forms • Office Supplies • Signage • ID badges

18. Pre-designated staging areas schools and large park

19. Resource check-in and staging

20. Credentialing

21. Map books for Mutual Aid Resources Task Force Team Leaders

22. Task Forces Assembled

23. Dispatching resources Tracking ‘Task Forces’

24. Involving other agencies

25. After-Action Reporting Evaluation & Enhancement of Plan

26. Long Term Plan Considerations • Shelter – with restrooms, showers, meeting area, sleeping area, break area, phone service, parking area (personal cars) • Food Service– meals, water, snacks, drinks • Personal Needs– towels, bedding, personal care items • Fleet management– fuel, diesel fuel, spare parts, tires, mechanics

27. Questions? David Geary, CEM Director Village of Wauconda Public Works Department 302 Slocum Lake Road Wauconda, Illinois 60084 847 526-9610 dgeary@wauconda-il.gov