Staff Report

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  City Council

FROM:            David J. Deutsch, City Manager

SUBJECT:       Emergency Preparedness Update

DATE:             June 15, 2009

This memorandum serves to describe the City’s efforts in the area of emergency preparedness and provides an update to the last presentation to Council in October 2008.   During the June 22, 2009 Worksession, staff will review the City’s progress on emergency preparedness, expand upon the bulleted items below, and will be prepared for discussion of the issues.

Communication

• Alert Bowie.

This service was offered to the public in late 2006.  To date, 1,973 users have signed up to receive text messages from the City via email and on their cell phone or other electronic device (over 300 have been added since our last meeting in October 2008). Over the last 12 months, approximately 142 alerts have been issued about severe weather, major road closings due to traffic accidents, traffic signal outages, crime alerts and electrical outages, as well as general community notices.  Sign-up information sheets were distributed at Bowiefest and an Alert Bowie sign-up booth will again be set up at National Night Out in August.  The sign-up information is widely distributed during emergency preparedness presentations, homeowners association meetings, and is on the City’s website.

• WeatherBug.  Several employees are signed on to this subscriber service that provides immediate information via electronic device about localized storms.  This alert system then allows us to send immediate text messages to our employees and subscribers.  We are continuing to develop checklists and protocols for employees regarding the severe weather notification process.

 

• HAM Radio.  We are increasing our backup communications with the addition of local volunteers who can operate HAM radios.  Mobile HAM radio operators have radios that can be operated from a vehicle or are hand-held.  The City is in the process of installing an antenna and cable for the Emergency Operations Center that will enable a volunteer HAM operator to simply “plug in and play.”   HAM radio capabilities include voice, computer connections and email, fax, and other modes.

• Outdoor Warning Systems (OWS).   At Council’s request, staff prepared the attached memo regarding OWS that was distributed on June 4, 2009. 

 Business Community, Civic Groups, and Special Populations Outreach

Staff has met, and will continue to meet, with representatives of local businesses, tenant associations, and other community groups to dispense information and answer questions about emergency preparedness.  Examples of such meetings include:

• On January 9, we toured the County’s Combined Communications Facility (911 call center).  This gave staff the opportunity to better understand the information flow processes during an emergency.

• In March, staff gave a presentation on Emergency Preparedness at Grace Lutheran Church on Belair Drive. 

• On April 22, staff members attended the Maryland Emergency Management Agency’s Annual Storm Conference.  This conference was attended by over 400 people from Maryland’s business, political, educational, and private business communities. 

• In May, we began our association with local HAM operators.

• On August 4, we will again participate in the City’s National Night Out event.

Exercises/Training

• Training

Staff members regularly attend training classes, seminars, and conferences related to the many facets of emergency preparedness.  Ideas, real-world experiences, and plans
are in turn discussed and shared with other staff members and integrated into the City’s website, outreach material, and operational plans and actions. Since last October, staff members have attended training and seminars at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG), Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), and other local agencies.

• The Bowie Volunteer Fire Department (BVFD) promotes local emergency preparedness and remains an advisor to staff about preparedness, response, and incident command.

• On February 4, many staff members participated in a tabletop exercise designed to test the participants’ ability to activate the Emergency Operations Center according to the Emergency Operations Plan.The exercise was planned and directed by staff and local Emergency Management Consultant Gary Goldberg.  The scenario was that of a damaging tornado within the City.  All City departments were represented, critique and comment sheets completed, and an After Action Report submitted by Mr. Goldberg.  The participants were gathered again in June to discuss the After Action Report and to be briefed on the implementation of recommendations that came out of their suggestions and the After Action Report.  While this tabletop exercise was conducted at no charge by Mr. Goldberg, the City has included monies in FY10 for similar staff and CERT training.

 

• The current H1N1 flu pandemic gave City staff an opportunity to enact portions of the EOP. Using the components of “Increased Readiness” and “Response” as a framework, we were able to quickly check and accomplish recommended activities.   The result was a better informed and protected public and employee population.   

Emergency Plan

• The City Emergency Plan is constantly being updated.  Recommendations from the last Council meeting were implemented.  The updated public version will be available on the City’s website.  This Plan was designed to answer those questions about emergency preparedness and response that are frequently asked by residents.  The Plan is formatted so that additions and new material can be easily added.  For those residents without the Internet, hard copies of the Plan (or specific sections) can be obtained from the City’s Emergency Management Resources Coordinator.   An internal version, with additional annexes and appendixes germane to City operations, will be distributed to employees.  A list and explanation of the current annexes is attached to the Emergency Plan. 

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
  
  Staff is assisting City operational units with developing and implementing emergency checklists.  Documenting current processes and procedures is ongoing and will enable the City government to have a continuity of operations should a catastrophe or illness disable certain employees.

Working with Other Agencies

Staff Outreach

Staff has continued to promote a positive and proactive working relationship with other emergency management officials in our area.  Since October 2008, staff has met with the County’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Bowie Volunteer Fire Department, American Red Cross, Prince George’s County Communications, County Public Schools Security officers, and Bowie State University Public Safety officials.  In addition, meetings and discussions have been held with the St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church Disaster Team and the Bowie Civil Air Patrol, as well as other agencies that provide first responder and support services to incidents. 

Equipment/Supplies Acquisition

• Shelter Supplies.  The Adopted FY10 Budget provides for the continuing acquisition of some limited, basic shelter supplies such as cots, water, and blankets.  These items are inventoried and stored at City Hall in the Emergency Management Resources Coordinator’s office.

• The BVFD has utilized their mobile kitchen response unit on several occasions this year.  The unit, refurbished with funds from the City, is available to respond to incidents and events where emergency personnel are working and where other food, water, and refreshment supplies are not available.  The unit is available to respond to areas where City employees and volunteers (CERT) may be working as first responders.

• The City financed a portable fire extinguisher teaching module for the BVFD in FY09.  The BVFD has used this apparatus to train our CERT team. 

• The City has 1,000 face masks/respirators in storage to be used by employees for the prevention of the spread of airborne particulates (germs) by humans.

Volunteers

• We continue to recruit and coordinate emergency response volunteers in the City.  A class of CERT trainees is scheduled to graduate on July 1.  The CERT groups and staff meet on a regular basis with the BVFD representatives, faith-based emergency response volunteers, Bowie Childcare Providers, and County representatives.  We are adding HAM radio operators to our volunteer communications staff (see above).  Hands-on training and informative lectures are regularly offered to our volunteers.    

Summary

Staff will continue to enhance the state of preparedness for employees, residents, and businesses in the City through continuing education, training, and relationship building.  Clearly, the recent training in the area of emergency management, networking with external entities, and the policy of after-incident critiques will enable the City to better respond to incidents.  The ideas and questions brought forward by Council, citizens, and the Public Safety Committee have spurred actions that have benefited the City.  A tremendous amount of information has been learned and an equally tremendous amount of effort to distribute information has been made.  Staff will continue to seek out grants and partnerships with entities in the emergency management arena.  Staff will continue to provide timely updates to Council and is always available for questions and comments from the Council or residents.

DJD/AC

Attachments    

Early Warning System