Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Procedures at Eastern Michigan University, Exercises of Logistics

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Emergency Operations

Center Procedure

Rev. 1. May 2010

THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

• I. Purpose ........................................................................................................... Distribution List............................................................................................................ iv
• II. Situation and Assumptions
  • A. Situation ..........................................................................................................
  • B. Assumptions ...................................................................................................
• III. Concept of Operations....................................................................................
  • A. EOC Location ..................................................................................................
  • B. Types of Emergencies ....................................................................................
  • C. Emergency Classification Levels
• IV. Organization & Assignment of Responsibilities
  • A. University President .......................................................................................
    • 1. Declaration of a Campus State of Emergency
  • B. Executive Group..............................................................................................
  • C. Operations Section .........................................................................................
  • D. Logistics Section ............................................................................................
  • E. Planning Section .............................................................................................
  • F. Finance Section...............................................................................................
  • G. Public Information Officer ..............................................................................
  • H. Safety Officer...................................................................................................
  • I. Emergency Management Director
• V. Direction & Control .........................................................................................
  • A. Activation of the EOC .....................................................................................
  • B. Notifications ....................................................................................................
  • C. EOC Setup .......................................................................................................
  • D. Security for EOC Access
  • E. Incident Documentation
  • F. Shift Changes
  • G. Deactivation and Demobilization of the EOC
  • H. Establishing an Alternate EOC.....................................................................
  • I. Communications between the EOC and Response Organizations
• Attachment A _ Emergency Classification Guidelines Page | ii
• Attachment B_ Emergency Operations Center Activation Decision Process
• Attachment D_ EMU Emergency Operations Center Floor Plan
• Attachment E_ Eastern Michigan University Emergency Notification List
• Attachment F_ External Notification List
• Attachment G_ Campus EOC Staffing Roster
• Attachment H_ Emergency Operations Center Supplies List
• Attachment I_ Command and General Staff Position Checklists
  • Executive Group Director........................................................................................
  • Executive Group Staff
  • Operations Section Chief
  • Planning Section Chief
  • Logistics Section Chief
  • Finance/Administration Section Chief
  • Message Control
• Attachment J _ EOC Location Main Campus
• Attachment K _ Campus EOC Procedures Review Checklist ……………………….
• Attachment L _ Response Capability Performance Metrics …………………………

Page | iii

Record of Revisions

Date Action Entered By

Eastern Michigan University Emergency Operations Center Procedures

I. Purpose

A fully capable emergency operations facility is an essential element of a comprehensive emergency management system and necessary to ensure continuity of operations at Eastern Michigan University. A campus Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is a facility designated for managing an emergency event. It is where the university incident management team makes decisions to allocate and coordinate resources, provides for incident communications coordination, and directs the overall disaster emergency response.

This procedure provides a framework for response and is not intended to limit the actions needed for an efficient and effective response. Depending on the scale of the event, this procedure will provide support to Washtenaw County Emergency Management, the State of Michigan, and federal response activities during a state of emergency or disaster declaration by those authorities. By locating the University decision makers in a single facility, the EOC, the following advantages are realized:

A. Centralizes Incident Management

• Provides central point where all information related to the incident is received and analyzed, incident priorities are determined, strategies are developed and critical resources are assigned to tactical operations.
• Provides for operations during extended periods of time.
• Enhances coordination between involved agencies and provides for the efficient and effective use of all modes of communications available for the incident.
• Minimizes disruption to campus departments not directly affected.
• Provides a centralized location to conduct planning meetings, tactics meetings, shift briefings, media briefings, press conferences, public information releases and other information dissemination.

B. Provides for Situation Status Management

• Establishes a central location for information to be gathered, analyzed, tracked, displayed, distributed and stored.
• Provides for the verification of information.
• Provides for immediate availability of incident information.

C. Provides for Resource Status Management

• Establishes a single location for resources to be tracked (e.g., personnel, equipment,), their location and status.

II. Situation and Assumptions

A. Situation

• Eastern Michigan University is subject to many hazards that would require the use of a centralized emergency operations center (EOC) to facilitate policymaking, coordination, and control of response resources in a large- scale emergency/disaster situation.
• Eastern Michigan University will normally manage emergency/disaster operations from its EOC.
• Field operations will be controlled from one or more Incident Command Post(s) which will be located near the emergency/disaster scene.
• The EOC has the capability to communicate with the necessary local, state, and federal agencies needed in times of emergency.

B. Assumptions

• The EOC procedures will be adequate for most disaster conditions that could arise for Eastern Michigan University.
• The Emergency Management Director will coordinate the reviewing and updating the EOC procedures as necessary.
• The EOC procedure provides for the centralized locating of five functional sections of incident response consistent with NIMS: Command; Operations; Planning; Logistics; and Finance.
• Close coordination must be maintained between Eastern Michigan University, the City of Ypsilanti, and Washtenaw County and any established Incident Command Posts (ICPs) to identify special considerations, secondary threats, and available resources.

III. Concept of Operations

A. EOC Location The primary Campus Emergency Operations Center is located in Room 400 of Pierce Hall (Building 37 on the EMU campus map). The facility is a designated, but not a dedicated, EOC facility. Supplies are maintained in a state of readiness for conversion and activation when needed. The EOC serves as the centralized location in which university staff will report for duty and assume their roles in the EOC. Emergency response activities and work assignments will be planned, coordinated, and delegated from the EOC.

In the event that the primary EOC cannot be used, an alternate EOC will be established at the DPS building, 1200 Oakwood. The alternate EOC location may be re-designated depending on the nature of the event and available space.

In the event the campus is secured and access is limited, EOC staff should enter the campus and use the Pease Parking Lot at College Place and West Forest unless directed to a different location. This lot is close to Pierce Hall.

B. Types of Emergencies Eastern Michigan University is at risk from various emergencies and/or hazards. The following list identifies those that would pose the greatest need of an elevated response:

IV. Organization & Assignment of Responsibilities

In accordance with the Eastern Michigan University Board of Regents resolution adopting the National Incident Management System (NIMS), during emergency operations the EOC will be organized as needed into five major functional areas: Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance.

This Incident Command Structure (ICS) provides an organizational structure capable of responding to various levels of emergencies ranging in complexity. It also provides the flexibility needed to respond to an incident as it escalates in severity. The purpose of the ICS is to:

• Provide an organizational structure that can grow rapidly in response to the requirements of an emergency;
• Provide management with the necessary control to direct and coordinate all operations and all agencies responding to emergency incidents;
• Assign employees with reasonable expertise and training to critical functions without loss of precious time;
• Allow the activation of only those positions needed to manage a particular incident or level of emergency; and
• Promote proper span of control and unity of command.

The organizational structure of the ICS may not resemble the day-to-day organization of the University. Employees may report to other employees to whom they do not usually have a reporting relationship. Furthermore, as the severity of the emergency increases, assignments may change in the ICS organizational structure - meaning an employee’s position in the ICS may change during the course of a single emergency.

A. University President The president is the chief executive officer of the University. The president is responsible for the entire operation of the University and is charged to implement its mission, consonant with the policies and actions of the Board of Regents. The responsibility for overall Direction and Control of operations rests with the University President and Executive Council. Primary responsibilities include:

• Declaring Campus State of Emergency
• Authorizing activation of Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
• Executive authorization for funding of emergency measures
• Formal requests for local State of Emergency and Governor’s Declaration of Emergency/Disaster 1. Declaration of a Campus State of Emergency The President, as Chief Executive Officer of the University, is charged with the maintenance of that degree of order and safety necessary to the successful continuation of the University’s lawful mission, and is further charged with the authority to protect the members of the University community and University property.

When faced with mass disruptions, activity of a violent and destructive nature, or other dangerous violations of University rules of a serious enough nature to threaten the University, the President, after consultation with and approval

of the Board of Regents, may declare a “state of emergency”. Refer to Attachment C_ Proclamation of a Campus Emergency.

B. Executive Group^1 The University President or her designee will be the Director of the Executive Group. The executive group is comprised of the University President, Provost, General Counsel, Chief Financial Officer, Vice President Communications, Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, Executive Director, Public Safety, Chief Information Officer, and Chief of Operations. Executive Group composition is scalable to the nature of the incident and extent of damage. Primary responsibilities include:

• Policy level decisions
• Fiscal authorization
• Strategic policy and direction for recovery and resumption of normal operations
• Review public information statements and releases

C. Operations Section The Executive Director, Public Safety or his designee will be the Operations Section Chief. The Operations Section Chief is responsible for the organization of the Operations Section and the development and execution of its specific tactics.

The Operations Section includes all activities that are directed toward the reduction of the immediate hazard, establishing control, and restoration of University operations. This section consists of those departments that are responsible for public safety and carrying out response activities. The individual agencies receive and evaluate requests for assistance and resources, establish priorities, and relay operational status and information to the Executive Group. The overall responsibility of this section is to coordinate with field operations. Primary responsibilities include:

• Coordinating all field operations
• Liaising with Planning & Intelligence, Logistics, and Finance & Administration
• Access Control
• Mutual Aid and Multi-Agency Response Coordination

(^1) All groups are scalable based on complexity of the incident and availability of staff.

F. Finance Section The Chief Financial Officer or his designee will be the Finance Section Chief. The Finance Section is responsible for all finance, emergency funding and cost accountability functions for incident operations and for supervising financial and contracting services for emergency or disaster operations.

The Financial Section documents expenditures, purchase authorizations, damage to property, equipment usage, vendor contracting, and develop documentation to support state or Federal disaster assistance applications. Primary responsibilities include:

• Account for documentation of all emergency expenses including labor, benefits, purchases, and contracts
• Fiscal analysis to determine total expenses, funding authorization, and funding sources
• Activation of emergency financial support to students, faculty, and staff
• Monitor all authorized expenses
• Audit all expenditures to verify budget account, invoices, and documentation
• Recommend budget and funding plans for emergency and recovery expenses

G. Public Information Officer The Vice President, Communications or his designee serves as official spokesperson for the university. It is university policy that all external communications regarding official university business with the news media via official university news releases, phone contacts and computer, fax or e-mail transmissions, will be issued through the University Communications Office. Procedures will follow what is detailed in the EMU Crisis Communication Plan.

The Public Information Officer (PIO) is the liaison to the news media and provides news releases and other information as approved by the EOC Executive Group, assuring that official statements are issued only by those authorized to issue such statements. The PIO provides information for the response to inquiries from the public relative to the disaster, accredits bona fide members of the news media operating on campus, and ensures that a media center is staffed as required. Primary responsibilities include:

• Media contact and coordination
• Public information statements and releases
• Coordinates media releases with City of Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County, State of Michigan, and other involved partners
• Coordinates EMU activity in a Joint Information Center (JIC), if one is activated
• Controls and corrects misinformation and rumors
• Communication to campus community

H. Safety Officer The Director of Health & Safety or her designee will serve as the Safety Officer. The Safety Officer (SO) monitors incident operations and advices on all matters related to operational safety, including the health and safety of emergency responder personnel. The SO has emergency authority to stop or prevent unsafe acts during incident operations. Primary duties include:

• Assess and communicate hazardous and unsafe situations
• Ensure an incident safety and health plan is developed
• Develop safety measures or communication to assure personnel safety
• Prepare and include safety messages in the Incident Action Plan

I. Emergency Management Director The Emergency Management Director is responsible for serving as the EOC Manager/Coordinator. He/she is also responsible for the setup and internal management of the EOC, Sets up facility, coordinates the availability of supplies, communications and other equipment, and establishes and provides assistance to the EOC groups as necessary. Primary responsibilities include:

• Set up and administer the EOC facility
• Establish and oversee EOC communications flow
• Establish and oversee staff registration as they appear for work shift
• Provide assistance to EOC staff as they begin working at their positions

V. Direction & Control

Upon activation at Level 2 or Level 3, the Eastern Michigan University Emergency Operations Center (EOC) serves as the centralized location to monitor and report the impact of emergencies while providing communication between the EOC and the campus, and between the EOC and surrounding jurisdictions. The EOC is the focal point for coordination, direction and control of emergency preparedness, response and recovery activities for the campus. This procedure applies to all response and recovery activities.

A. Activation of the EOC The EOC will be activated when necessary to facilitate the University’s response and subsequent recovery from any emergency. The Emergency Classification Levels are used to classify the significance of the event. The following individuals are authorized to activate the EOC:

• The President of Eastern Michigan University
• The Provost and Executive Vice President, Academic Affairs
• The Executive Director, Public Safety

Personnel responding to the EOC must have appropriate identification prior to being allowed access to the campus EOC. Security will be maintained to protect the EOC and reduce distractions.

B. Notifications In an emergency, the University Public Safety Dispatch Center and/or the Emergency Management Director will begin the emergency notification

D. Security for EOC Access Access to the EOC will be controlled at the desk immediately outside the door to Room 400. Prior to being allowed access, staff must show their ID card and sign in. When leaving the EOC, staff will sign-out. Staff are not to enter or exit through the door at the rear of the EOC.

E. Incident Documentation It is important that the incident be properly documented from the beginning of the incident and continued until the EOC is demobilized. EOC Activity Logs provided for each EOC position to record:

• Time and information for telephone calls made and received
• Time and information for actions requested and taken
• Other general notes and information

Additional documentation will be provided by message forms provided for messages received and sent by EOC staff, maps generated to support the incident, damage assessment forms, and media releases developed by the EOC or received from other sources.

As available, the EOC will enter information into the E-Team, the on-line critical incident management system provided by the state. This system will allow real- time information sharing with other response groups on the system (Washtenaw County and State of Michigan).

F. Shift Changes In incidents where response and recovery efforts span multiple days, the EOC Operations Section Chief will evaluate the situation and define necessary shift changes (e.g., 8 or 12 hours). Each EOC position is responsible for identifying and notifying the staff for the oncoming shift. At every shift change, outgoing EOC team members will brief the incoming staff. This briefing should include a review of the most recent operational period action plan, significant changes in the response strategy identified by the Executive Group and tactical response actions taken by specific departments.

G. Deactivation and Demobilization of the EOC The University President or her designee, advised by the EOC Manager, will determine when to deactivate the EOC and transition to normal campus operations. The process of demobilizing includes demobilizing all units, documenting the incident in preparation for requests for state/federal disaster recovery funds, and documenting the incident in preparation for the After Action Report and updating to university plans and procedures. To accomplish this:

• The EOC Manager will notify sections when they are no longer required in the EOC.
• All staff must ensure that any open actions not yet completed will be handled after the deactivation.
• All staff must ensure that all required forms or reports are completed prior to deactivation and have copies made of all logs, reports, messages, and

any other documents used and received in the EOC. Leave originals in the position folder.

• The EOC Manager will return supplies and equipment to the storage location and secure.
• An official notification will be sent to all involved internal and external participants that the EOC is deactivated.

This action signifies the transition from the response phase to the recovery phase. Prior to deactivation, the Executive Group Director will assign staff to a Disaster Recovery Group (DRG) to establish the short-term recovery goals that facilitate long-term recovery. The recovery plan should address the following:

• The recovery effort’s goals
• The recovery organization’s structure, including the roles of government, the public, business, and not-for-profit organizations in the process
• Short-term recovery operations, such as debris removal and volunteer and donations management
• Temporary shelter and housing, permanent housing
• Economic recovery
• Environmental recovery
• Infrastructure and lifelines
• Financial and community resources
• Social and psychological aspects of recovery

H. Establishing an Alternate EOC

Depending on the dynamics of an incident, it may be necessary to relocate to another location to perform the EOC functions. The incident may either disrupt the functionality of the primary EOC or it may jeopardize the safety of staff working at the primary EOC.

The backup EOC location is at 1200 Oakwood in the DPS Conference Room. If this location is damaged or unsafe, a determination will be made by the executive group as to an appropriate location on campus.

DPS will arrange for the transfer of needed supplies and equipment from 400 Pierce to 1200 Oakwood. This includes:

• Computers
• Communication equipment
• Maps and displays
• EOC forms
• Binders with EOC activation information
• Any documents already compiled by EOC staff

Notifications will be made to staff and to external agencies of the new location for the EOC. Most forms and procedures will be able to be accessed from the EMU website location.

Attachment A: Emergency Classification Guidelines

Level 1 (Minor Incident) A Level 1 incident is any incident, potential or actual, that will not seriously affect the overall functional capacity of the University. These would be campus emergencies that can be resolved with existing EMU resources or limited outside help. EOC activation is not required. Examples:

• Severe Weather Advisory
• Small contained fire
• Chemical spill confined to a single area
• Assault without further incident
• Short term power outage
• Interior building flood contained to limited number of rooms
• An orderly demonstration or protest

Level 2 (Emergency/Partial Activation) : A Level 2 incident is any incident, potential or actual, that affects an entire building or buildings, and which may disrupt the overall operations of the University. These would be campus emergencies that require a coordinated response beyond normal operating channels. Outside emergency services will probably be required, as well as major efforts from campus support services. Examples:

• Major severe weather event which curtails a significant number of University classes and activities for extended periods of time
• Heat plant failure
• Long term power outage with known remediation steps
• Fire affecting a large building or several buildings
• Limited contagious disease outbreak, i.e. meningitis outbreak in dorms
• Bomb threat in specific building
• Bias-related crimes
• Significant reputation risk to EMU

Level 3 (Disaster/Full Activation) : A Level 3 incident is any event or incident that has the potential or does seriously impair or halt university operations. In some cases, death of personnel and severe property damage may be sustained. Such major campus disasters require a coordinated response by all campus resources and outside emergency services would be essential. Examples:

• Extended power outage without remediation plan
• Large fire involving personal injury
• Structural collapse involving personal injury
• Multiple fatality incidents
• Significant contagious disease outbreak, i.e. Pandemic Influenza
• Civil unrest in the surrounding community
• “Active shooter” incident
• Other serious acts of violence

A

Attachment B: Emergency Operations Center Activation Decision Process

- denotes repetitive process

President & Executive Leadership Determines EOC Activation Level

Incident Occurs

Emergency Classification Level 3 EOC Full Activation Required.

YES YES

Actual or Potential Casualties and/or Severe Property Damage?

NO

Emergency Classification Level 2 EOC Partial Activation Required.

Are Significant Campus & External Emergency Services Required?

NO

NO YES

Can Incident be Resolved with EMU Resources?

Does Incident Disrupt Capabilities of the University?

Emergency Classification Level 1 No EOC Activation Required. (^) YES NO

EMU President and Executive Leadership Notified

A A

Assessment & Verification of Incident Information

EMU Notification Entry Point

EMU Executive Director of Public Safety Notified