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JEFFERSON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND PREPAREDNESS
Every Member Material - February 2007
Committee Members: Judy Cattell, Sally Collins, Annette DeMartine, Marcia Schafer, Sue Vaughan
The purpose of this committee is to inform members of the natural and human-caused hazards and vulnerabilities in Jefferson County. As stated in the Jefferson County Emergency Preparedness Guide, “We live in one of the most beautiful counties in the country. However, this beauty should not lull us into a sense of complacency.” Along with prevention and mitigation, we need to be aware of all aspects of preparedness, response and recovery.
We have provided an overview of the emergency response partnership at the federal, state, and local levels. Our emphasis is on the Local Incident Command System in Jefferson County and the Jefferson County Disaster Response Plan. Coordination and communication among agencies and responders are summarized. In addition, we have included information and resources to enable Jeffco citizens to become personally responsible and prepared in the event of a disaster.
Our committee would like to extend a special thank you to Greg Moser, Plans, Training and Exercise Coordinator, Jefferson County Emergency Management, for providing us with the Jefferson County Emergency Preparedness Guide, the wildfire scenario, and much of the detailed information which follows.
I. Jefferson County Disaster Response
What is Jefferson County Emergency Management doing to adapt the emergency plans as circumstances change? (Bird flu, fire, terrorist threats, tornados, floods etc.?)
The principles of planned disaster response and recovery are:
(1) Know your hazards.
(2) Know the consequences.
(3) Know the responsibilities, roles, resources, capabilities, and limitations of stakeholders.
(4) Effectively use the nearest resources before you ask for more distant resources.
(5) Adapt to the actual situation.
(6) Know how and when to ask for help.
(7) Have a reception plan for assistance when it arrives.
All hazards present similar consequences. These common consequences are the basis of all hazards planning. The goal of disaster planning is to clearly identify roles, responsibilities, and resources that can be rapidly adapted to the specific circumstances of an event. Planning is a continuous process. It is most effective when it integrates stakeholders at all levels of both the private and public sector into an adaptable structure. National Incident Management System (NIMS) provides an effective structure when local, state, and federal agencies are trained in it and use it on a daily basis. Concurrent with this is the need for the private sector to participate in this shared responsibility. Businesses, neighborhoods, and families need to take practical simple steps to be prepared. Planning for effective response can greatly reduce the consequences of a disaster, but it cannot eliminate them.
Jeffco Emergency Management is in the process of doing a planning gap analysis regarding bird flu and other less traditional hazards. Based on this analysis, they will develop hazards-specific plans to address the gaps.
BOTTOM LINE: All-hazards planning is flexible enough to enable a rapidly adaptable response to any event. National Incident Management System (NIMS) provides a structure to integrate local, state, and national plans together. The effectiveness of this system depends on the relationships developed during planning, training, and exercises.
The following scenario is intended to provide information on the response plan in the event of a wildfire in Jefferson County.
Jefferson County Major Wildfire Scenario
Prepared by: Greg Moser
Jefferson County Emergency Management
Plans, Training, and Exercise CoordinatorThe scenario is basic, but it is based on the conditions and fire behavior observed during the Hayman Wildfire in 2002.
Extended drought conditions have persisted over the last couple of years and through the recent spring. It is a hot, dry, windy mid-summer day. Weather conditions have produced an "Extreme Fire Danger" for most of the Front Range including all of Jefferson County.
1:30 pm - A house fire is reported in a neighborhood southwest of Conifer. Upon arrival, the local fire department finds the home is fully involved and flames are coming from the eaves and windows. It immediately calls for mutual aid.
1:45 pm - The house fire has spread to the surrounding trees. The responding fire and law enforcement agencies have initiated the evacuation of the immediate vicinity of the fire.
2:00 pm - Spot fires are occurring down wind of the initial fire. Winds out of the southwest are spreading the fire rapidly in a heavily populated area of the wildland/urban-interface. Responders on-scene have requested an Emergency Preparedness Network/EPN (reverse 911) launch, requesting that all homeowners within a one-mile radius immediately evacuate. This notification goes to approximately 1000 homes (about 5000 residents). People with cell phones or call blocking do not get the word. Special needs populations may not be able to follow these instructions. The Sheriff’s Office also initiates a door-to-door notification.
2:30 pm - The fire is spreading rapidly to the north/northeast. Evacuations are hampered by smoke, lack of access roads, and increasing traffic congestion. Highway 285 has been closed to through traffic. Mutual aid resources are beginning to arrive, but access to the fire is limited by the roads.
3:00 pm - Approximately 400 acres and 350 homes have been burned by this rapidly spreading fire. Conifer, Evergreen and neighborhoods north of Highway 285 are endangered. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has launched additional EPN notifications directing the evacuation of these areas. Roads are becoming heavily congested; some homeowners refuse to leave.
6:00 pm - 1250 acres and over 1000 homes have been lost. The wind-driven fire is continuing to spread to the north/northeast. Thousands of lives, homes, and businesses are endangered. Over the next 12-24 hours, county, state, and federal disaster declarations are issued. Resources are being brought in from throughout the nation. If weather conditions persist, this fire has the potential to spread rapidly over the next several days. The provided graphic approximates what the Hayman Wildfire could have done had it originated in the Conifer area. The Hayman Wildfire made a one-day run of twenty miles.
II. Jefferson County Coordination with Emergency Planners in Municipalities, the State, and Neighboring Counties
In what specific ways does county emergency planning coordinate/work with other emergency planners?
There are 161 governing entities in Jefferson County. Thirty-three of these have public safety responsibilities (fire, police, EMS, emergency management). They operate under independent legal and fiscal authorities. In 2002, Governor Owens established nine All-Hazards Preparedness Regions to improve the coordination of local and state efforts. Jefferson County is one of the ten counties of the North Central Region (NCR).
The framework for the integration of planning and response at all levels is provided by the National Incident Management System. There are six primary elements of the NIMS:
(1) Command and Management
(2) Preparedness
(3) Resource Management
(4) Communications and Information Management
(5) Supporting Technologies
(6) Ongoing Management and Maintenance
Although Jefferson county and many of our municipalities and fire districts have been working on elements of NIMS for several years, formal adoption did not become an established federal policy until the signing of Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5 (HSPD-5) on February 28, 2003. Failure to adopt NIMS results in loss of eligibility for federal Homeland Security grant programs.
Incident Command Structure (ICS) has been adopted by all response and emergency management agencies in Jefferson County. Training and institutionalization are on-going and will be long-term training challenges.
The Jefferson County Sheriffs Office (JCSO) Incident Management team is one of the few in the state. This resource provides enhanced communications, command and control in support of complex/large-scale disasters.
Bottom line: Jefferson County shares the responsibility for disaster planning and response with five major municipalities and numerous other public and private sector partners. Routine operations do not require significant integration of all response agencies. Significant progress has been made towards establishing procedures to enable countywide integrated response during disasters. The concepts formalized by NIMS provide a strategic framework that requires a sustained effort.
III. Coordination of Communication with First Responders and Compatibility of Communication Lines
How is the communication of first responders coordinated and implemented for various agencies?
First responder coordination and communication usually begins with a 911 call into a dispatch center. That dispatch center routinely communicates with the agencies responsible for response within the jurisdiction of the response agency. If mutual aid is requested, local agencies may or may not need to "bridge" their communications systems. There are also pre-established statewide common emergency communications channels for law enforcement and fire agencies. In larger events, communications is scaled up by activation of the Jefferson County Incident Management Team (IMT), mobile command posts, and appropriate emergency operations centers, and the Jefferson County Multi-Agency Coordination Group.
Bottom line: Communications is a complex mixture of capabilities, procedures and needs. The more agencies involved the more complex this program becomes. Communication during routine emergencies and disasters is effective. Communication during large-scale or no-notice events will involve some adaptation which could lead to some initial communication problems.
Are communication lines (radio frequencies etc.) compatible among various city, county, and state agencies? If not, are plans underway to make them compatible?
In spite of millions of dollars being spent on independent communications systems, jurisdictions within the county retain a variety of radios systems that are not fully compatible. However, there are several initiatives underway to improve interoperability while allowing jurisdictions to retain the best technology for their needs.
Effective communications depends on both technology and procedures. Both of these factors require sustained investments in infrastructure, planning, training and exercises across a broad range of jurisdictions.
Bottom line: There is currently no "one size fits all radio system" that is appropriate for every community. Communications for routine emergencies and many localized disasters is adequate. Local, county, state and federal government has invested heavily in technology. The integration of this technology through the development and institutionalization of procedures and training at all levels of response is a persistent challenge.
IV. How Jeffco Citizens are Informed of a Disaster/Hazard
How will people stay informed during disasters?
The media and the National Weather Service are the primary means of getting information to the public. In some cases, the Emergency Preparedness Network (reverse 911) will be used to contact the public. The Emergency Preparedness Network (EPN) is a system public safety officials can use to call landline phones to inform the public of impending dangers. If you have a telephone zapper used to block out telemarketers or your phone is blocked to unknown callers, the EPN system message will not go through.
Preparedness is responsibility shared by government, business, organizations, neighborhoods, families and individuals. Every household is highly encouraged to have a battery or crank powered radio. People who do not have one of these radios, may have to depend on friends and neighbors for information.
Bottom line: Everyone needs to have a battery or crank powered radio.
In what ways and to what extent should citizens of Jefferson County be prepared for any emergency and how is this basic level of preparedness being communicated?
Communication is provided to the public through public service announcements, public access television (channel 8s), the web (www.jeffco.us and www.floodsafety.com), presentations, flyers and publications, preparedness fairs, and public presentations in a wide range of public forums.
All citizens need to:
(1) Know the hazards in your community
(2) Use this information to avoid becoming a victim (mitigation)
(3) Pay attention to environmental conditions
(4) Listen for and follow public safety guidance
(5) Be prepared to for the following courses of action-
-If you are safe, be able to shelter in place for 72-96 hours
-If you are not safe, be able to evacuate
(6) Help special needs family and friends to become prepared
(7) Support service organizations with your time and donations
(8) Develop basic emergency response skills through first aid and CPR training.
(9) Do not volunteer or donate goods unless such action is requested by authorities
Citizens who follow these guidelines are contributing enormously to the preparedness and safety of themselves, their family and their community.
Bottom line: Preparedness is a personal, family, community, local, state, and national responsibility. Jefferson County Emergency Management is committed to public outreach and education through organizations such as the League of Women Voters.
V. Preparing for a Pandemic
What is the difference between seasonal, avian, and pandemic influenza?
Ø Seasonal influenza occurs every year. Approximately 5% to 20% of the public becomes ill from the flu each year, with approximately 200,000 needing hospitalization. Symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, and muscle aches. Older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions are at high risk for serious flu complications. Influenza viruses are spread from person to person primarily by respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. These droplets are sent through the air and are deposited in the mouth or nose of people nearby. People may also become infected by touching something with the influenza virus on it and then touching their nose, mouth, or eyes.
Ø Avian or bird flu occurs naturally among birds and usually does not infect humans. It is very contagious among birds and can be spread from wild birds to domesticated birds including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, causing them to become sick and die. People can contract avian influenza; however, it is rare and usually follows direct and prolonged exposure to infected birds. The fear among virologists is that this flu virus will mutate so that it can be easily spread from person to person. The current outbreak of H5N1 bird flu is affecting Asia and Europe but it has not yet been found in birds in the US.
Ø Pandemic influenza is a global disease outbreak of a new type-A influenza virus for which humans have little or no immunity, and no flu vaccine would be immediately available. It can be easily spread from person to person. Symptoms will be similar to seasonal flu, but may be more severe and complications could be more serious. There is currently no pandemic flu strain in circulation.
What can I do to break the chain of influenza infection ?
Ø Get a flu vaccine, depending on your doctor’s advice.
Ø Wash your hands often with soap and water.
Ø Cover all coughs and sneezes. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Ø Stay home when you are ill. This will help prevent the spread of the virus.
Ø Practice other good health habits, including eating properly, getting adequate rest, managing stress, staying physically active, and drinking adequate fluids.
How can I prepare for an outbreak of pandemic flu?
A severe pandemic could change daily life for some time. People may choose to stay home or be forced to stay home if they are sick or need to care for others. Travel and public gatherings could be limited. Basic services and access to supplies could be disrupted. To prepare for a pandemic you should prepare a “ready” kit including the following items:
Ø Medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen to bring down fever and reduce aches and pains.
Ø Tissues and trash bags to store them.
Ø Masks may help reduce the spread of the flu virus among people in the household. They can be purchased at the local pharmacy or hardware store.
Ø During a pandemic, you and your family may need to stay at home for several days or weeks. Make a plan for communicating with family or friends outside your home and to call for assistance should you need additional supplies or resources.
Ø Have a 72-hour family emergency kit and add enough food and water to sustain the family for a period of up to three months.
Ø Stay up to date on current influenza information.
Disaster preparedness works. Disaster can strike at any time. We all have a personal responsibility to be prepared.
