EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNING

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EMERGENCY MANAGEMENTPLANNING
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SPRING QUARTER 1997

• Pierce College receives 18 bomb threats, nearly
  crippling its late afternoon and evening
  programs.
  

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APRIL 20, 1999

• 12 Students and 1 Instructor are killed during
  the Columbine High School massacre.
  

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FEBRUARY 28, 2001

• South Puget Sound experiences an earthquake,
  MAGNITUDE 6.8

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What to plan for?

• Bomb Threat
• Earthquake
• Explosion
• Evacuation
• Fire
• Hazardous Material

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Continued

• Medical Emergency
• Power Outage
• Suspicious Package Handling
• Unique Local Hazard
• Volcanic Eruption
• Workplace Violence

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How To Get Started

• Obtain executive support
• Identify internal stakeholders
• Identify external stakeholders
• Establish Emergency Management Plan (EMP) Task
  Force
  
• Perform Hazardous Identification and
  Vulnerability Assessment (HIVA)

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Internal Stakeholders

• Administration
• Campus Safety Security
• Facilities and Operations
• Public Relations
• Unions

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External Stakeholders

• Fire department
• Emergency medical services
• Local law enforcement
• Federal and State Emergency Management
• Adjacent businesses
• Community members

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Establish EMP Task Force

• Should include both internal and external
  stakeholders.
  
• Designed as a standing group that performs annual
  reviews of the EMP.

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Hazardous Identification Vulnerability
Assessment

• Is the backbone and justification of your
  Emergency Management Plan
  
• Identifies potential harm or danger within, or
  near, the local organization, and then studies
  the organizations susceptibility to the hazard
  

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Hazard Analysis

• What specifically could go wrong?
• What is the impact to persons and/or property?
• Can anything be done to minimize or safeguard
  against the hazard?
  
• What resources are available to combat the
  hazard?
  
• What would an ideal response look like?

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The Basic Plan

• Defines likely threats to persons and property
• Specifies an emergency management structure
• Spells out individual and departmental
  responsibilities (Response Teams)
  
• Who will respond
• What they will do
• When they will do it
• Where they will do it
• Identifies available external resources
• Specifies location of supplies and equipment

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The EMP Must.

• Be coordinated and developed by all key
  stakeholders
  
• Be communicated to all
• Be continually reviewed by response personnel and
  practiced

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Planning Resources

• Washington Military Department Emergency
  Management Division
  
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Pierce County Emergency Management
• GovStar Information Portal for Government
• NACUBO "Emergency Preparedness"

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COLLABORATION
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PIERCE RESPONDER SYSTEM (PRS)

• The PRS is a collaborative effort between public
  schools, police, and fire departments within
  Pierce County that provides first responders
  access to detailed information about facilities
  long before they arrive on site.

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Suspicious Packages
Procedures for handling suspicious mail items
Pierce County Emergency Management
Pierce County Sheriffs Department
Lakewood Police Department
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Mail System

• Unfortunately the mail system has become an easy
  means to inflict fear upon the people of our
  nation.
  
• What threats could be sent in the mail?
• Biological
• Chemical
• Bombs

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Biological

• Anthrax is the immediate threat.
• Despite multiple scares, there is currently no
  evidence that any person or organization in
  Washington State has been the target of an
  Anthrax threat.
• In general terms, anthrax and
• other biological agents are
• difficult to grow and distribute.

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Anthrax Basic Facts

• Anthrax is caused by spore-forming bacteria.
• There are three forms of Anthrax infection.
• Cutaneous spores in contact with skin (most
  common)
  
• bacterium enters through cut or abrasion
• begins as itchy bump then becomes painless ulcer
• Inhalation person breathes spores (very rare and
  usually fatal)
  
• initial symptoms resemble a cold
• after several days leads to severe breathing
  problems and shock
  
• Intestinal consuming contaminated meat
• symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fever, pain,
  etc.
  
• Anthrax cannot be spread from person to person
• Doctors can treat Anthrax with antibiotics

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Chemical

• Most chemical agents are liquids, disseminated by
  heat or force.
  
• Mail could contain a device to spray chemicals,
  such as an aerosol can or an explosive device.
  
• Types of chemical agents - blister, nerve,
  pulmonary, cyanide and riot.
  
• Early recognition is critical
• Classic signs are an oily leaking package
  and/or strong odor
  
• Symptoms include shortness of breath, burning
  eyes, runny nose.

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Bomb

• The most common type of weapon sent via mail is
  the bomb.
  
• What should you look for?
• Irregular shape, soft spots, or
• bulges.
• Unprofessionally wrapped with
• several combinations of tape used
• to secure the package
• May be endorsed Fragile-Handle
• With Care or Rush-Do Not Delay.
• Postmark may show a different
• location than the return address.

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Procedures

• Process for opening mail
• What to look for
• What to do if item is suspicious

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Process for opening mail

• Limit possible exposure by having one person open
  incoming mail for entire office.
  
• Person who opens mail should have gloves,
  particle masks and zip-lock bags.

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What to look for

• Be alert to packages without a return address or
  any unexpected parcels.
  
• Be alert to packages or letters that are lumpy,
  lopsided, rigid or bulky, unusually heavy,
  oil-stained, protruding wires, etc.
  
• Some other characteristics of a suspicious
  package
  
• excessive postage
• handwritten or poorly typed
• address
• incorrect titles or title but
• no name
• misspellings of commons words
• Do not open any suspicious package.

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Safety First
If you are suspicious of a mailing and are unable
to verify the contents with the addressee or
sender 1. DO NOT MOVE OR OPEN. 2. Double-bag i
n a clear, plastic, zip-lock bag.
3. Remove gloves and mask, and bag separately.
4. Thoroughly wash hands in warm, soapy water.
5. Report situation to your supervisor.
6. Supervisor will call 9-1-1 to report your
suspicions and receive further guidance.
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Safety First

• If a letter or package containing potentially
  suspicious materials is opened
  
• 1. Immediately bag the letter/package, gloves and
  mask.
  
• 2. Evacuate and, if possibly, close off area.
• 3. Decontaminate with soap and water.
• 4. Report situation to your supervisor.
• 5. Supervisor will call 9-1-1 to report your
  suspicions and receive further guidance.
  
• Do not attempt to clean up the affected area!

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Preparedness

• In February, we faced a serious earthquake in the
  Puget Sound area. Since Sept. 11, we have
  worried about attacks of terrorism.
  
• We have many hazards in our area, the big three
  being earthquakes, floods and volcanoes.
  
• If youve prepared for these, youre prepared for
  terrorism.

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What you can do to prepare

• Develop an emergency plan
• create a plan for communicating and meeting
  during and after a disaster
  
• choose an out-of-town family member or friend to
  be the point of contact during an emergency
  
• Have a 3 day preparedness kit (home, car,
  office)
  
• First aid kit, and learn first aid and CPR
• Plastic sheets and shelter materials
• Blankets and sleeping bags
• Water and non-perishable food
• Flashlight and spare bulbs and batteries
• Portable radio and spare batteries
• Covered container for a toilet and tissue
• Learn how to turn off the gas, power, and water

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Thank You

• Pierce County Emergency Management
• Pierce County Sheriffs Department
• Lakewood Police Department
• Lakewood Chamber of Commerce

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BEING PREPARED IS A WINNING HAND