2015 Annual Report - Wake County, North Carolina Report.pdf · 2015 Annual Report ... the Emergency...
Transcript of 2015 Annual Report - Wake County, North Carolina Report.pdf · 2015 Annual Report ... the Emergency...
Activates the Emergency Operations Center
Responds to emergencies on a 24/7 basis
Coordinates information & resources during emergencies
Exercises on disaster response and recovery
Develops emergency plans
Oversees the Harris Nuclear Power Plant
Manages homeland security grant funds
Educates our community and
Prepares our community for emergencies
Emergency Management:
Department of Emergency Management Annual Report FY 2015 3
Director’s Message…………………………………………………………………………………....5
Mission Statement…………..…………….………………………………………………………..…7
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..……..9
First Response Partners…………………..……………………………………………………....11
Meeting Community Needs…………….………………………………………………………...13
Harris Nuclear Power Plant……………..………………………………………………………..15
Homeland Security…………………………………………………………………………………...17
Hazardous Materials……………………………………………………………………………..…19
Operations……..……………………………...…………………………………………………...…..21
Planning………………………………………...…………………………………………………..…..23
Exercises……………………………………………………………………………………………..….25
Preparedness…………...………………………………………………………………………….....27
Looking Ahead……………………………………………..……………………………………..…..29
TABLE OF CONTENTS
L to R: Melissa Moats, Amy Ikerd, Steven Newton, Josh Creighton, Darshan Patel, Andy Hiscock, Leslie O’Connor, Chris Lacasse
Not Pictured: Diana McBride
Department of Emergency Management Annual Report FY 2015 5
Without hesitation, I am proud to say that Wake County has the best
Emergency Management Team in North Carolina. Our team of dedicated,
morally obligated people works diligently to provide excellent service to
the public and our partner agencies through innovative, fiscally
responsible programs.
The Team is charged with the challenge of building, sustaining and
improving our community‟s capability to prepare for, protect against,
respond to and recover from actual or threatened natural and man-made
incidents. Collectively, through trust, team unity, accountability and
effective communication, Wake County Emergency Management
continues to be responsible stewards of emergency preparedness and
response programs throughout the County and beyond.
In the past year, Wake County Emergency Management has made
measurable progress in key infrastructure and program development.
This year, in concert with Facilities Design and Construction, planning for
the new Emergency Operations Center has moved forward with the
delivery of the Advanced Planning Study. Parallel to the internal facility
planning, significant strides have been made in both the academic and
business partnership with NC State which is the proposed site for the new
Emergency Operations Center.
Programmatically, Emergency Management has established the Capital
Region Incident Management Team, co-led a state-wide initiative to assist
those with intellectual and functional disabilities during disasters and,
held the 27th Annual Business and Environmental Safety Training
(BEST) Conference with over 500 attendees.
The Emergency Management Team has formalized its first multi-year
Strategic Plan and look forward to the years ahead by fulfilling our vision
of being a recognized center of excellence; achieved by being
knowledgeable, innovative and reliable industry leaders.
Sincerely,
Joshua Creighton, Director
Department of Emergency Management Annual Report FY 2015 7
MISSION STATEMENT
Wake County Emergency Management serves as the governmental function that
coordinates and integrates activities within the county to build, sustain and improve
communities‟ capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from or
mitigate against actual or threatened natural and man-made incidents of high
consequence.
Our shared vision for Wake County Emergency Management is to be a recognized
center of excellence; achieved by being knowledgeable, innovative, and reliable industry
leaders with a commitment to continual professional development and comprehensive
programs using a holistic approach to services.
VISION STATEMENT
Department of Emergency Management Annual Report FY 2015 9
INTRODUCTION
The Department of Emergency Management is the governmental function that
coordinates and integrates all activities to build, sustain and improve the capability to
prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from or mitigate against threatened or
actual natural disasters, acts of terrorism or other man-made disasters.
To accomplish this purpose, Emergency Management places a heavy emphasis on
planning and coordinating efforts with municipal, regional, state and federal partners
and the private sector, nongovernmental organizations and Volunteer Organizations
Active in Disasters. Through this coordination, Emergency Management identifies
steps to effectively accomplish its goals.
Emergency Management is available on a 24/7 basis to assist first responders, assure
continuity in response efforts, provide on-scene technical expertise, activate and lead
the Emergency Operations Center, and provide informed recommendations on
emergency actions and procedures.
With over one million citizens, Wake County is North-Carolina‟s second most
populated county. Wake County contains the state capital and is composed of twelve
distinct municipalities, twenty townships, and 414 square miles of unincorporated
communities. Wake County is currently the 21st most populous county in the United
States and identified by multiple national lists as one of the best places to live in
America. This continuing rapid growth will place a higher demand on emergency
resources, and the Department of Emergency Management looks forward to exceeding
these challenges.
Department of Emergency Management Annual Report FY 2015 11
FIRST RESPONSE PARTNERS
Emergency Management‟s most valuable
assets are its partnerships with organizations
that serve our community in preparing for,
responding to, recovering from, and
mitigating against disasters. These include
both Traditional and Nontraditional
Partners.
Local Response Partners
9-1-1 communications, law enforcement, fire,
and emergency medical services are not only
our community‟s traditional first responders,
they also serve as extensions of Wake
County‟s emergency management function.
Through local, state, and federal emergency
management initiatives responders are
trained to recognize and manage incident
causes, such as terrorism, which require
specialized teams, protective action
measures, and a rapidly escalating approach
to incident management.
Through the Staff Duty Officer (SDO)
program, Emergency Management personnel
are available 24/7 to assist first responders
with incident management, technical
guidance, activating mass warning &
notification systems, and identifying and
contacting support resources. In FY15
Emergency Management SDOs assisted with
109 requests for service, including airplane
crashes, active shooter threat, bomb threats,
disease surveillance, explosions, hazardous
chemical spills, emergency sheltering,
missing person searches, critical incident
stress debriefing, severe weather, and
planned events.
Extended Response Partners
Emergency Management continues to
maintain close relationships with local, state,
and federal emergency management and law
enforcement organizations, volunteer
organizations active in disasters (VOADs),
and non-governmental organizations.
Through face-to-face discussions, cooperative
training and exercises, and conferences we
continue to build a network of resources
willing and able to respond.
139 109 SDO Responses Equipment Deployments
Department of Emergency Management Annual Report FY 2015 13
MEETING COMMUNITY NEEDS
To meet the needs of the community during
large incidents, events, and disasters,
Emergency Management leverages multiple
fixed and mobile facilities, as well as the
skillsets of its own staff and those of other
County departments and partner agencies.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
Since 1988, Wake County Emergency
Management (formerly Wake County Civil
Defense), has occupied space in the basement
of the Wake County Courthouse for the
coordination of the County‟s response to
disaster. Wake County is now pursuing a
partnership with North Carolina State
University to construct a new EOC on the
university‟s main campus. This partnership
will provide a facility to meet the needs of a
growing community, but also a training and
research center for practitioners and
academics alike. A new emergency
operations center is still in the early
planning stages, but it is an exciting new
development for the Department of
Emergency Management to look forward to.
All Hazard Incident Management Team
All Hazard Incident Management Teams
(AHIMT) are developed to assist local
emergency services and local governments
manage large, complex , and long-term
emergency incident responses. The AHIMT
can assist in control and containment of the
incident, provide logistical support, provide
operation support and expertise, and arrange
for additional manpower. Emergency
Management serves as the coordinating
agency for the AHIMT, but its membership
includes highly trained members from
county, municipal, and volunteer
organizations.
Warehouse
Emergency Management, EMS, and Fire
Services jointly operate a warehouse facility
to support daily operations, major incidents,
and disasters. Emergency Management
maintains mass sheltering, radiological
monitoring, decontamination,
communications, traffic control, warning and
notification, lighting, and other equipment
and supplies to support the response to a
wide range of hazards. In FY15, the
warehouse was responsible for 139 scheduled
equipment loans. Sixty-nine loans went to
county-funded agencies, such as the Sheriff‟s
Office and Fire Services, and fifty-six loans
went to municipal partners. Fourteen loans
went to the state and other partners,
including NC State University and Rex
Hospital.
Department of Emergency Management Annual Report FY 2015 15
HARRIS NUCLEAR
POWER PLANT
The Department of Emergency Management
coordinates with Chatham County, Lee
County, Harnett County and the state of
North Carolina on emergency plans, training
and preparedness activities for the Harris
Nuclear Power Plant.
Medical Services Drills
In May 2015, WCEM organized the annual
medical services drill held at the power plant
and WakeMed hospital. The training exercise
focused on treatment and transport of a
contaminated injured employee from the
plant. The drill was a major success, with
FEMA acknowledging the “obvious
enthusiasm, training and preparation
invested in this drill”.
Functional Needs Program
The Department of Emergency Management
is working in conjunction with Duke Energy
Communications to revamp the Functional
Needs Program. The program is designed for
residents living within a 10 mile radius of the
plant who need assistance with evacuation in
an emergency situation.
FY 2015 Accomplishments
Provided training to over thirty first
response and support agencies
Completed quarterly operational testing
and maintenance of more than 1500 pieces
of radiological survey meters. WCEM
received over 100 new Ludlum M26
Radiological Meters to be placed in service
by January 1, 2016.
Reviewed and updated the necessary plans
and procedures in accordance with the
2015 FEMA REP Program Manual
Department of Emergency Management Annual Report FY 2015 17
HOMELAND SECURITY
The Department of Emergency Management
is responsible for planning the county‟s
homeland security procedures. WCEM also
develops and coordinates emergency
management programs that meet national
homeland security goals.
Critical Infrastructure
Wake County is home to diverse sectors of
critical infrastructure that includes the
chemical and energy sectors, information
technology and nuclear reactors sectors.
Harris Nuclear Power Plant, Raleigh-
Durham International Airport, Chemical
Facilities, Large Employers, etc. are
examples of critical infrastructure that are
vital not only to Wake County, but also to
the state of North Carolina and the nation.
Wake County Emergency Management is
responsible for planning homeland security
procedures to protect our critical
infrastructure. In FY 2015, we began
identifying critical infrastructure sectors and
started a Critical Infrastructure Plan; the
plan creates a strategy for Emergency
Management and other Wake County
agencies to follow in pursuit of the National
Infrastructure Protection Plan.
Domestic Preparedness Task Force
The Domestic Prepared Task Force is a
major collaboration between law
enforcement, emergency medical services,
fire services, public health, emergency
management, hospitals, government
administration, communications and private
industry. The task force focuses on
administering local and regional grants and
improving domestic terrorism preparedness.
Metropolitan Medical Response Systems
(MMRS) Grant
Wake County closed out the FY11 MMRS
Grant from the Department of Homeland
Security that is designed to improve
domestic terrorism preparedness by
addressing equipment, training, exercises,
and planning needs. Wake County
Emergency Management used its MMRS
grant funds in 2014 to hold Incident
Management Team training and exercises,
as well as the purchase of much-needed
preparedness and response equipment. The
MMRS Program has been defunded by the
federal government.
Department of Emergency Management Annual Report FY 2015 19
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Emergency Management is responsible for
planning and implementing policies
pertaining to hazardous materials and the
communities they are in.
Wake County Local Emergency Planning
Committee
Emergency Management administers the
functions of the Local Emergency Planning
Committee (LEPC), which has become one of
the national models in LEPC activities by its
actions including its participation in land use
planning, assistance and oversight to private
industry and community education. The
primary responsibility of the LEPC is to
receive information about hazardous
substances from industry and to use this
information to develop comprehensive site
emergency plans to handle emergencies.
BEST Conference
The Business Environmental Safety and
Training (BEST) Conference is the primary
outreach activity of the Wake County Local
Emergency Planning Committee. It provides
free training on safety and environmental
topics, as well as opportunities to network
with professionals in these fields. WCEM held
the Business Environmental Safety and
Training Conference on February 15, 2015;
the conference had another successful year
with over 500 attendees, 27 vendors and 25
classes.
EPlan Database Reporting System
EPlan is the online reporting tool that
facilities use to submit their chemical
inventory as required by the Emergency
Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
(EPCRA) of 1986. This law requires facilities
to report threshold quantities of chemicals
stored and produced on site to foster a
collaborative safety relationship between
government, residents, and industry. EPlan
has been the primary online chemical
inventory for Wake County since 2009. Wake
LEPC is one of the few in the state to allow all
fire departments within the county direct
access to the information in EPlan.
Data Storage Box Program
Wake County previously implemented a
hazardous materials data storage box
ordinance that requires facilities that use,
store or manufacture any of the EPA “List-of-
Lists” EHS chemicals to have a data storage
box. This box must be accessible & contain
facility specific information for first
responders during an emergency. In FY15, the
City of Raleigh decided to place a box at all
Parks and Recreation locations and facility
maintenance yards to ensure first responder
safety in the event of an incident at one of
their facilities.
1645 Reporting Facilities in E-Plan
The Communications desk inside the EOC is where information will be dispersed during an
emergency or disaster.
Department of Emergency Management Annual Report FY 2015 21
OPERATIONS
The Department of Emergency Management
coordinates and collaborates with emergency
partners to reduce the impact of emergencies
and disasters.
Staff Duty Officer (SDO)
Through the Staff Duty Officer (SDO)
program, Emergency Management staff are
made available 24/7 to assist first responders
with incident management, technical
guidance, activating mass warning &
notification systems, and identifying and
contacting support resources. In FY15
Emergency Management SDOs assisted with
109 requests for service, including airplane
crashes, active shooter threat, bomb threats,
disease surveillance, explosions, hazardous
chemical spills, emergency sheltering,
missing person searches, critical incident
stress debriefing, severe weather, and
planned events.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
The Emergency Operations Center is
activated to coordinate County, municipal,
and support agency response to major
incidents, events, and disasters. In the EOC
partners coordinate response efforts, gather
and disseminate information, and make
difficult decisions. The EOC maintained so
that it can activate quickly and sustain 24/7
operations indefinitely. The EOC brings
together representatives from across county
departments, including law enforcement,
communications and the public school
system.
WebEOC
WebEOC is the information sharing platform
that is used by SDO‟s, the EOC, and
municipalities during large incidents, events,
and disasters to ensure quick and accurate
disbursement of information. In FY15
Emergency Management continued to
develop and implement enhancements to the
WebEOC system and developed protocols for
day-to-day use of the system.
Communicator! NXT and GeoCast Web
Emergency Management maintains a mass
warning and notification system to rapidly
alert the public of an imminent threat and
muster staff for the EOC. This system is also
used daily by the Sheriff‟s Office Well Check
program, Human Services, and Raleigh-
Wake Emergency Communications to alert
personnel of major incidents.
Communications Support Vehicle
(COMM1)
Emergency Management maintains and
operates Wake County‟s Communications
Support Vehicle for major incidents and
events to ensure a coordinated response. In
FY15 the department upgraded onboard
technology to better support large and small-
scale incidents. In FY15 COMM-1 was
deployed for 41 days in response to 24
incidents/events.
A marked car sits in the snow after the 2014 ice storm that hit Raleigh. Image courtesy of the
News & Observer.
Department of Emergency Management Annual Report FY 2015 23
PLANNING
The Department of Emergency Management
is responsible for developing and
maintaining the Wake County Emergency
Operations Plan, Continuity of Operations
Plan, Continuity of Government Plan,
Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment,
Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP)
plans, Commodity Receiving and
Distribution Plan, and associated
procedures, guides, and references.
All-Hazard Abandoned Vehicle Procedure
In FY15 a new All-Hazard Abandoned
Vehicle Procedure was developed in
cooperation with State Highway Patrol. The
procedure offers a guideline for the actions to
be taken by all first responders in the event
motorists abandon their vehicles during
severe weather or other incidents.
Abandoned vehicles obstruct traffic and snow
plow operations, as well as put responders at
risk when confirming that no one is left
inside. When implemented, this plan calls for
first responders to attach a three foot long
strip of brightly colored scene tape to a
conspicuous location on an abandoned
vehicle that has been confirmed to be empty.
The procedure was employed during 2014
and 2015 winter weather, and has been
adopted as a statewide standard.
Planning Assistance for Community
Partners
In FY15 Emergency Management staff
assisted Raleigh, Knightdale, Apex, the
Raleigh-Durham International Airport
Authority, and others develop and evaluate
emergency plans.
Emergency Management also receives and
maintains copies of plans submitted by
licensed care facilities. As a requirement for
licensure in North Carolina, licensed care
facilities must submit a facility emergency
plan annually to Emergency Management.
There are more than 600 licensed care
facilities in Wake County.
As a result of the Coal Ash Management Act
of 2014, dam owners are required to submit
Emergency Action Plans for high and
intermediate hazard dams to Emergency
Management. There are currently over 400
high and intermediate hazard dams in Wake
County.
Department of Emergency Management Annual Report FY 2015 25
Exercises are essential components to the
Department of Emergency Management‟s
comprehensive approach for emergency
management. The types of exercises vary and
can range from tabletop discussions to full-
scale exercises. In FY15, WCEM held six
exercises throughout the county.
Morrisville Active Shooter
The full-scale active shooter training exercise
was held in December 2014 in Morrisville, in
conjunction with Morrisville Police and Fire
Departments, Cary Police Department, Cary
EMS, Cary CERT, Wake County EMS and
Sheriff's Office. The exercise had two main
goals: to develop and practice skills needed to
quickly engage and neutralize an active
threat of violence, and to practice providing
advanced emergency medical care for
victims.
Central Branch Communications
WCEM and Wake AUXCOMM participated
in an exercise held by North Carolina
Department of Emergency Management in
April 2015. The exercise simulated
infrastructure damage across the central
region of North Carolina. Wake was one of
thirteen counties to participate in this state-
wide exercise, giving us the chance to
interact with and learn from emergency
management departments that we may not
regularly communicate with.
North Carolina State University Executive
Officers Training
This table top exercise was held as a
refresher on NC State‟s Emergency
Operations Plan, as well as giving university
officials the opportunity to simulate an
emergency response to hurricane conditions
that threaten the school.
Medical Services Drill
Emergency Management, Wake EMS,
WakeMed Hospital, WakeMed Center for
Innovative Learning, Duke Energy, Harnett
County Emergency Management and Lee
County Emergency Management
participated in an exercise that
demonstrated the ability to manage a
contaminated injured person. Emergency
Management served as the lead for exercise
development, facilitation, and exercise
control. WakeMed Center for
Innovative Learning and Emergency
Management utilized realistic patient
simulators during the exercise to challenge
responder and hospital staff‟s ability to
decontaminate a patient while providing
excellent patient care.
EXERCISES
Department of Emergency Management Annual Report FY 2015 27
PREPAREDNESS
Pet Safety
Emergency Management in conjunction with
Wake County Animal Control is working to
establish co-location shelters that, in the
event of an emergency, will allow people and
their pets to stay together in the same
location. Companion animals such as dogs,
cats, rabbits and birds can check into the
co-location shelters with their owners. This
initiative is designed to satisfy the
requirements of the 2006 Pets Act, and to
ensure that no one in Wake County has to
choose between their pets and their safety.
ReadyWake!
The ReadyWake initiative shares
information on potential hazards,
instructions on how to make your own family
preparedness kit, and list of valuable phone
numbers. Residents can register to receive
alerts from Wake County for important
emergency information. The Department of
Emergency Management has partnered with
Holly Springs, Apex, Garner and Morrisville
to expand availability. Information is shared
through Facebook, Twitter, and the Wake
County Communications Office.
@ReadyWake
Department of Emergency Management Annual Report FY 2015 29
LOOKING AHEAD
Strategic Planning
Wake County continues to grow at a
staggering rate, and with this increase in
growth the Department of Emergency
Management expects for community needs to
increase. For the next three to five years, the
department is preparing for these horizon
issues by formulating and implementing a
strategic multi-year department plan.
New Emergency Operations Center
North Carolina State University‟s Main
Campus is the proposed location of WCEM „s
new Emergency Operations Center. Locating
on NC State‟s campus provides an invaluable
academic and business partnership between
WCEM and the university. A new emergency
operations center is still in the early planning
stages, but it is an exciting new development
for the Department of Emergency
Management to look forward to.
Harris Nuclear Power Plant
In October 2015, the Department of
Emergency Management will be holding a
hostile action drill at the power plant in
conjunction with Harnett County Emergency
Management, Lee County Emergency
Management and Chatham County
Emergency Management. The drill will focus
on a hostile-action based scenario and will be
evaluated by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA).