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Table of Contents
Letter of Promulgation ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................7 Page intended to be blank. ................................ ................................ ................................ .................8 Plan Concurrence ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 9 Record of Changes ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................... 11 Record of Distribution ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 12
1. Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 13
1.1 Purpose ................................................................................................................. 13
1.2 Scope ..................................................................................................................... 13
1.3 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion .............................................................................. 14
1.4 Situation Overview ................................................................................................ 15
1.5 Hazard Analysis Overview ...................................................................................... 19
1.6 Planning Assumptions ............................................................................................ 27
2. Concept of Operations ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 29
2.1 NIMS and SEMS Compliance .................................................................................. 29
2.1.1 National Response Framework ................................ ................................ .........29
2.1.2 National Incident Management System (NIMS) ................................ ........................30
2.1.3 Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) ................................ .30
2.1.4 Incident Command System (ICS) ................................ ................................ ..............31
2.1.5 Integrating Local, Regional, State, and Federal Systems ............................... 32
2.2.1 Preparedness ................................ ................................ ................................ ........33
2.2.2 Response ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........34
2.2.3 Community Recovery ................................ ................................ .............................34
2.3 Operational Priorities............................................................................................. 35
2.3.1 Response Objectives ................................ ................................ .........................36
2.4 Proclaiming a Local Emergency .............................................................................. 39
2.5 Activation of the Emergency Management Organization ........................................ 39
2.5.1 EOC Activation Levels ................................ ................................ .......................39
2.5.2 Activation/Deactivation Authorities ................................ ................................ ........42
2.5.3 Activation ................................ ................................ ................................ .............42
2.5.4 Deactivation ................................ ................................ ................................ .......43
2.5.5 Transition to Community Recovery ................................ ................................ ..43
2.6 Continuity of Operations/Government ................................................................... 43
2.6.1 Preservation of Local Government ................................ ................................ ...44
2.6.2 Lines of Succession for Officials Charged with Discharging Emergency Responsibilities ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............44
3. Organization and Assignment of Responsibilities ................................ ................................ ....... 49
3.1 SEMS Organization Levels ...................................................................................... 49
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3.2.1 Disaster Service Workers ................................ ................................ ..................50
3.2.2 Community Emergency Response Team ................................ ................................ ...51
3.2.3 Amateur Radio Emergency Services ................................ ................................ .........51
3.2.4 Coordination with Nongovernmental Agencies ................................ ...............51
3.3 City Roles and Responsibilities ............................................................................... 53
3.3.1 Role of Elected Official ................................ ................................ ......................53
3.3.4 Role of Private Sector ................................ ................................ ........................59
4. Direction, Control, and Coordination ................................ ................................ ......................... 62
4.1 Response Structure ................................................................................................ 62
4.1.2 Unified Command Post (UCP) ................................ ................................ ...........63
4.1.3 Emergency Management Organization ................................ ............................63
4.1.4 EOC Staffing Organization ................................ ................................ ................63
4.2 Emergency Operations Center ................................................................................ 65
4.2.1 Primary and Alternate EOC Locations ................................ ................................ ......65
4.2.2 Department Operations Centers (DOC) ................................ ................................ ....66
4.2.3 Duties & Responsibilities of Emergency Operation Center (EOC) Sections ...................66
4.3 Coordination with Field-Level Incident Command Posts ......................................... 68
4.3.4 Coordination with DOCs ................................ ................................ .........................69
4.3.5 Coordination with Operational Area ................................ ................................ ........69
4.3.6 Coordination with Special Districts and Utilities ................................ .......................69
4.3.4 Coordination with Non-Profit and Voluntary Organizations ................................ .......70
5. Mutual Aid ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 71
5.1 Mutual Aid System................................................................................................. 71
5.2 Mutual Aid Regions ................................................................................................ 71
5.3 Mutual Aid Coordinators ........................................................................................ 72
5.4 Participation of Volunteer and Private Agencies ..................................................... 73
5.5 Mutual Aid Authorities and References .................................................................. 73
6. Information Collection, Analysis, and Dissemination ................................ ................................ .. 75
7. Emergency Communications Operations and Public Information ................................ ............... 76
7.1 Communication Systems ........................................................................................ 76
7.1.1 Alert and Notification Processes/Systems................................ .......................76
7.1.2 Notification Systems ................................ ................................ .........................77
7.1.3 Public Information ................................ ................................ .............................79
7.1.4 Joint Information System ................................ ................................ ..................80
8. Resource Management ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 81
8.1 General Resource Request Flow ............................................................................. 81
8.1.1 Field and Department Operation Center ................................ ..........................82
8.1.2 EOC Resource Request Process ................................ ................................ ......82
8.2 Discipline-Specific Mutual Aid Resource Request Flow ........................................... 83
8.3 Increasing Workforce ............................................................................................. 83
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8.3.1 Use of Affiliated Disaster Service Worker Volunteers ................................ .....83
8.3.2 Use of Spontaneous Unaffiliated Volunteers ................................ ...................84
9. Administration and Finance ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 85
9.1 Disaster Service Workers ....................................................................................... 85
9.1.1 Public Employees ................................ ................................ .............................. 85
9.1.2 Volunteers ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........85
9.2 Documentation ...................................................................................................... 86
9.3 Cost Tracking ......................................................................................................... 86
9.4 Recordkeeping Requirements ................................................................................ 88
10. Recovery ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 90
10.1 Short Term Recovery ............................................................................................. 90
10.2 Intermediate Recovery .......................................................................................... 90
10.3 Long Term Recovery............................................................................................... 91
10.4 Recovery Operations.............................................................................................. 92
10.5 Damage Assessment .............................................................................................. 92
10.6 Recovery Assistance Programs ............................................................................... 93
10.6.1 Local Public Assistance Programs (PA) ................................ ..........................93
10.6.2 Individual Assistance Programs (IA) ................................ ................................ 96
10.6.3 Hazard Mitigation and Preparedness Grant Programs................................ ....98
11. Plan Development and Maintenance................................ ................................ ........................ 103
11.1 Development and Maintenance Responsibilities ..................................................... 103
11.2 Triggers for Plan Updates ...................................................................................... 103
11.3 After-Action Reports ............................................................................................ 103
11.3.1 Use of After-Action Reports ................................ ................................ ............ 104
11.4 Training and Exercises .......................................................................................... 104 Appendix A: Authorities and References ................................ ................................ ......................... 105 Appendix B: List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ................................ ................................ ...... 109 B.1 Glossary of Terms ................................................................................................ 115 Appendix C: Equity and Inclusion ................................ ................................ ................................ . 138 C.1 Cultural Competency ........................................................................................... 138 C.2 Whole Community Approach ............................................................................... 139 C.3 Inclusivity Planning Considerations ...................................................................... 140 C.3.1 Individuals with Disabilities and those with Access and Functional Needs 142 C.4 Language Access .................................................................................................. 143 C.5 Resources ............................................................................................................ 144 Annex A: EOC Operations Guide ................................ ................................ ................................ . 145 Annex B: Crisis Communications Plan ................................ ................................ ......................... 145
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Letter of Promulgation
Approval Date: October 14, 2024
To: Officials, City Employees and Residents of Culver City The preservation of life, property and the environment are inherent responsibilities of local, state, and federal governments. As disasters can occur at any time, the City of Culver City must provide safeguards that will save lives and minimize property and environmental damage through careful planning, preparedness measures and training. Sound emergency plans carried out by knowledgeable and well-trained personnel can and will minimize losses.
The Cit y of Culver City ’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) establishes an Emergency Management Organization (EMO) and assigns functions and tasks consistent with California ’s Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The EOP provides for the integration and coordination of planning efforts through a whole community approach and authorizes City’s personnel to perform their duties and tasks, before, during and after an emergency.
Once adopted, this plan will be an extension of the Los Angeles County Emergency Response Plan and the California Emergency Plan. It will be reviewed and tested periodically and revised as necessary to meet changing conditions such as lessons learned from an actual disaster and emergency; and/or changes in State or Federal guidance.
This promulgation letter signifies adherence with applicable City of Culver City municipal codes and other state and federal regulations. In accordance with Culver City Municipal Code Section
3.09.035, this EOP is promulgated under the authority of the Disaster Council and adopted by the City Council. This EOP becomes effective upon approval by the City of Culver City City Council .
This version of the City of Culver City’s EOP supersedes and rescinds all previous versions.
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Plan Concurrence
This Emergency Operations Plan has been approved and endorsed by the City of Culver City departments with responsibilities described herein. It supersedes all previous versions.
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Record of Changes
Each update or change to the plan should be tracked. When changes to the plan are made, document the chang e number, the date of the change, the name of the person that made the change, and a summary description of the change. See section on Plan Development and Maintenance for more information on the process for reviewing and revising the plan.
Change
Number
Date Section/Page Description Of
Change
Changed By
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Record of Distribution
Name Of Department/Agency Distribution Method Date Of
Delivery
No. Of
Copies
City Attorney’s Office Electronic Copy 1
City Clerk’s Office Hard Copy + Electronic
Copy
2 City Manager’s Office Electronic Copy 1
City of Beverly Hills (Area A) Electronic Copy 1
City of Culver City (Area A/DMAC) Electronic Copy 1
City of Santa Monica (Area A) Electronic Copy 1
City of West Hollywood (Area A) Electronic Copy 1
Culver City Unified School District Hard Copy + Electronic Copy
2 Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Hard Copy 5
Finance Department Electronic Copy 1
Fire Department Electronic Copy 1
Housing and Human Services
Department
Electronic Copy 1
Human Resources Department Electronic Copy 1
Information Technology Department Electronic Copy 1
Julian Dixon Library Hard Copy + Electronic
Copy
2 Mayor/City Council Electronic Copy 5
Park, Recreation, and Community
Services Department
Electronic Copy 1
Planning and Development Department Electronic Copy 1
Police Department Electronic Copy 1
Public Works Department Electronic Copy 1
Transportation Department Electronic Copy 1
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1. Introduction
The City of Culver City Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) provides an overview of the City’s approach to emergency operations. It identifies emergency response policies, describes the response and recovery organization, and assigns specific roles and responsibilities to City departments, agencies, and community partners. The EOP has the flexibility to be used for all emergencies and will facilitate response and recovery activities in an efficient and effective manner.
This plan also describes the role of the City of Culver City’s Emergency Management Organization (EMO); the Emergency Operations Center (EOC); and the coordination that occurs between the EOC staff, Department Operations Centers (DOC s) staff and, personnel conducting field -level activities. This plan also describes the coordination with external entities such as the Operational Area (OA), community partners, City residents, and visitors.
The EOP is an evolving, dynamic document, and the City of Culver City ’s Office of Emergency Preparedness is responsible for maintaining it as detailed in Section 11. The EOP complies with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), National Response Framework (NRF), National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF), Incident Command System (ICS), Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), and is in alignment with the Los Angeles County Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan and the California State Emergency Plan (SEP).
Office of Emergency Preparedness is authorized to develop, update, and maintain the EOP.
The EOP can and should be used in collaboration with other planning documents and tools.
1.1 Purpose
The purpose of this EOP is to establish the foundational policies and procedures that define how the City will effectively prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against natural or human-caused threats, events, incidents, and disasters. This E OP is consistent with the requirements in SEMS, NIMS, ICS, and the California SEP for managing response and existing emergency plans and guidance documents. Where possible, best practices and lessons learned have been integrated into the plan. It is intend ed as a concept of collaboration and among internal departments and their specific plans, procedures, functions, and capabilities. As such, the EOP is flexible enough to use in all incident types and will facilitate response and recovery activities.
1.2 Scope
This EOP provides guidance on response activities for the City’s most likely threats, hazards, and emergency conditions, as identified in the City of Culver City and the Culver City Unified School
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District Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Pl an1 approved by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in June 2024 and pending final adoption by City Council. The EOP does not supersede the well-established departmental and operational policies and procedures for coping with and responding to day -to-day emergencies involving law enforcement, the fire service, medical aid, transportation services, flood control, other discipline -specific emergency response systems. Nor does it detail response level operating instructions or proced ures. The EOP is intended to supplement and complement such procedures and systems. Further, all City departments and organizations must be prepared to respond to any foreseeable emergency promptly and effectively. The EOP applies to all elements of the City of Culver City’s EMO during all phases of emergency management and all areas within the jurisdiction of the City.
1.3 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The City of Culver City EMO is responsible for incorporating the needs of all populations equitably in an emergency. Ensuring the safety and health of diverse populations and individuals with disabilities and others with access or functional needs (AFN) 2 who may be dis proportionately impacted in a disaster is a top priority during response. Therefore, the City’s EOP and all associated annexes, appendices, and supporting documents are intended to ensure policies, program services, and communications equitably serve all individuals and all diverse and disproportionately impacted populations who reside in, work in, or visit the City of Culver City.
Appendix C describes the framework for how the City incorporates diversity, equity, and inclusion into their planning process and documents.
This EOP adheres to federal guidance for using a “whole community” approach to meet the legal intent and humanitarian spirit of a response that is equitably inclusive of the entire community with the City, both geographically and demographically. As a conc ept, whole community is a means by which residents, organizational and community leaders, emergency management practitioners, and government officials can collectively and collaboratively understand and assess the needs of their respective communities, and then determine the best ways to organize and strengthen their assets, capacities, and interests. The whole community approach is reflected in this EOP’s planning strategies, operational approaches, and outreach communications to ensure inclusive, equitable, and just program service development, delivery, and assessment.
1 Culver City and the Culver City Unified School District Multi -Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan , 2023. https://www.culvercity.org/Services/Public-Safety/Hazard-Mitigation-Plan 2 In alignment with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) Office of Access and Functional Needs, the term “access and functional needs (AFN)” refers to individuals who are or have physical, developmental, or intellectual disabilities; chronic conditions or injuries; limited English proficiency; older adults; children; low income, homeless and/or transportation disadvantaged (i.e., dependent on public transit); and preg nant women.
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1.4 Situation Overview
The City of Culver City is a diverse region with a unique hazards and risk environment. The City’s physical characteristics, population, and economy make the City vulnerable to an array of natural, human-caused, and technological hazards. The following situation overview and hazard analysis summary have been developed in accordance with the Culver City and the Culver City Unified School District Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP), September 2023.
Characteristics
The severity of disasters is influenced by the characteristics of the environment in which an event occurs. Therefore, to ensure a whole community approach to planning, the importance of understanding the numerous social and physical influences within a region is necessary. Some of the characteristics of the City of Culver City include geography, climate, demographics, vulnerable populations, and economic influences.
Geography
The City of Culver City is located
in the western portion of Los
Angeles County, approximately
2.7 miles east of the Pacific
Ocean. The City consists of
approximately 4.987 square
miles surrounded by the City of
Los Angeles communities of Mar
Vista and Palms to the north,
Westchester to the south,
MidCity and West Adams to the
east, Baldwin Hills and Ladera
Heights to the southeast, and
Venice, Playa Del R ey, and
Marina Del Rey to the we st. Los
Angeles International Airport (LAX) is located approximately five miles south of the City.
Neighboring cities include the City of Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and Santa Monica. Regional access to the City is provided by the San Diego (I -405), Santa Monica (I-10) and Marina (CA -90) freeways. Ballona Creek extends through the City in a northeast to southwest direction. The latitude is 34°0’28” N and the longitude is 118°24’3” W.
The primary land uses within the City are Single-Family Residential, Mixed-Use, and Multi-Family Residential, in order. Residential land uses are located throughout the City, and the majority are zoned for single -family homes . Open space uses are primarily loca ted along the eastern and central areas of the City.
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The City has 15 distinct neighborhoods including: Carlson Park, Blair Hills, Blanco/Culver Crest, Clarkdale, Culver/West, Downtown, Fox Hills, Jefferson, Lucerne/Higuera, McLaughlin, McManus, Park East, Park West, Studio Village, Sunkist Park, and Washington Culver.
The City is served by one major hospital , Southern California Hospital at Culver City , which maintains a 24-hour emergency room.
Culver City has its own school district, Culver City Unified School District. It has five elementary schools, a middle school, two high schools (regular and continuation), a Community Day School, an Office of Child Development, and an Adult School. It also has approximately 9 private schools, 5 preschools, 8 childc are/day care centers and two colleges/universities. West Los Angeles Community College is adjacent to Culver City in unincorporated Los Angeles County.
Climate
Culver City experiences weather similar to the Mediterranean, which is characterized by mild, wet winters and warm to hot, dry summers. Here are some key features of Culver City's climate:
• Average High Temperature: Around 71°F
• Average Low Temperature: Approximately 55°F
• Precipitation: There are about 22.7 days of precipitation each year, with an average of
16.2 inches of rainfall3
• Snow: Culver City rarely sees snow
• Wind: Winds are generally light to moderate throughout the year, with occasional stronger gusts during Santa Ana wind events in the fall Demographics
According to the latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau in 2022 4, the City of Culver City’s population is estimated to be 39,515, a 3.1 percent decrease from 2020. The Census Bureau’s most recent report on 2020 population density reports that there were 7,977.1 persons per square mile living in Culver City.
Total City of Culver City Population
39,515
Vulnerable Populations
Levels of vulnerability to hazards between regions in the City of Culver City are dynamic and vary depending on social, geographical, environmental, economic, health, and cultural factors.
Populations underrepresented or underserved within communities are disproportionately affected by disasters due to varying levels of impact. Vulnerable populations are identified based
3 U.S. Climate Data for Culver City, California https://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/culver- city/california/united-states/usca0272
4 2022 US Census Bureau
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on socioeconomic status, age, gender, race, ethnicity, language proficiency, health disparities and any disabilities, access, and functional needs (DAFN).
Socioeconomic Status
Socioeconomic status is determined by employment, income, housing status and educational level. Within the City of Culver City, it is estimated that 5.9% of the population lives in poverty, with per capita household income at $75,245. As of 2022, it was al so estimated that persons experiencing homelessness within the City of Culver City accounts for 0.9% of the population with an estimated 350 persons5. Of these persons, 312.5 are unsheltered. *It is important to note that these figures are based upon 2022 Point-In Time (PIT) Homeless Counts posted on the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authorities website which has not been updated to reflect current figures. The 2024 PIT count revealed 115 persons unhoused on the streets of Culver City which reflected a significant decrease from the 2022 count.
Socioeconomic Status Population Population Percentage
Persons in poverty 2,331 5.9%
Persons experiencing
homelessness
350 (2022 figure) 0.9%
Persons living in poverty and of low socioeconomic status may lack the resources to effectively prepare for and recover from the effects of disasters. For example, some may be unable to afford evacuation costs or the stockpiling of resources such as food and water before a hazard presents itself. Those more likely to be impacted by disastrous events also include persons who are also unable to access resources such as health insurance6, internet access7, and higher education8.
Socioeconomically
Vulnerable Groups
Population Population Percentage
Persons without health
insurance (under age 65
years of age)
1,700 4.3%
Households without a
computer
1,304 3.3%
Households without a
broadband Internet
subscription
4,267 10.8%
5 LAHSA City of Culver City People Experiencing Homelessness (PEH) Population. https://www.lahsa.org/data?id=54-homeless-count-by-city-community 6 U.S. Census, Persons without Health Coverage
7 U.S. Census, Persons without Broadband Internet
8 U.S. Census, Higher Education
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Social Vulnerability Factors
Factors contributing to levels of vulnerability such as age, racial and ethnic background, and limited English proficiency, are all factors which may also affect levels of vulnerability. 9 Age Population Population Percentage
Persons under 5 2,370 6.0%
Persons under 18 7,626 19.3%
Persons 65 years and over 6,836 17.3%
Race Population Population Percentage
African American 3,161 8.0%
American Indian and
Alaskan Native
158 0.4%
Asian 6,955 17.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8,022 20.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other
Pacific Islander
79 0.2%
White 22,049 55.8%
Two or more races 5,809 14.7%
Note: Persons may have more than one racial origin, therefore the sum of percentages equates to more than one hundred percent.
Language other than English spoken at home (persons 5 years and over)
29.5%
Economy
As the City of Culver City responds to planned or major disaster events, the City is dependent on the financial resources provided by the overall economy. The economy of the City of Culver City is based on a variety of industries . According to the Culver City 2022 -2023 Popular Annual Financial Report , t he top ten e mployers in Culver City include Sony Pictures Entertainment (5.1%), Amazon Studios (4.2%), Westfield Shopping -Fox Hills (3.4%), Apple (2.5%), Southern CA Hospital (2%), Culver City Unified School District (1.5%), City of Culver City (1.4%), Goldrich & Kest Industries, LLC (1.1%), Costco (1.1%), and TikTok (1%).10 The City’s total net worth (or “net position” ) as of June 30, 2023, including all business and government activities, increased by $29.8 million in the Fiscal Year 2022 -2023, reaching a net position of $277.3 million.
9 US Census Data on Disability Characteristics
10 Culver City 2022-2023 Popular Annual Financial Report
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1.5 Hazard Analysis Overview
This section of the EOP provides an overview of the hazards that may impact the City.
Additional hazard information is found in the Culver City and the Culver City Unified School District Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, September 2023 (MJHMP) and in the 2020 County of Los Angeles All-Hazards Mitigation Plan.11 A hazard represents an even t or physical condition that has the potential to cause fatalities , injuries, property damage, infrastructure damage, agricultural losses, damage to the environment, interruption of business, or other types of harm or loss.
Vulnerability indicates the level of exposure of human life and property to damage from natural and human-caused hazards. The City of Culver City and its people are vulnerable to a wide range of hazards that threaten communities, businesses, government, and the environment.
The table below identifies the types of hazards identified b y the MJHMP Planning Team that present potential risk to the city and the level of threat each has been categorized as for planning consideration.
Table 1-1: Hazard Rankings
Hazard Type Hazard Planning Consideration
Dam/Reservoir Failure Low
Drought Medium
Flood Medium
Human Caused Hazards – Hazardous
Materials Spill
Medium
Human Caused Hazards – Terrorism/Active
Shooter
Medium
Human Caused Hazards – Civil Disturbance/
Civil Unrest
Medium
Human Caused Hazards - Pandemic Medium
Seismic Hazards – Landslide/Mudflow Medium
Seismic Hazards – Fault Rupture High
Seismic Hazards – Ground Shaking High
Seismic Hazards – Liquefaction Medium
Severe Weather – Heavy
Rains/Thunderstorm
Medium
Severe Weather – Windstorm/ Santa Ana
Winds/Power Outage
Medium
Severe Weather – Extreme Heat Medium
Severe Weather – Tornado Low
Wildfire Medium
11 2020 County of Los Angeles All-Hazards Mitigation Plan. https://ceo.lacounty.gov/wp- content/uploads/2023/08/County-of-Los-Angeles-All-Hazards-Mitigation-Plan-APPROVED-05-2020.pdf
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The following provides broad descriptions of the hazards identified in Table 1.1. For more detailed information on past occurrences, location/geographic extent, magnitude/severity, probability of future occurrences, climate change considerations, vulnerability and risk assessment, and maps for each hazard , refer to the hazard profile s in the Culver City and the Culver City Unified School District Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, September 2023.
Dam/Reservoir Failure
A dam is an artificial barrier preventing the flow of water or a barrier built across a watercourse for impounding water. Dam failure is the uncontrolled release of impounded water from behind a dam. Flooding, earthquakes, blockages, landslides, lack of maintenance, improper operation, poor construction, vandalism, and terrorism can all cause dam infrastructure to fail. Dam failure causes downs tream flooding of varying velocities that can result in loss of life and property. Reservoirs are defined as an artificial lake, pond, impoundment, or tank, used to store water (both potable and non -potable). Reservoirs can be created on the surface by constructing dams to store water. Additionally, tank reservoirs can be constructed to store water above ground, on the surface, or below ground. Reservoir failure is the uncontrolled release of impounded water from a reservoir.
Dam or reservoir failures are most likely to happen for the following reasons:
• Overtopping, caused by water spilling over the top of the dam, usually a precursor of dam failure because of inadequate spillway design, debris blockage of spillways, or settlement of the dam crest;
• Foundation defects, including settlement or slope stability; • Cracking caused by natural settling of a dam or seismic movements; • Inadequate maintenance and upkeep; and/or
• Piping, when seepage through a dam is not properly filtered, soil particles continue to progress and form sinkholes in the dam.
Drought
A drought is a period of drier -than-normal conditions that can result in decreases in water supplies. When precipitation is less than normal for a lengthy period of time, the flow of streams and rivers decline, water levels in lakes and reservoirs fall, and the depth to water in wells increases. If dry weather persists and water -supply problems develop, the dry period can become a drought. The term "drought" can have different meanings to different people, d epending on how a water deficiency affects them. Drought is a complex natural hazard, which is reflected in the following four definitions commonly used to describe it:
• Agricultural - Drought is defined principally in terms of naturally occurring soil moisture deficiencies relative to water demands of plant life, usually arid crops. • Hydrological - Drought is related to the effects of precipitation shortfalls on stream flows and reservoir, lake, and groundwater levels.
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• Meteorological - Drought is defined solely on the degree of dryness, expressed as a departure of actual precipitation from an expected average or normal amount based on monthly, seasonal, or annual time scales.
• Regulatory (Socioeconomic) - Drought associates the supply and demand of economi c goods or services with elements of meteorological, hydrologic, and agricultural drought.
Regulatory drought occurs when the demand for water exceeds the supply as a result of weather-related supply shortfall. It may also be called a water management drought.
Although climate is a primary contributor to hydrological drought, other factors such as changes in land use (e.g., deforestation), land degradation, and dam construction all affect the hydrological characteristics of a particular region. Because reg ions are geographically interconnected by natural systems, the drought impacts may extend well beyond the borders of the precipitation deficient area. Changes in land use upstream may alter hydrologic characteristics such as infiltration and runoff rates, resulting in more variable stream flow and a higher incidence of hydrologic drought downstream. Land use change is one-way human actions alter the frequency of water shortage even when no change in precipitation has been observed.
Droughts cause public health and safety impacts, as well as economic, environmental, and social impacts. Public health and safety impacts are primarily associated with catastrophic wildfire risks and drinking water shortage risks. Example of other impacts include costs to homeowners due to loss of residential landscaping, degradation of urban environments due to loss of landscaping, agricultural land fallowing and associated job loss, degradation of fishery habitat, and tree mortality with damage to forest ecosystems. Drought condi tions can also result in damage to older infrastructure that is located within dry soils with potential to break or crack. Dead or dying vegetation poses a risk to falling and damaging structures and infrastructure systems.
In Los Angeles County, drought conditions typically result in implementation of large -scale conservation efforts, reducing water supplies to customers and altering the pricing system by implementing higher rates for water usage that exceed certain levels. Drought conditions often cause a reliance on groundwater supplies, and extended periods of drought can deplete these reserves.
Drought also results in drier brush and an increase in the size and severity of wildfires. Dry brush becomes significantly more flammable and increases the rate wildfire would spread. Extended drought conditions can also create challenges in procuring adequate amounts of water to fight wildfires.
Flood Hazards
Flooding occurs when a waterway, either a natural one or an artificial drainage channel, receives more water than it is capable of conveying, causing the water level in the waterway to rise. Depending on how long these conditions last and the amount of water the waterway receives in proportion to its capacity, the rising water level may
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eventually overtop the waterway’s banks or any other boundaries to the drainage area, resulting in flooding in the surrounding area.
Floods often occur during heavy precipitation events, when the amount of rainwater exceeds the capacity of storm drains or flood control channels. Floods can also happen when infrastructure such as levees, dams, or culverts fail, or when a section of drainage infrastructure fails, and water cannot be drained from an area fast enough. These failures can be linked to precipitation events (e.g., when water erodes away a levee, allowing water to escape and flood nearby areas), or can be a consequence of other emergency situations (e.g., a dam collapsing due to an earthquake).
Human Caused Hazards
The following events are identified as potential human caused hazards in the City of Culver City.
Hazardous Materials Spill
A hazardous material is a substance that, because of its quantity, concentration or physical or chemical composition, poses a significant present or potential hazard to human health and safety or to the environment if released. The term “release” means spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, or disposing into the environment, unless permitted or authorized by a regulatory agency. Hazardous materials can be in the form of explosives, flamm able and combustible substances, poisons, and radioactive materials. Hazardous materials accidents can occur during production, storage, transportation, use, or disposal.
Civil Disturbance/Civil Unrest
The U.S. Code Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 12, Section 231 Civil Disorders and Section 232 Definitions, defines civil disorder (unrest) as a public disturbance involving acts of violence by assembl ages of three or more persons, which causes an immediate danger of or results in damage or injury to the property or person of other individual.
Incidents of civil unrest often occur when groups or individuals whose sole purpose is shock or to simply challenge the police to get the desired publicity for their cause. Civil unrest can also be referenced as civil disturbance, social unrest, flash mob, riot, and unlawful assembly.
Civil unrest can be characterized by:
• Rioting
• Looting
• Arson fires
• Attacks on public safety personnel
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A civil disturbance could be initiated by small gatherings or large crowds. Impacts can range from a passive disturbance where groups block roadways or buildings that interfere with public order, or full-scale riots where participants also commit crimes such as arson, theft, property damage, vandalism, assault, or other vi olence. Secondary impacts from civil disturbance can vary significantly, and potentially include urban fire s, utility failure s, transportation limitations, and environmental hazards. While rare, the most significant impact is the interruption of the continuity of government. In Culver City, responses to civil unrest include a coordinated response from agencies within the Operational Area (OA). The Operational Area is the intermediate level of the state emergency organization, consisting of a county and all political subdivisions within the county area.
Terrorism/Active Shooter
Domestic terrorism is defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as perpetuated by individuals and/or groups inspired by or associated with a primarily United States based movement that espouses extremist ideologies of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature. International terrorism is perpetuated by individuals and /or groups inspired by or associated with designated foreign terrorist organizations or nations (i.e., State sponsored). The United States Federal Code states that terrorism must be intended to 1) intimidate or coerce a civilian population; 2) influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or, 3) affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.
An active shooter is defined by the FBI as an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill p eople in a populated area. Active shooters select victims at random, and the shooting event is unpredictable and often evolves quickly. Active shooters select public gathering and community areas, often targeting schools, places of worship, and transportat ion centers. There may be one or more shooters involved in an event, and there is not one demographic profile of an active shooter. The FBI identify the pathway to active shooting as typically involving an unresolved real or perceived grievance and an ideation of a violent resolution.
Pandemic
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines an epidemic as an increase, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected in a population.
The CDC makes the distinction that a pandemic refers to an epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents, usually affecting significant proportions of the population. This definition of pandemic refers specifically to infectious diseases. Non-infectious diseases, such as asthma or diabetes, may exist in “pandemic proportions” but do not readily spread throughout a population and thus do not constitute a pandemic. Pandemics also exclude vector -borne diseases, categorized by transmission through a vector (rats, mosquitos, etc.).
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Pandemics require two components, an agent (disease or virus) and a susceptible host population. The host population, usually humans, is the primary mode that agents are spread under this definition of pandemic. Pandemic agents are spread from pe rson to person through direct or indirect contact, so humans are understood to be the causal element of pandemics.
Viruses of special concern in pandemics are novel: a new viral strain not previously identified in humans. Novel viruses present public heal th challenges, as limited information about transmission, prevention and treatment is available. Further, the human body does not have natural immune defenses prepared to fight novel viruses. In recent history, novel viruses originated as zoonotic diseases ; the virus beginning in animals evolves to transfer from human to human. Examples of zoonotic diseases becoming human pandemics include COVID -19 (theorized to originate in bats), H1N1 influenza (originated in pigs), and H5N1 influenza (originated in birds).
Seismic Hazards
Seismic hazards occur when accumulated stress between portions of the earth’s crust is released resulting in the sudden ground movement perceived as an earthquake. The US Geological Survey (USGS) defines an earthquake as a sudden slip on a fault and the resulting ground shaking and radiated seismic energy caused by the slip (or any other sudden stress changes in the earth). Faults are fractures along the earth’s crust between two blocks of earth and can be defined as a strike slip, normal, or thrust faults. Earthquakes occur without warning, and result in primary and secondary seismic hazards. Primary seismic hazards are the direct result of the release of this accumulated stress and are typically characterized as earthquake fault r upture and seismic shaking. Earthquakes can also cause secondary seismic hazards such as liquefaction and earthquake-induced landslides.
The City is located in a seismically active area. One fault, the Newport-Inglewood Fault Zone, runs from the Santa Moni ca Mountains near Beverly Hills southeast to Newport Beach, passing through the northern portion of the City. The fault zone is made up of three distinct segments and several faults and fractures and is responsible for the topography of the Blair Hills are a and nearby Ladera Heights. The Newport -Inglewood Fault Zone caused the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, which was the last major event along this fault. The Southern California Earthquake Center estimates that a future major event along this fault could measu re 6.0 to 7.4 on the moment magnitude scale. 12 As a major fault passing through the City, it is capable of causing surface rupture and ground shaking in the planning area.
A number of other faults within 60 miles of the City are capable of producing earth quakes that could cause significant ground shaking, although these faults do not run through the community and so are unlikely to result in fault surface rupture in the City. Table 1-2, Local Earthquake
12 Southern California Earthquake Data Center, Newport-Inglewood Fault Zone, https://scedc.caltech.edu/earthquake/newport.html, accessed July 17, 2024
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Faults, lists each active and potentially active fault near the City, their distance from the City, and estimated magnitude.
Table 1-2
Local Earthquake Faults
Fault Name Category Distance1 (miles) Estimated
Magnitude2
Elsinore Active 22 6.5-7.5
Newport-Inglewood Active Within City boundaries 6.0-7.4 Palos Verdes Active 10 6.0-7.0
San Andreas Active 40 6.8-8.0
San Jacinto Active 60 6.5-7.5
Sierra Madre Active 16 6.0-7.0
Whittier Active 22 6.0-7.2
Notes:
1. Estimated Distance
2. In Mw (Moment Magnitude)
Source: Southern California Earthquake Data Center, Earthquake Information13
• The Palos Verdes Fault Zone extends from the Palos Verdes peninsula south out into the Pacific Ocean, running approximately 10 miles from the City at its closest point. It has not produced a significant earthquake in recorded history, although the last such event is believed to have happened within the past 10,000 years. The Southern California Earthquake Data Center estimates that this fault is capable of producing an earthquake measuring 6.0 to 7.0 or more on the moment magnitude scale.14
• The Sierra Madre Fault Zone runs along the southern edge of the San Gabriel Mountains from La Cañada -Flintridge to Claremont, approximately 16 miles from the City at its closest point. It is made up of five segments; scientists are unclear if any event along this fault could be limited to one segment or if events along multiple segments are possible.
The last major event along the Sierra Madre Fault Zone is believed to have happened within the past 10,000 years, although no specific event is known. The Southern California Earthquake Data Center estimates that it can produce an event measuring 6.0 to 7.0 on the moment magnitude scale.15
13 Southern California Earthquake Data Center, https://scedc.caltech.edu/earthquake/faults.html 14 Southern California Earthquake Data Center, Palos Verdes Fault Zone, https://scedc.caltech.edu/earthquake/palosverdes.html, accessed July 17, 2024. 15 Southern California Earthquake Data Center, Sierra Madre Fault Zone, https://scedc.caltech.edu/earthquake/sierramadre.html, accessed July 17, 2024.
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Severe Weather
Severe weather can be defined as any destructive weather event from the potential to damage property or ca use loss of life. While the definition for what constitutes severe weather is highly localized by jurisdiction, the following types of weather events are categorized as severe weather for the City of Culver City:
• High Winds (including Santa Ana winds)
• Tornadoes
• Thunderstorms and Heavy Rains
• Power Shutoff (secondary event that could occur due to severe weather) • Extreme Heat
Wildfire
Fire is an integral component of many of California’s ecosystems. However, uncontrolled fire hazards threaten lives, property, and natural resources and also present a considerable risk to vegetation and wildlife habitat. Fires occur in wildland and urban areas. A wildland fire is a large destructive fire that can spread quickly over woodland or brush. A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire spreading through vegetative fuels. Wildfires can be caused by human error (such as campfires), intentionally by arson, by mechanical sources of ignition (such as heaters and generators), and by natural events (such as lightning). Wildfires often occur in forests or other areas with ample vegetation. In areas where structures and other human development meets or intermingles with wildland or vegetative fuels (referred to as the wildland urban interface), wildfires can cause significant property damage and present extreme threats to public health and safety.
There are three categories of interface fire: the classic wildland urban interface exists where well- defined urban and suburban development presses up against open wildland areas; the mixed wildland urban interface is characterized by isolated homes, subdivisions and small communities situated predominantly in wi ldland settings; and the occluded wildland urban interface exists where islands of wildland vegetation occur inside a largely urbanized area. The wildland -urban interface is present in the eastern portion of the City. Wildland located within Los Angeles County are directly adjacent to the City communities of Blair Hills and Culver Crest.
Certain conditions must be present for significant interface fires to occur. The most common conditions include hot, dry, and windy weather; the inability of fire protectio n forces to contain or suppress the fire; the occurrence of multiple fires that overwhelm committed resources; and a large fuel load (dense vegetation). Once a fire has started, several conditions influence its behavior, including fuel topography, weather, drought, and development.
Southern California faces challenges with wildfire hazards from the increasing number of houses being built in the wildland -urban interface. Every year the growing population has expanded further and further into the hills and m ountains, including into forest lands. The increased
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“interface” between urban/suburban areas and the open spaces created by this expansion has produced a significant increase in threats to life and property from fires and has pushed existing fire protection systems beyond original or current design and capability.
During wildfire season, Southern California Edison ( SCE) monitors weather conditions in fire prone areas. To prevent strong winds and extreme heat from causing fire accidents, SCE may proactively turn off power through activation of their Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program. These safety shutoffs are a measure of last resort for keeping the community safe.
Additionally, SCE will physically visit their Critical Care and Medical Baseline customers (who rely on life-saving medical equipment) to confirm they have received notifications of an eminent shut- off. More information on these life-saving programs in section Appendix C, Section 5.
Additional Hazards and Events
Although not originating within the City’s boundaries, the City of Culver City may be affected by events occurring in other parts of the region or around the United States. In the instance neighboring jurisdictions and partnering agencies experience disrup tions or impacts to critical services, reliant city communities and agencies will also become impacted. In situations where neighboring cities and communities experience incidents necessitating the use and assistance of additional resources, the City of Culver City may provide mutual aid when deemed necessary by the appropriate city agency. For additional information on surrounding jurisdictions and potential impacts, see the County of Los Angeles Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan. 16 In addition to frequent hazards, socio -political events requiring non -traditional emergency response and planning methods have become more frequent. Any single incident or a combination of events could require evacuation and/or sheltering of the population. Neither the City of Culver City nor the County of Los Angeles has the capability to plan for the organized evacuation of the basin; therefore, the extent of planning at this time is restricted to assisting and expediting spontaneous evacuation. In the increased readiness stage, expedient shelters will be utilized as appropriate, and information will be provided to the public as the City no longer maintains public fallout shelters.
1.6 Planning Assumptions
For planning purposes, the City makes the following assumptions:
• Emergency management activities are accomplished using Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS). • The city maintains span of control and responsibility for emergency management activities within their jurisdiction, unless otherwise superseded by statute or agreement in accordance with authorities conveyed under state law and local ordinances.
16 County of Los Angeles Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan, Novembe r 2023. https://ceo.lacounty.gov/emergencydisaster-plans-and-annexes/
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• Control over City resources will remain at the City level even though the Governor has legal authority to assume control in a State Proclamation of Emergency.
• Mutual aid assistance will be available and requested in accordance with the authorities defined in t he California Master Mutual Aid Agreement (MMAA) when disaster relief requirements exceed the City’s ability to meet them.
• Public, private, volunteer organization s, and the general public will be expected to provide for their immediate needs, utilize their own resources, and be self -sufficient for at least 72 hours following an incident.
• Large scale emergencies and disasters may occur at any time with little or no warning and may result in casualties, fatalities, and the displacement of people from their homes. Any emergency can result in property damage/loss, interruption of essential public services and goods, damage to infrastructure, as well as significant harm to the environment.
• Despite good faith efforts, the City may not have the capabilities or resources to reach every individual in terms of public warnings, notifications, and/or support.
• Individuals with access or functional needs may suffer severe and less forgiving consequences without the appropriate planning and support.
• Individuals, community -based organizations, and businesses will offer services and support in time of disaster.
• The greater the complexity/scope of an incident, the greater the impact, requiring more support and multiagency coordination and resources.
• City departments will mobilize to deliver emergency and essential services under all threats and emergencies. Emergency response and recovery considerations are covered by this plan, but following an em ergency or disaster incident, departments will maintain authority over their areas of responsibility and may still be required to manage other tasks not addressed in this EOP. These tasks will often relate to ensuring departmental continuity of operations.
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2. Concept of Operations
The Office of Emergency Preparedness identifies potential threats to life, property, and the environment, and then develops plans and procedures to respond to those threats. These plans and procedures will help to coordinate and support emergency response and recovery activities and will be tested through exercises and validated by the results of real -world responses. The goal is to maintain a robust Emergency Management Organization (EMO) with strong collaborative ties among governments , community -based o rganizations, volunteers, public service agencies, and the private sector. The City of Culver City conforms to, and this Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) complies with the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), the National Incident Management System (NIMS), and Incident Management (ICS) guidelines.
2.1 NIMS and SEMS Compliance
In accordance with state and federal laws, the City has officially adopted and integrated the following emergency management, response, and coordination systems:
• Standardized Emergency Management System
• National Incident Management System
Together, these operational constructs outline how critical incidents, emergencies, and disasters will be coordinated in the field, at the local level, up through the county, region, State, and Federal levels.
2.1.1 National Response Framework
The National Response Framework (NRF) is based upon the premise that incidents are handled at the lowest jurisdictional level. In most incidents, state and local resources and interstate mutual aid will provide the first line of emergency response and incident management support.
When state resources and capabilities are overwhelmed, Governors may request Federal assistance. The NRF provides the framework for Federal interaction with the state, local, tribal, private sector, and non-governmental entities in the context of domestic incident management to ensure timely and effective federal support.
The NRF is the core operational plan for national incident management, and establishes national- level coordinating structures, processes, and protocols that will be incorporated into certain existing Federal interagency incident or hazard -specific plans. The NRF is intended to facilitate coordination among local, State, tribal, and Federal governments and the private sector without impinging on any jurisdiction or restricting the ability of those entities to do their jobs. The NRF does not alter or impede the ability of first responders to carry out their specific authorities or perform their responsibilities.
The NRF and NIMS are designed to work in tandem to improve the Nation’s incident management capabilities and overall efficiency. Use of NIM S enables local, State, tribal, and Federal governments and private-sector and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to work together
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effectively and efficiently to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from actual or potential domestic incidents regardless of cause, size, or complexity.
2.1.2 National Incident Management System (NIMS)
NIMS provides a comprehensive, whole community, whole government approach to incident management for all hazards and integrates existing best practices into a consistent nationwide approach to domestic incident management that is applicable to all jurisdictional levels and across functional disciplines. NIMS is based on balance of flexibility and standardization that allows government and private entities at all levels to work together to manage domestic incidents, regardless of their cause, size, location, or complexity. Five major components make up this system’s approach: preparedness; communications and information management; resource management; command and management; and ongoing management and supporting technologies.
For more detailed information on the National Incident Management System, refer to FEMA’s National Incident Management System Guide, Third Edition, October 2017.
2.1.3 Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS)
SEMS is required by California Government Code Section 8607(a) 17 for managing response to multi-agency and multi-jurisdiction incidents in California. SEMS incorporates the use of the ICS, the California Master Mutual Aid Agreement (MMAA)18, the Operational Area Concept, and multi-agency coordination. Local governments must use SEMS to be eligible for reimbursement of their response-related personnel costs under State disaster assistance programs.
SEMS is a NIMS -compliant system used to manage multi -agency and multi -jurisdictional responses to emergencies in California. SEMS consists of five hierarchical levels: Field, Local Government, Operational Area, Regional, and State. Under SEMS, response activities are managed at the lowest possible organizational level. Table 2-1 shows an illustration of how SEMS Functions in the Field are carried out compared to the EOC.
17 California Government Code Section 8607(a). https://california.public.law/codes/ca_gov't_code_section_8607 18 California Disaster and Civil Defense Master Mutual Aid Agreement. https://www.caloes.ca.gov/wp- content/uploads/Preparedness/Documents/CAMasterMutAidAgreement.pdf
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Table 2-1: Comparison of Field and EOC SEMS Functions
Primary SEMS Function Field Response Level EOC Level
Command/Management Command is responsible for
the directing, ordering, and/or
controlling of resources.
Management is responsible for
facilitation of overall policy,
coordination, and support of the
incident.
Operations The coordinated tactical
response of all field
operations in accordance with
the Incident Action Plan.
The coordination of all City
operations in support of the
response to the emergency in
accordance with the EOC Action
Plan.
Planning/Intelligence The collection, evaluation,
documentation, and use o f
information related to the
incident.
Collecting, evaluating, and
disseminating information and
maintaining documentation
relative to all City and jurisdiction
activities.
Logistics Providing facilities, services,
personnel, equipment, and
materials in support of the
incident.
Providing faci lities, services,
personnel, equipment, and
materials in support of all
jurisdiction activities as required.
Finance/Administration Financial and cost analysis and
administrative aspects not
handled by other functions.
Responsible for coordinating and
supporting administrative and
fiscal consideration surrounding
an emergency incident.
2.1.4 Incident Command System (ICS)
ICS is a standardized management system used for the command, control, and coordination of emergency response operations. It provides a hierarchical structure and a set of procedures and protocols that enable multiple agencies and organizations to work together effectively during incidents or emergencies. ICS is utilized as a unified approach to manage complex incidents.
By implementing the ICS, emergency response agencies improve coordination capabilities and streamline decision -making processes. It provides a standardized framework that allows responders from different agencies and disciplines to work together seamlessly, ensuring a more efficient and coordinated response to emergencies and incidents.
The key principles of ICS include:
1. Common Terminology: Using standardized terminology to ensure clear and effective communication among responders.
2. Modular Organization: Establishing a flexible organizational structure that can be scaled up or down based on the size and complexity of the incident.
3. Management by Objectives: Setting clear objectives and prioritizing actions based on the overall goals of the incident response.
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4. Manageable Span of Control: Ensuring that supervisors have a manageable number of subordinates to effectively oversee and coordinate their activities.
5. Incident Facilities and Locations: Establishing specific f acilities and locations, such as an Incident Command Post, to serve as operational bases for managing the response.
6. Comprehensive Resource Management: Efficiently and effectively allocating resources, including personnel, equipment, and supplies, to support the response effort.
7. Integrated Communications: Establishing a common communication system that enables all responders to communicate effectively and share information in real-time.
For more detailed information on the Incident Command System, refer to the U.S. Fire Administration/National Fire Academy Field Operations Guide (FOG) ICS 420-1, June 2016.19
2.1.5 Integrating Local, Regional, State, and Federal Systems Taken together the National Response Framework, Standardized Emergency Manageme nt System, National Incident Management System, Incident Command System, and this EOP , integrate the capabilities and resources of various governmental jurisdictions, incident management and emergency response disciplines, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), and the private sector into a cohesive, coordinated, and seamless national framework for domestic incident management. Field level emergency responders, Department Operations Center (DOC) staff, Emergency Operations Center (EOC) staff, department exec utives, elected officials, and public information officers all have a vital role in successful comprehensive incident management and make up the City’s Emergency Management Organization (EMO).
2.2 Phases of Emergency Management
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) identifies four phases in emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. While useful for targeting efforts and resources, the phases of emergency management are not distinct and activities in each phase often overlap with other phases. For example, response often includes recovery measures (i.e., immediate debris removal) and recovery projects often include elements of mitigation (i.e., rebuilding structure u sing current building codes). The phases are cyclical in nature and lessons learned from an incident are applied in preparedness efforts for future emergencies. All activities within each phase include the consideration of our most vulnerable populations and those with disabilities and other with access and functional needs.
19 U.S. Fire Administration/National Fire Academy Field Operations Guide (FOG) ICS 420 -1, June 2016. Field Operations Guide (fema.gov)
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The diagram below illustrates how the 4 emergency management phases intersect and overlap.
Photo: Obtained from Fairfax County, Virginia, Emergency Management
2.2.1 Preparedness
The preparedness phase encompasses actions conducted before an emergency to build and strengthen operational abilities for responding to and recovering from it. During this phase, plans and procedures are developed and updated to guide disaster r esponse and bolster available resources. These actions may include conducting hazard analyses, creating emergency plans, conducting training and drills, and disseminating public information. Individual preparedness activities are crucial during this phase and significantly influence a community's ability to respond effectively to emergencies. Preparedness activities are part of the implementation of the California Emergency Services Act, the California MMAA, and the California State Emergency Plan (SEP).
They are categorized into two main areas:
Readiness - Establishes the emergency management framework and provides essential knowledge for completing tasks or missions.
Capability - Acquiring necessary tools and resources to carry out tasks or missions.
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2.2.2 Response
The response phase encompasses three distinct types of actions, each with its own considerations that often occur concurrently rather than sequentially. These response types include:
1. Increased Readiness: This phase involves proactive measures taken upon receiving a warning or anticipating an imminent emergency. Actions may include briefing City leadership and providing targeted training to enhance preparedness.
2. Initial Response: During the first 72 hours of an emerge ncy, the City undertakes immediate response efforts primarily at the field level. The focus is on saving lives and minimizing the impact of the emergency or disaster.
3. Extended Response: Following the initial phase, extended response activities are coordinated by the Emergency Management Organization (EMO). This coordination, which may be conducted virtually or at a physical Emergency Operations Center (EOC), involves managing personnel and resources to mitigate the emergency and facilitate the transition to recovery operations.
2.2.3 Community Recovery
Upon the onset of an emergency, efforts are initiated to optimize the effectiveness of recovery operations. While immediate life -saving actions are underway, it becomes crucial to assess the transition from response to recovery phases. As the critical resp onse operations gradually shift, the focus broadens to ensuring equitable support for all individuals, households, businesses, and governmental entities in meeting their basic needs and restoring self-sufficiency. The City begins coordinating recovery efforts through the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) staff initially; as the situation stabilizes, dedicated recovery teams take over to focus exclusively on recovery efforts.
Community recovery activities are guided by objectives spanning short -term, intermediate, and long-term goals. These include coordinating extensive debris management, rebuilding infrastructure to meet comprehensive community needs, and reinstating vital governmental functions.
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2.2.4 Mitigation
Mitigation includes the capabilities necessary to reduce the loss of life and property from natural and/or manmade (human-caused) disasters by lessening the impacts of disasters. 20 Mitigation efforts occur both before and after an event. Hazard mitigation actions for the City of Culver City include but are not limited to assisting property owners with seismic retrofitting of buildings , public outreach regarding available Earthquake Brace and Bolts (EBB) Programs, enforcement of building code and zoning ordinances, continual maintenance of City infrastructure such as roads, bridges, sewer systems and utilities, and hazard mitigation planning.
2.3 Operational Priorities
The City of Culver City has established the following general priorities for establishing response goals, governing resource allocations, prioritizing actions, and developing operational strategies.
The operational priorities will support the City’s overarching priority of: People, Building/Infrastructure, Environment, and Recovery.
People
• Saving Lives: The City prioritizes preserving life above all other concerns. • Equity: Providing services that ensure quality and fairness for all racially and ethnically diverse communities, individuals with disabilities, and those with access and functional needs is mandatory across the City. Civil rights obligations cannot be waived during emergencies.
• Engaging Partners: Collaborating with community partners who are trusted, well - informed about, and representative of the populations affected by the disaster to guide ongoing response, recovery services, procedures, and communications. • Meeting Human Needs: In addition to saving lives, every effort must be made to meet fundamental human needs such as food, water, shelter, and security. • Supportin g Individuals with Disabilities and Others with Access or Functional Needs (AFN): Prioritizing support for individuals with disabilities and AFN requires fair and coordinated operations to address urgent needs, provide essential services for health and safety, and promote independence. Essential considerations include accessible communications, transportation, and sheltering.
• Safeguarding Local Culture and Heritage: Preserving the cultural and historical heritage of diverse populations residing in the City.
20 National Incident Management System, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, October 2017, pg. 67
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Building/Infrastructure
• Safeguarding Property: Every reasonable effort should be made to protect both public and private property, including critical infrastructure, from damage during and after an emergency.
• Preserving Cultural and Historica l Properties: Every reasonable effort should be made to protect and preserve culturally and historically significant properties from damage during or after an emergency.
Environmental
• Environmental Protection: Every effort must be made to preserve the Ci ty’s environment and prevent damage during and after an emergency. • Restore Essential Services: Power, water, sanitation, transportation, and other vital services must be restored promptly to facilitate the resumption of normal activities for residents and businesses.
Community Recovery
• Promote Community and Economic Recovery: Representatives from the City of Culver City must collaborate with the community to ensure recovery operations are conducted efficiently, effectively, and fairly, facilitating the swift recovery of the affected areas.
2.3.1 Response Objectives
To ensure alignment with the City’s Operational Priorities, the City has established objectives for each phase of emergency management. Measuring and communicating the progress of objectives throughout all phases of emergency management promotes transparency, accountability, and efficiency. Using objectives and benchmarks helps the City track progress as well as allows for continuous improvement and adjustment of operational priorities and activities.
Table 2-2 provides an overview of the City’s preparedness and response objectives. Many activities be gin in the preparedness or increased readiness phase of response and carry throughout the initial and extended phases of a response (e.g., communicating with stakeholders, informing the public, etc.). This table is not a complete list of objectives and incident-specific objectives may be added or edited for each incident.
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Table 2-2 City of Culver City Emergency Preparedness and Response Objectives Preparedness
1 Develop and maintain inclusive emergency plans and procedures that serve the whole community, especially diverse populations and individuals with disabilities and others with access or functional needs (AFN).
2 Conduct drills and exercises, incorporating all members of the Emergency Management Organization (EMO), including individuals and groups representing vulnerable and diverse populations.
3 Identify resources, staff, and equipment needed to conduct recovery. 4 Assess gaps in resources, staff, and equipment. Purchase additional resources and equipment when feasible and develop agreements or processes to fill outstanding gaps. 6 Review pre-existing mutual aid agreements with other organizations and develop new agreements as necessary.
7 Implement findings from previous After-Action Reports (AAR) and Improvement Plans (IPs) to increase the City’s readiness for future events. 8 Implement inclusive, accessible emergency public education campaigns and emergency warning systems, processes, and procedures.
Increased Readiness
1 Inform stakeholders of the anticipated event. This may include the Mayor, City Council, City Manager, other key officials, applicable department representatives, all City employees, and external partners or jurisdictions that may provide support. 2 Activate appropriate members of the EMO and, or individual departments as needed. 3 Determine if EMO operations will occur in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format and prepare facilities, such as the Emergency Operations Center, as necessary. 4 Review the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and all relevant annexes, policies, and procedures.
5 Provide just-in-time training (form of training that is delivered precisely when the learner needs it).
6 Conduct evacuations of threatened populations in the potentially impacted area(s).
Open shelters as needed for evacuees.
7 Increase inclusive, culturally com petent public i nformation capabilities (i.e., a dding, assigning, and/or training personnel, participating in the Los Angeles County Operational or Regional Joint In formation Ce nter [JIC], implementing technology s upport systems, etc.) and provide warning to at-risk elements of the population, including those with AFN. 8 Pre-position personnel, equipment, and resources.
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9 Inspect critical facilities and equipment, including the testing of warning and communications systems.
10 Collect, analyze, and disseminate information to maintain situational awareness on all response activities and to support disproportionately impacted individuals through equitable response efforts.
11 Proclaim a local emergency (note: this may be done during any of the response phases, depending on the severity and impacts of the incident).
Initial Response
1 Continue to notify and update stakeholders as appropriate. 2 Conduct lifesaving operations.
3 Treat injured individuals and establish a triage system if necessary. 4 Continue evacuation, rescue, and sheltering operations. 5 Disseminate culturally inclusive warnings, emergency public information, and instructions to the community members.
6 Conduct initial damage assessments and surveys.
7 Maintain or restore critical infrastructure, facilities, and equipment. 8 Request mutual aid assistance and/or state and federal assistance. 9 Assess the need and begin preparations for community recovery operations.
Extended Response
1 Continue to notify and update stakeholders as appropriate. 2 Continue to disseminate culturally inclusive warnings, emergency public information, and instructions to the community members.
3 Request a Gubernatorial state of emergency proclamation and/or Presidential emergency or major disaster declaration (note: this may be done during any of the response phases, depending on the severity and impacts of the incident). 4 Continue mass care and sheltering operations, ensuring accessibility is a priority. 5 Continue restoring critical infrastructure, facilities, and equipment, and expand restoration operations as the situation and resources allow. 6 Continue to assess resource gaps, requesting mutual aid, state, and/or federal assistance as needed.
7 Conduct detailed damage assessments.
8 Establish a Local Assistance Center.
9 Assess and determine when to transition from response to recovery operations.
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2.4 Proclaiming a Local Emergency
The authority to proclaim a Local Emergency in the City of Culver City is vested in the City Council, or in its absence, the Director of Emergency Services (City Manager), or designated alternate. A proclamation of Local Emergency is invalid after seven days, unless ratified by the governing body (City Council). In the event that the governing body ratifies the proclamation, and the proclamation extends beyond seven days, the governing body must review the need to continue the proclamation at least every sixty days until the Local Emergency is terminated. In any case, the governing body must proclaim the termination of the Local Emergency as soon as conditions warrant. If and when the County of Los Angeles proclaims a Local Emergency, the City will be covered under their proclamation. According to the California Emergency Services Act, a proclamation of Local Emergency provides the local governing body the authority to:
• Request and receive assistance from local agencies and assistance from the State under the California Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA).
• In the absence of a Presidentially proclaimed State of War Emergency or State of Emergency, recover from the State the cost of extraordinary services incurred in executing mutual aid agreements.21
• Provide public employees, Disaster Service Workers (DSWs), and governing bodies with certain legal immunities for emergency actions taken. • Promulgate orders and regulations necessary to provide for protection of life and property.
• Promulgate orders and regulations imposing a curfew.
2.5 Activation of the Emergency Management Organization This section lists the levels of emergency and their relationship to activati on of the Emergency Management Organization (EMO), specific departments, or portions of the EMO. This includes information on who can activate and deactivate the EMO and parameters to consider when determining if an activation is necessary. Additional details regarding activation levels, triggers and the staffing plans for each level are found in the EOC Operations Guide.
2.5.1 EOC Activation Levels
The City has four Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activation levels:
• Level 1 = FULL Activation
21 Reimbursement can be sought under this provision when approved by the Governor in accordance with orders and regulations promulgated as prescribed in Government Code Section § 8567. California Code, Government Code - GOV § 8567 | FindLaw
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• Level 2 = MID-LEVEL Activation
• Level 3 = LOW LEVEL Activation
• Level 4 = Normal Operations/Monitoring
Table 2-3 outlines and defines EOC activation levels and demonstrates what types of events and staffing levels would be appropriate for each activation level.
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Table 2-3 EOC Activation and Staffing Levels
Activation
Level
Definition/Conditions
Event/Situation
Minimum
Staffing
One – Full
Activation
Highest level of EOC
activation with most/all
EOC Sections staffed and
actively supporting. Level
one activation is used in
support of major
emergency/disaster
incidents with widespread
impacts requiring
significant response
coordination from th e City
EOC.
Major city or regional emergency-
multiple departments with heavy
resource involvement
All EOC
positions
Earthquake with significant
damage in the City or adjacent
cities. Widespread civil unrest , a
major pandemic or terrorist
attack with multiple targets.
Unusual occurrences with severe
potential impacts on the health
and safety of the public and/or
environment
Two – Mid-
Level
Activation
Mid-level EOC activation.
This activation level is used
for emergencies or
planned events that
require more than a
minimum staff but would
not call for a full activation
of all organizational
elements of the EOC.
Earthquake with damage
reported
EOC Director
Section
Coordinators,
Branches and
Units as
appropriate to
situation
Liaison/Agency
representatives
as appropriate.
Public
Information
Officer
Earthquake Advisory/Prediction
Level Two or Three
Major wind or rainstorm
Two or more large incidents
involving 2 or more departments
Wildfire affecting developed area
Major scheduled event
Severe hazardous materials
incident involving large -scale or
possible large-scale evacuations
Unusual occurrences with
potential impacts on the health
and safety of the public and/or
environment
Large scale power outages and
Stage 3 power emergencies
Lowest level of formal EOC
activation. Small to
Unusual occurrences with severe
potential impacts on the health
EOC Director
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2.5.2 Activation/Deactivation Authorities
The City of Culver City Emergency Management Organization (EMO) can be activated as requested by the following City officials:
• City Manager
• Assistant City Manager
• Police Chief
• Fire Chief
When one of these individuals request activation of the EMO, they will do so in consultation with the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. Together, they will determine the level of activation, staffing needs, and whether the EOC staffing organization will operate virtually, hybrid or, in person at the EOC, alternate EOC, or another location.
If an emergency is too large to be coordinated from the field, the Department Head whose department is responding may request activation of the EMO. Authority to activate resides with the City Manager or designee.
2.5.3 Activation
When activating the Emergency Management Organization (EMO) and determining staffing levels needed, the responsible official should consider the following as part of the process of activation:
Three – Low
Level
Activation
moderate emergencies or
pre-planned events that
require slightly more
enhanced coordination
than the field personnel
can provide, but do not
require a majority of the
EOC positions to be
staffed.
and safety of the public and/or
environment
Other
Designees
Note: May be
limited to
Department
Operations
Center
activation.
Notable Weather Issuances (See
Annex A, Operations Support
Documentation – National
Weather Service Issuances)
Significant incidents involving 2
or more departments
Earthquake Advisory/Prediction
Level One
Power outages and Stage 1 and 2
power emergencies.
Normal
Operations/
Monitoring
Event does not require EOC activation to provide event
monitoring and information coordination.
EOC
Coordinator
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• Determine scope of the incident or event
• Determine the appropriate level of activation
• Notify/recall the EMO for activation
• Determine whether the EMO will operate in a virtual, hybrid, or in person environment. • Open the EOC, if necessary, and/or prepare web-based platforms to operate virtually.
The EOC Operations Guide provides triggers that may factor into activating the EMO and additional detailed information that may inform the level of activation.
2.5.4 Deactivation
When conditions necessitating the operations of the EMO deescalate, the EMO will be deactivated, and positions and functions demobilized. When all response objectives have been met and/or additional resources are no longer needed, the EMO will be demobilized.
Deactivation criteria that the EOC Director will use in the decision -making process for deactivation should consider:
• The impacted area is in stable condition, and is likely to remain stable • Conditions no longer constitute an emergency or danger to people or property Prior to deactivating the EMO, the Liaison Branch should notify all internal and external partners of the decision to deactivate and the date/time of deactivation, while providing instructions for continued coordination outside the incident. After deactivation, all documentation should be gathered and maintained to support recovery efforts and the after -action review. Additionally, if utilized, the EOC should be restocked and prepared for future activations.
2.5.5 Transition to Community Recovery
Recovery and restoration activities will begin almost immediately upon the initiation of response actions to sync the response activities with the recovery activities. The sequence of recovery activities will vary depending on the specifics of the incident. Short -term and intermediate recovery activities will likely begin while the EMO is still activated as personnel begin to assemble information and data regarding the extent of damages and disaster -related costs and losses, to support requests for recovery resources, and to take the necessary steps for requesting and obtaining State and Federal disaster assistance. As the incident begins to stabilize, additional recovery operations will take place and recovery collaboration and action may transition to the recovery team and/or continue as virtual or hybrid operations.
2.6 Continuity of Operations/Government
A major disaster or national security emergency could result in the death or injury of key government officials and/or the partial or complete destruction of established seats of government, and public and private records essential to continued operations of government and industry.
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In the aftermath of a major disaster, law and order must be preserved and essential government services must be maintained. This preservation is best accomplished by civil government. To this end, it is particularly essential that local government continue to function.
Applicable portions of the California Government Code and the State Constitution (cited in the next paragraphs) provide authority for the continuity and preservation of state and local government.
The California Government Code Section 8643(b) and the Constitution of California provide the authority for state and local government to reconstitute itself in the event incumbents are unable to serve.
Government at all levels is responsible for providing continuity of effective leadership, authority and adequate direction of emergency and recovery operations (preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation). Under California's concept of mutual aid, local officials remain in control of their jurisdiction' s emergency operations while other jurisdictions may provide additional resources upon request. A key aspect of this control is to be able to communicate official requests, situation reports, and emergency information during any disaster a community might face.
2.6.1 Preservation of Local Government
Article 15 of the California Emergency Services Act (Chapter 7 of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code) provides the authority, as well as the procedures to be employed, to ensure continued functioning of political subdivisions within the State of California. Generally, Article 15 permits the appointment of up to three standby officers for each member of the governing body, and up to three standby officers for the chief executive, if not a member of the governing body.
Article 15 provides for the succession of officers who head departments responsible for maintaining law and order, or in furnishing public services relating to health and safety.
Article 15 also outlines procedures to assure continued functioning of political subdivisions in the event the governing body, including standby officers, if unavailable to serve.
The California Emergency Services Act provides for the preservation of city government in the event of a major disaster.
2.6.2 Lines of Succession for Officials Charged with Discharging Emergency Responsibilities The first step in assuring continuity of government is to have personnel who are authorized and prepared to carry out emergency actions for government in the event of a natural, technological, or national security disaster.
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City Council
Article 15, Section 8638 of the California Emergency Services Act 22 authorizes governing bodies to designate and appoint three standby officers for each member of the governing body and for the chief executive, if not a member of the governing body. Standby officers may be residents or officers of a political subdivision other than that to which they are appointed. Standby officers take the same oath as regular officers and are designated Number 1, 2, or 3 as the case may be.
Article 15, Section 8644 of the California Emergency Services Act establishes a method for reconstituting the governing body. It authorizes that, should all members, including all standbys be unavailable, temporary officers shall be appointed as follows:
• By the chairperson of the board of the county in which the political subdivision is located, or • By the mayor of any city within 150 miles (nearest and most populated down to farthest and least populated).
Article 15, Section 8642 of the California Emergency Services Act au thorizes local governing bodies to convene as soon as possible whenever a State of War Emergency, State of Emergency, or Local Emergency exists, and at a place not necessarily within the political subdivision.
Article 15, Section 8643 of the California E mergency Services Act describes the duties of a governing body during emergencies as follows:
• Ascertain the damage to the jurisdiction and its personnel and property. • Reconstitute itself and any subdivisions.
• Perform functions in preserving law and order and furnishing local services.
Director of Emergency Services
As written in the Culver City Municipal Code, Section 3.09.025, Succession:
1. A successor to the position of Director of Emergency Services shall be designated in a letter signed by the City Manager and delivered to the City Clerk, and such person(s) designated shall automatically serve as Acting Director of Emergency Services, in th e order specified in the letter, until the City Manager is present and able to serve. Such a letter may delineate the circumstances and provide parameters for determining when the City Manager or other successors are ab sent or unable to perform the duties of the Director of Emergency Services.
2. Such persons who serve as Acting Director of Emergency Services shall be employees or officers of the City. An individual serving as Acting Director of Emergency Services shall have the authority and powers of the Director of Emergency Services.
3. The City’s Emergency Plan may provide additional guidelines to assist City personnel in determining when the City Manager, or his or her successor, is absent or unable to perform the duties of the Director of Emergency Services.
22 California Code, Govt Code, Title 2, Division 1, Chapter 7, Article 15, Section 8638
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On April 9th, 2024, the City Manager filed a letter with the City Clerk designating the Fire Chief or the Police Chief as his designee if he is absent or unable to serve as the Director of Emergency Services.
Department Heads
Article 15, Section 8637 of the California Emergency Services Act authorizes political subdivisions to provide for the succession of officers (department heads) having duties related to law and order and/or health and safety. (See Figure 2-1 Lines of Succession for City Departments at the end of this Section.)
Temporary Council Meeting Location and Alternate City Government Location Section 8642 of the California Emergency Services Act authorizes the City Council to meet at a place not necessarily within the City in the event of State of War Emergency, State of Emergency, or Local Emergency.
Section 54954 of the Brown Act provides that if a fire, flood, earthquake, or other emergency makes it unsafe to meet in the place designated for hold ing regular City Council meetings, the presiding officer of the City Council, or his or her designee, can designate the place that regular meetings will be held for the duration of the emergency. The presiding officer’s designation of a meeting place under those circumstances must be:
• Made in a notice to the local media that have requested notice pursuant to Section 54956 of the Government Code, and
• By the most rapid means of communication available at the time. (Section 54954(e)).
In the event that City Hall is not usable because of emergency conditions, the temporary office of City government will be as follows:
1st Alternate: Fire Station No. 1
2nd Alternate: Veterans Memorial Auditorium
Additionally, pursuant to Government Code Section 54953(e), the City Council may use teleconferencing with various requirements of the Brown Act (such as providing physical meeting addresses) when it holds either (1) a meeting during a proclaimed state of emergency for the purpose of determining, by majority vote, whether as a result of the emergency, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees, or (2) a meeting during a proclaimed state of emergency where the City Council has already determined, by majority vote, pursuant to (1), that, as a result of the emergency, meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees. As of the effective date of this Plan, this option expires on January 1, 2026; however, the City may utilize thi s option if and when it is extended by the Governor. (pg. 43, under Temporary Council Meeting Location and Alternate City Government Location)
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Preservation of Vital Records
In the City of Culver City, the City Clerk is responsible for the preservation of vital records.
Vital records are defined as those records that are essential to:
• Protect and preserve the rights and interests of individuals, governments, corporations, and other entities. Examples include statistics, land and tax records, license registers, and articles of incorporation.
• Conduct emergency response and recovery operations. Records of this type include utility system maps, locations of emerge ncy supplies and equipment, emergency operations plans and procedures, personnel rosters, etc.
• Reestablish normal governmental functions and protect the rights and interests of government. Constitutions and charters, statutes and ordinances, court records, official proceedings and financial records would be included here.
Vital records information is in a confidential/secure document found in a separate secure binder in the EOC.
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Figure 2-1 | Lines of Succession for City Departments
Ser vi c e/ D ep ar t ment T i tl e /P o si ti on
City Attorney 1. City Attorney
2. Assistant City Attorney
3. Deputy City Attorney
City Fire 1. Fire Chief
2. Assistant Chief
3. Fire Marshal B/C
City Manager 1. City Manager
2. Assistant City Manager
3. Assistant to the City Manager
City Police 1. Chief of Police
2. Assistant Chief
3. Police Captain
City Clerk 1. City Clerk
2. Deputy City Clerk
Finance 1. Chief Financial Officer
2. Assistant Chief Financial Officer
Housing & Human Services 1. Housing & Human Svcs Director
2. Housing & Human Svcs Proj Manager
3. Housing Programs Supervisor
Human Resources 1. Human Resources Director
2. Sr. HR & Equity Officer
3. Risk Manager
Information Technology 1. Information Technology Director
2. Systems Support Manager
Parks, Recreation and Community Services
(PRCS)
1. PRCS Director
2. Recreation & Community Services
Manager
Planning & Development 1. Planning & Development Director
2. Building Official
3. Current Planning Manager
Public Works 1. Public Works Director
2. Engineering Services Manager
3. Mobility & Traffic Engineering
Services Manager
4. Environmental Programs & Ops
Manager
Transportation 1. Transportation Director
2. Deputy Transportation Officer
3. Fleet Services Manager
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3. Organization and Assignment of Responsibilities
California’s Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) designates five organizational levels – field response level, local government level, OA level, regional level, and state level – with each level being activated in a modular component network style as needed.
3.1 SEMS Organization Levels
Field Level
The Field Level is where emergency response personnel and resources, under the command of responsible officials, carry out tactical decisions and activities in direct response to an incident or threat.
Local Government
The C ity of Culver City, as local government, manages and coordinates the overall emergency response and recovery activities within the City. The City of Culver City is required to use SEMS when the City EOC is activated, or a local emergency is declared or proclaimed to be eligible for state reimbursement of response-related costs.
Operational Area Level
An Operational Area is the intermediate level of the state's emergency management organization which encompasses a county's boundaries and all political subdivisions located within that county, including special districts. The City of Culver City is in the Los Angeles County Operational Area (OA) and facilitates and/or coordinates information, resources, and decisions regarding priorities among local governments within the OA.
Regional Level
The Regional Level manages and coordinates information and resources among OAs within the mutual aid region and between the OA and the state level. The Regional Level also coordinates overall state agency support for emergency response activities within the region.
The City of Culver City is located within Cal OES’s Southern Administrative Region, which includes 11 counties, and Region 1 mutual aid region (Region 1A for law enforcement mutual aid). (See Chart 5-1 Cal OES Administrative and Mutual Aid Regions).
Field
Local
Government
Operational
Area
Regional
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State Level
The State Level of SEMS prioritizes tasks and coordinates state resources in response to the requests from the Regional Level and coordinates mutual aid among the mutual aid regions and between the Regional Level and State Level.
The state level also serve s as the coordination and communication link between the state and the federal emergency response system.
3.2 Additional Support and Planning Organizations
The groups, committees, and organizations identified below all participate in ensuring the city’s preparedness to respond to emergencies and disasters.
3.2.1 Disaster Service Workers
City Disaster Service Worker
In accordance with state law (CCR Title 2, Division 2, Chapter 2, Subchapter 3) and City Policy, all City employees are automatically designated as a Disaster Service Worker (DSW). In the event of an emergency the expectation is that City employees will secure their own homes and families and then, if possible, they will return to the City to assist in response activities. City employees, as DSWs, will play an important role in maintaining the services necessary for the community to recover from a disaster.
DSWs provide services and support during declared emergencies or disasters. In the event of a major emergency or disas ter, City employees may be called upon to perform certain duties in support of emergency management operations. In the City:
• DSWs may be asked to serve at locations, times, and under conditions other than normal work assignments.
• Assignments may include duties within the EOC, in the field, or at another designated location.
• Under no circumstances will City employees that do not usually have a response role in their day -to-day responsibilities be asked to perform duties or functions that are hazardous, th at they have not been trained to perform, or that are beyond their recognized capabilities.
Volunteer Program
The Disaster Service Worker Volunteer (DSW -V) Program, as managed by Cal OES, encourages community members to volunteer as a DSW -V. This program was created as the result of legislation to provide workers’ compensation benefits to registered DSW -Vs who are injured while participating in authorized disaster -related activities, including pre -approved training.
Disaster service, as defined for the Program, is designed to aid in the preparedness, response and recovery phases in a disaster or emergency. The Program also provides limited immunity from State
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liability, as long as they carry out the duties for which they were trained. Volunteers may register with the City through designated Emergency Volunteer Centers (EVC) during response and fill important roles in the overall response effort. The sections below provide information on City designated volunteer programs that provide opportunities to register the volunteers as DSW-Vs prior to an emergency.
Additional information on DSW and DSW-V can be found in Section 9.1.
3.2.2 Community Emergency Response Team
The Culver City Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Following a major disaster, first responders may not be able to meet the increased demand for services. The Culver City Community Emergency Response Team ( CERT) program in Culver City provides volunteers with training about what to expect following a major disaster, lifesaving skills with emphasis on decision -making skills, and rescuer safety. The program organizes neighborhood teams so that certified CERT members become an extension of first responder services offering immediate help to victims until professional services arrive.
3.2.3 Amateur Radio Emergency Services
Culver City Amateur Radio Services (CCARES)
The Culver City Amateur Radio Services (CCARES) is the official Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Group for the City of Culver City which provides support to CCFD and the City’s EOC in the instance radio communication systems become impacted or inoperable. The CCARES program is managed by the Culver City Fire Department and may be activated if ordinary emergency communications systems fail or require supplementation. Amateur Communications Service Members are authorized by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Service as sworn Disaster Service Workers and are capable of sending liaisons as needed to the Emergency Operations Cent er, Incident or Unified Command Posts, and other specified groups. Activation of the CCARES occurs through request of the EOC or CCFD.
3.2.4 Coordination with Nongovernmental Agencies
Affiliated volunteers within the City of Culver City are crucial to ensure effective response and recovery roles and services are filled. City of Culver City agencies mobilize their affiliated volunteers to perform specific tasks and may be sworn -in by the ir commanding response agencies as needed. The City of Culver City is also reliant on the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and the Emergency Network of Los Angeles (ENLA) for assistance.
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American Red Cross
The American Red Cross (ARC) coordinates with the City of Culver City to provide basic human needs and services to the community after a disaster occurs. The ARC assesses humanitarian needs at the field level and coordinates with the community impacted to determine overall service needs. Initial communications and aid requests between the ARC and the City of Culver City can occur from the field or EOC. Levels of aid, response, and provision of resources are scalable; this means the severity of the disa ster determines the amount and type of aid the American Red Cross can provide.
The ARC supports mass care operations with the appropriate departments and agencies. The ARC may provide the following support when disaster thresholds specified by the ARC are met:
• Emergency Sheltering
• Disaster Assessment
• Mobile Feeding
• Distribution of Emergency Supplies
• Reunification
• Health/Medical/Spiritual Care
• Recovery Casework
• Liaisons/PIOs
The ARC’s congressional charter requires them to “maintain a system of domestic and international disaster relief.” For this reason, when the City EOC is activated, the American Red Cross is often represented within the Operations Section, Care and Shelter Branch. The ARC representative within the EOC will share information between the City and American Red Cross disaster relief operations. The American Red Cross also utilizes its own mutual aid pro cesses when the local region can no longer provide resources to expand or continue services.
Emergency Network Los Angeles
ENLA is recognized by Southern California Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (SCVOAD) and National Voluntary Organization s Active in Disasters (VOAD) as the VOAD for the OA. The service area for ENLA is Los Angeles County, which includes the City of Culver City. The County and City of Culver City recognizes ENLA as the disaster coordinating body for non - profit agencies.
The ENLA Emergency Response Plan is activated upon request from the OA or any City, with the concurrence of the ENLA Chair, or if the chair is not available, any other ENLA elected officer. The ENLA chair, in coordination with the OA ENLA Representative (County Office of Emergency Management Representative) will convene with City representatives within two days after an emergency to formalize a plan for ENLA emergency activities. The purpose of the meeting will be to establish a liaison with the various emergen cy related agencies including the City of Culver City.
If the City needs an ENLA resource, the City will make a request to the OA, who will then communicate with a ENLA representative . Under normal circumstances, communication does
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not occur directly betw een the City and any ENLA member organizations, apart from the American Red Cross.
A list of ENLA member organizations and their missions can be found on ENLA’s website.
During an emergency, the protocol between government and ENLA, states that except in unusual circumstances, contact should be made to the lead ENLA agency (Mental Health, Animal Services, Shelter Agencies, etc.) or via the ENLA communications center, by the primary government agency. Following an emergency, communications from the City of Culver City to ENLA lead agencies would initially begin with the Liaison/Legislative Officer of the City’s EOC to ENLA’s lead agency. The City EOC Liaison/Legislative Officer would refer the ENLA lead agency to the specific City EOC Section or Branch for further information or instruction.
Communications between ENLA and government agencies is normally done via telephone, email, or fax. In the event these normal communication channels with ENLA are disrupted and there is an important emergency message to communicate, the County’s amateur radio Disaster Communications Services will be made available as required, depending on the priority needs of the emergency. In this case, the County EOC would be able to relay messages between ENLA and the City EOC. Additionally, if needed, in-person liaisons would also be utilized.
3.3 City Roles and Responsibilities
All disasters within city limits are locally driven events, and it is the local official’s role to provide leadership and policy guidance to their jurisdiction before, during, and after a disaster. It is important for local elected officials to engage in preparedness ef forts, which are ongoing and involve activities undertaken to prepare for disasters and emergencies, as well as to facilitate future response and recovery efforts. The following section detail s some of the local official’s roles and responsibilities during and following a disaster.
3.3.1 Role of Elected Official
Elected Officials Role During an Emergency Disaster: The primary role of an elected official during a disaster is that of support. As the disaster is occurring and the immediate response is underway, elected officials best serve citizens by empowering and allowing first responders and EOC staff the freedom to manage the incident as they have been trained to do. Elected officials should allow them time to stabilize the situation before attempting to step in as a decision - maker. Elected officials’ role as decision -maker will come, but the primary goal of addressing a disaster as it is happening is to stabilize the situation quickly and efficiently – first responders and City EOC staff will do this. To help in this goal, elected official’s role consists of:
• Support and work with emergency management officials, as needed. This may include facilitating communication with and obtaining assistance from other agencies, proclaiming a local state of emergency, and issuing emergency orders such as imposing curfews etc.
• Communicate quickly, clearly, and effectively to constituents and work with partners to ensure a coordinated message.
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• Get accurate information out (obtained by the EOC Public Information Officer) early and often, and ensure all messaging is accessible.
• Communicate with other elected officials.
• Maintain situational awareness regarding the disaster by staying informed. • Provide direction for response-related activities, when appropriate. • Trust and empower emergency management staff to make the right decisions. • Serve citizens by allowing First Responders and EOC staff to manage the incident as they are trained to do. The active participation of Elected Officials in planning/training before disaster and leadership during the recovery period is where they will have the greatest impact and be of most value.
• Use an EOC Liaison to help stay informed during the incident.
Elected Officials Role Following an Emergency/Disaster: The primary role o f an elected official after a disaster is that of leadership. Once first responders and EOC staff have stabilized the situation, elected officials become crucial to the recovery process. To help in accomplishing this goal, elected officials can:
• Understand the disaster assistance programs available and application process for State and Federal Disaster Declarations.
• Support the community throughout the recovery – it can be a long process and may take multiple years.
• Help identify opportunities to rebuild a nd mitigate future damage through planning and smart infrastructure investments.
• Ask questions – the recovery process and programs can be complex. • Ensure all Codes and Regulations are enforced during the recovery process.
3.3.2 Role of City Departments
In the event of an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activation, each City department within the City of Culver City will play a role in supporting emergency response and recovery objectives and taking the lead regarding the emergency function to which they have been assigned.
All roles and responsibilities are incident dependent and subject to change based on the nature of the incident, availability of staff, and expertise of available employees. Individuals and departments working within the EOC also understand that they may be asked to support additional duties due to the specific nature of response and recovery operations. City of Culver City employees will only be asked to serve in positions and conduct duties that they have been trained for and are comfortable performing.
The table below outlines the broad roles and responsibilities of each EOC section, and City departments that typically fill functions within that section.
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Table 3-1: EOC Responsibilities Overview
EOC Section Typically Staffed
By
Positions Key
Roles/Responsibilities
Policy Group • EOC Director
• City Council
• Police
Department
• Fire
Department
• Public Works
• City Attorney
• Finance
Department
• Housing &
Human
Services
N/A • Manages
economic,
political, legal, and
social implications
of incident
• Does not interfere
with on-scene
response priorities
Management Section • Police
Department
• Fire
Department
• City Manager’s
Office
• City Attorney
• Human
Resources
• EOC Director
• Public
Information
Officer (PIO)
• Liaison/Legislati
ve Officer
• EOC
Coordinator
• Legal Officer
• Safety Officer
• Security Officer
• City Council
• Manages overall
emergency
response efforts
• Ensures readiness
of the EOC
• Ensures incident
safety
• Manages public
information on the
behalf of the City
of Culver City
• Approves and
implements the
completed EOC
Action Plan
Operations Section • Police
Department
• Fire
Department
• Housing &
Human
Services
• Public Works
• Planning &
Development
• Operations
Section
Coordinator
• Fire/Rescue/Ha
zMat/Medical/
Health Branch
• Law
Enforcement
Branch
• Controls the
activity of
organizations with
a response in the
management,
stabilization, and
resolution of the
emergency
• Determines tactics
necessary to
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• Care & Shelter
Branch
• Public Works
Branch Director
• Building Safety
achieve incident
objectives
• Communicates
EOC Action Plan to
EOC staff and
incident
commanders as
necessary
Planning/Intelligence
Section
• Planning &
Development
• Fire
Department
• Housing &
Human
Services
• Public Works
• Planning/Intelli
gence Section
Coordinator
• Resource Unit
• Situation Status
Unit
• Documentation
Unit
• Damage
Assessment
Unit
• Advance
Planning Unit
• Recovery Unit
• Demobilization
Unit
• Gathers timely,
accurate,
accessible, and
consistent
information
• Prepares Situation
Reports to create a
common operating
picture
• Manages
development of
EOC Action Plan
• Technical
Specialists are
initially assigned to
the Planning
Section
Logistics Section • Transportation
Department
• Information
Technology
• Human
Resources
• Finance
• Logistics
Section
Coordinator
• Information
Systems Branch
• Transportation
Unit
• Personnel Unit
• Procurement/
Purchasing Unit
• Facilities Unit
• Establishes and
confirms processes
for resource
acquisition
• Facilitates
procurement of
resources,
personnel, and
transition services
• Provides
communication
methods, resource
tracking, and
arranges for food,
lodging, and other
services as
necessary
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Finance/Administration
Section
• Finance
Department
• Human
Resources
• Finance/
Administration
Section
Coordinator
• Cost Recovery
Unit
• Time Keeping
Unit
• Compensation/
Claims Unit
• Provides cost
assessment of
incident objectives
• Maintains staff
timesheets
• Supports
execution of
contracts and
purchase orders to
support incident
response
3.3.3 Role of the Disaster Management Area Coordinator
Due to the size and complexity of Los Angeles County, the OA has been sub -divided into eight geographic areas known as Disaster Management Areas (DMAs). DMAs are an intermediate level between the Local Government and OA levels of SEMS and are unique to the Los Angeles County OA.
These DMAs are established through a joint powers agreement (JPA) between the County Board of Supervisors and all 88 cities within the County. Each DMA has a District Management Area Coordinator (DMAC) who works with every city with in their area to coordinate throughout all phases of the emergency management cycle, including mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. DMACs work to advocate for their cities and serve as liaisons between the OA and cities.
The City of Culver Cit y is part of Disaster Management Area A consisting of the cities of Beverly Hills, Culver City, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood.
The Emergency Managers for the cities of Beverly Hills and Culver City share DMAC responsibilities for Area A.
Other duties include:
• After an emergency/disaster, quickly checking in with Area A cities to determine impact and need for resources and support.
• Providing an Area A status report to the OAEOC to supplement individual cities’ reports
• Obtaining feedback from the OAEOC as to which DMAC Areas appear to be the most heavily impacted and which appear least impacted. Feedback will include a recommendation from the OAEOC as to which DMAC should provide staffing to the OAEOC (staffing may come from the DMAC or from a city within the DMAC’s Area).
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• DMAC of selected city provides shift staffing to the OAEOC to represent concerns of cities, to ensure that the needs and concerns of cities are properly represented in the OAEOC, and to participate, as appropriate, in the development of solutions affecting cities.
Chart 3-1: Los Angeles County Operational Area Disaster Management Areas, Cities, and Unincorporated Areas
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3.3.4 Role of Private Sector
Residents
Residents of the City are the primary beneficiaries of the City’s emergency management system.
At the same time, residents play an important role in emergency management by helping one another and ensuring they and their families are prepared for disasters.
Before an emergency, reside nts can assist by taking first aid training, maintaining emergency supplies, and being prepared to evacuate or shelter-in-place for several days.
Many residents join disaster volunteer programs such as Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and remain ready to volunteer or support emergency response and recovery efforts.
During an emergency, residents should monitor emergency communications and carefully follow directions from authorities. If an evacuation order is issued, it is critical that people eva cuate quickly. This is especially true for individuals with disabilities, older adults, and people with access and functional needs that may require additional time and resources to evacuate safely.
Establishing personal support networks and active planning to take appropriate action in response to disasters is key to personal safety and help reduce the impact of the emergency. By being prepared, residents can better serve their family, their communit y and reduce demands on first responders.
Population with Access and Functional Needs and At-Risk Individuals Populations with access and functional needs and those at -risk include members of the community that may have additional needs before, during and after an incident in functional areas, including but not limited to maintaining independence, communication, transportation, supervision, and medical care.
These i ndividuals may not have access to resources offered in preparedness, response, and recovery or feel they cannot easily or safely access these resources.
For example, individuals could be:
• Geographically isolated
• Out of hearing range of community alert sirens
• Without radio, television, telephone, mobile phones, or computers • Without strong mobile reception or internet connectivity • Visitors, temporary residents, or seasonal workers in an impacted region • Unfamiliar with available emergency resources
• Physically, developmentally, or intellectually disabled • Injured or managing chronic medical conditions
• Experiencing homelessness
• Undocumented persons
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• Limited English proficiency
• Low-income or without transportation
• Older adults
• Children
• Pregnant women
Lessons learned from recent emergencies concerning people with disabilities and older adults have shown that the existing paradigm of emergency planning, implementation and response must change to meet the needs of these groups during an emergency. These l essons show four areas that are repeatedly identified as most important to people with disabilities and older adults:
• Communications and Public Information: Emergency notification systems must be accessible to ensure effective communication for people who are deaf/hard of hearing, blind/low vision, or deaf/blind.
• Evacuation and Transportation: Evacuation plans must incorporate disability and older adult transportation providers to enable the movement of people with mobility impairments and those with transportation disadvantages. • Sheltering: Care and shelter plans must address the access and functional needs of people with disabilities and older adults to allow for sheltering in general population shelters • Americans with Disabilities Act: When shelter facilities are activated, the State will work with local officials to ensure they accommodate the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Businesses
Much of the City’s critical infrastructure is owned and maintained by the private sector and must be protected during a response to ensu re a quick and complete recovery from an emergency.
These same businesses provide valuable resources before, during and after an emergency and play a critical role in meeting the needs of those impacted by an emergency.
Business Emergency Planning
This plan recommends that all businesses develop comprehensive emergency plans that include employee injury and illness prevention programs, business resumption and continuity o f operations elements. A comprehensive business emergency plan can assist the business and the community at-large by providing:
• Information to the employees to protect themselves and their families from the effect of likely emergencies.
• A business emergency organization with clear and specific identified positions, emergency roles, responsibilities, delegated authority, and identified successors.
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• Identification of actions necessary to protect company property and records during emergencies.
• A listing of critical products and services.
• Production shut-down procedures.
• A company command post.
• Alternate worksites.
• Methods and channels of communication.
• Contacts with local emergency management officials.
• A method to provide and accepts goods and services from other companies.
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4. Direction, Control, and Coordination
The City Manager and Assistant City Manager have the power to direct staff and civilian response in the City of Culver City and to settle questions of authority and responsibility. If necessary to protect life and property or to preserve public order and safe ty, the City Council or the City Manager, as the Director of Emergency Services as defined by City of Culver City’s Municipal Code
3.0923 may promulgate orders and regulations. These must be in writing and must be given widespread publicity. In a proclai med emergency, the City Manager, or designee may buy or commandeer supplies and/or equipment and may command the aid of individuals residing in the City.
Additionally, the Governor has the power to suspend state agency orders, rules, or regulations that may impede emergency responses. Local governments generally do not have this power, except by order of the Governor.
A basic premise of the National Incide nt Management System (NIMS) is that all incidents start and end locally . During an emergency, the City maintains responsibility for emergency management activities within its jurisdiction, unless otherwise superseded by statute or agreement in accordance with authorities conveyed under state law and local ordinances. The City maintains control over its resources, though the Governor has the legal authority to assume control in a State Proclamation of Emergency.
4.1 Response Structure
4.1.1 Incident Command Post
An Incident Command Post (ICP) is a central location for field-level coordination and response.
An ICP is typically located within the vicinity of the incident and obtains information directly from responders in the field. Emergency responders utilize the ICP to convey information between incident responders and other levels of command. Command posts are structured following the Incident Command System (ICS) and agencies within the ICP may disseminate information to a Department Operations Center (DOC) when it is activated and deemed necessary. ICPs are always activated when an emergency event occurs and may receive liaisons from other agencies when deemed appropriate.
Immediate response is accomplished within the affected area by the City and segments of the private sector. First responders arrive at the incident and function within their established field level plans and procedures. Details on specific activities, techniques, and procedures necessary to accomplish assigned tasks are i ncluded in department plans and standard operating procedures ( SOPs). Incident Command is established to direct, order, or control resources by
23 City of Culver City Municipal Code, Title 3: Administration, Chapter 3.09: Disasters and Emergencies. https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/culvercity/latest/culvercity_ca/0-0-0-35368#JD_CHAPTER3.09
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virtue of some explicit legal, agency, or delegated authority. Initial actions are coordinated through the on -scene Incident Commander (IC). The IC may implement an Area Command to oversee multiple incidents that are handled by separate ICS organizations or to oversee the management of a very large or evolving incident that has multiple incident management teams engaged.
4.1.2 Unified Command Post (UCP)
Similar to an ICP, Unified Command Posts (UCPs) follow the Incident Command System (ICS) and are utilized as a central location for field -level response and coordination. UCPs are established when two or more people from different agencies take on the roles and responsibilities of the IC.
Unified Command Posts are established when incidents become more complex and require multi-faceted coordination of more than one organization or agency under the direction of collaborative ICPs.
In a UCP, a common set of objectives are established for organizations to follow without a hindrance to individual response efforts. UCPs are located in a single location, with all agencies coordinating to develop unified approaches for incident response. Unified Command Posts within Culver City are usually managed by the Culver City Fire Department and Culver City Police Department.
4.1.3 Emergency Management Organization
The City’s Emergency Management Organization (EMO) includes all respon se partners and personnel that make up the team of organizations and individuals that prepare for and respond to incidents within the City. The EMO includes all City departments and employees, volunteer forces, and all groups, organizations, or individual s who are charged with protection of life and property in the City of Culver City during an emergency. This team staffs the EOC and Department Operations Centers (DOC), either in person or virtually, and fulfils roles in the City’s overall response organization.
4.1.4 EOC Staffing Organization
The organizational structure for EOC staff is consistent with an “ICS -like” EOC organization structure defined in current NIMS guidance, with a Management section and four functional sections: Operations, Planning/Intelligence , Logistics and, Finance/Admin istration. Figure 4 -1 presents the EOC staffing organization chart for the City of Culver City. Note, as described in Section 4.2, the EOC may operate in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format. In any case, the same staffing organizational structure will be followed.
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Figure 4-1. Culver City EOC Organization
The organizational chart below outlines the primary positions in the Culver City EOC. This may be expanded or contracted based on need.
Policy Group
EOC Director
Management
Operations
Fire/Rescue/HazMat/
Medical/Health
Law Enforcement
Care & Shelter
Public Works
Building Safety
Planning/Intelligence
Resources
Situation Status
Documentation
Damage Assessment
Adv. Planning
Recovery
Demobilization
Logistics
Information Systems
GIS Team
Telecommunications
Transportation
Personnel
Facilities
Supply/Procurement
Finance
Cost Recovery
Timekeeping
Compensation/Claims
Legal Advisors
Public Information
Officer
Liasion
Officer/Legislative Officer
Safety Officer
Security Officer
EOC Coordinator
City Council
*If all elements are activated, a deputy may be appointed to prove a manageable span of control.
The Incident Command System will be used in the Field. Field units will coordinate and communicate with each of the Branches under the Operations Section.
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4.2 Emergency Operations Center
The City of Culver City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is utilized as a central location to coordinate multi -agency operations, emergency response information, resources, and cost tracking amongst City emergency responders, departments, volunteer organizations, stakeholders, and when necessary, with county, state, and federal agencies. The EOC is utilized to support incident command post (ICP) operations when initial incident response efforts require additional support and is organized according to the five SEMS/ICS sections (i.e., Management, Operations, Planning/Intelligence, Logistics and, Finance/Administration) . EOCs do not coordinate ta ctical response, but rather support field tactics through the procurement of additional resources, dissemination of information, and by planning for anticipated events or needs. When the EOC is activated, communication and coordination are established between the IC and the DOC to the EOC, or between the IC and the EOC.
Depending on the situation, the City may respond virtually or in a hybrid EOC environment through the use of Microsoft Teams or WebEx. These platforms are robust and provide users the ability to coordinate channels for incidents, share real-time information, and meet virtually with a wide variety of stakeholders both internally as well as externally.
While the physical EOC provides a functional space for response staff to gather and coordinate, the EMO can conduct response operations when operating virtually or in a hybrid format. Virtual operations can be considered at any time but may be particularly useful in situations such as an infectious disease event when social distancing is important, in the early or late stages of an incident when the EMO is only partially activated and response activities are minimal, or when an incident occurs that disrupts critical infrastructure, such as transportation and roadways, and staff are unable to get to a physical EOC.
4.2.1 Primary and Alternate EOC Locations
The primary EOC facility is located in Downtown Culver City. The EOC consists of approximately 1,500 square feet of space and is divided among the Management, Operations, Logistics, Planning/Intelligence, and Finance/Administ ration sections. Emergency power is provided by a diesel generator. The emergency fuel reserve is sufficient for 3.5 days at a full load; 5 days at a ¾ load, and 7 days at a half -load. This is based on the availability of 2,000 gallons of diesel f uel housed in the generator’s belly tank and in an underground storage tank which is used exclusively to fuel this generator. Fuel levels are monitored during daily inspections through a certified tank monitoring system. Fuel is ordered when underground storage tanks reach half of their capacity, with deliveries occurring the following day. The EOC has the capability to house and feed staff for 24 consecutive hours. On -site services include kitchen, bathrooms, food, and water supply, and sleeping cots.
In the event the primary EOC facility, is damaged, inaccessible, and/ or an evacuation of EOC staff members becomes necessary, an alternate site has been identified. The Logistics Section will
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arrange for relocation of EOC staff members to the alternate EOC. Direction and control authority will be transferred from the primary EOC to the alternate EOC by the EOC Director. All Section Coordinators will advise their emergency response field forces of the transition to the alternate EOC.
The operational functions of the alternate EOC will be the same as those of the primary EOC.
Instructions for activating the EOC and position-specific checklists are included in the EOC Operations Guide and are kept within the entrance of the EOC.
4.2.2 Department Operations Centers (DOC)
Just as the EOC is a physical location, DOCs are also physical locations that City departments use to respond to support the mission of the EMO. Depending on the situation, City departments may also choose to operate their DOC remotely or in a hybrid environment.
A Department Operations Center (DOC) is a central location from which a specific agency can provide support for that agency’s field responders when the need arises. A DOC is a department- specific facility that manages situational awareness and coordinate resources specifically for their internal department operations. A DOC shares information on situation status and resource status with the EOC and follows the ICS structure. The DOC can be vertically scaled depending on the severity and necessities of an event and may provide and receive liaisons as necessary.
4.2.3 Duties & Responsibilities of Emergency Operation Center (EOC) Sections The City EOC is organized into five sections, one for each of the five SEMS/ICS functions. Each section is divided into Functional Branches and/or units which are activated as needed. Space is provided for support staff and representatives from other agencies.
Detailed responsibilities and checklists for section and unit positions are documented fully within the EOC Operations Guide. EOC Sections, Branches, and Units are activated/deactivated based on the needs of the incident and as determined by their immediate ICS supervisor. EOC staff are organized by SEMS/ICS sections that are further divided into Branches and Units. Section coordinators are assigned under all activation levels and are a primary point of contact for personnel assigned to the EOC. Branch Dire ctors’ and Unit Leaders’ primary directives are to coordinate resource requests and disseminate information between Command Posts, DOCs, EOC responders, City departments, and contributing agencies.
Management
Section
Operations
Section
Planning and
Intelligence
Section
Logistics Section
Finance and
Administration
Section
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Management Section
The Management S ection directs and manages all sections within the EOC. Management personnel develop, implement, and review strategic decisions pertaining to EOC response. When the need arises, the EOC Director(s) may assign additional personnel to serve under the management section or other sections as appropriate based on their expertise.
Operations Section
The Operations Section ensures that all essential emergency -related information and resource requests are received, processed, and internally coordinated within the EOC. Workstations have been established in the Operations Section for the Branch Directors and Unit Leaders. Branch Directors and Unit Leaders are responsible for providing incoming situation information and resource requests to the EOC from the field or DOC and ensuring that essential information and results of internal EOC coordination efforts are passed back to the DOC and the field as appropriate.
Planning and Intelligence Section
The Planning and Intelligence Section is responsible for collecting, evaluating, processing, and distributing information about the emergency to all functional elements and agencies in the EOC.
The section will maintain a city -wide operations picture throu gh displays, maintaining current information in automated EOC information management systems , and preparing situation summaries and EOC action plans.
Logistics Section
The Logistics Section provides resource support to city -wide emergency operations. Logistics identifies and obtains access to facilities, locates and procures resources , and coordinates donation management.
Finance and Administration Section
The Finance and Administration Section provides general administrative, finance, and legal support related to EOC activities. Activities also include creating procurement guidelines and managing procurement processes. With the support of the Operations and Planning and Intelligence Section, the Finance and Administration section compiles and processes damage assessment information.
Examples of functions performed in Culver City’s EOC include:
• Managing and coordinating disaster/emergency operations. • Receiving and disseminating warning information.
• Developing emergency policies and procedures.
• Collecting intelligence from, and forwarding information to, the various EOC representatives, and, as appropriate, to County and State agencies, military, and federal agencies.
• Preparing intelligence/information summaries, situation reports, operational reports, and other reports as required.
Management
Section
Operations
Section
Planning and
Intelligence Section
Logistics
Section
Finance and
Administration
Section
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• Maintaining general and specific maps, information display boards, and other data pertaining to disaster/emergency operations.
• Continuing analysis and evaluation of all data pertaining to disaster/emergency operations.
• Controlling and coordinating, within established policy, the operational and logistical support of departmental resources committed to the disaster/emergency. • Maintaining contact and coordination with field units, support DOCs, other local government EOCs, and the OA.
• Providing emergency information and instructions to the public, making official releases to the news media and the scheduling of press conferences as necessary.
EOC Facility Management
Management of and maintaining operational readiness of the primary and alternate EOC facilities is the responsibility of the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator.
The EOC Director will have the primary responsibility for ensuring that the City Council is kept informed of the situation and will bring all major policy issues to the Council for review and decision.
4.3 Coordination with Field-Level Incident Command Posts Field-level responders organize according to the ICS and coordinate with Dispatch Centers, Incident Command Posts (ICPs), Department Operations Centers (DOCs), and/or the Emergency Operations Center ( EOC) to share information and request support. In this section, when referring to coordination with the E OC and DOCs, the terms can mean either the in person EOC/DOCs or virtual EOC/DOCs. As all responding entities are considered part of the City’s EMO, the terms EOC and D OCs are used in this section to explain the coordination between the field level person nel (tactical operations) and the response o rganization (overall incident management operations).
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Figure 4-2: ICP, DOC, and EOC Coordination and Linkages
DOCs EOCs
Fire & Rescue Fire/Rescue/Hazmat
/
Medical/Health
Branch
Law Enforcement Law Enforcement
Branch
Public Works Public Works
Branch (primary),
Building Safety
Branch
Transportation Transportation
Branch
Parks, Recreation &
Community Services
Care & Shelter
Branch
4.3.4 Coordination with DOCs
DOCs provide support to ICPs and coordinate with the EOC staff to request resources and to share information. Communication and information sharing between the DOCs and the EOC occurs between an Operations Section representative from the DOC and the associate d Branch Coordinator in the Operations Section of the EOC.
Additionally, coordination occurs between like or similar positions in DOCs and the EOC (i.e., DOC Planning and Intelligence Section with EOC Planning and Intelligence Section).
4.3.5 Coordination with Operational Area
The City EOC staff coordinate with the County of Los Angeles Operational Area (OA) EOC when activated. Coordination occurs to request resources and share information. Communication between the City EOC and OA EOC occurs between position counterparts. For example, the City EOC Planning Section Coordinator communicates with the OA EOC Planning Section Coordinator.
Additionally, during complex or large -scale incidents, the City may send a lia ison to the Los Angeles County OA EOC to facilitate communication and coordination, especially in support of resource management. This person is part of the City’s EOC Liaison Branch.
4.3.6 Coordination with Special Districts and Utilities When activated, the City EOC staff coordinate with special districts and utilities through their activated EOCs to share information and request or provide support as necessary. For some incidents the City may choose to send a liaison to a special district (i.e., an example of a special district would be Golden State Water) or utility or they may send a liaison to the City EOC in order to more efficiently share information and make decisions. Depending on the magnitude o f the
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incident and personnel availability, special district and utility liaisons may need to provide the liaison to the OA as a resource in support of the entire OA and its jurisdictions.
4.3.4 Coordination with Non-Profit and Voluntary Organizations Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) include non -profits and faith-based organizations that offer their services with no legal mandate. VOADs mobilize and provide valuable assistance for survivors before, during , and after incidents. These organizations train and plan to effectively integrate volunteers into the City’s incident response and recovery organization. Use of voluntary organization doesn’t necessarily mean all -volunteer services are free. Some services, resources, and expertise may be offered by community -or faith-based groups, but they may need assistance in covering costs to do so in times of emergency or disaster.
Voluntary organizations provide field and tactical operations with culturall y informed expertise, situational awareness, and knowledge of the impacts on disproportionately impacted individuals.
Disproportionately impacted individuals live throughout the City and may commonly be found in neighborhoods lacking adequate resources on a daily basis (e.g., a reas with limited access to fresh, healthful foods, accessible transportation, acc essible housing, and health maintenance services). There will be different populations affected during different incidents and with functional variables and needs associated with shifting demographics and transience (visitors, travelers, workers, etc.). VOAD and other community -and faith -based organizations serve as invaluable partners in assisting City response personnel to better understand service needs and respond appropriately. Additionally, the organizations may assist the community with reviewing information resourcing, outreach, language translations, interpreters, and after-action reporting.
They may also support in engaging with diverse populations in pre-disaster training and exercises.
The City of Culver City administers a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, educating volunteers from the community about disaster preparedness for the hazards that are most likely to occur in the City . Topics covered include basic response skills, such as fire safety, light search and re scue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT offers a consistent, nationwide volunteer training curriculum that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks.
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5. Mutual Aid
Mutual aid is designed to ensure that adequate resources, facilities, and other support are provided to jurisdictions whenever their own resources prove to be inadequate to cope with a given situation(s). The basis for the system is the California Disaster and Civil Defense Master Mutual Aid Agreement, as provided for in the California Emergency Services Act. This Agreement was developed in 1950 and has been adopted by the state, all 58 counties and most incorporated cities in the State of California. The Master Mutual Aid Agreement creates a formal structure wherein each jurisdiction retains control of its own faci lities, personnel, and resources, but may also receive or render assistance to other jurisdictions within the state. State government is obligated to provide available resources to assist local jurisdictions in emergencies. It is the responsibility of the local jurisdiction to negotiate, coordinate and prepare mutual aid agreements.
5.1 Mutual Aid System
A statewide mutual aid system, operating within the framework of the Master Mutual Aid Agreement, allows for the progressive mobilization of resources to and from emergenc y response agencies, local governments, OAs, regions, and state with the intent to provide requesting agencies with adequate resources. The general flow of mutual aid resource requests and resources within mutual aid systems are depicted in Chart 5-1.
The system includes several discipline -specific mutual aid systems, such as fire and rescue, law, medical, building safety, coroners, emergency managers (EMMA), and public works. These systems are consistent with the Standardized Emergency Management Sy stem ( SEMS) and the Nation al Incident Management System (NIMS) at all levels.
In addition to the mutual aid agreements that are in place within the state of California, the Governor signed the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC)24 which allows the State of California to participate with the other states in a nationwide mutual aid system.
5.2 Mutual Aid Regions
Mutual Aid Regions I-VI were established in California under the California Emergency Services Act, and each contains designated counties. Los Angeles County and its cities are in Mutual Aid Region I, which is in the Cal OES Southern Administrative Region.
24 California Government Code Section § 179.5, Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). California Government Code Section 179.5 (public.law)
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Chart 5-1: Cal OES Administrative and Mutual Aid Regions
5.3 Mutual Aid Coordinators
To facilitate mutual aid, discipline-specific mutual aid systems work through designated mutual aid coordinators at the OA, regional and state levels. The basic role of a mutual aid coordinator is to receive mutual aid requests, coordinate the provision of resources from within the coordinator's geographic area of responsibility and pass on unfilled requests to the next level.
Mutual aid requests that do not fall into one of the discipline-specific mutual aid systems are handled through the emergency services mutual aid system by emergency management staff at the local government, OA, regional and state levels. In the OA, this would be coordinated through the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management.
Mutual aid coordinators may function from an EOC, their normal departmental location , or other locations depending on the circumstances.
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5.4 Participation of Volunteer and Private Agencies
Volunteer agencies and private agencies may participate in the mutual aid system along with governmental agencies. For example, the disaster medical mutual aid system relies heavily on private sector involvement for medical/health resources. The City’s emergency preparedness partnerships, including volunteer agencies such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Disaster Communication Services, community and faith -based organizations and others , are an essential element of the st atewide emergency response to meet the needs of disaster victims.
Volunteer agencies mobilize volunteers and other resources through their own systems. They also may identify resource needs that are not met within their own systems that would be requested through the mutual aid system. Volunteer agencies with extensive involvement in the emergency response should be represented in EOCs.
Some private agencies have established mutual aid arrangements to assist other private agencies and government within their functional area. For example, electric and gas utilities have mutual aid agreements within their industry and established procedures for coordinating with governmental EOCs. In some functional areas, services are provided by a mix of special district, m unicipal and private agencies. Mutual aid arrangements may include both governmental and private agencies.
Liaisons should be established between activated EOCs, and private agencies involved in a response. Where there is a need for extensive coordination and information exchange, private agencies should be represented in activated EOCs at the appropriate SEMS level.
5.5 Mutual Aid Authorities and References
Mutual aid assistance may be provided under one or more of the following authorities or agreements:
• California Master Mutual Aid Agreement, December 1950 • California Fire and Rescue Emergency Mutual Aid Plan
• California Fire Assistance Agreement
• California Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Plan
• Emergency Management Assistance Compact
• Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Public Law 93 -288, as amended)-provides federal support to state and local disaster activities. • California Emergency Management Mutual Aid Plan, March 2022
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City Of Culver City Mutual Aid Agreements
With For Date
L.A. County Mutual Aid for Law
Enforcement 2022
L.A. City Exchange of Fire Protection &
Rescue Services
2021 (2024 Update
Pending)
L.A. County Exchange of Fire Protection &
Rescue Services
June 9th, 1998
Southern CA Cities/Counties Public Works Mutual Aid March 19th , 1990
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6. Information Collection, Analysis, and Dissemination
A primary objective of the City of Culver City’s Emergency Management Organization (EMO) is the timely gathering of accurate, accessible, and consistent information during an emergency and sharing vetted intelligence to ensure coordinated, timely emergency response and continuity of government. The EMO will use a variety of tools and resources available to them to display and communicate current information so that all engaged in the emergency response can quickly comprehend what actions have been taken, what resources are available, and the damage status across the City/jurisdiction. Establishing a common operating picture and maintaining situational awareness is essential to incident management and is a major role of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) staff.
Information relating to the incident or event is often collected before an incident through routine monitoring of warning sources and credible threats. This information is used for advance d preparedness and planning, to devise incident management strategies and action plans, and to make decisions about notifying the public. The Office of Emergency Preparedness will use this information to determine what steps should be taken, such as recommending activation of the EOC.
Once the EOC is activated, the responsibility of information collection, analysis, and dissemination switches from the Office of Emergency Preparedness to the Planning and Intelligence Section.
Additional information on information collection, analysis, and dissemination can be found in the City’s EOC Operations Guide.
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7. Emergency Communications Operations and Public Information The City of Culver City strives to keep the public as informed as possible during an emergency and uses its relationships with multiple jurisdictions and agencies, including non -governmental organizations (NGOs) and private businesses to disseminate information. During an emergency response, the Public Information Branch in the EOC provides support to the incident by handling inquiries from the media, the public and elected officials; developing and disseminating emergency public information and warnings; monitoring media and social media outlets; and completing other functions required to gather verify, coordinate, and disseminate accurate, accessible, and timely information related to the incident, particularly regarding information on public health, safety, and protection.
The following provides an overview of the communication and information coordination protocols and procedures of City departments as it pertains to emergency operations.
7.1 Communication Systems
The City of Culver City utilizes redundant modes of communication to ensure situational awareness is maintained. The City will notify other levels of government of natural or human -caused emergencies that affect the City in accordance with existing laws, protocols, or when OA, state and/or federal assistance is requested or anticipated. To meet this responsibility, the City is equipped with several telephone , data, and radio systems . Some of these systems are used on a day-to-day basis; others are available for use in an emergency, as conditions require. Multiple communication channels will be used to maintain communications with other levels of government and to ensure the City can quickly respond to any developing emergencies. Additional information on communications support procedures and interoperable communications plans can be found in Annex B - Crisis Communications Plan.
7.1.1 Alert and Notification Processes/Systems
Emergency officials constantly monitor events and the environment to identify specific threats that may affect the City of Culver City and increase the awareness level of emergency personnel and the community when a threat is approaching or imminent. Sufficient warning provides the opportunity for response agencies to increase readiness, which are actions designed to increase an agency’s ability to effectively respond once an emergency occurs. Readiness activities may include:
• Briefing government officials
• Reviewing plans and procedures
• Preparing and disseminating information to the community • Updating resource lists
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• Testing systems such as warning and communications systems • Precautionary activation of the EOC
The City has integrated the use of multi-modal communications to include effective and accessible communication platforms to reach the community and maintain situational awareness. Within the City of Culver City, the use of traditional media , social media, web -based media, printed publications, in person communications, email distributions, and Everbridge are frequently used to prepare the community.
7.1.2 Notification Systems
Communication, information collection, and alert and warning systems for the City of Culver City include, but are not limited to:
• Everbridge aka Nixle: Everbridge is the City of Culver City’s official emergency notification system that is used to contact residents and EOC staff that have signed up for the service prior to the incident.
• PulsePoint: PulsePoint allows community members to stay mindful of important incident activity that may be impactful. These informational notifications provide an early and automatic heads-up to local threats such as wildland fires, flooding and utility emergencies.
• Operational Area Response and Recovery System (OARRS): OARRS is a web -based emergency management software utilized by the OA (County of Los Angeles) to receive situation status information and resource requests from OA partners and jurisdictions.
• Integrated Public Alert and Warning Systems ( IPAWS): IPAWS is an internet -based notification system run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial authorities can use it to issue critical public alerts and warnings via television broadcast, radio, and mobile phones. The three core components of IPAWS are the Emergency Alert System (EAS), the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) System and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio.
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o Emergency Alert System (EAS): The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national public warning system that requires broadcasters, cable television systems, wireless cable systems, satellite digital audio radio service (SDARS) providers, and direct broadcast s atellite (DBS) providers to provide the communications capability to the President to address the American public during a national emergency. The system also may be used by state and local authorities to deliver important emergency information, such as AM BER alerts and weather information targeted to specific areas.
o Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA):
WEA gives authorized government alerting authorities the ability to send emergency messages through major mobile carriers. Alerting Authorities can send WEA ale rts to people in specific areas. Everyone in the target area will receive the message on his or her mobile device (i.e., cell phone). WEA alerts look different from a typical text alert to differentiate them from regular notifications. They cause a unique alert tone and vibration, accompanied by a brief text notification displayed on the recipient’s mobile device. The public does not need to register for this service. WEA is an opt -out system. Mobile device users will receive the WEA notification unless the y choose to deactivate the service on their mobile device.
o National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio:
NOAA Weather Radio uses technology similar to old -fashioned portable radio pagers and desktop radio receivers. Alerting Authorities can reach these devices by sending a particular tone and data signal, followed by audio information. The National Weather Radio Network, operated by the NOAA, is the best known and most widely deployed example of this technology. Tone-alert radios can provide both alerting and warning detail quickly over a wide area but require an investment in the receiving equipment that many members of the public decline to make. Some NOAA Radios have Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) capability allowing Alerting Authorities to limit warnings to specific areas.
• Public Address System (PA) & Vehicle Siren : The Culver City Police and Fire Departments can issue warnings using loudspeakers and sirens on their vehicles. Examples where this may be appropriate include:
o Widespread evacuation
o Hazardous materials incident
o Civil disturbance
o Crowd control
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This method is effective in reaching many people, except those with hearing impairments, and we may use this method in addition to other mass notification systems including WEA, Everbridge, etc.
• Changeable Message Signs: The City of Culver has three portable Changeable Message Signs (CMS) that can be deployed throughout the City to warn motorists of hazards or special events. These message signs are effective in warning approaching travelers. The CMS may be used in addition to other mass notification systems including WEA, Everbridge, etc.
Department-Specific Communications
Communication strategies may also differ from department to department during events. Some City departments frequently utilize emergency communication s equipment depending on City roles and functions , i.e., City issued radios . Other departments may only utilize emergency communications strategies as needed.
Additional Communication Methods
Whenever possible, the City will utilize the primary communication methods listed above. As needed, Culver City may utilize other communication methods to share messages. In the event of a major emergency where specific electronic systems may not be available, information may be shared through door-to-door communications, posted emergency signage on street corners, neighborhood watch programs, ham radio volunteers, community meetings, and other sources.
7.1.3 Public Information
Public information consists of the processes, procedures, and systems to communicate timely and accurate information by accessible means and in accessible formats on the incident’s cause, size, and current situation to the public, responders, and additional stakeholders (both directly affected and indirectly affected). Public information must be coordinated and integrated across jurisdictions, agencies, and organizations; among federal, state, tri bal, and local governments; and with the private sector and N on-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Well -developed public information, educational strategies, and communication plans help ensure that lifesaving measures are coordinated and communicated to numerous audiences in a timely, consistent manner. During an emergency or significant incident, managing public information is essential in keeping the public informed about:
• What has happened,
• What actions City emergency response agencies have taken, AND • What the public needs to know and do in response to an emergency or significant incident.
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7.1.4 Joint Information System
All information with the public is coordinated utilizing Joint Information System procedures for situational awareness and unified information dissemination to the public. Subsequently, a Joint Information Center (JIC) may be activated to serve as a central location for Public Information Officers (PIOs) from all agencies to share information before coordi nating informati on dissemination strategies. Within the EOC, PIOs will also work alongside the EOC Management Branch to determine what information should be sent quickly and is most important to share with the public. The lead PIO in the City’s EOC will also coordinate wi th the County’s PIO on any news releases related to a disaster which includes information about the City.
Information dissemination strategies to the public may differ depending on the event. PIOs may utilize social media, news outlets, radio, or other means of communication to share information with the public if communication systems are impacted.
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8. Resource Management
The City of Culver City, like most jurisdictions, does not own or maintain all the resources necessary to address all potential threats and hazards. Effective resource management includes making good use of each jurisdiction’s resources, engaging private sector res ources, involving volunteer organizations, and encouraging further development of mutual aid agreements. Resource management preparedness involves identifying and typing resources; qualifying, certifying, and credentialing personnel; planning for resources; and acquiring, storing, and inventorying resources.
The National Management System (NIMS) Resource Management component identifies five kinds of resources: personnel, equipment, teams, supplies, and facilities.
8.1 General Resource Request Flow
Resource requirements for supplies, equipment, vehicles, facilities, or personnel are initially filled from within the City departments. Once internal resources have been exhausted (to include inventories on hand and procurement from vendors) or when a sh ortfall is projected, a resource request based on a needed outcome is submitted by the Department Operations Center (DOC) staff to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) staff. Resource requests should include enough detail to ensure that those receiving the request understand what is needed.
When City resources have been exhausted, or certain resources are unavailable, resource requests are then routed to the Operational Area (OA) EOC. If resources are exhausted in the OA, requests are routed to the Southern Regional Emergency Operations Center (REOC) following Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) protocols.
Figure 8-1 illustrates the Mutual Aid System Flow Chart as defined by SEMS.
City of
Culver City
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8.1.1 Field and Department Operation Center
During the initial stages of an incident, resource procurement processes are managed at the field incident response level. Each responding department maintains, deploys, and procures resources specific to department operations. However, once an incident requires resources outside the department or responding agency, resource requests are elevated to the EOC, if activated.
8.1.2 EOC Resource Request Process
Interdepartmental Resource Procurement (Operations Section) If a responding department in the field cannot procure a resource through their own departmental processes, the request will be submitted to the EOC, when activated, and will initially be m anaged by the Operations Section and its activated branches. Resource sharing amongst responding agencies is accomplished to ensure readily available resources managed by the City are utilized before seeking additional means of procurement.
Logistics Section
If the Operations Section is unable to procure a resource, the request is sent to the Logistics Section on the condition the request is not for contracted services. The Logistics Section fulfills commodity, facility, personnel, technology, and ground tr ansportation requests so long as the request specifications meet fulfillment requirements (i.e., an adequate funding source, the requesting department, date needed by, delivery information, etc.). The EOC Logistics Section will then work to acquire the resource through City warehouses, departments, and vendors listed in the financial management system and other EOC resource lists.
Request for contracted services
During an emergency, City departments/divisions may have to meet urgent needs by procuring resources to supplement existing goods and services already under City contract. In the instance the request is for contracted services, the request is sent to the appropriate City Department that already has a contract for that service in place. The requesting department/division will “piggyback” requests for services off the existing contract. However, if the request necessitates services outside existing service contracts, the City Manager, City Attorney and, Chief Financial Officer will collaborate to determine if an existing service contract requires an amendment or a new one should be developed to meet the needs of the request.
Donations Management
Management of donations will be facilitated through the Liaison /Legislative Officer in the Management Section of the EOC and Supply/Procurement through the Logistics Section. Staff will work on identifying resource needs and working to fulfil them through collaboration with the
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appropriate City department and vetted NGO, FBO, CBO or private sector business. When specific donation items are needed to meet the needs, EOC staff will work with the EOC PIO to communicate with the public.
County/State
Following SEMS processes and procedures, in the instance the City of Culver City is unable to procure a resource and has exhausted all local assets, a request will be made to the OA to fulfill the request.
In the instance the City of Culver City is impacted by a major disaster, the OA is also likely to be impacted logistically and operationally. Therefore, immediate requests from the OA to the State may be necessary to meet local response needs.
8.2 Discipline-Specific Mutual Aid Resource Request Flow Under the California Master Mutual Aid Agreement (MMAA), of which the City is a signatory, discipline-specific mutual aid systems (e.g., Law, Fire and Rescue, Medical Health, Public Works, and Emergency Management), follow a slightly different path when reque sting resources. While they still f low bottom up, following SEMS levels, the requests are initiated, communicated, and coordinated, through designated Mutual Aid Coordinators at each level. In the City, each specific discipline has their processes of how to initiate the requests, track the status of requests and how to ensure that the information is shared with the associated Branch in the Operations Section of the EOC.
8.3 Increasing Workforce
Depending on the size and scope of the incident, it may be necessary for the City to increase its workforce and expand beyond its traditional response organization. As all City employees are considered Disaster Service Workers (DSWs) (see Section 9.1 for more information), any City employee may be called upon to assist. Additiona lly, the City may consider increasing workforce through contract employees, nonprofit organizations, or by requesting additional individuals through the resource request and mutual aid processes.
8.3.1 Use of Affiliated Disaster Service Worker Volunteers The City’s emergency organization relies on a dedicated network of volunteers to support preparedness activities, augment response, and provide expertise in recovery. The Office of Emergency Preparedness manages the following volunteer programs:
• Culver City Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
• Culver City Amateur Radio Emergency Services (CCARES)
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8.3.2 Use of Spontaneous Unaffiliated Volunteers
After a disaster, local governments often see an influx of spontaneous volunteers converge in their communities; however, well -intentioned, uncoordinated volunteers can be ineffective, hinder response operations, and create new risks. Emergency volunteers must be carefully managed, a function that often falls to local government.
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9. Administration and Finance
9.1 Disaster Service Workers
This section includes information on compensation, workers’ compensation, liability, and timekeeping for Disaster Service Workers (DSW) and the Disaster Service Worker Volunteers (DSW- V). Fo r additional information on City of Culver City employees serving as DSWs and the DSW -V Program see Section 3.2.1.
9.1.1 Public Employees
All City employees obligated to serve as Disaster Service Workers. All City employees take an oath to serve as a DSW during their new employee orientation. City employees will be compensated for hours worked over regular hours per day and/or per week according to the City’s Human Resources policies and collective bargaining agreements.
9.1.2 Volunteers
A Disaster Service Worker Volunteer is “…any person registered with an accredited Disaster Council…for the purpose of engaging in disaster service…without pay or other consideration.” 25 Registered DSW-Vs are persons who have chosen to volunteer their time to assist a disaster or emergency services agency in carrying out the responsibilities of that agency. The person must:
• Be officially registered with the accredited Disaster Council;26 and, • Not receive any pay, monetary or otherwise for the service being provided.
The definition “…also includes any unregistered person impressed into service during a state of war emergency, a state of emergency, or a local emergency by a person having authority to command the aid of the citizens in the execution of his or her duties.”27 The State’s DSW -V Program provides workers’ compensation insurance coverage in the event a DSW-V or public employee (working outside the role of their defined job responsibilities) is injured while performing assigned disaster duties, when registered prior to any action to deploy.
Circumstances can occur when an emergency official (a firefighter, law enforcement officer, or other public official having authority to command the aid of individuals to carry out assigned duties) requires the immediate assistance of another per son who may not be a public employee or registered volunteer. In such a time, that official can order a bystander to assist in that emergency.
When that is done, the bystander has just bee n impressed into service, and as such, is covered by
25 California Labor Code § 3211.92.
26 Culver City Municipal Code § 3.09.015 Disaster Council Membership 27 California Labor Code § 3211.92.
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worker’s compensation and has immunity from liability to the same degree as a registered DSW-V.
Although rare, certain situations warrant such action. The emergency official should take note of the impressed person’s name, address, and phone number at the scene of the incident . The impressed person is under the supervision of that official until released from that duty.
The EOC Recovery Branch – Volunteers Unit will maintain all timekeeping records for volunteers so that their time can be considered as part of the City’s offset for cost-recovery reimbursement.
Note as per Culver City Municipal Code § 3.09.015(B)(3) the Disaster Council, consisting of members of the City Council, are empowered to “register disaster service workers ; provided, however, that the Disaster Council may delegate the act of registering disaster service workers to others through the City of Culver City Emergency Plan”.
Delegation of authority to register disaster service workers are hereby given to:
• Human Resources Director and/or delegates
• Fire Chief and/or delegates
• Emergency Preparedness Coordinator and/or delegates
• Emergency Operations Center personnel
9.2 Documentation
The EOC Finan ce/Administration Section is responsible for maintaining records on damage assessment expenditures, re covery cost expenditures, insurance related documents, personnel overtime, and other costs associated with the emergency. Guidance is provided in their position - specific checklists at the EOC and in the EOC Operations Guide.
The EOC Planning and Intelligence Section, Documentation Unit will maintain copies of documents that are integral to EOC functions, (e.g., Incident Action Plans, Situation Reports, Position Logs, Sign- in Sheets) that together make up the history and chronology of incidents where the Emergency Management Organization (EMO) is activated. Additional details regarding retaining, filing, and maintaining documentation of response activities are found in the Planning Section’s operational procedures in the EOC Operations Guide.
9.3 Cost Tracking
Disaster-related expenditures may be reimbursed under several state and federal programs.
Recovering these costs can be a complex process that requires significant documentation and accurate recordkeeping to ensure maximum reimbursement for eligible activities. • The Finance Department is responsible for coordinating the City’s efforts to prope rly apply for state and federal reimbursement for disaster-related costs and obligations.
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• For disasters involving significant damage to infrastructure , it can take years to complete the eligible work and to compile supporting documentation necessary for state and federal reimbursement.
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Office of the Inspector General routinely audits state and local governments and non -profit organizations that receive FEMA disaster assistance funds. If the Inspector Genera l determines that a grant applicant did not spend disaster assistance funds according to federal regulations and FEMA guidelines, FEMA can rescind the original award. Providing documentation in the form FEMA requests can provide a measure of protection for the City. In addition to inadequate documentation, common disallowances include expenditures for ineligible items, improper procurement, and duplicate payments from insurance companies. It is important to maintain records and documentation in auditable form for at least three years after the receipt of a closeout letter from California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services ( Cal OES) (see Section 10.4).
9.3.1 Eligible Costs
Eligible costs are extraordinary costs incurred while providing emergency services required by the direct impact of a declared disaster and for which the service is the responsibility of the applicant agency (the City). Eligible costs are generally considered to be the net costs over and above any increased revenue or subsidy for the emergency service. Eligible costs are ones that:
• Are reasonable and necessary to accomplish the eligible work.
• Comply with federal, state, and local requirements for procurement.
• Do not include (or are reduced by) insurance proceeds, salvage values, and other credits.
• When determining costs, the defining factor for reimbursement will be whether the documented costs can be deemed “reasonable”. The federal government often refers to Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 200.404 for a definition of “reasonable” costs:
o A cost is reasonable if, in its nature and amount, it does not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision was made to incur the cost.
The eligible cost criteria apply to all direct costs, including salaries, wages, fringe benefits, materials, equipment, and contracts awarded for eligible work. Ineligible expenses include costs for standby personnel and/or equipment and lost revenue.
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9.4 Recordkeeping Requirements
State and Federal governments require detailed information to support claims for reimbursement.
Funding will be approved or denied based upon the information supplied by applicant agencies.
Documentation supporting all costs claimed will be required a nd all information must relate back to individual original source records. Detailed records should be kept from the onset of an incident or event to include, but not be limited to:
• Appropriate extracts from payrolls, with any cross references needed to locate original documents. Labor costs should be compiled separately from vehicle and/or equipment expenses.
• A schedule of vehicles used for emergency operations. This documentation should include the miles and/or hours operated by location and operator. Vehicle operating expenses should include fuel, tires, and maintenance.
• A schedule for heavy equipment used for emergency operations. This documentation should include exactly where the equipment was used and for what, hours and minutes used, and the name of the equipment operator if applicable. • Invoices, warrants, and checks issued and paid for materials, supplies, and equipment expenses used for emergency operations. Costs for supplies and materials must include documentation of exactly where resources were used and for what purpose.
• Copies of requests for proposals issued for work that is contracted out to support eligible disaster-related response or recovery work.
• Justification for all non-competitive procurements.
• Final contracts.
• Invoices submitted by the contractor.
• Warrants authorizing check issuance.
• Work done under inter-community agreements and mutual aid.
Revenues and subsidies for emergency operations must be subtracted from any costs claimed.
Expenditure tracking should commence upon notice or obvious occurrence of disasters that require expense of labor, equipment use, materials, and other expenses.
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The City, through the Finance Department, will activate a special code for emergency expenditure tracking which is used for both labor and equipment. The EOC Finance/Administration Section will compile reports, including total expenditures by category. The EOC Finance/Administration Section Coordinator will submit a summary report on total costs to the EOC Director as reque sted. This information will be used for State and Federal disaster assistance applications. Additional details regarding record -keeping requirements can be found in the guidance provided by each grant program. The FEMA Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide provides record -keeping requirement guidance that is generally applicable to most programs.
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10. Recovery
The recovery phase of an emergency or disaster is often defined as restoring a community to its pre-disaster condition. More realistically, recovery is the process of re -establishing a state of normalcy in the affected communities. A successful recovery effort is inclusive of the whole community. Understanding legal obligations and sharing best practices when planning and implementing recovery strategies to avoid excluding groups is critical. Actions, both intentional and unintentional, that exclude gro ups of people based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin (including limited English proficiency), religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify, age, or disability can have long -term negative consequences on entire communities and may violate the law.
While seemingly counter -intuitive, recovery actually begins at the onset of the event and all response personnel should, as much as possible, consider recovery implications in all actions taken.
With that said, the formal “recovery phase” generally occurs in three stages: short -term, intermediate, and long -term. On ce critical activities that address the established response priorities have been completed, the emergency organization should gradually begin the formal transition to the recovery phase. The specific approach to recovery operations following a disaster will be determined by the location, type, magnitude, and effects of the incident.
10.1 Short Term Recovery
Short-term recovery operations begin concurrently with or shortly after the commencement of response operations. Although referred to as “short term” recovery, these activities may last for weeks. Short-term recovery operations will include all the departments participating in the City’s disaster response. Goals of short-term recovery operations include, but are not limited to:
• Restoration of local government services to at least a minimal capacity • Addressing debris that poses a threat to public health and safety • Orderly and coordinated restoration of essential services and infrastructure to at least a minimal capacity (e.g., electricity, water, sanitary systems, etc.) • Initial planning for the restoration of the community, including economic functions • Initial establishment of assistance centers as a resource to the community (e.g., Local Assistance Centers, Disaster Recovery Centers, etc.)
10.2 Intermediate Recovery
The intermediate phase of recovery involves returning individuals, families, critical infrastructure and essential government or commercial services to a functional, if not pre -disaster, state. Such activities are often characterized by temporary actions that provide a bridge to permanent measures.
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10.3 Long Term Recovery
Long-term recovery continues short -term and intermediate recovery actions and begins to focus more on community restoration. This stage may last for a number of months or years dependin g on the severity and extent of damage sustained. Long term r ecovery activities include those necessary to restore the community to a state of normalcy, given the inevitable changes that result following a major disaster. Long -term recovery typically involves a variety of public, non - governmental, and private sector partners . This stage requires significant planning to maximize opportunities and mitigate risks after a major incident. Long -term goals may include, but are not limited to:
• Establishment of lo ng-term assistance centers as a resource to the community (e.g. , Community Resilience Centers where federal, state, and local resources are consolidated to help community members, responders, visitors, and businesses impacted by an incident of mass violence or terrorism)
• Reconstruction of facilities and infrastructure including the technology systems and services necessary for restoration of all operations functions
• Community planning including the development of long-term housing plans • Implementation of waivers, zoning changes, and other land -use legislation to promote recovery
• Assistance to displaced families, which may include financial support as well as social and health services
• Restoration of the local economic system
• Integration of mitigation strategies into recovery efforts • Documentation of eligible disaster-related costs for reimbursement through state and federal grant programs
• Apply for state and federal assistance programs to recovery disaster response costs • Identify recovery programs for residents and businesses Depending on the nature and impact of the disaster, long-term recovery activities may also include coordinated delivery of long -term social and health services, improved land use planning, and permanently restored and hardened utilities and infrastructure.
Figure 10-1 on the following page illustrates the recovery continuum. Decisions made and priorities set pre-disaster and early in the recovery process have a cascading effect on the nature, speed, and inclusiveness of recovery.
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Figure 10-1
Depicts the interconnectedness of recovery activities from pre-incident to long term.
10.4 Recovery Operations
The City’s recovery operations will begin in the EOC. Staff will continue to utilize ICS and EOC procedures to assign roles, organize processes, and report and monitor progress.
As efforts transition from short-to-intermediate and long-term recovery, the need for a fully staffed EOC will decline. Additionally, since recovery operations may go on for years, it is not feasible to manage recovery operations in the City EOC, which should be available to support new emergency response operations. Instead, the Director of Emergency Services, in consultation with the Policy Group, may decide to move recovery operations to another facility or to a virtual environment. This will be determined by the nature and scope of recovery needs. When that decision is made, staff will be assigned to Recovery in support of community recovery efforts.
10.5 Damage Assessment
Damage assessment operations are critical activities that support efforts to develop situational awareness, identify immediate needs and threats, and allocate short and long -term resources, establish priorities for response and recovery, and help to identify mitigation opportunities for the future. The information produced through damage assessments is evaluated to determine the needs of survivors and the community as a whole and may inform the entire response operation and drive the recovery process.
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Damage assessment after a disaster is typically conducted by trained personnel from various agencies and departments including public works, engineering, and occasionally private sector experts. Their primary responsibility is to systematically survey affected areas to assess the extent of damage to infrastructure, buildings , and utilities. This involves categorizing damage severity, documenting findings through detailed reports, and prioritizing areas for immediate assistance based on cr itical needs. Coordination with local first responders, relief agencies, and other stakeholders is essential to ensure accurate data collection and timely response deployment.
10.6 Recovery Assistance Programs
Disaster assistance programs and resources may be made available depending on the location, type, magnitude, and impacts of an emergency or disaster incident. Available disaster assistance programs include federal and state assistance for local jurisdictions.
10.6.1 Local Public Assistance Programs (PA)
Public Assistance (PA) refers to programs that are made available to local governments following an emergency or disaster incident. PA programs are made available to local governments by the state and/or federal government depending on the specifics of an incident.
Federal Disaster Assistance
Federal disaster assistance programs are available under the Stafford Act when the president declares a major disaster or emergency. FEMA oversees the administration of these programs.
Federal disaster assistance can come in various forms, FEMA Public Assistance, and Individual Assistance.
Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) program is available to state, tribal, and local governments for the mitigation, management, and control of fires on publicly or privately owned forests or grasslands, which threaten such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. The Fire Management Assistance declaration process is initiated when a state submits a request to the FEMA Regional Director at the time a “threat of major disaster” exists.
State Disaster Assistance
State disaster assistance programs are available under the California Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA) when the governor proclaims an emergency or when there is a Cal OES Director’s Concurren ce.
Each may authorize the state to provide financial disaster assistance for eligible costs incurred by local governments as a result of a disaster.
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CDAA may be implemented in circumstances when local resources have been exceeded. In general, the CDAA typically provides a cost share of typically 75 percent of the jurisdiction’s cost share for eligible expenditures.
The table below contains an overview of the state and federal Public Assistance Programs:
Title/Authority Description Provider Declaration
Required?
California
Disaster
Assistance Act
(CDAA)
Director’s Concurrence
The Cal OES Director may concur with a local
government request for state assistance
independently of a Governor’s Proclamation
of a State of Emergency. A Director’s
Concurrence is limited to eligible permanent
repair work. There is generally a 75% -25%
cost share between state and local
governments.
State
No
California State of Emergency
When the Governor proclaims a State of
Emergency and authorizes CDAA, both
emergency and permanent work are eligible
for assistance. There is generally a 75% -25%
cost share between state and local
governments under a Governor’s
proclamation as well. In addition, the State of
Emergency allows certain eligible private
nonprofit organizations to receive state
assistance for providing essential community
services during a state declared disaster.
State Yes
Federal
Highway
Administration
(FHWA)
Emergency
Relief Program
Under the Emergency Relief Program, the
FHWA provides assistance to the California
Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and
local governments for damage to roads,
bridges, and other facilities on the federal-aid
system. In California, Caltra ns implements
this program on behalf of FHWA. A State of
Emergency is required.
State Yes
FEMA Public
Assistance
Grant Program
FEMA provides State agencies, local
governments, tribal governments, and
certain private nonprofit entities with federal
grants to cover eligible disaster recovery
work typically on a cost -share basis. In
Federal/State Yes
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accordance with the Stafford Act, the federal
cost share is a minimum of 75 percent. The
State of California, through the C DAA,
typically provides 75 percent of the
remaining cost share with the applicant.
Eligible costs must be associated with:
• Debris removal.
• Emergency work necessary to save
lives, protect public health and safety,
and protect property.
• Restoration of damag ed facilities,
including buildings, equipment, and
infrastructure and to pre -disaster
design, function, and capacity.
• Implementation of cost -effective
hazard mitigation measures during
repairs to damaged facilities to
reduce the risk of future damage to
those facilities.
Fire
Management
Assistance
Grant (FMAG)
Program
Available to state, tribal and local
governments for the mitigation,
management, and control of fires on publicly
or privately owned forests or grasslands,
which threaten such destruction as would
constitute a major disaster. The Fire
Management Assistance declaration process
is initiated when a state submits a request for
assistance to the FEMA Regional Director at
the time a "threat of major disaster" exists.
The Fire Management Assistance declaration
process is initiated when a state submits a
request for assistance to the FEMA Regional
Director at the time a "threat of major
disaster" exists.
Federal No
U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers
(USACE)
Rehabilitation
and Inspection
Program
Under the Rehabilitation and Inspection
Program, the USACE provides assistance for
flood fighting, emergency repair, and repairs
to damaged facilities. USACE provides this
assistance for levees and other flood control
works that meet pre -disaster criteria for
participation in the program. A Presidential
declaration is required. Under the Flood
Control and Coastal Emergency Act (PL 84 -
Federal Yes
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99), the USACE has authority to supplement
state and local entities in flood fighting urban
and other non -agricultural areas under
certain conditions. PL 84 - 99 also authorizes
USACE to provide emergency water support
and drought assistance in certain situations
and allows for “advance measures”
assistance to prevent or reduce flood
damage or the imminent threat of unusual
flooding
U.S.
Department of
Housing and
Urban
Development
(HUD)
Community
Development
Block Grant
Program
The HUD Community Development Block
Grants may be requested by state, local, and
tribal governments for a wide range of
recovery purposes. A Presidential declaration
is required.
Federal Yes
10.6.2 Individual Assistance Programs (IA)
In general, IA refers to programs that are made available to individuals, households, or the private sector following an emergency or disaster incident. IA is not a replacement for individuals maintaining adequate insurance coverag e, nor is it intended to make individuals and households “whole,” but instead is meant to provide critical assistance to individuals during the recovery phase.
Depending on the specifics of an incident, IA programs may be provided through non-governmental organizations and/or federal IA programs.
The table below contains an overview of common Individual Assistance Programs:
Title/Authority Description Provider
Crisis Counseling
Assistance & Training
Program
Supplemental funding to assist disaster
impacted individuals and communities in
recovering from major disasters through the
provision of community-based outreach and
psychological educational services.
Federal
Disaster Case
Management Program
A time limited process that promotes
partnership between a case manager and a
disaster survivor to assess and address a
survivor’s verified disaster caused unmet needs
through a disaster recovery plan.
Federal
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Disaster Legal Services Legal aid through an agree ment with the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association
for survivors affected by a Presidentially
declared major disaster who qualify as low
income.
Federal
Disaster Unemployment
Assistance (Federal)
(State)
Unemployment benefi ts and reemployment
assistance services for eligible survivors. Services
are the responsibility of the U.S. Department of
Labor and administered by state, territorial,
tribal, and local government officials in the
affected area(s). DUA is only available to eligible
survivors who are not eligible for regular state
unemployment insurance.
Federal/State
Individuals and
Households Program (IHP)
The IHP provides financial assistance and direct
services for eligible individuals and households
affected by a disaster who have uninsured or
underinsured necessary expenses and serious
needs.
Federal
Non-Governmental
Organizations Assistance
Many NGOs (e.g., American Red Cross, Salvation
Army, etc.) provide recovery assistance to
individuals, families, and community
organizations following an emergency/disaster
incident. This may include assistance for
essential-need items like shelter, food, clothing,
or housing reconstruction. In Los Angeles
County, ENLA member organizations working as
the County’s VOAD provide valuable IA resources
during the recovery phase of any incident. There
are no minimum thresholds nor require ments
for an emergency to be proclaimed/declared
before NGOs can provide IA support.
NGO
Other Needs Assistance
(ONA)
ONA provides financial assistance for eligible
needs that are not housing related, including
personal property, transportation,
moving/storage, medical/dental, childcare,
funeral/burial, and other miscellaneous
assistance.
Federal
US Department of
Agriculture (USDA)
Assistance
The USDA provides low interest loans to farmers,
ranchers, and aquaculturists for physical and/or
crop productio n losses in areas designated a
disaster by the Secretary of Agriculture. As a
result, the SBA may also provide economic injury
disaster loans to small non -farm businesses,
Federal
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small agricultural cooperatives, and most private
nonprofit organizations of any size.
US Small Business
Administration (SBA)
Loans
The SBA provides low interest disaster loans to
homeowners, renters, businesses, and certain
private nonprofit organizations in declared
disaster areas. Loans may be made for uninsured
physical damage to homes, businesse s, and
other properties, or for economic losses. As a
result of a Presidential disaster declaration, SBA
may implement its disaster loan programs.
SBA Disaster Loans are available without a
Presidential disaster declaration with an SBA
Administrative (Ag ency) declaration. A request
for an SBA Administrative disaster declaration
may be made by the governor to activate SBA’s
disaster loan program available for businesses of
all sizes (including private non -profit
organizations), homeowners and renters for
physical damages. Economic injury loans are
made available for small businesses and most
private non-profit organizations of all sizes in the
declared disaster area. Contiguous counties have
the same eligibility under an Agency declaration.
An SBA Agency de claration does not include
FEMA (IA) programs. Requests for an SBA
Declaration will follow the SEMS hierarchy and
Cal OES will coordinate a request for SBA
assistance if appropriate. In such circumstances,
the damage incurred by the community must
meet cer tain minimum thresholds confirmed
through the PDA process.
Federal
10.6.3 Hazard Mitigation and Preparedness Grant Programs Effective mitigation and preparedness require the comprehension of local risks, and investment in long-term sustainable community resilience projects. In accordance with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, the City of Culver City actively maintains and updates a Multi -Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) in coordination with the Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD). The MJHMP assesses risks posed by hazards and social vulnerabilities and develops a mitigation plan for reducing risks within the City’s jurisdiction.
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Following a disaster incident that receives a Presidential Disaster Declaration, FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds plans and projects that reduce the effects of future natural disasters. Eligible applicants may include state agencies, local governments, federally recognized tribes, special districts, and some private nonprofits. All state, l ocal, tribal, and territorial governments must develop and adopt hazard mitigation plans to receive funding for hazard mitigation projects.
Some Cal OES grants may be offered conditionally or open on an intermittent basis, to see the different types of grants that are available, access the California Grants Portal.
The table below contains an overview of common Hazard Mitigation and Preparedness Grant programs available:
Title/Authority Description Provider
Assistance to
Firefighters Grants
Program
The Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program
(AFGP) funds critically needed resources to equip
and train emerge ncy personnel, enhance
efficiencies, and support community resilience. This
program comprises the Assistance to Firefighters
Grants (AFG), Fire Prevention & Safety (FP&S) grants
and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency
Response (SAFER) grants.
Federal
Building Resilient
Infrastructure and
Communities (BRIC)
The BRIC grant program gives states, local
communities, tribes and territories funding to
address future risks to natural disasters, including
ones involving wildfires, drought, hurricanes,
earthquakes, extreme heat, and flooding.
Federal
Dam Safety Program The National Dam Safety Program State Assistance Grant Awards provide assistance to encourage the
establishment and maintenance of effective State
programs intended to ensure dam safety, to protect
human life and property, and to improve State dam
safety programs
Federal
Emergency
Management Baseline
Assessment Grant
Program
The Emergency Management Baseline Assessment
Grant (EMBAG) program provides non -disaster
funding to support developing, maintaining, and
revising voluntary national level standards and peer-
review assessment processes for emergency
management and using these standards and
processes to assess state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency management programs, and
professionals
Federal
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Emergency
Management
Performance Grant
The Emergency Management Performance Grant
(EMPG) provides state, local, tribal, and territorial
emergency management agencies with the
resources required for implementation of the
National Preparedness System and works toward the
National Preparedness Goal of a secure and resilient
nation.
Federal
Emergency Operations
Center Grant Program
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Grant
Program is intended to improve emergency
management and preparedness capabilities by
supporting flexible, sustainable, secure, strategically located, and fully interoperable EOCs with a focus on
addressing identified deficiencies and needs.
Federal
Homeland Security
Grant Program
The Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)
includes a suite of risk -based grants to assist state, local, tribal and te rritorial efforts in preventing,
protecting against, mitigating, responding to and
recovering from acts of terrorism and other threats.
This program comprises the State Homeland Security
Program (SHSP), Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI)
and Operation Stonegarden (OPSG).
Federal
State Homeland Security Program
This program provides funding to support the
implementation of risk -driven, capabilities-based
State Homeland Security Strategies to address
capability targets.
Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI)
The Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) aims to
enhance the capabilities and preparedness of high -
threat, high-density urban areas to prevent, pr otect
against, respond to, and recover from acts of
terrorism and other catastrophic events. UASI
funding is allocated to eligible urban areas to support planning, organization, equipment, training, and
exercises related to homeland security and
emergency management.
Intercity Bus Security
Grant Program
The Intercity Bus Security Grant Program (IBSG)
helps protect surface transportation infrastructure
and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and
increase the resilience of transit infrastructure.
Federal
Intercity Passenger Rail
– Amtrak Program
This Intercity Passenger Rail (IPR) - Amtrak Program
provides funds to protect critical surface
transportation infrastructure and the traveling
Federal
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public from acts of terrorism and increase the
resilience of the Amtrak rail system.
National Earthquake
Hazards Reduction
Program’s State
Assistance Program
The FEMA National Earthquake Hazards Reduction
Program (NEHRP) Earthquake State Assistance Grant
Program was created to increase and enhance the
effective implementation of earthquake risk
reduction at the local level.
The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction
Program provides funding to support the
establishment of earthquake hazards reduction
programming and implementation of earthquake
safety, mitigati on, and resilience activities at the
local level.
Federal
Next Generation
Warning System Grant
The Next Generation Warning System Grant
Program (NGWSGP) supports investments that
improve the resilience and security of public
broadcasting networks and systems.
Federal
Port Security Grant
Program
The Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) provides
funding to state, local and private-sector partners to
help protect critical p ort infrastructure from
terrorism, enhance maritime domain awareness,
improve port -wide maritime security risk
management, and maintain or reestablish maritime
security mitigation protocols that support port
recovery and resiliency capabilities.
Federal
Presidential Residence
Protection Assistance
The Presidential Residence Protection Assistance
Program (PRPA) provides funding to reimburse state
and local law enforcement agencies for operational
overtime costs incurred while protecting any non -
governmental residence of the President of the
United States as designated or identified to be
secured by the United States Secret Service.
Federal
Regional Catastrophic
Preparedness Grant
Program
The Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant
Program (RCPGP) supports the building of core
capabilities essential to achieving the National
Preparedness Goal of a secure and resilient nation by
providing resources to close known capability gaps in
Housing and Logistics and Supply Chain
Management, encouraging innovative regional
solutions to issues related to catastrophic incidents,
and building on existing regional efforts.
Federal
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State and Local
Cybersecurity Grant
Program
The State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program
provides funding to eligible entities to address
cybersecurity risks and cybersecurity threats to
information systems owned or operated by, or on
behalf of, state, local, or tribal governments.
Federal
Transit Security Grant
Program
The Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP) provides
funding to eligible public transportation sys tems
(which include intra-city bus, ferries, and all forms of passenger rail) to protect critical transportation
infrastructure and the traveling public from
terrorism, and to increase transportation
infrastructure resilience.
Tribal Homeland
Security Grant Program
The Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program
(THSGP) plays an important role in the
implementation of the National Preparedness
System by supporting the building, sustaining and
delivery of core capabilities essential to achieving
the National Preparedness Goal of a resilient nation.
Federal
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11. Plan Development and Maintenance
The Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is developed under the authority of City Council. It is a living document, subject to revision based on agency organizational changes, new laws or guidance, and experience obtained from exercises or responding to real events. This section describes the plan development and maintenance process for keeping the EOP current, relevant, and in compliance with Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS), National Incident Management System (NIMS), and other applicable guidelines or requirements.
11.1 Development and Maintenance Responsibilities
The Office of Emergency Preparedness is responsible for the development and maintenance of the EOP. The EOP will be reviewed annually to ensure that plan elements are valid and current. Each responsible department will review and update relevant portions of the EOP and/or modify its SOPs as required based on identified deficiencies experienced in drills, exercises, or actual occurrences.
Changes in government structure and emergency response organizations will also be considered in the EOP revisions. All revisions to the EOP are documented in the Record of Changes.
11.2 Triggers for Plan Updates
In addition to periodic reviews, the EOP will also be reviewed and updated after the following events:
• A major incident
• A change in operational resources (e.g., policy, personnel, organizational structures, management processes, facilities, or equipment)
• A formal update of planning guidance or standards
• Activation of the Emergency Management Organization (EMO) • Exercises
• A change in the jurisdiction’s demographics or hazard or threat profile • A change in the acceptability of various risks
• The enactment of new or amended laws or ordinances
11.3 After-Action Reports
The completion of an After-Action Report (AAR) is a part of the required SEMS reporting process and requires that all cities and counties submit within 90 days a copy of the after -action report to California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).
Section 2450(a) of the NIMS/SEMS regulations states that:
“Any city or county declaring a local emergency for which the governor proclaims a state of emergency, and any state agency responding to that emergency shall complete and transmit an
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After-Action Report to Cal O ES within ninety (90) days of the close of the incident period as specified in the California Code of Regulations, section 2900(j).”
11.3.1 Use of After-Action Reports
AARs are made available to all interested public safety and emergency management organizations and serve the following important functions:
• Document response activities
• Identify problems/successes during emergency operations • Analyze effectiveness of the components of NIMS/SEMS and the Emergency Operations Plan
• Describe and define a plan of action for implementation of improvements The NIMS/SEMS approach to implementing AARs emphasizes the improvement of emergency management at all levels. The AAR provides a vehicle for not only documenting system improvements, but also can, if desired, provide a work plan for how these improvements can be implemented.
It may be useful to coordinate the AAR process when multiple agencies/jurisdictions are involved in the same emergency. Jurisdictions are encouraged to work together in the development of AARs when appropriate and feasible. For example, an Operational Area may take the lead in coordinating the development of an AAR that involves several jurisdictions. If appropriate, jurisdictional reports may become part of an overall operational area report.
11.4 Training and Exercises
Training and exercises play a crucial role in creating opportunities for City departments, local community organizations, and the private sector to work together before a disaster happens.
For the EOP to maintain its relevance and effectiveness, staff is and will continue to be provided training and exercise opportunities so that they have the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the tasks identified in the EOP. Training involves imparting specialized knowledge or instruction to individuals, enabling them to attain proficiency in a specific skill or set of behaviors.
Exercises are events or activities designed to shape planning, address areas for improvement, and develop, validate, or assess capabilities. Personnel are trained on department and position- specific procedures as well as Emergency Operations Center (EOC) procedures necessary to coordinate support for response and recovery activities. All training and exercises are and will be conducted in accordance with NIMS requirements.
The Office of Emergency Preparedness is responsible for coordinating, scheduling, and documenting the training and exercises.
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Appendix A: Authorities and References
General
The California Emergency Services Act (Chapter 7 of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code), hereafter referred to as the Act, provides the basic authorities for conducting emergency operations following a proclamation of Local Emergency, State of Emerge ncy or State of War Emergency by the Governor and/or appropriate local authorities, consistent with the provisions of the Act.
The Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) Regulations (Chapter 1 of Division 2 of Title 19 of the California Code of Regulations), hereafter referred to as SEMS, establishes SEMS which incorporates the use of the Incident Command System (ICS), the Master Mutual Aid Agreement and existing mutual aid systems, the Operational Area concept and multi -agency or inter-agency coordination.
The California Emergency Plan , which is promulgated by the Governor, is published in accordance with the Act and provides overall statewide authorities and responsibilities and describes the functions and operations of government at all levels during emergencies or disasters. Section 8568 of the Act states, in part, that "the State Emergency Plan shall be in effect in each political subdivision of the state, and the governing body of each political subdivision shall take such action as may be necessary to carry out the provisions thereof". Local emergency plans are, therefore, considered to be extensions of the California Emergency Plan.
The National Incident Management Section , hereafter referred to as NIMS, was mandated by Homeland Security Presidential Directive No. 5 and is also based on the Incident Command System and the multi-agency coordination system.
The National Response Framework is a guide as to how the nation conducts all-hazards incident response. It is built upon flexi ble, scalable, and adaptable coordinating structures to align key roles and responsibilities across the nation, linking all levels of government and private sector businesses and nongovernmental organizations. Response includes:
• Immediate actions to save lives, protect property and meet basic human needs. • Implementation of emergency operations plans.
• Actions to support short-term recovery and some short-term mitigation activities.
The federal government does not assume command for local emergency management but rather provides support to local agencies. This Framework is based on the premise that incidents are typically managed at the lowest possible geographic, organizational, and jurisdictional level.
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Authorities
The following provides emergency authorities for conducting and/or supporting emergency operations:
Federal
• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
• Emergency Planning and Community Right -To-Know Act of 1986, also known as the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, Title III (42 U.S.C. §§ 11001 - 11050)
• Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950, Public Law 920, as amended • Homeland Security Act, Public Law 107-296, as amended (6 U.S.C. §101-557) • Homeland Security Presidential Directive #5, February 28, 2003 • Homeland Security Presidential Directive #8, December 17, 2005 • Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988, Public Law 93-288, as amended
• Volunteer Protection Act of 1997, Public Law 105-19 (42 U.S.C. §§ 14501-14505) • Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006
State
• California Constitution
• California Emergency Services Act, Chapter 7 of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code
• California Government Code, Title 19 Public Safety, Div. 1 OES, Chapter 2 Emergency and Major Disasters, Subchapter 3 Disaster Services Worker Volunteer Program • California Government Code, Title 2 Government of the State of California, Div. 1, Chapter 7 California Emergency Services Act, Article 6.5 Accessibility to Emergency Information and Services, Section 8593.3
• California State Emergency Plan – Article 3 of Chapter 7 of Division 1 of Title 2 of the California Government Code
• Disaster Service Workers and Public Employees – Chapter 8 of Division 4 of Title 1 of the California Government Code
• Accessibility to Emergency Information and Services – Article 6.5 of Chapter 7 of Division 1 of Title 2 of the California Government Code
• Local Disaster Councils – Article 10 of Chapter 7 of Division 1 of Title 2 of the California Government Code
• California Health and Safety Code, Division 20, Chapter 6.5, Sections 25115 and 25117, Chapter 6.95, Sections 2550 et seq., Chapter 7, Sections 25600 through 25610, dealing with hazardous materials
• California Disaster Assistance Act, Chapter 7.5 of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code
• Executive Order S-2-05, National Incident Management System Integration into the State of California
• “Good Samaritan” Liability
• California Penal Code §409, §409.5, §409.6
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• Orders and Regulations Promulgated by the Governor to Take Effect upon the Existence of a State of War Emergency
• Orders and Regulations which may be Selectively Promulgated by the Governor during a State of Emergency
• Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) Guidelines • Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) Regulations, Chapter 1 of Division 2 of Title 19 of the California Code of Regulations and Government Code Section 8607(a)
Local
• Culver City Municipal City Code, Title 3: Administration, Chapter 3.09: Disasters and Emergencies
• Civil Defense Master Mutual Aid Agreement dated December 1950 • Agreement of Fire Protection and Rescue Services between the City of Culver City and the City of Los Angeles dated September 1, 1991
• Resolution No. 2010 -R-075- adopting Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Disaster Service Workers, adopted October 11, 2010
• Resolution No. 2006 -R043 adopting the National Incident Management System (NIMS), adopted May 22, 2006
• Resolution adopting the SEMS/NIMS Emergency Plan, October 2016 • Culver City and Culver City Unified School District Multi -Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, September 2023
Other
• Act 58-4-1905 American National Red Cross Statement of Understanding, December 30, 1985
• Mennonite Disaster Services – Agreement with FDAA 194 • Salvation Army Charter-May 12, 1974
References
Federal
• An ADA Guide for Local Governments, U.S. Department of Justice • Hazardous Materials Emergency Planning Guide, NRT-1 and Plan Review Guide, NRT -1A:
(Environmental Protection Agency's National Response Team) • National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1600 • National Incident Management System (NIMS), U.S. Department of Homeland Security • National Response Framework, U.S. Department of Homeland Security • NIMS Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Compliance Checklist • Local and Tribal NIMS Integration, U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security
State
• California (OES) Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA)
• California State Emergency Plan
• California (OES) Emergency Planning Guidance for Local Government and Crosswalk (Checklist for Reviewing Emergency Plans)
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• California Community Planning
• California Fire & Rescue Coordination Center
• California Hazardous Materials Incident Contingency Plan • California (OES) Implementation Guidelines for the National Incident Management System (NIMS) – Found under NIMS Resource and Training on website
• California Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Plan
• California Master Mutual Aid Agreement
County/Operational Area
• Los Angeles County Operational Area Disaster Information Reporting Procedures • Los Angeles County Operational Area Emergency Public Information Plan • County of Los Angeles Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan • Los Angeles County All-Hazards Mitigation Plan
• Los Angeles County Operational Area Functional Annex—Recovery • Los Angeles County Public Health, Annex 11, Operational Plan for Implementation and Enforcement of Isolation and Quarantine Measures
• Los Angeles County Public Works Disaster Routes Plan
Local
• City of Culver City General Plan, 1995. Plan update in progress, 2024 • Culver City Fire Department Major Incident Guidebook
• City of Culver City and Culver City Unified Schoo l District Multi -Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, 2023
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Appendix B: List of Acronyms and Abbreviations
Acronym/Abbreviation Term
AC Area Command
ACS Auxiliary Communication Services
ADA Americans with Disabilities Act
AFN Access and Functional Needs
ARC American Red Cross
ARES Amateur Radio Emergency Services
C of S Chief of Staff
Caltrans California Department of Transportation
Cal OES California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services CAL FIRE California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection CALWAS California Warning System
CBO Community Based Organization
CBRNE Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and or High-Yield Explosive
CCARES Culver City Amateur Radio Emergency Services
CCC California Conservation Corps
CCFD Culver City Fire Department
CCP Casualty Collection Points
CDBG Community Development Block Grant
CDAA California Disaster Assistance Act
CDC Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Public Health Service CDRG Catastrophic Disaster Response Group
CEO Chief Executive Officer
CEPEC California Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council CEQA California Environmental Quality Act
CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act
CERT Community Emergency Response Team
CESA California Emergency Services Association
CESFRS California Emergency Service Fire Radio System
CESRS California Emergency Services Radio System
CHP California Highway Patrol
CIKR Critical Infrastructure, Key Resources
CLEMARS California Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Radio System CLERS California Law Enforcement Radio System
CLETS California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System CMAS Commercial Mobile Alert System
COE Corps of Engineers (US Army)
COG Continuity of Government
CPG Civil Preparedness Guide
C-POD Commodity Point of Distribution
DA Damage Assessment
DAFN Disabilities, Access, and Functional Needs
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DAP Disaster Assistance Programs
DCS Disaster Communications Service
DEST Disaster Emergency Support Team
DFCO Deputy Federal Coordinating Officer
DFO Disaster Field Office
DHA Disaster Housing Assistance
DHS Department of Homeland Security
DMAs Disaster Management Areas
DMAC Disaster Management Area Coordinator
DMAT Disaster Medical Assistance Team
DMORT Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team
DMIS Disaster Management Information System
DOC Department Operations Center
DOD Department of Defense
DOE Department of Energy
DOJ Department of Justice
DOI Department of Interior
DOL Department of Labor
DOS Department of State
DOT Department of Transportation
DRC Disaster Recovery Center
DRM Disaster Recovery Manager
DRO Disaster Recovery Operations
DSA Division of the State Architect (California)
DSCA Defense Support of Civilian Authorities
DWR California Department of Water Resources
EAS Emergency Alert System
EDD Employment Development Department
EDIS Emergency Digital Information System
EIR Environmental Impact Review
EMAC Emergency Management Assistance Compact
EMI Emergency Management Institute
EMIS Emergency Management Information System
EMMA Emergency Managers Mutual Aid
EMO Emergency Management Organization
EMP Electromagnetic Pulse
EMPG Emergency Management Performance Grant
EMSA Emergency Medical Services Authority
EMS Emergency Medical Services
ENN Emergency News Network
EOC Emergency Operations Center
EOP Emergency Operations Plan
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
EPI Emergency Public Information
EPIC Emergency Public Information Center
ERT Emergency Response Team
ERT Evidence Response Team (FBI)
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ESA California Emergency Services Act
ESC Emergency Services Coordinator
ESF Emergency Support Functions
EST Emergency Support Team
FAA Federal Aviation Administration
FAS Federal Aid System Road
FAST Federal Agency Support Team
FBO Faith Based Organization
FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation
FCC Federal Communications Commission
FCO Federal Coordinating Officer
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FFY Federal Fiscal Year
FHWA Federal Highway Administration
FIA Federal Insurance Administration
FIRESCOPE Firefighting Resources of Calif. Organized for Potential Emergencies
FmHA Farmers Home Administration
FTS Field Treatment Sites
GAR Governor's Authorized Representative
GIS Geographic Information System
GSA General Services Administration
HAZMAT Hazardous Materials
HEW U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare
HM Hazard Mitigation
HHS Department of Health and Human Services
HMC Hazard Mitigation Coordinator
HMDA Hazard Mitigation and Disaster Assistance
HMGP Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
HMO Hazard Mitigation Officer
HMT Hazard Mitigation Team
HSAS Homeland Security Advisory System
HSC Homeland Security Council
HSOC Homeland Security Operations Center
HSEEP Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program
HSPD Homeland Security Presidential Directive
HUD Housing and Urban Development Program
IA Individual Assistance
IAEM International Association of Emergency Managers
IA/O Individual Assistance/Officer
IACG Inter-Agency Coordinating Group
IAP Incident Action Plan
IC Incident Commander
ICP Incident Command Post
ICS Incident Command System
IDE Initial Damage Estimate
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IFG Individual and Family Grant Program (State of California program)
IFGP Individual and Family Grant Program
IG Inspector General
IIMG Interagency Incident Management Group
IMT Incident Management Team
IPAWS Integrated Public Alert and Warning System
IRS Internal Revenue Service
JFO Joint Field Office
JIC Joint Information Center
JIS Joint Information System
JOC Joint Operations Center
JPA Joint Powers Agreement
JPIC Joint Public Information Center
JRIC Joint Regional Intelligence Center
JTTF Joint Terrorism Task Force
LAC Local Assistance Center
LFA Lead Federal Agency
LGAC Local Government Advisory Committee
MACS Multi-Agency Coordination System
MARAC Mutual Aid Regional Advisory Committee
MARS U.S. Army Military Affiliate Radio System
MC Mobilization Center
MHFP Multihazard Functional Planning
MMRS Metropolitan Medical Response Team
MOA Memorandum of Agreement
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
M-POD Medical Point of Distribution
MSA Multi-Purpose Staging Area
MTA Metropolitan Transit Authority
NAWAS National Warning System
NCS National Communications System
NDAA California Natural Disaster Assistance Act
NDEA National Defense Education Act
NDMS National Disaster Medical System
NDRF National Disaster Recovery Framework
NEP National Exercise Program
NEST Nuclear Emergency Search Team
NETC National Emergency Training Center
NFA National Fire Academy
NFDA National Funeral Directors Association
NFIP National Flood Insurance Program
NGO Non-Government Organization
NHPA National Historic Preservation Act
NICC National Interagency Coordinating Center
NICC National Infrastructure Coordination Center
NIFCC National Interagency Fire Coordination Center
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NIMS National Incident Management System
NMRT National Medical Response Team
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NOC National Operations Center
NHMP Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan
NOI Notice of Interest
NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission
NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service
NRF National Response Framework
NRT National Response Team
NSC National Security Council
NSSE National Special Security Event
NTC National Tele-registration Center
NTSB National Transportation Safety Board
NVOAD National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster NWS National Weather Service
OA Operational Area
OAEOC Operational Area Emergency Operations Center
OARRS Operational Area Response and Recovery System
OASIS Operational Area Satellite Information System
OEM Office of Emergency Management
OPA Oil Pollution Act
OPM Office of Personnel Management
OSA California Office of the State Architect
OSC On-Scene Coordinator
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration
PA Public Affairs
PAO Public Affairs Officer
PA Public Assistance
PA/O Public Assistance Officer
PA# Project Application Number
PDA Preliminary Damage Assessment
PDD Presidential Decision Directive
PEH People Experiencing Homelessness
PFO Principal Federal Officer
PIO Public Information Officer
POC Point of Contact
PNP Private Nonprofit Organization
PSI Pounds per Square Inch
PUC California Public Utilities Commission
PW Project Worksheet
RADEF Radiological Defense
RAP Radiological Assistance Program
RCP Regional Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan
RD Regional Director (FEMA)
REACT Radio Emergency Associated Communication Team
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REOC Regional Emergency Operations Center
RIMS Response Information Management System
RM Radiological Monitor
RO Radiological Officer
ROC Regional Operations Center
RRCC Regional Response Coordinating Center
RRT Regional Response Team
RTOS Rail Transit Operations Supervisor
SA Salvation Army
SAC Special Agent in Charge
SAP State Assistance Program
SAR Search and Rescue
SARA Superfund Amendment Reauthorization Act (Title III) SAST California State Agency Support Team
SBA Small Business Administration
SCAQMD South Coast Air Quality Management District
SCO State Coordinating Officer
SEMS Standardized Emergency Management System
SFLEO Senior Federal Law Enforcement Officer
SFO Senior Federal Officer
SHMO State Hazard Mitigation Officer
SHPO State Historic Preservation Officer
SIOC Strategic Information and Operations Center
SITREP Situation Report
SLPS State and Local Programs and Support Directorate (FEMA) SOC State Operations Center
SOP Standard Operating Procedure
STO State Training Officer
Subgrantee An eligible applicant in Federally declared disasters TEWG Terrorism Early Warning Group
TWG Terrorism Working Group
USACE United States Army Corps of Engineers
USAR Urban Search and Rescue
USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture
USFA United States Fire Administration
USGS United States Geological Survey
VA Veterans Administration
VSAT Very Small Aperture Terminal
VOAD Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster
WMD Weapons of Mass Destruction
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B.1 Glossary of Terms
This Glossary contains definitions of terms commonly used in the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
A
Advance Element of the Emergency Response Team (ERT -A): The portion of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) which is the first group deployed to the field to respond to a disaster incident.
Action Plan: "Action Plan" means the plan prepared in the EOC contai ning the emergency response objectives of that SEMS level reflecting overall priorities and supporting activities for a designated period. The plan is shared with supporting agencies.
After Action Report: A report covering response actions, application of SEMS and NIMS, modifications to plans and procedures, training needs, and recovery activities. After action reports are required under SEMS after any emergency which requires a declaration of an emergency. Reports are required within 90 days.
Agency: An agency is a division of government with specific function, or a non -governmental organization (e.g., private contractor, business, etc.) that offers a particular kind of assistance. In ICS, agencies are defined as jurisdictional (having statutory responsibility for incident mitigation) or assisting and/or cooperating (providing resources and/or assistance). (See Assisting, Cooperating Agency and Multi-agency.)
Agency Executive or Administrator: Chief executive officer (or designee) of the agency or jurisdiction that has responsibility for the incident.
Agency Representative: An individual assigned to an incident or to an EOC from an assisting or cooperating agency who has delegated authority to make decisions on matters affecting that agency's participati on at the incident or at the EOC. Agency Representatives report to the Liaison/Legislative Officer.
Air Operations Branch Director: The person primarily responsible for preparing and implementing the air operations portion of the Incident Action Plan. Al so responsible for providing logistical support to helicopters operating on the incident.
Allocated Resources: Resources dispatched to an incident.
AMBER Plan: A Plan adopted locally or statewide that provide for an EAS Alert message to use the public to find abducted children. For more information contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). (703) 837-6354
Area Command: An organization established to: 1) oversee the management of multiple incidents that are each being handled by an Incident Command System organization; or 2) to oversee the management of a very large incident that has multiple Incident Management Teams assigned to it. Area Command has the responsibility to set overall strategy and priorities, allocate
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critical resources based on priorities, ensure that incidents are properly managed, and ensure that objectives are met, and strategies followed.
Assessment: The evaluation and interpretation of measurements and other information to provide a basis for decision-making.
Assignments: Tasks given to resources to perform within a given operational period, based upon tactical objectives in the Incident or EOC Action Plan.
Assistant: Title for subordinates of the Command Staff positions at the Field SEMS level. The title indicates a lev el of technical capability, qualifications, and responsibility subordinate to the primary positions. Assistants may also be used to supervise unit activities at camps.
Assisting Agency: An agency directly contributing tactical or service resources to another agency.
Available Resources: Incident-based resources which are available for immediate assignment.
B
Base: The location at an incident at which primary logistics functions for an incident are coordinated and administered. There is only one Base per incident. (Incident name or other designator will be added to the term "Base.") The Incident Command Post may be collocated with the Base.
Base Flood: A term used in the National Flood Insurance Program to indicate the minimum size flood to be used by a community as a basis for its floodplain management regulations. The Base Flood is a flood which has a one-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year.
The Base Flood is also known as a 100-year flood or one-percent chance flood.
Base Flood Elevation (BFE): The elevation for which there is a one -percent chance in any given year that flood levels will equal or exceed it. The BFE is determined by statistical analysis for each local area and designated on the Flood Insurance Rate Map. It is a lso known as the 100 -Year Flood.
Branch: The organizational level at the SEMS Field Level having functional or geographic responsibility for major parts of incident operations. The Branch level is organizationally between Section and Division/Group in the Operations Section, and between Section and Units in the Logistics Section. Branches are identified using Roman Numerals or by functional names (e.g., medical, security, etc.). Branches are also used in the same sequences at the SEMS EOC Levels.
Branch Director: The ICS title for individuals responsible for supervision of a Branch at the Field Level. At SEMS EOC levels, the title Branch Coordinator is preferred.
C
Cache: A pre-determined complement of tools, equipment and/or supplies stored in a designated location, available for incident use.
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California Emergency Council: The official advisory body to the Governor on all matters pertaining to statewide emergency preparedness.
Camp: A geographical site, within the general incident area, separate from the Incident Base, equipped, and staffed to provide sleeping, food, water , and sanitary services to the incident personnel.
Care and Shelter: A phase of operations that meets the food, clothing, and shelter needs of people on a mass care basis.
Chain of Command: A series of management positions in order of authority.
Check-in: The process whereby resources first report to an incident or into an EOC/Check-in location at the SEMS Field level include: Incident Command Post (Resources Unit), Incident Base, Camps, Staging Areas, Helibases, Helispots, and Division Supervisors (for direct line assignments).
Checklist: A list of actions taken by an e lement of the emergency organization in response to a particular event or situation.
Civil Air Patrol: A civilian auxiliary of the United Stated Air Force which provides personnel, services, and equipment for specified missions in support of state and loc al emergency operations.
Civil Disorder: Any incident intended to disrupt community affairs that requires Law enforcement intervention to maintain public safety including riots and mass demonstrations as well as terrorist attacks.
Clear Text: The use of plain English in radio communications transmissions. No Ten Codes or agency specific codes are used when utilizing Clear Text.
CLERS: California Law Enforcement Radio System. The State’s radio system dedicated to public safety/law enforcement purposes that run of the State’s microwave backbone. Local CLERS VHF channels provide State EAS audio to broadcasters.
CLETS: California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System. CLETS terminals can be permissioned to originate EDIS messages. Please see EDIS definition below.
Command: The act of directing, and/or controlling resources at an incident by virtue of explicit legal, agency, or delegated authority. May also refer to the Incident Commander.
Command Post: (See Incident Command Post)
Command Staff: The Command Staff at the Field level consists of the Information Officer, Safety Officer, and Liaison/Legislative Officer. They report directly to the Incident Commander and may have an assistant or assistants, as needed. These functions may also be found at the EOC levels and would be referred to as Management Staff.
Common Operating Picture: A broad view of the overall situation as reflected by situation reports, aerial photography, and other information or intelligence.
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Communications Unit: An organizational unit in the Logistics Section responsible for providing communication services at an incident or an EOC. A communications Unit may also be a facility (e.g., a trailer or mobile van) used to provide a major part of an Incident Communications Center.
Community Right-to-Know: Legislation requiring the communicating of chemical formation t o local agencies or the public.
Compact: Formal working agreements among agencies to obtain mutual aid.
Compensation Unit/Claims Unit: Functional unit within the Finance/Administration Section responsible for financial concerns resulting from property da mage, injuries, or fatalities at the incident or within an EOC.
Complex: Two or more individual incidents located in the same general area which are assigned to a single Incident Commander or to a Management.
Continuity of Government (COG): All measures that may be taken to ensure the continuity of essential functions of governments in the event of emergency conditions, including line -of succession for key decision makers.
Contingency Plan: A sub or supporting plan which deals with one specific type of emergency, its’ probable effect on the jurisdiction, and the actions necessary to offset these effects.
Cooperating Agency: An agency supplying assistance other than direct tactical or support functions or resources to the incident control effort (e.g., A merican Red Cross telephone company, etc.).
Coordination: The process of systematically analyzing a situation, developing relevant information, and informing appropriate command authority of viable alternatives for selection of the most effective combinat ion of available resources to meet specific objectives. The coordination process (which can be either intra - or inter -agency) does not involve dispatch actions. However, personnel responsible for coordination may perform command or dispatch functions within the limits established by specific agency delegations, procedures, legal authority, etc. Multi-agency or Inter-agency coordination is found at all SEMS levels.
Cost Sharing Agreements: Agreements between agencies or jurisdictions to share designated costs related to incidents. Cost sharing agreements are normally written but may also be verbal between authorized agency or jurisdictional representatives at the incident.
Cost Unit: Functional unit within the Finance/Administration Section responsible for tracking costs, analyzing cost data, making cost estimates, and recommending cost-saving measures.
D
Damage Assessment: The process utilized to determine the magnitude of damage and the unmet needs of individuals, businesses, the public sector, and the community caused by a disaster or emergency event.
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Dam Failure: Part or complete collapse of a dam causing downstream flooding.
Declaration: The formal action by the President to make a State eligible for major disaster or emergency assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, PL 3-288, as amended (the Stafford Act).
Declaration Process: When a disaster strikes, local authorities and individuals request help from private relief organizations and their State government, which give all assistance possible. If assistance is beyond their capability, the Governor requests a Presidential declaration of a major disaster or an emergency.
Delegation of Authority: A statement provided to the Incident Commander by the Agency Executive delegating authority and assigning responsibility. The Delegation of Authority can include objectives, priorities, expectations, constraints and other considerations or guidelines as needed. Many agencies require written Delegation of Authority to be given to Incident Commanders prior to their assuming command on larger incidents.
Demobilization Unit: Functional unit within the Planning Section responsible for assuring orderly, safe, and efficient demobilization of incident or EOC assigned resources.
Department Operations Center (DOC): A facility used by a distinct discipline, such as fire, medical, hazardous mat erial, or a unit, such as Department of Public Works, Department of Health, or local water district. Department operations centers may be used at all SEMS levels above the field response level depending upon the impacts of the emergency.
Deputy Incident C ommander (Section Coordinator or Branch Director): A fully qualified individual who, in the absence of a superior, could be delegated the authority to manage a functional operation or perform a specific task. In some cases, a Deputy could act as relief for a superior and therefore must be fully qualified in the position. Deputies may also be found as necessary at all SEMS EOC levels.
Designated Area: Any emergency or major disaster -affected portion of a State that has been determined eligible for Federal assistance.
Direction and Control (Emergency Management): The provision of overall operational control and/or coordination of emergency operations at each level of the Statewide Emergency Organization, whether it be the actual direction of field forces or the coordination of joint efforts of governmental and private agencies in supporting such operations.
Disaster: A sudden calamitous emergency event bringing great damage loss or destruction.
Disaster Assistance Program: A program that provides state funding or reimbursement for local government response related personnel costs incurred in response to an incident as defined in Section 2402 (i).
Disaster Field Office: A central facility established by the Federal Coordinating Office within or immediately adjacent to disaster impacted areas to be utilized as a point of coordination and control for state and federal governmental efforts to support disaster relief and rec overy operations.
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Disaster Management Areas (DMAs): Due to size and complexity, the County of Los Angeles has been divided into e ight geographic areas known as DMAs. DMAs are an intermediate level between the Local Government and OA levels of SEMS and are unique to the Los Angeles County OA.
Disaster Management Area Coordinator (DMAC): DMAs are established through a joint powers agreement (JPA) between the County Board of Supervisors and all 88 cities within the County.
Each DMA has a DMAC who works with every city within their area to coordinate throughout all phases of the emergency management cycle, including mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. DMACs work to advocate for their cities and serve as liaisons between the O A and cities.
Disaster Preparedness Improvement Grant Program (DPIG): Authorized under Section 201 of the Stafford Act. Annual matching awards are provided to States to improve or update their disaster assistance plans and capabilities.
Disaster Recovery Manager (DRM): The person appointed to exercise the authority of a Regional Director for a particular emergency or disaster.
Disaster Service Worker: Includes public employees and any unregistered person impressed into service during a State of War emergency, a State of emergency, or a Local Emergency by a person having authority to command the aid of citizens in the execution of his duties. It does not include anyone registered as an active firefighting member of any regularly organized volunteer fire department, having official recognition, and full or partial support of the county, city, town, or district in which such fire department is located.
Disaster Welfare Inquiry (DWI): A service that provides health and welfare reports about relatives and certain other individuals believed to be in a disaster area and when the disaster caused dislocation or disruption of normal communications facilities precludes normal communications.
Dispatch: The implementation of a command decision to move a resource or resources from one place to another.
Dispatch Center: A facility from which resources are assigned to an incident.
Division: Divisions are used to divide an incident into geographical areas of operation. Divisions are identified by alphabetic characters for horizontal applications and, often, by numbers when used in buildings. Divisions are also used at SEMS EOC levels and are found organizationally between Branches and Units.
Division or Group Supervisor: The position title for individuals responsible for command of a Division or Group at an Incident. At EOC level, the title is Division Coordinator.
Documentation Unit: Functional unit within the Planning Section responsible for collecting, recording, and safeguarding all documents relevant to an incident or within an EOC.
Dose: Accumulated or total exposure to gamma radiation, commonly expressed in REM.
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Dosimeter: An instrument for measuring and registering total accumulated exposure to gamma radiation.
E
Economic Stabilization: The intended result of governmental use of direct and indirect controls to maintain and stabilize the nation’s economy during emerg ency conditions. Direct controls include such actions as the setting or freezing of wages, prices, and rents or the direct rationing of goods. Indirect controls can be put into effect by government through use of monetary, credit, tax, or other policy measures.
EDIS: Emergency Digital Information Service. The “government wireless service” provided by the State and carried locally on 39.32 MHz. that is used for longer form text emergency information, along with a website at [www.edis.ca.gov]. Plans are underway for EDIS to be linked with EAS to help TV stations put text on screen faster to better serve the needs of the hearing impaired. EDIS is also a key system to reinforce and support the LA County AMBER Plan.
Emergency: A condition of disaster or of ex treme peril to the safety of persons and property caused by such conditions as air pollution, fire, flood, hazardous material incident, storm, epidemic, riot, drought, sudden and severe energy shortage, plant or animal infestations or disease, the Governor ’s warning of an earthquake or volcanic prediction, or an earthquake or other conditions, other than conditions resulting from a labor controversy.
Emergency Alert System: A system that enables the President and federal, state, and local governments to communicate through commercial radio and television broadcast stations with the general public in the event of a disaster.
Emergency Management (Direction and Control): The provision of overall operational control and/or coordination of emergency operations at each level of the Statewide Emergency Organization, whether it be the actual direction of field forces or the coordination of joint efforts of governmental and private agencies in supporting such operations.
Emergency Management Coordinator: The individual within each jurisdiction that is delegated the day -to-day responsibility for the development and maintenance of all emergency management coordination efforts.
Emergency Management Organization: The organization responsible for centralizing the direction, control, and coordination of disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts. It serves as the central hub for managing all phases of emergency management within its jurisdiction.
Emergency Medical Services: Treatment of casualties necessary to maintain their vital signs prior to treatment at a medical center.
Emergency Operations: Those actions taken during the emergency period to protect life and property, care for the people affected, and temporarily restore essential community services.
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Emergency Operations Center (EOC): A location from which centralized emergency management can be performed. EOC facilities are established by an agency or jurisdiction to coordinate the overall agency or jurisdictional response and support to an emergency.
Emergency Operations Plan (EOP): The plan that each jurisdiction has and maintains for responding to appropriate hazards.
Emergency Plans: Those official and approved d ocuments which describe principles, policies, concepts of operations, methods, and procedures to be applied in carrying out emergency operations or rendering mutual aid during emergencies. These plans include such elements as continuity of government, emer gency functions of governmental agencies, mobilization and application of resources, mutual aid, and public information.
Emergency Public Information (EPI): Information disseminated to the public by official sources during an emergency, using broadcast an d print media. EPI includes: (1) instructions on survival and health preservation actions to take (what to do, what not to do, evacuation procedures, etc.), (2) status information on the disaster situation (number of deaths, injuries, property damage, etc.), and (3) other useful information (state/federal assistance available).
ENN: The Emergency News Network. A term used to describe the use of voice, video, and data to provide not only alerts, but also the ongoing story of any major emergency; from response to recovery much as NASA does with its NASA Mission Control.
Emergency Public Information System: The network of information officers and their staffs who operate from EPICs (Centers) at all levels of government within the state. The system also includes the news media through which emergency information is released to the public.
Emergency Support Function: A grouping of government and certain private -sector capabilities into an organizational structure to provide the support, resources, program implementation, and services that are most likely to be needed to save lives, protect property and the environment, restore essential services and critical infrastructure, and help victims and communities return to normal, when feasible, following domestic incidents. The ESFs serve as the primary operational- level mechanism to provide assistance to State, local, and tribal governments or to Federal departments and agencies conducting missions of primary Federal responsibility.
EOC Action Plan: The plan develop ed at SEMS EOC levels which contains objectives, actions to be taken, assignments and supporting information for the next operational period.
Essential Facilities: Facilities that are essential for maintaining the health, safety, and overall well-being of the public following a disaster (e.g., hospitals, law enforcement and fire department buildings, utility facilities, etc.). May also include buildings that have been designated for use as mass care facilities (e.g., schools, churches, etc.).
Evacuation: Organized, phased, and supervised withdrawal, dispersal, or removal of civilians from dangerous or potentially dangerous areas, and their reception and care in safe areas.
Evacuee: An individual who moves or is moved from a hazard area to a less hazardous area with anticipation of return when the hazard abates.
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Event: A planned, non-emergency activity. ICS can be used as the management system for a wide range of events, e.g., parades, concerts, or sporting events.
Exercise: Maneuver or simulated emergency condition involving planning, preparation, and execution; carried out for the purpose of testing, evaluating, planning, developing, training, and/or demonstrating emergency management systems and individual components and capabilities, to identify areas of strength and weakness for improvement of an emergency operations plan (EOP).
Expedient Shelter: Any shelter constructed in an emergency or crisis period on a "crash basis" by individuals, single families, or small groups of families.
F
Facilities Unit: Functional unit within the Support Branch of the Logistics Section at the SEMS Field Response Level that provides fixed facilities for the incident. These facilities may include the Incident Base, feeding areas, sleeping areas, sanitary facilities, etc.
Federal Agency (Federal Definition): Any department, independent establishment, government corporation, or other agency of the executive branch of the federal government, including the United States Postal Service, but not including the American Red Cross.
Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO): The person appointed by the President to coordinate federal assistance following an emergency or major disaster declaration.
Federal Disaster Assistance: Provides in-kind and monetary assistance to disaster victims, state, or local government by federal agencies under the provision of the Federal Disaster Relief Act and other statutory authorities of federal agencies.
Federal Disaster Relief Act: Public Law 93 -288, as amended, that gives the President broad powers to supplement the efforts and available resources of state and local governments in carrying out th eir responsibilities to alleviate suffering and damage resulting from major (peacetime) disasters.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): This agency was created in 1979 to provide a single point of accountability for all Federal activities related to disaster mitigation and emergency preparedness, response, and recovery.
Federal Hazard Mitigation Officer (FHMO): The FEMA employee responsible for representing the agency for each declaration in carrying out the overall responsibilities for hazard mit igation and for Subpart M, including coordinating post-disaster hazard mitigation actions with other agencies of government at all levels.
Federal Insurance Administration (FIA): the government unit, a part of FEMA, that administers the National Flood Insurance Program.
FEMA-State Agreement: A formal legal document between FEMA and the affected State stating the understandings, commitments, and binding conditions for assistance applicable as the result
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of the major disaster or emergency declared by the President. It is signed by the FEMA Regional director, or designee, and the Governor.
Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) - (1) The person appointed by the FEMA Director, or in his/her absence, the FEMA Deputy Director, or alternatively the FEMA Associate Director for Response and Recovery, following a declaration of a major disaster or of an emergency by the President, to coordinate Federal assistance.
Federal On-Scene Commander (OSC) - The FBI official designated upon JOC activation to ensure appropriate coordination of the overall United States government response with Federal, State, and local authorities, until such time as the Attorney General transfers the LFA role to FEMA.
Field C oordination Center: A temporary facility established by CAL OES within or adjacent to areas affected by a disaster. It functions under the operational control of the CAL OES mutual aid regional manager and is supported by mobile communications and personne l provided by CAL OES and other state agencies.
Field Operations Guide: A pocket-size manual of instructions on the application of the Incident Command System.
Field Treatment Site: Temporary sites utilized for emergencies when permanent medical facilities are not available or adequate to meet emergency medical care needs. The FTS is designed to provide triage and medical care for up to 48 hours or until new patients are no longer arriving at the site. The Medical/Health Branch has the authority to activate an FTS and determine the number and location of FTSs.
Finance/Administration Section: One of the five primary functions found at all SEMS levels which is responsible for all costs and financial considerations. At the incident the Section can include the Time Unit, Procurement Unit, Compensation/Claims Unit and Cost Unit.
FIPS Code: Federal Information Processing Identifier. A unique five-digit number for every county, borough, parish or census district in the US and its possessions.
Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM): the official map of a community that shows the boundaries of the flood plain and special flood hazard areas that have been designated. It is prepared by FEMA, using the best flood data available at the time a community enters the emerge ncy phase of the NFIP. It is superseded by the FIRM after a more detailed study has been completed.
Flood Insurance: The insurance coverage provided under the National Flood Insurance Program.
Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM): The official map of a commun ity prepared by FEMA, which shows the base flood elevation, along with the special hazard areas and the risk premium zones.
The study is funded by FEMA and is based on detailed surveys and analysis of the site -specific hydrologic characteristics.
Food Uni t: Functional unit within the Service Branch of the Logistics Section responsible for providing meals for incident and EOC personnel.
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Function: In ICS, function refers to the five major activities in the ICS, i.e., Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics and Finance/Administration. The same five functions also are found at all SEMS EOC levels. At the EOC, the term Management replaces Command. The term function is also used when describing the activity involved, e.g., "the planning function."
Functional Element: Refers to a part of the incident, EOC or DOC organization such as section, branch, group, or unit.
G
General Staff: The group of management personnel reporting to the Incident Commander or to the EOC Director. They may each have a deputy, as needed. At the Field SEMS level, the General Staff consists of: Operations Section Chief, Planning/Intelligence Section Chief, Logistics Section Chief, and the Finance/Administration Section Chief.
Ground Support Unit: Functional unit within the Support B ranch of the Logistics Section at the SEMS Field Response Level that is responsible for the fueling, maintaining, and repairing of vehicles, and the transportation of personnel and supplies.
Group: Groups are established to divide the incident into functional areas of operation. Groups are composed of resources assembled to perform a special function not necessarily within a single geographic division. (See Division.) Groups are located between Branches (when activated) and Resources in the Operations Section.
H
Hazard: Any source of danger or element of risk to people or property.
Hazard Mitigation: A cost effective measure that will reduce the potential for damage to a facility from a disaster event.
Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program: Authorized under Section 404 of the Stafford Act.
Provided funding for hazard mitigation projects that are cost effective and complement existing post-disaster mitigation programs and activities by providing funding for beneficial mitigation measures that are not funded through other programs.
Hazard Mitigation Plan: The plan resulting from a systematic evaluation of the nature and extent of vulnerability to the effects of natural hazards present in society that includes the actions needed to minimize future vulnerability to hazards.
Hot Wash: A hotwash is the "after-action" discussions and evaluations of an agency's (or multiple agencies') performance following an exercise, training session, or major event, such as Hurricane Katrina. It serves as a form of after-disaster briefings for all parties involved to analyze what worked well, what needs improvement, what person or agency needs to be responsible for said improvements, and the assignments and timelines for the noted corrective and proactive improvements to be in place.
I
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Incident: An occurrence or event, either human-caused or by natural phenomena, that requires action by emergency response personnel to prevent or minimize loss of life or damage to property and/or natural resources.
Incident Action Pla n: The plan developed at the field response level which contains objectives reflecting the overall incident strategy and specific tactical actions and supporting information for the next operational period. The plan may be oral or written.
Incident Base: Location at the incident where the primary logistics functions are coordinated and administered. (Incident name or other designator will be added to the term "Base.") the Incident Command Post may be collocated with the Base. There is only one Base per incident.
Incident Commander: The individual responsible for the command of all functions at the field response level.
Incident Command Post (ICP): The location at which the primary command functions are executed. The ICP may be collocated with the incident base or other incident facilities.
Incident Command System (ICS): The nationally used standardized on -scene emergency management concept specifi cally designed to allow its user(s) to adopt an integrated organizational structure equal to the complexity and demands of single or multiple incidents without being hindered by jurisdictional boundaries. ICS is the combination of facilities, equipment, pe rsonnel, procedures, and communications operating within a common organizational structure, with responsibility for the management of resources to effectively accomplish stated objectives pertinent to an incident.
Incident Management Team: The Incident commander and appropriate General and Command Staff personnel assigned to an incident.
Incident Objectives: Statements of guidance and direction necessary for the selection of appropriate strategy(s) and the tactical direction of resources. Incident objecti ves are based on realistic expectations of what can be accomplished when all allocated resources have been effectively deployed. Incident objectives must be achievable and measurable, yet flexible enough to allow for strategic and tactical alternatives.
Individual Assistance (IA): Supplementary Federal assistance provided under the Stafford Act to individuals and families adversely affected by a major disaster or an emergency. Such assistance may be provided directly by the Federal Government or through St ate or local governments or disaster relief organizations.
Initial Action: The Actions taken by resources which are the first to arrive at an incident.
Initial Response: Resources initially committed to an incident.
J
Joint Field Office (JFO): A temporary Federal facility established locally to provide a central point for Federal, State, local, and tribal executives with responsibility for incident oversight, direction, and/or assistance to effectively coordinate protection, prevention, preparedness, response, and
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recovery actions. The JFO will combine the traditional functions of the JOC, the FEMA DFO, and the JIC within a single Federal facility.
Joint Information Center (JIC): A facility established to coordinate all incident -related public information activities. It is the central point of contact for all news media at the scene of the incident. Public information officials from all participating agencies should collocate at the JIC.
Joint Information System (JIS): Integrates incident information and public affairs into a cohesive organization designed to provide consistent, coordinated, timely information during a crisis or incident operations. The mission of the JIS is to provide a structure and system for developing and delivering coordinate d interagency messages; developing, recommending, and executing public information plans and strategies on behalf of the IC; advising the IC concerning public affairs issues that could affect a response effort; and controlling rumors and inaccurate information that could undermine public confidence in the emergency response effort.
Joint Operations Center (JOC) : The JOC is the focal point for all Federal investigative law enforcement activities during a terrorist or potential terrorist incident or any othe r significant criminal incident and is managed by the Senior Federal Law Enforcement Officer. The JOC becomes a component of the JFO when the National Response Plan is activated.
Jurisdiction: The range or sphere of authority. Public agencies have jurisdiction at an incident related to their legal responsibilities and authority for incident mitigation. Jurisdictional authority at an incident can be political/geographical (e.g., special district city, county, state, or federal boundary lines), or functional (e.g., law enforcement, health department, etc.) (See Multi - jurisdiction.)
Jurisdictional Agency: The agency having jurisdiction and responsibility for a specific geographical area, or a mandated function.
L
Landing Zone: (See Helispot)
Leader: The ICS title for an individual responsible for a functional unit, task forces, or teams.
LECC: Local Emergency Communications Committee. The LECC is the broadcast industry component of EAS that wor ks closely with local government entities to form a partnership to make EAS work.
Liaison: A form of communication for establishing and maintaining mutual understanding and cooperation.
Liaison/Legislative Officer: A member of the Command Staff at the Field SEMS level responsible for coordinating with representatives from cooperating and assi sting agencies. At SEMS EOC levels, the function may be done by a Coordinator and/or within a Section or Branch reporting directly to the EOC Director.
Lifelines: A general term including all systems for storing, treating, and distributing fuel, communications, water, sewage, and electricity.
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Life-Safety: Refers to the joint consideration of both the life and physical well -being of individuals.
Local Assistance Center: A facility jointly established by the Federal and State Coordinating Officers within or adjacent to a disaster impacted area to provide disaster victims a "one -stop" service in meeting their emergency representatives of local, state, and federal governmental agencies, private service organizations and certain representatives of the private sector.
Local Emergency: The duly proclaimed existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the territorial limits of a county, city and county, or city, caused by such conditions as air pollution, fi re, flood, storm, epidemic, riot, or earthquake or other conditions, other than conditions resulting from a labor controversy, which conditions are or are likely to be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of that political subdivision and required the combined forces of political subdivisions to combat.
Local Government: Means local agencies defined in Government Code 8680.2 and special districts as defined in California Code of Regulations, Title 19 Division 2, Chapter 5, CDAA, 2900(y).
Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC): Committees established by the Director of CAL OES to provide a forum for the exchange of information among the cities and counties of a Mutual Aid region. The LGAC may develop a consen sus of action and policy among local emergency managers on issues, policies, and programs of concern to local governments, and if necessary, bring such concerns to the attention of CAL OES Executive Management.
Logistics Section: One of the five primary f unctions found at all SEMS levels. The Section responsible for providing facilities, services, and materials for the incident or at an EOC.
M
Major Disaster: Any hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, high-water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthq uake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, drought, fire, explosions, or other catastrophe in any part of the United States which, in the determination of the President, causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disa ster assistance under the Federal Disaster Relief Act, above and beyond emergency services by the Federal Government, to supplement the efforts and available resources of States, local governments, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damag e, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby.
Management by Objectives: In SEMS field and EOC levels, this is a top -down management activity which involves a three -step process to achieve the desired goal. The steps are establishing the objectives, selection of appropriate strategy(s) to achieve the objectives; and the direction or assignments associated with the selected strategy.
Mass Care Facility: A location where temporary services are provided to disaster victims d uring an emergency which may include lodging, food, clothing, registration, welfare inquiry, first aid, and essential social services.
Master Mutual Aid Agreement: An agreement entered by and between the State of California, its various departments and a gencies, and the various political subdivision, municipal
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corporations, and other public agencies of the State of California to assist each other by providing resources during an emergency. Mutual aid occurs when two or more parties agree to furnish resources and facilities and to render services to each other to prevent and combat any type of disaster or emergency.
Media: All means of providing information and instructions to the public, including radio, television, and newspapers.
Mitigation: Pre-event planning and actions which aim to lessen the effects of potential disaster.
Mobilization: The process and procedures used by all organizations federal, state and local for activating, assembling, and transporting all resources that have been requested to respond to or support an incident.
Mobilization Center: An off -incident location at which emergency service personnel and equipment are temporarily located pending assignment to incidents, release, or reassignment.
Multi-Agency Coordination: The participation of agencies and disciplines involved at any level of the SEMS organization working together in a coordinated effort to facilitate decisions for overall emergency response activities, including the sharing of critical resources and the prioritization of incidents.
Multi-Agency Coordination System (MACS): The combination of personnel, facilities, equipment, procedures, and communications integrated into a common system. When activated, MACS has the responsibility for coordination of assisting agency resources and support in a multi -agency or multi -jurisdiction environment. A MAC Group functions within the MACS.
MACS organizations are used within the California Fire Services.
Multi-Agency Incident: An incident where one or more agencies assist a jurisdictional agency or agencies. The incident may be managed under single or Unified Command.
Multi-jurisdiction Incident: An incident requiring action from multiple agencies that have a statutory respo nsibility for incident mitigation. In ICS these incidents will be managed under Management.
Multi-purpose Staging Area (MSA): A pre -designated location such as a County/District Fairgrounds having large parking areas and shelter for equipment and operators, which provides a base for coordinated localized emergency operations, a rally point for mutual aid coming into an area, and a site for post-disaster population support and recovery.
Mutual Aid Agreement: Written agreement between agencies and/or jurisdictions in which they agree to assist one another upon request, by furnishing personnel and equipment.
Mutual Aid Coordinator: An individual at local government, operational area, region, or state level that is responsible to coordinate the process of requesting, obtaining, processing, and using mutual aid resources. Mutual Aid Coordinator duties will vary depending upon the mutual aid system.
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Mutual Aid Region: A mutual aid region is a subdivision of CAL OES established to assist in the coordination of mutual aid and other emergency operations within a geographical area of the state, consisting of two or more county (operational) areas.
Mutual Aid Staging Area: A temporary facility established by the California Emergency Services Agency (Cal OES) within, or adjacent to, affected areas. It may be supported by mobile communications and personnel provided by field or headquarters staff from state agencies, as well as personnel from local jurisdictions throughout the state.
N
National Disaster Medical System (NDMS): A coordinated partnership between DHS, HHS, DOD, and the Department of Veterans Affairs established for the purpose of responding to the needs of victi ms of a public health emergency. NDMS provides medical response assets and the movement of patients to healthcare facilities where definitive medical care is received when required.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP): The Federal program, created by an act of Congress in 1968 that makes flood insurance available in communities that enact satisfactory floodplain management regulations.
National Incident Management System (NIMS) : A set of principles that provides a systematic, proactive approach guidin g government agencies at all levels, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to work seamlessly to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity, to reduce the loss of life or property and harm to the environment.
National Infrastructure Coordination Center (NICC) : Managed by the DHS Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Directorate, the NICC monitors the Nation’s critical infrastructu re and key resources on an ongoing basis. In the event of an incident, the NICC provides a coordinating vehicle to share information with critical infrastructure and key resources information-sharing entities.
National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC): The organization responsible for coordinating allocation of resources to one or more coordination centers or major fires within the Nation.
Located in Boise, ID.
National Response Framework (NRF): A guide to how the Nation conducts all-hazards response.
National Warning System: The federal portion of the civil defense warning system, used to disseminate warning and other emergency information from the warning centers or regions to warning points in each state.
Nongovernmental Organization: An entity with an association that is based on interests of its members, individuals, or institutions and that is not created by a government but may work cooperatively with government. Such organizations serve a public purpose, not a private benefit.
Examples of NGOs include faith-based charity organizations and the American Red Cross.
O
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One Hundred (100) -Year Flood: The flood elevation that has a one -percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. It is also known as the base flood elevation.
Operational Area (OA): An intermediate level of the state emergency organization, consisting of a county and all political subdivisions within the county area.
Operational Area Coordinator: The individual within the operational area responsible for a specific function such as law enforcement, coroner’s services, or emergency medical services.
Operational Period: The period of time scheduled for execution of a given set of operation actions as specified in the Incident or EOC Action Plan. Operational Periods can be of various lengths, although usually not over 24 hours.
Operations Section: One of the five primary functions found at all SEMS levels. The Section responsible for all tactical op erations at the incident, or for the coordination of operational activities at an EOC. The Operations Section at the SEMS Field Response Level can include Branches, Divisions and/or Groups, Task Forces, Team, Single Resources and Staging Areas. At the EOC levels, the Operations Section would contain Branches or Divisions as necessary because of span of control considerations.
Out-of-Service Resources: Resources assigned to an incident but unable to respond for mechanical, rest, or personnel reasons.
P
Petris Bill #1841: As a result of the lessons learned from the disasters in Northern California, the State of California passed into law in September of 1992 the Petris Bill. This legislation directs the Office of Emergency Services (now Cal OES) to impleme nt the use of the ICS and MACS throughout the State by no later than December 1, 1996.
Plan: As used by CAL OES, a document which describes the broad, overall jurisdictional response to potential extraordinary emergencies or disasters.
Planning Meeting: A meeting held as needed throughout the duration of an incident to select specific strategies and tactics for incident control operations and for service and support planning. On larger incidents, the planning meeting is a major element in the development of the Incident Action Plan. Planning meetings are also an essential activity at all SEMS EOC levels.
Planning Section: (Also referred to as Planning/Intelligence). One of the five primary functions found at all SEMS levels. Responsible for the collection, evaluation, and dissemination of information related to the incident or an emergency, and for the preparation and documentation of Incident or EOC Action Plans . The section also maintains information on the current and forecasted situation, and on the status of resources assigned to the incident.
Policy Group: Consists of executive decision -makers that are needed to collaborate to manage the consequences of the disaster. This group makes critical strategic decisions to manage the emergency. An example of a policy group for a local jurisdiction’s EOC would consist of the City Council, Director of Emergency Services/EOC Director, City Attorney, City Clerk, Technical
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Advisors – Police Chief, Fire Chief, Public Works Director, Community Development Director, etc., City Clerk.
Political Subdivision: Includes any city, city an d county, county, district, or other local governmental agency or public agency authorized by law.
Preparedness: A continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action to ensure effective coor dination during incident response. Within the National Incident Management System , preparedness focuses on the following elements: planning; procedures and protocols; training and exercises; personnel qualification and certification; and equipment certification.
Prevention: Actions to avoid an incident or to intervene to stop an incident from occurring.
Prevention involves actions to protect lives and property. It involves applying intelligence and other information to a range of activities that ma y include such countermeasures as deterrence operations; heightened inspections; improved surveillance and security operations; investigations to determine the full nature and source of the threat; public health and agricultural surveillance and testing processes; immunizations, isolation, or quarantine; and, as appropriate, specific law enforcement operations aimed at deterring, preempting, interdicting, or disrupting illegal activity and apprehending potential perpetrators and bringing them to justice.
Private Sector: Organizations and entities that are not part of any governmental structure. It includes for-profit and not -for-profit organizations, formal and informal structures, commerce and industry, and private voluntary organizations (PVO).
Procurement Unit: Functional unit within the Finance/Administration Section responsible for financial matters involving vendor contracts.
Public Assistance (PA): Supplementary Federal assistance provided under the Stafford Act to State and local governments or certain private, nonprofit organizations other than assistance for the direct benefit of individuals and families.
Public Information Officer: The individual at field or EOC level that has been delegated the authority to prepare public information releases and to interact with the media. Duties will vary depending upon the agency and SEMS level.
R
Radiological Protection: The organized effort, through warning, detection, and preventive and remedial measures, to minimize the effect of nuclear radiation on people and resources.
Radiological Officer: (RO) An individual assigned to an Emergency Management Staff who is responsible for radiological protection operations. The RO is the principal advisor to the Director/Coordinator and other official s on matters pertaining to radiological protection operations.
Radiological Monitor: An individual trained to measure, record, and report radiation exposure and exposure rates; provide limited field guidance on radiation hazards associated with
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operations to which he/she is assigned; and perform operator’s checks and maintenance on radiological instrument.
Reception Area: An area which, through a hazard analysis and related preparedness planning, is pre-designated to receive and care for (or provide basic needs for) persons displaced from a hazard area.
Recovery: Activities traditionally associated with providing Federal supplemental disaster recovery assistance under a Presidential major disaster declaration. These activities usually begin within days after the event and continue after the response activities cease. Recovery includes individual and public assistance programs which provide temporary housing assistance, grants and loans to eligible individuals and government entities to recovery from the e ffects of a disaster.
Recovery Plan: A plan developed by a State, local, or tribal jurisdiction with assistance from responding Federal agencies to restore the affected area.
Regional Director (RD): A director of a regional office of FEMA, or his/her de signated representative. As used in the Stafford Act, Regional Director also means the Disaster Recovery Manager who has been appointed to exercise the authority of the regional Director for a particular emergency or major disaster.
Regional Emergency Ope rations Center (REOC): Facilities found at CAL OES Administrative Regions. REOCS are used to coordinate information and resources among operational areas and between the operational areas and the state level.
Resources: Personnel and equipment available, or potentially available, for assignment to incidents or to EOCs. Resources are described by kind and type and may be used in tactical support or supervisory capacities at an incident or at EOCs.
Resources Management: Efficient management requires a system for identifying available resources at all jurisdictional levels to enable timely and unimpeded access to resources needed to prepare for, respond to, or recover from an incident. Resource management under the National Incident Management System includes mutual aid agreements; the use of special Federal, State, local, and tribal teams; and resource mobilization protocols.
Resources Unit: Functional unit within the Planning Section at the SEMS Field Response level responsible for recording the status of resources committed to the incident. The Unit also evaluates resources currently committed to the incident, the impact that additional responding resources will have on the incident, and anticipated resources needs.
Response: Activities to address the immediate and short -term effects of an emergency or disaster. Response includes immediate actions to save lives, protect property and meet basic human needs. Based on the requirements of the situation, response assistance wi ll be provided to an affected State under the National Response Framework using a partial activation of selected ESFs or full activation of all ESFs to meet the needs of the situation.
S
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Safety Officer: A member of the Command Staff at the incident or within an EOC responsible for monitoring and assessing safety hazards or unsafe situations, and for developing measures for ensuring personnel safety. The Safety Officer may have assistants.
Section: That organization level with responsibility for a major functional area of the incident or at an EOC, e.g., Operations, Planning, Logistics, Administration/Finance.
Section Chief: The ICS title for individuals responsible for command of functional sections:
Operations, Planning/Intelligence, Logistics and Administration/Finance. At the EOC level, the position title will be Section Coordinator.
Sensitive Facilities: Facilities in reception areas that will not normally be used as lodging facilities for relocatee s. The facilities area either considered unsuitable or are required for essential activities (food establishments, fire stations, banks, radio stations, etc.). However, if any of these facilities provide adequate protection against radioactive fallout, th ey may be used as fallout shelters.
Service: An organization assigned to perform a specific function during an emergency. It may be one department or agency if only that organization is assigned to perform the function, or it may be comprised of two or more normally independent organizations grouped together to increase operational control and efficiency during the emergency.
Service Branch: A Branch within the Logistics Section in the field that is responsible for service activities at the incident and includes the Communications, Medical and Food Units.
Shelter Complex: A geographic grouping of facilities to be used as a fallout shelter when such an arrangement serves planning, administrative, and/or operation purposes. Normally, a complex will include a maximum of 25 individual shelter facilities, within a diameter of about 2 miles.
Shelter Manager: An individual who provides for the internal organization, administration, and operation of a shelter facility.
Short-Term Prediction: A prediction of an earthquake that is expected within a few hours to a few weeks. The short-term-prediction can be further described as follows:
• Alert--Three days to a few weeks
• Imminent Alert--Now to three days
Single Resource: An individual, a piece of equipment and its personnel complement, or a crew or team of individuals with an identified work supervisor that can be used on an incident.
Situation Status Unit: Functional unit within the Planning Section responsible for the collection, organization, and analysis of incident status information, and for analysis of the situation as it progresses. Reports to the Planning Section Coordinator.
Span of Control: The supervisory ratio maintained within an ICS or EOC organization. A span of control of five-positions reporting to one supervisor is considered optimum.
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Special District: A unit of local government (other than a city, county, or city and county) with authority or responsibility to own, operate or maintain a project (as defined in California Code of Regulations 2900(s) for purposes of natural disaster assistance. This may include a joint powers authority established under section 6500 et seq. of the Code.
Stafford Act: Robert T. Stafford disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, PL 100-707, signed into law November 23, 1988; amended the Disaster Relief Act of 1974, PL 93-288.
Staging Areas: Staging Areas are locations set up at an incident where resources can be placed while awaiting a tactical assignment. Staging Areas are managed by the Operations Section.
Staging Area Managers: Individuals within ICS organizational units that are assigned special managerial responsibilities at Staging Areas. (Also, Camp Manager.)
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): A set of instructions having the force of a directive, covering those features of operations which lend themselves to a definite or standardized procedure. Standard operating procedures support an annex by indicating in detail how a particular task will be carried out.
Standardized Emergency M anagement System (SEMS): A system required by California Government Code for managing response to multi-agency and multi-jurisdiction emergencies in California. SEMS consists of five organizational levels which are activated as necessary: Field Response, Local Government, Operation Area, Region, State.
State Agency: Any department, division, independent establishment, or agency of executive branch of the state government.
State Coordinating Officer (SCO): The person appointed by the Governor to act for th e State in cooperation with the Federal Coordinating Officer.
State Emergency Organization: The agencies, board, and commissions of the executive branch of state government and affiliated private sector organizations.
State Emergency Plan: The State of California Emergency Plan as approved by the Governor.
State of Emergency: The duly proclaimed existence of conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the state caused by such conditions as air pollution, fire, flood, storm, epidemic, riot, or earthquake or other conditions, other than conditions, resulting from a labor controversy, or conditions causing a "state of war emergency", which conditions by reason of magnitude, are or are likely to be beyond the contro l of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of any single county, city and county, or city and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat.
State of War Emergency: The condition which exists immediately, with or without a proclamation thereof by the Governor, whenever the state or nation is directly attacked by an enemy of the United States, or upon the receipt by the state of a warning from the federal government that such an enemy attack is probable or imminent.
State Operations Center (SOC): An EOC facility operated by Cal OES at the state level in SEMS.
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Strategic: Strategic elements of incident management are characterized by continuous long - term, high -level planning by organizations headed by elected or other senior officials. These elements involve the adoption of long -range goals and objectives, the setting of priorities, the establishment of budgets and other fiscal decisions, policy development, and the application of measures of performance or effectiveness.
Strategy: The general plan or direction selected to accomplish incident or EOC objectives.
Strike Te am: A set number of resources of the same kind and type that have an established minimum number of personnel.
Subgrantee: An eligible applicant in Federally declared disasters.
Supply Unit: Functional unit within the Support Branch of the Logistics Sect ion responsible for ordering equipment and supplies required for incident operations.
Support Branch: A Branch within the Logistics Section in the field responsible for providing personnel, equipment and supplies to support incident operations. Includes the Supply, Facilities and Ground Support Units.
Support Resources: Non-tactical resources under the supervision of the Logistics, Planning, Finance/Administration Sections, or the Command Staff.
Supporting Materials: Refers to the several attachments th at may be included with an Incident Action Plan, e.g., communications plan, map, safety plan, traffic plan, and medical plan.
T
Task Force: A combination of single resources assembled for a particular tactical need with common communications and a leader.
Team: (See Single Resource.)
Technical Assistance: Support provided to State, local, and tribal jurisdictions when they have the resources but lack the complete knowledge and skills needed to perform a required activity (such as mobile-home park design and hazardous material assessments).
Technical Specialists: Personnel with special skills that can be used anywhere within the ICS or EOC organization.
Technological Hazard: Includes a range of hazards emanating from the manufacture, transportation, and use of such substances as radioactive materials, che micals, explosives, flammables, agricultural pesticides, herbicides, and disease agents; oil spills on land, coastal waters, or inland water systems; and debris from space.
Terrorism: As defined in the Homeland Security Act of 2002, activity that involves an act that is dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critical infrastructure or key resources; is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State or other subdivision of the
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United States; and appears to be intended t o intimidate or coerce a civilian population, to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion, or to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.
Threat: An indication of possible violence, harm, or danger.
Time Unit: Functional unit within the Finance/Administration Section responsible for recording time for incident or EOC personnel and hired equipment.
Tools: Those instruments and capabilities that allow for the professional performance of tasks, such as information systems, agreements, doctrine, capabilities, and legislative authorities.
Traffic Control Points (TCP): Places along movement routes that are manned by emergency personnel to direct and control the flow of traffic.
Triage: A p rocess of priority sorting sick and injured people based on urgency and type of condition presented so that they can be routed to appropriate medical facilities.
Tribal: Any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaskan Native Village as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaskan Native Claims Settlement Act (85 stat. 688) [43 U.S.C.A. and 1601 et seq.], that is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians.
Type: Refers to resource capability. A Type 1 resource provides a greater overall capability due to power, size, capacity, etc., than would be found in a Type 2 resource. Resource typing provides managers with additional information in selecting the best resource for the task.
U
Unified Area Command: A Unified Area Command is established when incidents under an Area Command are multi-jurisdictional. (See Area Command and Management.)
Unified Command: In ICS, Unified Command is a unified team effort which allows all agencies with responsibility for the incident, either geographical or functional, to manage an incident by establishing a common set of incident objectives and strategies. This is accomplished without losing or abdicating agency authority, responsibility, or accountability.
Unit: An organizational element having functional responsibility. Units are commonly used in incident Planning Logistics, or Finance/Administration Section and can be used in operations for some applications. Units are also found in EOC organizations.
Unity of Command: The concept by which each person within an organization reports to one and only one designated person
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Appendix C: Equity and Inclusion
The priority for emergency assistance is to meet the immediate life safety and health needs of disaster survivors. While every person is vulnerable to risk, individuals from diverse populations, and particularly those with disabilities or access and functional needs (AFN), are often disproportionately more vulnerable and may be at higher risk to harm.
Historically, hazard events have more deeply affected socially vulnerable populations. Nuanced social vulnerabilities often come from the social and physical environment in which a person is embedded. Populations who experience ongoing safety concerns in their daily lives will be addressed as a priority in the disaster respon se context, as they have exacerbated safety concerns during a disaster such as the undocumented, unhoused, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex (LGBTQI), and Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). In the context of elevated social vulnerability, the ability of the diverse populations located throughout the City of Culver City to safely respond to an unfolding disaster may not be the same as more mainstreamed populations.
C.1 Cultural Competency
The State of California (CA) requires equitable services to be provided for all culturally diverse members of the community, per California Code §8593.3.5 Integration of Cultural Competence into Emergency Plans (CA Gov. Code 8593.3.5). Meeting these legal mandates requires transparently ensuring there is no discrimination in the provision of assistance for disaster response. Individual needs that must be considered, include, but are not limited to , race and ethnicity, including indigenous peoples, c ommunities of color, and immigrant and refugee communities; gender, including women; age, including the elderly and youth; sexual and gender minorities; people with disabilities; occupation and income level including low -income individuals and the unhoused ; education level; people with no o r limited English language proficiency; as well as geographic location.
The City responds to diverse populations with culturally inclusive and equitable access to the same services, aids, and benefits, and in the same man ner for all. It requires engaging and integrating people from the spectrum of representative demographics of local jurisdictions in planning efforts and providing quality assurance during response activities. As local demographics shift, new champions em erge, and needs evolve. All formal and informally designated responders (e.g., formal emergency management staff, Disaster Service Workers [DSW], Community Emergency Response Team [CERT], Amateur Radio Em ergency Services [ARES], City-enlisted volunteers) will maintain a dedicated effort to cultural inclusion, diversity, and equity throughout all operations. In 2020, City Council established the Equity and Human Relations Advisory Committee to expand the f ocus to address the need for programs, policies
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and activities that promote positive human relations and equitable outcomes and opportunities in all aspects of community life.
C.2 Whole Community Approach
The Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) adheres to federal guidance for using a “whole community” approach to meet the legal intent and humanitarian spirit of a response that is equitably inclusive of the entire community wit h the City, both geographically and demographically. As a concept, whole community is a means by which residents, organizational and community leaders, emergency management practitioners, and government officials can collectively and collaboratively understand and assess the needs of their respective communities, and then determine the best ways to organize and strengthen their assets, capacities , and interests. The whole community approach is reflected in this EOP’s planning strategies, operational approaches, and outreach communications to ensure inclusive, equitable, and just program service development, delivery, and assessment.
The City of Culver City Office of Emergency Preparedness has integrated the inclusive response to vulnerable populations into this EOP using the C-MIST framework in emergency planning. The C-MIST Framework is a mnemonic device consisting of five categories: 28 • C = Communication: Individuals with communication needs may speak American Sign Language (ASL), have limited English proficiency (LEP), use braille print, or use other auxiliary aids and devices to communicate or navigate their environment. These individuals may have limited ability to hear announcements, see signs, understand messages, or verbalize their concerns.
• M = Maintaining Health: Individuals may require specific medications, supplies, services, durable medical equipment (DME) , electricity for life -maintaining equipment, breastfeeding and infant/childcare, or nutrition to reduce negative impacts of a disaster or public health emergency on individuals’ health.
• I = Independence: When relocating adults with disabilities to medical care settings and when discharging them home or into the community, it is crucial to ensure continuity of access to necessar y mobility devices or assistive technology , vision and communication aids and, service animals that assist the individual in maintaining their independence.
• S = Support and Safety: Some individuals may become separated from caregivers and need additional personal care assistance; experience higher levels of distress and need support for anxiety, psychological, or behavioral health needs; or require a trauma - informed approach or support for personal safety. Early identification and planning for
28 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ASPR. “At-Risk Individuals with Access and Functional Needs”.
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AFN can help to reduce the negative impacts of a disaster on individual’s wellbeing. Some individuals may have lost caregiver assistance and require additional support; some individuals may find it difficult to cope in a new or strange environment or have difficulty understanding or remembering; and some individuals may have experienced trauma or be victims of abuse.
• T = Transportation: Individuals may lack access to personal transportation, be unable to drive due to decreased or imp aired mobility that may come with age and/or disability, temporary conditions, injury, or legal restriction. Disasters can significantly reduce transportation options, inhibiting individuals from accessing s ervices and staying connected. Disaster plannin g requires coordination with mass transit and accessible transportation providers. The City has 54 buses and 5 smaller vehicles in their fleet that can accommodate passengers that require accessible transportation.
C.3 Inclusivity Planning Considerations
According to the latest report from the 2022 U.S. Census data, the population of the City of Culver City is 39,515. According to the American Community Survey (ACS) 6.0% are children under 5 years of age; 13.3% are minors under 18 years of age; 24.9% are seniors over 65 years of age; approximately 9.6% are individuals who have a disability and are under 65 years of age; 29.5% of the population speak a language other than English at home; and according to a 2022 ACS survey, the “Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months” was estimated to be approximately 5.9%.29 Table C-1. Breakdown of reported disabilities and languages other than English spoken at home 30 % of Population with a Disability Top % of Languages Spoken other than English Hearing Difficulty 3.0% Spanish 16.5%
Vision Difficulty 1.0% Chinese 3.6%
Cognitive Difficulty 3.2% Languages of India 2.2%
Ambulatory Difficulty 4.0% Japanese 1.9%
Self-Care Difficulty 1.9%
Independent Living
Difficulty
5.1%
29 U.S. Census, American Community Survey, 2022 – Disability Characteristics, Culver City, CA https://data.census.gov/table?q=ACS:%20disability%20culver%20city&g=160XX00US0617568 30 U.S. Census, American Community Survey, 2022 – Language Spoken at Home, Culver City, CA https://data.census.gov/table?q=ACS:%20language%20culver%20city&g=160XX00US0617568
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Inclusive planning considerations for this EOP include, but are not limited to the following:
• Planning for disproportionately impacted, at-risk, or people with AFN is not an add-on for the Emergency Management Organization (EMO); it is an integrated layer throughout all activities and functions.
• The EMO’s role is to provide expertise and cultural inclusion based on the situational awareness available to field and tactical operations, and this includes knowledge of the impacts on disproportionately impacted individuals.
• Appropriate maps, data, and situational awareness regarding disprop ortionately impacted individuals, particularly diverse populations and those with disabilities or AFN, will be prioritized to support equitable policy decisions and response efforts.
• Communications, transportation, and sheltering accessibility are often the t hree areas most repeatedly identified as needing improvement in relation to disproportion ately impacted individuals and/or people with disabilities or AFN, and as such should be prioritized in response efforts.
• The term “whole community planning” includes the business community as well, and they should be incorporated into inclusive planning efforts in preparedness and response.
• Identifying languages and communicating actionable messages using a variety of technologies to address the needs of people with AFN in multiple languages is necessary.
• Diverse communitie s are made up of individuals with varied communication and messaging styles and preferences, and outreach communication strategies need to incorporate a wide variety of methodologies to adequately address everyone.
• There will be different populations affected during different incidents; and with functional variables associ ated with transience (visitors, travelers, workers, etc. ); their needs will vary, and the EMO staff will need to recognize language and service needs to respond appropriately.
• Disproportionately impacted individuals live throughout the City and may common ly be found in neighborhoods lacking adequa te resources on a daily basis (e.g., areas with limited access to fresh, healthful foods; accessible transportation; accessible housing; and access to health maintenance services).
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C.3.1 Individuals with Disabilities and those with Access and Functional Needs Addressing the needs of individuals with disabilities and those with access and functional needs (AFN) is a top priority in both the services and communications about the services. Ensuring accessibility complies with federal laws governing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) directives.
ADA compliance is an important benchmark as new communications, procedures, and facilities are utilized in the emergency operations. Under ADA, a person with a disability is one who:
• Has a physical or mental impairment
• Has a record of such an impairment
• Is regarded as having such an impairment
ADA compliance in emergency management applies throughout all phases, including but not limited to, notification, comm unication, preparation, evacuation, transportation, sheltering, temporary housing, medical care, recovery, decontamination processes, commodity points of distribution (C-POD), and points of dispensing areas.
The Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibilit y Guidelines (ASAAG) covers the scoping and technical requirements necessary to ensure that buildings and facilities are accessible. The Stafford Act and Post -Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act (PKEMRA) also mandates integration and equal opportunity for people with disabilities in general population emergency shelters. The key concepts of non-discrimination are: 31 • Self-Determination
• There is no “one size fits all”
• Equal Opportunity
• Inclusion
• Integration
• Physical Access
• Effective Communication
• Program Modifications
• No Charge
ADA laws are further supported by recent California legislative guidance addressing AFN support during disaster response and recovery CA, per CA AB 477 Emergency Preparedness : vulnerable populations, now amended California Code, 8593.3.
According to California Government Code Section 8593.3, AFN are defined as “ Individuals who have developmental or intellectual disabilities, physical disabili ties, chronic conditions, injuries,
31 FEMA’s Guidance on Planning for Integration of Functional Needs Support Services in General Po pulation Shelters (2010), https://www.fema.gov/pdf/about/odic/fnss_guidance.pdf
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limited English proficiency or who are non -English speaking, older adults, children, people living in institutional settings, or those who are low income, homeless, or transportation disadvantaged, including, but not limited to, those who are dependent on public transit or those who are pregnant.”32
C.4 Language Access
Diverse communities are made up of individuals with varied communication and messaging styles and preferences, and outreach communication strategies need to incorporate a wide variety of methodologies in order to adequately address everyone.
The City of Culver City is a linguistically div erse city, with nearly 30% of its residents speaking a language other than English at home. Other than English, the 4 most widely spoken languages are Spanish, Chinese , languages spoken in India and, Ja panese. Identifying the needs of those impacted and communicating understandable, culturally competent , and actionable messages, using a variety of technologies to address the needs of diverse populations as well as individuals with AFN in multiple languages, is mandated.
Language interpretation and translation services are provided through the City’s Human Resources Department (HR). In a disaster, the EMO will work with HR to designate support in effectively translating and interpreting disaster -related messages regarding response and recovery, including City programs, services, and benefits, to populations with limited English proficiency (LEP). HR maintains a list of multilingual city personnel to facilitate near real -time translation for urgent messaging.
In a disaster, EMO, along with the assistance of HR and the City’s Public Information Officer (PIO), shall:
• Ensure public messaging is available in the City’s threshold languages • Maintain a current list of vendors to provide translation and interpretation services that meet City guidelines for services provided
• Procure interpretation services for all press events during an emergency activation to ensure accessibility of information for all
• Determine impacts to the communications system and consider alternative options such as ASL video, braille, large print, audio, or pictures
Support for the above-referenced can potentially be offered through partner organizations in the community who are designed to equitably ensure all individuals in the City h ave meaningful access.
32 California Government Code Section 8593.3. https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/government-code/gov-sect-8593-3/
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C.5 Resources
The following resources are provided for reference. This compilation is intended to be illustrative rather than comprehensive, and additional relevant resources may exist:
• Medical Baseline Allowance, Southern California Edison (SCE) o If you or someone in your household requires the re gular use of electrically powered medical equipment or other qualifying medical devices, you may be eligible for SCE’s Medical Baseline Allowance Program. This program provides an additional 16.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per day. Provided at the lowest baseline rate, this helps offset the cost of operating the medical equipment. • Critical Care Backup Battery Program, Southern California Edison (SCE) o This program offers free portable backup batteries that can power up your medical devices during a power outage. In addition, because these batteries are portable, they can be used to support you during an evacuation from your home. • Disabled or Electricity Dependent Services Application through the Disability Disaster Access & Resources Center
o Individuals who complete the Application will be contacted by their local Disability Disaster Access & Resource Center (DDARC) staff and assessed for disaster and emergency services, including Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events. • Culver City Community Services offered at the Culver City Senior Center o The Center offers social services for: Older adults (50+), residents with disabilities and, members of the public.
• Culver City Housing, Homeless, and Human Services
o This City Department offers homeless, housing, disability, adult and senior services, as well as operates a Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) to provide emergency mental health care and support to members of the Culver City community.
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The following Annexes are contained in separate documents.
Annex A: EOC Operations Guide
Annex B: Crisis Communications Plan
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