During any activation, the most critical function performed at an EOC is information management. Planning, coordinating, requesting resources, documenting operations, keeping decision makers informed and other activities all rely on an accurate understanding of the situation, and that understanding can only be achieved if the right information is collected, analyzed, and understood.

In fact, during emergencies or disasters, emergency mangers could really be called information managers, since the primary function of the EOC is to develop and share an accurate common operational picture (COP).

To create an accurate COP, every EOC needs an effective information management system which can collect information from a variety of sources, ensure that it gets to the right persons in the EOC, document vital information, and analyze and display critical information is user-friendly ways. An efficient information management system will enable emergency managers to quickly determine the geographic scope of the incident, identify any injuries or damage, understand the potential impact on critical infrastructure, estimate the need for evacuation or sheltering, and identify the need for additional resources.

But efficiently processing incoming information takes time and planning.  While technology can help in collecting, sorting, and displaying information, the increasing use of communications technologies can significantly increase the amount of information that flows into an EOC. Having too much information can prevent careful analysis of data and can make it harder to recognize critical information.

Here are ten things to keep in mind while designing and implementing an information management system for your EOC.

9. The first reports of any disaster or emergency will probably be wrong. Keep in mind that responders will need some time to accurately asses the situation.  Do not pass early information to policymakers, other agencies, or the public without emphasizing that this data is preliminary and has not been confirmed.
10. You need an information management plan. Managing the flood of incoming information is a complex and challenging task that is the foundation for everything else that goes on in the EOC.  You aren’t going to be able to manage the flow unless you have planned and prepared to do so. At a minimum you need to know what specific information you need, who can provide it, how often you need it, how you can contact them 24/7, how it will be provided, who in the EOC will be responsible for obtaining the information, how it can be confirmed,  who will analyze it, how it will be displayed, and how it will be shared. Your information management plan, whether it is an appendix to an existing plan (EOP, EOC Operations Plan, etc.) or is organized as a stand-alone plan, should be shared with every agency that has a role in providing or receiving information from the EOC.
11. Frequently exercise and update your information management plan. Because information management is critical to everything that is done in the EOC, it is especially important to ensure that your information management plan is up-to-date and that everyone who will use it is prepared to do so. Special care must be taken to keep contact information for various associated agencies current.
12. You need a way to display critical information in real time. Everyone in the EOC should be able to access the current situation at any time. The EOC manager especially needs to have immediate access to the latest reports from the Incident Commander, responding agencies, supporting agencies, and other information sources.  Accurate injury and fatality information, critical infrastructure status, transportation system impacts, hospital capacity status, and shelter status are among the critical information items that should be updated and displayed in real time. Information can be displayed on an automated information system dashboard, on whiteboards, on wall-mounted monitors, on projection screens, or on specially designed status boards.
13. Reduce the number of ways information can be transmitted to the EOC. As much as possible, develop information processes that reduce the ways information can be transmitted to the EOC. The fewer information channels you have to monitor, the more effective your information management system will be. Identify preferred channels for information sharing with supporting agencies.  Possible channels include shared incident management systems (WebEOC, etc.), designated chat rooms, designated e-mail addresses, and special telephone numbers. Planning for critical information to be transmitted to the EOC through a small number of pre-designated channels can
14. Limit the amount of information that is transmitted to the EOC. Determine the type and amount of information you need from the various reporting agencies and ask them to report only the details that you need.  If possible, ask them to report summarized information rather than raw data.  Limiting the amount of incoming information that EOC staff members need to evaluate will make their jobs easier.  If you need additional details, you can always reach back to the reporting agencies.
15. Push out critical information. Don’t wait for someone to ask. Be proactive, push out significant information rather than waiting for other agencies to request it. Keep policy-makers and any agencies that are providing resources fully informed of the current situation. Keep in mind that decision-makers need to understand emerging patterns rather than extreme details.
16. Assign a team or a capable individual to maintain the Common Operational Picture (COP). Their main duties will be to collect, evaluate, analyze and consolidate information into an accurate and coherent picture of the current situation.  The team should have no other significant responsibilities, so they can respond quickly to changes in the situation.
17. Plan for untrained personnel in your EOC. Expect that some people in your EOC from supporting agencies will be unfamiliar with EOC processes and have a plan to provide immediate assistance to help them understand their role and the EOC information processes.  No matter how often you exercise your EOC support staff, some agencies will be forced to send untrained personnel to the EOC because trained are unavailable. If possible, assign an EOC staff member to assist supporting agency representatives who are having trouble.
18. Prepare a briefing template for briefing senior policymakers and other agencies. Prepare a briefing template to speed the process of preparing and presenting short-notice briefings to decision-makers and resource providers. Identify the most critical items of information that decision-makers need and be prepared to present it at any time upon request.

http://www.armadausa.com/News.aspx

Mar 26, 2018

 As emergency managers, there are two things we know about disasters, and one thing we don’t.

We know that another disaster is coming.   We don’t know when. 

But we also know that tomorrow we will have one less day to prepare than we have today.

Yet too often we behave as if we have all the time in the world.  We don’t really act like a tornado or a train wreck or a flood might happen this week.  Rarely do we think, ‘If a disaster is going to happen tomorrow, what is the one thing I should do today to prepare?’

Dealing every day with the potential consequences of disaster, we can become desensitized to the importance of our work. Our planning and training activities can become routine, we can become complacent, and our performance can become uninspired. As a result, we can be less prepared.

To maximize our level of preparedness, emergency managers must replace complacency with a sense of urgency.  We need to take steps to ensure that we ourselves, our staffs, and our partner agencies make the best possible use of the time we have to prepare for disasters. Once a disaster happens, the time for preparation is over.

Fortunately, there are steps we can take to instill a sense of urgency in ourselves, our staffs and our partner agencies. These steps aren’t difficult, but they do require constant effort and attention.  Here are ten tips for establishing and maintaining a sense of urgency within your agency and within partner agencies:

1. Set an example. Complete your tasks on time. Don’t waste time. Act with urgency every day.
2. Communicate the importance of urgency. Make sure people understand why a sense of urgency is necessary. Emergency preparedness is important; don’t be afraid to tell people that. Remind your staff, your colleagues in other agencies, your bosses, and the citizens in your community. Be relentless and stay focused. Never apologize for pushing people to prepare.
3. Identify the consequences of complacency. Make sure people understand the dangers of complacency. Getting less done or completing tasks in a haphazard fashion means your community will be less prepared when disaster hits and lives may be lost.
4. Set deadlines and hold people to them. Don’t let projects drag on and on. Finish on time and move on to the next thing.
5. Enforce standards. Set standards of performance and address all failures to meet them. If you accept substandard performance without comment you will be setting a new, lower standard.
6. Provide initial guidance and encouragement. Ensure staff members and supporting agencies understand exactly what they need to accomplish, make sure they have the necessary information and resources to do so, and encourage them through the process. Address obstacles or delays immediately and don’t let projects languish.
7. Prioritize. Do the important things first. Address gaps and focus on building critical capabilities. Don’t do stuff just to do stuff. Make sure you are doing the right stuff. Continually review your priorities and adjust as necessary.
8. Strike a balance between quality and speed. Avoid perfectionism. Your updated EOP doesn’t have to be the best EOP ever written. Better to finish it on time and move on to the next task than to drag out the project in a vain attempt to make it perfect. Value good work, but value speed as well.
9. Emphasize the importance of continuous improvement. Every completed project, exercise, or training event should be reviewed to identify lessons learned and ways it can be done better in the future. Encourage staff and supporting agencies to identify ways to improve emergency management processes. Constantly seek greater efficiencies and effectiveness.
10. Force change. Mix things up. Familiarity breeds complacency so look for ways to change the work experience for your staff. Cross-train, change assignments, assign new responsibilities. 

Creating and maintaining a sense of urgency is not easy.  The nature of processes, organizations, and relationships is to seek stability. Ironically, success also diminishes urgency.  We might feel that we have done a great job, so we must be doing everything right.

We’ll never be as prepared as we would like to be.  There will always be something else we wish we had done.  But doing our jobs with a sense of urgency day in and day out will ensure that we are as well-prepared as possible.

http://www.armadausa.com/News.aspx

Mar 7, 2018

During recent testimony, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Brock Long told Congress that state and local communities must do a better job of preparing for disaster response and must stop looking to FEMA as a first responder.

Since FEMA was created in 1979, the agency has consistently described its role as a coordinating agency, bringing together all federal agencies in support of state and local governments, who are responsible for disaster and emergency response. The National Response Framework, issued by FEMA in 2008 and updated in 2013, describes a tiered system for disaster response, in which the primary responsibility for response and recovery operations is vested in municipal or county governments.  When local resources are insufficient, assistance is provided by neighboring jurisdictions through mutual aid, or by the state. When state resources are insufficient, state officials can request assistance from FEMA.

Emergency managers understand this.  But over time, as FEMA has become heavily involved in high-profile disasters, the public – and many non-emergency management local officials – have begun to view disaster response as a federal responsibility.

So, Mr. Long is certainly correct in pointing out to lawmakers that FEMA is neither structured, resourced, prepared, nor equipped to serve as a first responder during disasters or large-scale emergencies.

Most local officials do understand their critical role, but many find it difficult to devote resources to preparation for worst-case scenarios that likely will never occur.  Most local safety forces are already stretched thin just handling the day-to-day calls for service that they receive.  There is little time for disaster response training and little funding for specialized disaster relief equipment.  One result is that federal grant funding, which increased significantly after the 9/11 attacks, has become the main source of emergency management funding for many local emergency management agencies.

In an era of increasing federal deficits, this is an unsustainable practice. While Emergency Management Performance Grant funding has remained steady, funding for the Homeland Security Grant Program has declined form $861 million in 2009 to $402 million in 2017.

And Administrator Long is correct, state and local emergency management agencies will need to live with reduced funding or identify local sources.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-fema/fema-chief-questions-agencys-role-urges-more-local-response-idUSKBN1DU2KT

http://www.govtech.com/em/emergency-blogs/managing-crisis/Who-Should-Pay-for-070113.html

December 16, 2017

Religious institutions cannot rely on God to protect their congregations from armed attacks, say religious leaders. That’s why more than 200 leaders of religious organizations and public safety officials from throughout Greater Cleveland attended yesterday’s Emergency Planning Workshop for Faith-Based Leaders and Executives at the Community Center in Middleburg Heights.

Bruce Hennes of Hennes Communications discusses Crisis Communications Planning at the Faith-Based Security Summit on November 20, 2017

Churches have a responsibility to protect their congregations, said Pastor Herman Matherson of Akron’s non-denominational House of the Lord. God works through people and it is people that must take proactive steps to protect themselves, he said. Paul Gewirtz of Young Israel in Beachwood agreed and said his organization is “very protective” of the safety of its members.

More than fifteen speakers from public safety, emergency management, and public health agencies, as well as faith-based institutions stressed the importance of having plans and being prepared.  Many effective practices like assigning trained volunteers to monitor parking areas and building entrances can be implemented at little or no financial cost. If funds are available, physical security enhancements like improved lighting, placement of landscaping, installation of barriers and the use of video surveillance systems can be effective as well.  The key, though, is to identify an institution’s vulnerabilities, carefully assess the risks, and develop realistic plans and procedures to reduce those risks.

Religious institutions are vulnerable because they bring large numbers of people together at regularly scheduled times and to maintain a welcoming atmosphere they rarely restrict entrance.  But while the frequency of mass shootings in America continues to rise, there is no evidence that shootings at religious facilities are rising disproportionately.  While comprehensive data about attacks against religious institutions is limited, research indicates that churches and other faith-based institutions are rarely targeted because of their beliefs.  Most shootings that have occurred in churches have been the result of domestic situations.  The recent attack at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland, Texas, which killed 26 worshipers, apparently stemmed from a domestic dispute.  Church shootings remain extremely rare, but that is scant comfort to religious leaders who feel a responsibility to ensure the safety of their members.

The Workshop provided an overview of all aspects of security planning for faith-based institutions. FBI Special Agent John Breen discussed the threats of domestic and international terrorism and the need for institutions to conduct a realistic security assessment while Cleveland Police Commander Harold Pretel provided specific suggestions for reducing the vulnerability of religious facilities.

The first step, said Pretel, is for organizations to understand their vulnerabilities.  Then, he continued, organizations can create tailored security plans to deter, detect, and disrupt violent attacks.  Plans should provide for multiple layers of security including active monitoring of parking lots and pedestrian routes and use of security barriers and surveillance equipment.

Pastor Matherson and Gewirtz explained in detail the security practices at their organizations. Matherson’s House of the Lord, which normally attracts more than 1,000 worshipers to its Sunday services, utilizes a multi-layered security process conducted by a 37-member security team comprised of uniformed police officers, lay volunteers, and members of the church leadership. The church coordinates their plans and collaborates closely with Akron Police, Fire, Emergency Medical and Public Health agencies.

Gewirtz’s Young Israel, with a much smaller congregation, relies on highly trained volunteers to monitor parking areas and access to the building by carefully assessing anyone who seems suspicious.  A uniformed police officer is available to protect the volunteer, but the responsibility for determining if a person is to be denied entrance rests with the volunteer.

Other speakers discussed hate crimes, ways to manage risks, Ohio’s open carry policies regarding firearms, licensing and hiring of private security guards, and methods for supporting persons with mental health issues.

Dr. Nancy Grant, CEO of Business Survive and Thrive, explained the basic steps to create a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), which can enable organizations to quickly resume operations following a disaster or emergency that forces them out of their building or prevents key personnel from filling their roles. The key is to integrate COOP processes into everyday operations and develop a COOP mindset, she said.

Bruce Hennes, Managing Partner of Hennes Communications – one of the co-sponsors of the Workshop – discussed the importance of having an all-hazards crisis communications plan in place before an emergency in order to provide accurate information and preserve the organization’s reputation.

In addition to Hennes Communications, the Workshop was co-sponsored by the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, the City of Middleburg Heights, and the Red Cross.

 For further information on church shootings, click on the following link:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/06/us/church-shootings-truth/index.html

November 21, 2017