HSE 301 WEEK 7

This is an assignment that uses a scenario that will build in scope and complexity as you work through it. It will provide practice in determining the management functions that apply as an incident expands and progresses. Chapter 2 of your Student Guide contains a complete list of the NIMS Management Characteristics. You may wish to consult this list to complete this assignment.

In each section, you will be asked to identify the NIMS Management Characteristic being demonstrated in the example. There may be times where more than one is demonstrated and you may list multiple options. Explain why you selected the characteristic that you did in a few sentences. After completing each section, you will advance to the next portion of the scenario.

· ISC 100 Student Manual – Lesson 5 (pp. 140-156)

· ISC – Unit 5

It has been raining heavily for the past seven days in Emerald City. The Emerald City and Liberty County Emergency Management Offices are preparing for a response to a possible flood situation. Residents are starting to ask questions about the rising river and lake levels and are wondering if they will need to leave their homes.

1. You are an American Red Cross Disaster Program Specialist in charge of teams trained to help in sheltering displaced persons. You have been notified by your office to be prepared to deploy to conduct shelter operations. Your supervisor has asked you to come to the office to begin organizing volunteers and get prepared to set up shelters if needed. What NIMS Management characteristic are you supporting? Explain why you selected this characteristic.

2. You are a Geographic Information System (GIS) specialist who normally works at the Public Works planning office. You are directed to report to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and have been assigned to the Planning Section Chief. You will be producing maps to display potential flooding impacts in the city and county. What NIMS Management characteristic are you supporting? Explain why you selected this characteristic.

Raining has continued for three more days and the flooding is expected to reach its highest point today. The flooding has caused residents to evacuate their homes in anticipation of rising floodwaters. Basement flooding to the first floor level is anticipated. The local nursing home is assessing the situation to determine if an evacuation of residents is necessary.

The Liaison Officer, with the support of the Public Information Officer, is in contact with business owners to determine if any of their stored chemicals will be affected by the flooding causing possible contamination downstream.

Based upon previous floods, it is a high priority to establish shelters for evacuees early on. The Emergency Operation Plan pre-identified the following shelters: Lawrence College Auditorium and Lafayette Middle School.

Due to the complexity of the incident, the Incident Commander has expanded the Operations Section to include an Evacuation Group. The Evacuation Group Supervisor immediately contacts the Lawrence College President and the Lafayette Middle School Principal to begin the process of establishing shelters in those facilities.

3. You are the American Red Cross liaison in the Emergency Operations Center and you print up a list of the locations of materials necessary to outfit the shelters. Materials stored in both facilities are adequate to meet the initial needs. Both the College and the Middle School are implementing their respective plans and are establishing necessary staffing to support the shelter requirements. What NIMS Management Characteristic is being demonstrated? Why did you select this characteristic?

4. Due to the complexity of the incident, the Incident Commander has expanded the Operations Section to include an Evacuation Group. What NIMS Management Characteristic is being demonstrated? Explain why/how.

5. You are the City Fire Chief and are evaluating the supervisory structure needed to manage the Incident Command Post Staff. You also request senior representatives from the Health Care community and from Public Works to help develop objectives to protect the residents of the nursing home and the critical water resources of the community. What NIMS Management Characteristics are you supporting? Explain all of them that might apply.

The Evacuation Group is reporting that homeowners are beginning to move their families out of the area. The American Red Cross has opened two shelters, one at the Lawrence College Auditorium and one at the Lafayette Middle School.

The nursing home is attempting to move 55 patients from their skilled nursing care facility and is asking for assistance from Emergency Medical Services, the Fire Department and the School Bus Company.

Acme Chemical is reporting first-floor flooding of their chemical processing plant. They are not reporting any chemical release but are closely monitoring their facility.

Calls are coming into the Emergency Operations Center from concerned citizens wondering about the safety of the municipal drinking water. Additional concerns about the wellbeing of water fowl and fish in the river and lake are being voiced because tourism, fishing, and hunting are a major part of the economy in the area.

Additional resources are needed for evacuating, sheltering, sandbagging, water level and chemical monitoring, traffic control and scene security at other Incident Command Posts. Several media helicopters have arrived in the area to film the ongoing operations.

6. General Staff immediately come together and begin developing strategies. General Staff Chiefs are:

1. Evaluating the supervisory structure needed to manage the Incident Command Post staff

2. Identifying resource shortfalls

3. Updating planning documents

What NIMS Management Characteristics are you supporting? Explain.

7. You are the Operations Section Chief at the Incident Command Post and request that all response communications be conducted using a predetermined set of frequencies. You also remind everyone in the field to use plain language. What NIMS Management Characteristics are being demonstrated? Discuss each one.

8. The Operations Section has determined that the Emergency Medical Services, the Fire Department and the School Bus Company will be assigned to the evacuation of the Nursing Home. They will all converge at City Hall and will be dispatched, as appropriate, to begin the rapid and safe movement of the residents to their temporary shelter locations. What NIMS Management Characteristic is being demonstrated and why?

The nursing home’s emergency plan calls for relocating residents with acute medical care needs to the community hospital. Residents without acute medical needs will be sheltered.

The American Red Cross, in collaboration with the Salvation Army, are managing the shelters and providing food for displaced residents.

The Public Works Department and the Health Department are monitoring the water intake at the Water Treatment Plant for signs of chemical contamination. Public Works crews are placing sandbags to protect the Water Treatment Plant.

9. You are the President of Lawrence College. You and the American Red Cross Shelter manager have contacted the Incident Command Post concerning the ability to meet the nutritional and long term pharmaceutical needs of the elderly residents. The Liaison Officer requests assistance from the Emergency Operations Center. What NIMS Characteristic is being demonstrated?

10. You are the Middle School Principal. You and the Shelter Manager notify the Incident Command Post that several people are complaining of severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. You ask for assistance from medical and public health personnel. You also request additional sanitation supplies, bedding, and bathing materials. The Operations Section Chief is requesting additional assistance from the Emergency operations Center for a specialized monitoring team to be deployed to the shelter to survey for a possible outbreak. Survey results will be shared with Health and Public Works departments. What NIMS Management Characteristic are you supporting? Discuss those that apply and why they apply.

The river levels have steadily receded and residential property owners are anxious and attempting to return to their properties. Public Utility Crews are assisting City Building Inspection crews in the inspection of evacuated homes for safety and structural integrity before allowing residents to move back in. Drinking water qualities are being monitored and cleanup and damage assessment activities are beginning.

The American Red Cross and the Salvation Army report that most evacuees have found longer-term temporary housing. Very few evacuees remain in their shelters, and shelters are anticipated to be closing soon.

Emerald City Health Department personnel, along with representatives from the County and State Health Departments, are monitoring the water intakes and the city drinking water for any signs of contamination. Nothing significant has been detected so far. The County Health Department is also monitoring private wells as requested by landowners.

The Nursing Home reports that water has receded from their building and that they are beginning the cleaning procedures. They expect to finish their cleanup, including mandatory inspections by the State Health Department, within a week.

Because the activities are shifting from response to recovery, the Mayor of Emerald City has asked the Incident Commander to prepare to demobilize and transfer command of the incident to a Unified Command consisting of Emergency Management, the Emerald City Health Department and the Emerald City Department of Public Works.

The newly formed Unified Command will focus on restoring essential services, providing a safe re-entry for displaced residents and completing a thorough damage assessment. The transfer of command will take place at the end of the next operational period.

11. As phasedown of shelter operations has begun, the American Red Cross Disaster Operations Supervisor has directed you to begin reassigning shelter staff personnel and releasing those that are no longer required. You direct released staff to check out. What NIMS Management Characteristic are you supporting? Discuss all that might apply.

12. You are the Middle School principal. As shelter operations are beginning to phase down, you continue to be concerned about the illness suffered by the residents of your facility, which was confirmed to be a food borne illness from donated food. Since school will resume soon, you want to reassure school staff and parents that there are no residual risks. You request the newly formed Unified Command for a public information broadcast and a representative from the Health Department to share information regarding the illness and be available to answer questions. What NIMS Management Characteristic is being demonstrated? How?