An Introduction to the Spartanburg County Emergency Operations Plan

An Introduction to the Spartanburg County Emergency Operations Plan Prepared ByEmergency Management

Session Overview • Introductions • Exercise • EOP • 4 Phases of Emergency Management • Responsibilities • Emergency Support Functions • Format of ESFs • Review of Selected ESFs • Questions and Comments

Exercise What % of time is… • Often • Usually • Sometimes • Seldom

Legal Basis • Spartanburg County Ordinance #333 • Emergency Management Director is hereby designated and appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Spartanburg County Council, and other municipalities which shall adopt this Ordinance, for the purpose of preparing for and executing all duties and functions specified in all acts of the General Assembly relating to Civil Defense and Disaster Preparedness.

Purpose To establish policies and procedures which will • assure the maximum and most effective utilization of all resources in the county • minimize the loss of life and/or injury to the population, and • protect and conserve the resources and facilities in Spartanburg County during emergencies resulting from natural disasters or man-induced technological hazards.

Scope This plan • establishes the policies and procedures by which the County will coordinate response to disasters impacting Spartanburg County and its citizens. • describes how the County will mobilize resources and conduct activities to guide and support local government efforts through preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation planning.

Scope (Continued) This plan • utilizes the Emergency Support Function (ESF) concept to marshal and apply resources and describes the responsibilities of county and state agencies in executing effective response and recovery operations.

Mission County government has a five-fold mission: • To warn of impending danger; • When required, support local response agencies with timely, effective deployment of resources; • Through the public information process, keep affected residents informed about the situation and how they can protect themselves;

Mission (Continued) County government has a five-fold mission(continued): • Coordinate and direct restorationand recovery operations when local government resources are exhausted; and • Assess local needs and coordinate support from the State of South Carolina and the federal government as necessary and appropriate.

Our Goal • Minimize damage, injury, and loss of life resulting from any type disaster • Provide for the continuity of government and • Provide for damage assessment and survey of damage, private and public, resulting from such emergency.

1st Phase of Emergency Management Mitigation • Activities that either prevent the occurrence of an emergency or reduce the community’s vulnerability in ways that minimize the adverse impact of a disaster or emergency.

2nd Phase of Emergency Management Preparedness • Activities, programs and systems that exist prior to an emergency and are used to support and enhance response to an emergency or disaster. • Planning, training and exercising are among the activities conducted under this phase.

3rd Phase of Emergency Management Response • Activities and programs designed to address the immediate and short-term effects of the onset of an emergency or disaster • Helps to reduce additional casualties and damage and to speed recovery • Activities include warning, direction and control, evacuation, and other similar operations.

4th Phase of Emergency Management Recovery • Returning systems to pre-disaster conditions. • Short-term recovery actions are taken to assess the damage and return vital life-support systems to minimum operating standards • Long-term recovery actions may be continued for years.

Responsibilities • Spartanburg County Government • State Government • Federal Government • Other Supporting Organizations

Organization & Assignment of Responsibilities Spartanburg County Government • The governing body of Spartanburg County shall operate in accordance with Regulation 58-1, Local Emergency Preparedness Standards, the Emergency Operating Plan (EOP) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). • Spartanburg County shall be prepared to implement the EOP when an emergency occurs or at the direction of the Director of South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD), or upon a declaration of a State of Emergency by the Governor.

Organization & Assignment of Responsibilities State Government • State agencies will support county emergency operations only after all local resources have been expended and/or are clearly inadequate to cope with effects of the disaster. • State support will be provided on a mission-type basis, as deemed appropriate by the Governor and as provided for in the South Carolina Emergency Operations Plan.

Organization & Assignment of Responsibilities Local Government • The Spartanburg County governing body shall operate in accordance with Regulation 58-1, local emergency planning standards, the respective emergency plans (EOPs) and Standard operating procedures. • Spartanburg County shall be prepared to implement the EOP when an emergency occurs or at the direction of the Director of South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD), or upon a declaration of a State of Emergency by the Governor.

Organization & Assignment of Responsibilities Local Government (continued) • Spartanburg County will use all municipal resources to protect against and respond to an emergency or threatening situation to include activating pre-established mutual aid agreements. • When municipal governments determine that municipal resources are not adequate, additional resources may be requested through the County Emergency Preparedness Department or the County EOC.

Organization & Assignment of Responsibilities Local Government (continued) • When the Spartanburg County Emergency Preparedness Department determines that county resources are not adequate, assistance is requested, by the Spartanburg County Office of Emergency Management, from the SCEMD or, if activated, the SEOC. • Spartanburg County will establish and maintain journals, records and reporting capabilities in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations.

Response County/Municipal Response • Municipal units of government call upon their county government or other municipality, in coordination with the county, for assistance during events in which their own capabilities are overwhelmed. • The county will provide assistance to municipalities and turn to mutual aid or state assistance when local capabilities are overwhelmed.

Response Local State Of Emergency • As county operations progress, the county may declare a local state of emergency implementing local emergency authorities.

Emergency Operating Center • The Spartanburg County Emergency Operations Center shall be maintained in operational readiness by the Office of Emergency Management. • The Spartanburg County EOC serves as the central clearinghouse for information collection and coordinating response and recovery resources within the county, including those municipalities within the county.

Emergency Operating Center • The EOC will be activated and staffed at the direction of the Office of Emergency Management Director or Assistant Director. • The primary agency designated for a particular ESF has the responsibility to ensure supporting agencies are informed and their actions coordinated.

Emergency Operating Center Activation levels utilized by the Spartanburg County EOC are: • Full – All ESFs will be activated. Activation will occur at OPCON 1 and 2 and may occur at OPCON 3. • Limited – Selected ESFs will be activated. Activation will normally occur at OPCON 3, but could occur at OPCON 4.

OPCON Levels Of Readiness • Day-to-day operations to include normal training and exercises. • Possibility of an emergency or disaster situation that may require partial or full activation of the Emergency Operating Center (EOC). • Disaster or emergency situation likely or imminent. Full or partial activation of the EOC; activate the Spartanburg County Emergency Operations Plan. • Disaster or emergency situation in effect; maximum preparedness level; full activation of the EOC. • Disaster or emergency situation in effect; full-fledge emergency response operations ongoing; highest level of emergency operations.

Emergency Support Functions

Format of ESFs • Purpose • Definitions • Organization • Situation • Mission • Execution • Concept of Operations • Tasks • Administration & Logistics • Direction & Control

ESF 1Transportation Services Purpose • To provide for the coordination and use of all county, public, private, and volunteer transportation resources within Spartanburg County during a disaster situation.

ESF 1Transportation Services Situation • Priority will be given to students provided school is in session, in accordance with the emergency plans of each County School District until all students have been transported to their destination. • Transportation service will be provided for the timely evacuation of persons from any area of the county that has been affected by a disaster or that is considered a threat to life.

ESF 1Transportation Services Situation (continued) • All available resources will be used to provide transportation for non‑ambulatory patients, lame, and institutionalized persons and those persons who do not have private means of transportation. • Vehicles of the county, public, private, and volunteer organizations will be used to the maximum extent possible. • Ambulance requirements for hospitals and nursing homes will be coordinated through Emergency Medical Service. See ESF 8.

ESF 1Transportation Services Mission • To provide a well-organized transportation organization within the county capable of supplying the necessary transportation requirements needed for the evacuation of people during a disaster or impending disaster.

ESF 1Transportation Services Concept of Operations • Transportation operations will be controlled from the Spartanburg County Emergency Operations Center (EOC). • The Transportation Service Coordinator will coordinate all transportation requirements during a disaster period. • State and Federal support will be committed, as available, on a mission type basis upon request to the State. Requests for use of additional transportation resources will be made through the County EOC.

ESF 1Transportation Services Concept of Operations (continued) • The Transportation Coordinator will activate all county, public, private, and volunteer transportation organizations as required during a disaster period.

ESF 2Communications Purpose • To provide for the coordination and use of all available means of communications during emergencies resulting from natural disasters or technological hazards.

ESF 2Communications Situation • Communications requirements are basically the same in all emergencies. • A disaster could tax the capability and resources of the county's communications systems.

ESF 2Communications Mission • To provide and coordinate communications support available for direction and control during any emergency situation within Spartanburg County.

ESF 2Communications Concept of Operations • Activities will be directed and coordinated from the Spartanburg Communications/ 911 Department or the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), located at the Spartanburg County Judicial Center. • The Communications/911 Director has overall responsibility for the coordination of communication activities during a disaster situation. • The Communications Officer will be responsible for establishing and maintaining the Spartanburg County emergency radio net(s) to include communications with municipalities and adjacent counties.

ESF 2Communications Concept of Operations (continued) • The Communications Coordinators of the various municipalities will develop and maintain all communication activities in their respective jurisdictions. • The primary means of communications will be by telephone and radio. • Telephone and radio communications are available between the EOC or the Communications/911 Department and all local and supporting agencies with emergency assignments during a disaster, to include shelters when opened. • Communications between the County EOC and State EOC/FEOC will be via the SC EPD LGR Net.

ESF 2Communications Concept of Operations (continued) • Operators from each agency of local government will operate their own radio systems. • Back‑up communications support will normally be by RACES and other Amateur and Citizens Band groups. • Shelters will use telephone for primary communications and/or a reliable 2‑way radio system for secondary or backup communications if available.

ESF 2Communications Concept of Operations (continued) • The Communications Service will use a standard message form for recording all messages sent from and received at the County EOC. • All written messages will be processed through the Message Center for IN/OUT logging process, then routed to the ACTION addressee by the most effective means according to assigned precedence.

ESF 2.1Warning Purpose • To provide a system capable of receiving information relative to an impending natural disaster or technological hazard and disseminating this information to designated county and municipal officials and to the residents of Spartanburg County.

ESF 2.1Warning Situation • In every type of natural or technological disaster situation, the warning system would follow the same procedure. • The initial warning would enter the system from the County Warning Point and would be disseminated over every means available to alert government officials, departments, agencies, and residents of an impending disaster.

ESF 2.1Warning Mission • To provide a well organized warning service capable of receiving, documenting, analyzing, and disseminating warning information to the populace in the shortest period of time, and to alert key government officials.

An Introduction to the Spartanburg County Emergency Operations Plan