Emergency Management COOP Analysis

Catastrophic incidences such as earthquakes, fires, storms, and hurricanes have in the recent past hit nations and authorities and stalled essential services delivered to the citizenry. Authorities should thus be armed with the best Continuity of Operations Plans that befits the affected regions and departments. Continuity plans are proactive and define concretes strategies that an affected State or County, for example, Walla Walla, will take to respond to an emergency while assuring and continuing to provide essential services to its people. Rescuing lives and restoring appropriate services to the citizens is vital especially those that directly touch on their basic needs. For regulatory purposes, the United States authorities have adopted regulations that guide the creation and enforcement of continuity plans that guide counties and other federal bodies when disasters and emergencies occur. The regulations are monitored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as many organizations are continuously adopting plans to caution and navigate them in disastrous occasions. This paper will thus focus on the Walla Walla County Government continuity of operations plan looking into its detailed analysis and the manner in which it meets the demand of the federal agency. The paper will examine if the continuity plan highlights the purpose, scope, undertakings of essential services, concepts of operations, provisions for test and training, provisions of improvement and its applicability regarding catastrophic occurrence. In my view, going by the guidelines of the Federal Agency, the Walla Walla County government continuity of operations plan has positively adhered to the approved standards and is proactive to address a disaster or emergency occurrence.

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The Federal Emergency Management Agency, demands that continuity plans to look into the entire spectrum of potential emergencies crises and threats whether they are humanmade or natural. The Walla Walla plan envisages such scenarios and puts measures to guard the citizenry. It contemplates situations of health outbreaks and natural catastrophes including arson and terrorists' related attacks. For instance, in the event of a fire, an earthquake leading to the collapse of County offices, the plan provides County Fairgrounds as the primary alternative site to set up temporary office space and continue providing essential services. It also adopts the Community Building as a storage facility, a kitchen, and more office spaces that could hold approximately 365 staffers. In case of a disease outbreak, the county has defined and projected policies that will allow its staff to execute essential services if the disease threatens the normal operations. The plan aims at bridging the gap between traditional all-hazard approach and effective emergency response that is strictly applicable to disease pandemic management. To sustain its strategy, the plan advocates for infection controls, social distancing and shift working procedures that include rotating the county employees to minimize contact. Further disease outbreak control will require consistent awareness and active health care that detects and prevents diseases. With such a continuity plan that addresses health issues, it would be prudent to say that Walla Walla is sensitive to the needs of its county staffers and citizenry. A standard continuity plan should provide for mechanisms to continue with organizational functions that are mandatory regardless of the prevailing circumstances. Walla Walla County requires that the Board of County Commissioners declare the disaster and order activations of all the relevant coordination teams as well appoint the Incident Commander to guide the entire process during the disaster occurrence. In case of fatalities, the County Coroner is responsible for taking care of the deceased persons and should work hand in hand with the health department. The Community development should take up the mantle for assessing damage to the environment and building during the incident. Additionally, the Emergency Medical Services team should work in liaison with all health practitioners to assist the casualties of the disaster. The plan also envisages an election that may arise due to the death of any of the office holders and as such charges the auditor's office to prepare by setting up polling sites if mails services are interrupted. If the incident occurs during an electioneering period, all the election staffers will be required to assist the auditor's office in ensuring a smooth running of the process. Court proceedings are obligatory especially on criminal elements involved or associated with the disaster, and they should face the bench of judges as per the statutory deadlines. To work collaboratively with the courts, will be the prosecuting attorney and his officers who must present all criminal al in court as well as offer legal advice to the county departments. More importantly to underscore, are the services of the department of public works that is burdened with the task of removing debris, initiation of repairs and assisting the Community Development team with building assessment. Walla County sheriffs will remain on duty and priorities on patrols, secure other county staff and facilitate movements relating to jailing facilities. Communication and mailing services remains a pivotal player while addressing disaster management and thus the plan demands of the technology providers to promptly establish lost connectivity and provide immediate solutions. To facilitate all the essential services during the incident and restoring normalcy will require funding form the Treasurer's Office. The continuity plan demands of the treasurer and some staff members to remain in office to ensure smooth and quick financial transactions during the catastrophe. The Walla Walla continuity of operations plans adequately checks the essential services for the county government and the magnificent citizens of Walla. If implemented to the letter, there will be minimal disruptions of normal operations and delivery of services to the people, limiting adverse effects to the economy.

Further implementation of the continuity idea and community program will require a clear plan or concept of operations that defines each critical element. In the case of the Walla Walla program, the plan will be activated or initiated upon notification of a catastrophic incident or disaster from the Emergency Coordination Center with the approval from the County Commissioners Board. The commissioners check if the disaster poses a significant threat to life, environment, and property or imminent danger is occurring. Upon notification supplementing funding to roll out the plan will be required from the County Treasurer's Office even as the local resources are engaged. The emergency team also will require contacting the federal agencies and advising them that their assistance is greatly needed. Upon activation, the director will ask the Commission Chair to form and assigning members to the Incident Management Team. This will include the Incident Commander who will be mandated to oversee the transfer of departments to safe locations. The commander will ensure that all essential services are established, oversee their continuity and establish a constant communication with the Walla Walla County commissioners until the disaster is halted. Staff or members of the county recommended for the management of the disaster are relieved of their normal duties to allow them to concentrate on the prevailing circumstances. They are trained on the basic aspects of handling such delicate and fatal instances. The concept of operations when implemented well as in the case of the Walla Walla Plan, meets the standards of the regulatory agency.

Management of a crisis demands effective leadership with a clear flow of command. During a catastrophic incident, the Walla Walla continuity of operations plan allows the county's commissioners to continue leading the county with the assistance of the Incident Commander still leading the continuity plan. The order of succession remains as stipulated through the disastrous period. The authority will come from the Commission Chair to the commissioners, the sheriffs, to the leader of public works, the risk manager, and the prosecuting attorney. In their absence, the authority will fall to the office of the senior sheriff department. In case the leader of a department is absent maybe out death from the catastrophe, two successors who are competent and aware of the immediate responsibilities are nominated to assist during the disaster period. The emergency management team then creates a list of departmental heads in a Map Storm, that will be used to create and send notifications should there be a matter that requires rapid and mass notification. Common standards then require the departmental heads to notify their staff any relevant and important information. The Mapstorm software utilizes a 24-hour communication model to make calls and convert text messages to speech. The application is vital during search periods as it has the capability of identifying whether calls were successful or not and if the receiver of a message or the answering machine was reached appropriately. Additionally, to ensure correct information about the incident reaches the public, an emergency public information officer is mandated to disseminate information that may be of interest to the citizens. The communication officer office organizes press conferences that are supplemented with on-scene incident revelations depending on the nature, size or magnitude of the disaster and carnage. The citizenry should be kept abreast with every development as well be informed on the alternate site that they will receive services.

When disasters and catastrophes strike vital data, files and records are lost which may lead to the inability to restore essential services speedily. The Walla Walla continuity plan, for example, demands all departments to identify and secure vital data and records at all times before emergency action. Every department is required to mitigate potential losses from fire, theft, earthquakes, terrorists' activities, cyber-attacks, and floods on a real-time basis. During the incident, it is the responsibility of individual departments to retrieve essential records that are required to re-establish services to the citizenry. For instance, the departments may use or adopt a grab and go kits that will be easy to ferry data or rescue in case of fire or floods. The kits should in normal circumstances carry or hold everything information or file that a department requires before their office is reusable. More importantly, to underscore, the kits should not be stored in the office premises, since during a disastrous occurrence it may be difficult or not even possible to use it. Some of the items and equipment that should be kept in the grab and go kit include essential forms for the department, copier papers, pens and clips, notepads, deposit slips for any income, hardcopy documents, among other detailed involves that the office may hold. Once the disaster is contained and offices rebuilt, the departments may resume their home offices and allow the county resume normal operations. Quick restoration and re-establishment of services by the Walla Walla County would be a clear indication that the plan adequately meets the standards and elements stipulated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

To better their preparedness and ability of all the staff to use the plan and understand what their responsibilities are, the emergency team often conducts training and exercises for the staff and other personnel that may be directly involved during an incident. Other agencies that are involved in rescue operations are also invited during training...